Wad cutters for .44 mag and .45 colt.

D.Nix · May 26, 2010, 09:42 AM

Hello, I have been thinking about geting into casting boolits. Been doing alot of research and have noticed that lee, rcbs, lyman do not offer a wad cutter in any caliber except in the .38 . Just was woundering if a wad cutter would be practible in a .44 or .45 colt. I have been using berrys swc in both my .44 mag and .45 colt. they work very good and have been shooting lead out of them for two years. would like to get your guys thought on this. thanks

kraigwy · May 26, 2010, 10:43 AM

Lyman and RCBS (and I'm sure there are others) will build you pretty much any mold you want. Just give them the dementions.

I never thought of it, and I dont think its gonna get on my "to-do" list, but if you want one, by all means call one of the mold makers and go for it.

dahermit · May 26, 2010, 05:04 PM

Post begs the question: Why? Unless you want to print sharp holes in paper targets (there is little interest in paper target shooting using those calibers these days), for what purpose do you want wadcutters? There are a host of standard .44 and .45 mould designs out there that are really good for any practical application. What do you envision using a wadcutter bullet for? I am just very curious.

Rifleman1776 · May 26, 2010, 05:13 PM

Haven't checked the catalogs, but sure seems to me the Keith style semi-wadcutters mould would still be available.
BTW, they are considered by many to be excellent for hunting with proper hardness.

D.Nix · May 26, 2010, 06:48 PM

Blunt Force Trauma. . . . no i was just woundering if any one has seen or have thought of this. I am using keith style swc now. But i do shoot alot of paper along with a ton of jackrabbits. got to thinking " man I wounder what a full wad cutter in a 250 grain would do to a jackrabbit" Im always thinking outside the box.

Edward429451 · May 26, 2010, 07:54 PM

Lyman old 44 WC is a 180 gr and makes a dandy SD bullet in my CA Bulldog, I mean...it works great in 44 mag light loads for rabbits and stuff

The WC's have a tendancy to tumble after 50 yds or so so Lyman has a new version out, A 200 grain pointed WC (They put an aerodynamic tip on and retained a full caliber shoulder!)

That would be worth looking at

dahermit · May 27, 2010, 07:32 AM

After posting above, I found that the newest catalog from Graf & Sons (pages 164-165), has a Saeco two-cavity mould listed for full wadcutters in both .44 and .45 calibers. So, they are in current production...no need for custom builds.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...categoryId/452

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...categoryId/453

Not the heavies you were fantasizing about, but full wadcutters none the less.

Rifleman1776 · May 27, 2010, 08:27 AM

Edward, I used hard cast Keith style SWCs in my .44 Ruger Redhawk for many years. I shot it competitively and never experienced tumbling at any distance. Including (once) silhouettes at 500 meters. Gotta disagree with you. Keith hisself liked them for hunting at longer ranges.

Edward429451 · May 27, 2010, 09:06 AM

I would disagree with myself if I had been talking about SWC's, please read again

The Keith SWC's are grand, I have both of them the 429421 245gr and the 429650 300gr GC. No they don't tumble.

D.Nix · May 28, 2010, 12:36 PM

Thanks for all the quick response's. I wasn't sure how accurate the wad cutter were, now i know. ill be sure and check out the saeco molds . everyone have a good weekend and be safe.

M4Sherman · May 29, 2010, 12:01 AM

I have some simi-wad cutter molds by saeco on the trade section of this site in 44 magnum

briandg · June 16, 2010, 06:09 PM

Remember that loading a WC bullet flush is going to almost cut your powder capacity in the case by 1/2. If you load something like a 200 grain wadcutter flush and use a charge intended for that same weight in a normal SWC bullet, you're going to get a very serious pressure spike.

I'd just look for a standard SWC with minimal taper, and you will have, for all practical purposes, a wad cutter.

I cast and shot thousands of wadcutters in .38, and found that the loads weren't any more accurate, and I just didn't like them anyway. wimpy dirty loads.

longfellow · January 14, 2011, 08:05 AM

Make sure you slug your bores. If you're in the sweet spot and throats are accomodating, by all means get the commercial mold. If you have to, because of unusually large throats, go custom (and who wouldn't given that the extra couple of bucks spread out over years is meaningless and you get exactly what you want) then I can highly recommend Accurate molds. His 43-220 with tumble lube grooves in brass makes bullets so smooth and concentric I made a couple in to earings for my wife. Thet sparkle right out of the blocks

jmortimer · January 14, 2011, 09:26 AM

The full profile meplat of a .45 Colt would be devestating and you would get excellent penetration. Look at the performance of the Buffalo Bore 150 grain hard cast .38 special that will do 900 fps in a 1 7/8" J frame and gives two feet of straight line penetration. Penn Bullets is the only manufacturer making a .45 225 grain wadcutter and it's good to know Saco is making a wadcutter mold. I think you will be very happy with the results and what a sef-defense round - an 11.5 mm .45 Colt wadcutter is nasty.

saltydog452 · January 14, 2011, 10:42 AM

Montana Bullets (?), offered a wide flat nose meplat where the front barely touched the bore. It didn't quite look like a scaled down soup can, but that description wouldn't be too far off the mark. I think it was called The Leadhead, Flathead, something like that.

That'll Do · January 14, 2011, 12:01 PM

If anyone is interested in casting their own bullets, Accurate Molds has a large selection of molds, including full wadcutters of various weights in for .44's and .45's.

Here's a link: http://accuratemolds.com/

zippy13 · January 14, 2011, 12:14 PM

I just checked the LEE site, and they no longer offer the .44 WC mold that I use.

salvadore · January 16, 2011, 01:19 PM

This old Ideal mould runs around 250grs.

jmortimer · January 16, 2011, 04:18 PM

^ That is my idea of a beautiful bullet. Nice meplat. I know most people are in love with expanding bullets but just looking at that bullet would scare me.

hornetguy · February 1, 2011, 09:56 AM

Yeah, I've got one of the old Lee wadcutter molds, too. Haven't used it in a while, but as I recall, it threw pretty nice boolits. I think it's just over 200gr.

wildphilhickup · February 2, 2011, 09:49 PM

I use a 225 grain and a 255 grain Wadcutter style bullet, sized 0.452". Yes, a true wadcutter. I took a S&W 29-3 pulled the barrel and replaced it with a 0.451" bore, barrel, stainless steel. I pulled the cylinder and bored it out to "tight" 45 Colt dimensions. Shot PPC with it for years. The 38 Special guys were really surprised by its accuracy.

spacecoast · April 2, 2012, 06:54 AM

Here's a pic of the rounds I recently put together using Penn's 225 grain full wadcutter. Shoots great from my 625-3 using 3.0 grains of Titegroup.

FrankenMauser · April 2, 2012, 01:32 PM

D.Nix, don't worry.

I'm a wadcutter fan, too ... regardless of the cartridge. There's just something about that massive meplat and a cylindrical projectile, that appeals to me.

For my .44 Mag, I've been considering an NOE Tri-Weight wadcutter mold (also available in .38 and .45 calibers, and pointed versions). However, NOE's current lead time is about 14-16 months. So, if he doesn't have what you want in-stock, you'll have to wait a while. And, right now, he doesn't have any of the tri-weight molds in stock, in any configuration or caliber.

So, I think I'll end up picking a few weights of wadcutters from Tom's catalog (AccurateMolds.com), and have him cut me a 2, 3, or 4 cavity mold. (If you also chose to go this route, you could even have a cavity for a .44 and a .45 WC in the same mold.)

Some other options are NEI, Ballisti-Cast, LBT, and Mountain Molds (design exactly what you want).

wylie3k · July 19, 2012, 02:50 PM

Anyone have a load for 44 mag 200 gr WC? I've got some coming today and just can't seem to find any data on this one. I have 2400, Blue Dot, W231, Unique, Bullseye and Trail Boss. Thanks, Any help is appreciated.

artsmom · July 19, 2012, 03:41 PM

Accurate Molds are top quality. Tom usually beats his advertised lead time and gets the mold to the customer quickly.

May 26, 2010, 09:42 AM	#1
D.Nix Junior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Location: Hugoton, Kansas Posts: 12	Wad cutters for .44 mag and .45 colt. Hello, I have been thinking about geting into casting boolits. Been doing alot of research and have noticed that lee, rcbs, lyman do not offer a wad cutter in any caliber except in the .38 . Just was woundering if a wad cutter would be practible in a .44 or .45 colt. I have been using berrys swc in both my .44 mag and .45 colt. they work very good and have been shooting lead out of them for two years. would like to get your guys thought on this. thanks

May 26, 2010, 10:43 AM	#2
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Lyman and RCBS (and I'm sure there are others) will build you pretty much any mold you want. Just give them the dementions. I never thought of it, and I dont think its gonna get on my "to-do" list, but if you want one, by all means call one of the mold makers and go for it. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

May 26, 2010, 06:48 PM	#5
D.Nix Junior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Location: Hugoton, Kansas Posts: 12	Blunt Force Trauma. . . . no i was just woundering if any one has seen or have thought of this. I am using keith style swc now. But i do shoot alot of paper along with a ton of jackrabbits. got to thinking " man I wounder what a full wad cutter in a 250 grain would do to a jackrabbit" Im always thinking outside the box. Last edited by D.Nix; May 26, 2010 at 06:54 PM.

May 28, 2010, 12:36 PM	#10
D.Nix Junior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Location: Hugoton, Kansas Posts: 12	Thanks for all the quick response's. I wasn't sure how accurate the wad cutter were, now i know. ill be sure and check out the saeco molds . everyone have a good weekend and be safe. Last edited by D.Nix; May 28, 2010 at 07:15 PM.

January 14, 2011, 08:05 AM	#13
longfellow Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2010 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 144	WC's in big bores Make sure you slug your bores. If you're in the sweet spot and throats are accomodating, by all means get the commercial mold. If you have to, because of unusually large throats, go custom (and who wouldn't given that the extra couple of bucks spread out over years is meaningless and you get exactly what you want) then I can highly recommend Accurate molds. His 43-220 with tumble lube grooves in brass makes bullets so smooth and concentric I made a couple in to earings for my wife. Thet sparkle right out of the blocks

May 26, 2010, 05:04 PM	#3
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	Post begs the question: Why? Unless you want to print sharp holes in paper targets (there is little interest in paper target shooting using those calibers these days), for what purpose do you want wadcutters? There are a host of standard .44 and .45 mould designs out there that are really good for any practical application. What do you envision using a wadcutter bullet for? I am just very curious.

May 26, 2010, 05:13 PM	#4
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	Haven't checked the catalogs, but sure seems to me the Keith style semi-wadcutters mould would still be available. BTW, they are considered by many to be excellent for hunting with proper hardness.

May 26, 2010, 07:54 PM	#6
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Lyman old 44 WC is a 180 gr and makes a dandy SD bullet in my CA Bulldog, I mean...it works great in 44 mag light loads for rabbits and stuff The WC's have a tendancy to tumble after 50 yds or so so Lyman has a new version out, A 200 grain pointed WC (They put an aerodynamic tip on and retained a full caliber shoulder!) That would be worth looking at

May 27, 2010, 07:32 AM	#7
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	After posting above, I found that the newest catalog from Graf & Sons (pages 164-165), has a Saeco two-cavity mould listed for full wadcutters in both .44 and .45 calibers. So, they are in current production...no need for custom builds. http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...categoryId/452 http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...categoryId/453 Not the heavies you were fantasizing about, but full wadcutters none the less.

May 27, 2010, 08:27 AM	#8
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	Edward, I used hard cast Keith style SWCs in my .44 Ruger Redhawk for many years. I shot it competitively and never experienced tumbling at any distance. Including (once) silhouettes at 500 meters. Gotta disagree with you. Keith hisself liked them for hunting at longer ranges.

May 27, 2010, 09:06 AM	#9
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I would disagree with myself if I had been talking about SWC's, please read again The Keith SWC's are grand, I have both of them the 429421 245gr and the 429650 300gr GC. No they don't tumble.

May 29, 2010, 12:01 AM	#11
M4Sherman Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 408	I have some simi-wad cutter molds by saeco on the trade section of this site in 44 magnum

June 16, 2010, 06:09 PM	#12
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	Remember that loading a WC bullet flush is going to almost cut your powder capacity in the case by 1/2. If you load something like a 200 grain wadcutter flush and use a charge intended for that same weight in a normal SWC bullet, you're going to get a very serious pressure spike. I'd just look for a standard SWC with minimal taper, and you will have, for all practical purposes, a wad cutter. I cast and shot thousands of wadcutters in .38, and found that the loads weren't any more accurate, and I just didn't like them anyway. wimpy dirty loads.

January 14, 2011, 09:26 AM	#14
jmortimer Junior member Join Date: January 24, 2010 Location: South West Riverside County California Posts: 2,763	The full profile meplat of a .45 Colt would be devestating and you would get excellent penetration. Look at the performance of the Buffalo Bore 150 grain hard cast .38 special that will do 900 fps in a 1 7/8" J frame and gives two feet of straight line penetration. Penn Bullets is the only manufacturer making a .45 225 grain wadcutter and it's good to know Saco is making a wadcutter mold. I think you will be very happy with the results and what a sef-defense round - an 11.5 mm .45 Colt wadcutter is nasty.

January 14, 2011, 10:42 AM	#15
saltydog452 Senior Member Join Date: August 16, 2004 Posts: 516	Montana Bullets (?), offered a wide flat nose meplat where the front barely touched the bore. It didn't quite look like a scaled down soup can, but that description wouldn't be too far off the mark. I think it was called The Leadhead, Flathead, something like that.

January 14, 2011, 12:01 PM	#16
That'll Do Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 546	If anyone is interested in casting their own bullets, Accurate Molds has a large selection of molds, including full wadcutters of various weights in for .44's and .45's. Here's a link: http://accuratemolds.com/

January 14, 2011, 12:14 PM	#17
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	I just checked the LEE site, and they no longer offer the .44 WC mold that I use.

January 16, 2011, 01:19 PM	#18
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	This old Ideal mould runs around 250grs.

January 16, 2011, 04:18 PM	#19
jmortimer Junior member Join Date: January 24, 2010 Location: South West Riverside County California Posts: 2,763	^ That is my idea of a beautiful bullet. Nice meplat. I know most people are in love with expanding bullets but just looking at that bullet would scare me.

February 1, 2011, 09:56 AM	#20
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	Yeah, I've got one of the old Lee wadcutter molds, too. Haven't used it in a while, but as I recall, it threw pretty nice boolits. I think it's just over 200gr.

February 2, 2011, 09:49 PM	#21
wildphilhickup Member Join Date: January 2, 2011 Posts: 37	45 Colt Wad Cutter I use a 225 grain and a 255 grain Wadcutter style bullet, sized 0.452". Yes, a true wadcutter. I took a S&W 29-3 pulled the barrel and replaced it with a 0.451" bore, barrel, stainless steel. I pulled the cylinder and bored it out to "tight" 45 Colt dimensions. Shot PPC with it for years. The 38 Special guys were really surprised by its accuracy.

April 2, 2012, 06:54 AM	#22
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 4,461	Here's a pic of the rounds I recently put together using Penn's 225 grain full wadcutter. Shoots great from my 625-3 using 3.0 grains of Titegroup.

April 2, 2012, 01:32 PM	#23
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	D.Nix, don't worry. I'm a wadcutter fan, too ... regardless of the cartridge. There's just something about that massive meplat and a cylindrical projectile, that appeals to me. For my .44 Mag, I've been considering an NOE Tri-Weight wadcutter mold (also available in .38 and .45 calibers, and pointed versions). However, NOE's current lead time is about 14-16 months. So, if he doesn't have what you want in-stock, you'll have to wait a while. And, right now, he doesn't have any of the tri-weight molds in stock, in any configuration or caliber. So, I think I'll end up picking a few weights of wadcutters from Tom's catalog (AccurateMolds.com), and have him cut me a 2, 3, or 4 cavity mold. (If you also chose to go this route, you could even have a cavity for a .44 and a .45 WC in the same mold.) Some other options are NEI, Ballisti-Cast, LBT, and Mountain Molds (design exactly what you want). __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

July 19, 2012, 02:50 PM	#24
wylie3k Junior Member Join Date: July 20, 2009 Posts: 4	Anyone have a load for 44 mag 200 gr WC? I've got some coming today and just can't seem to find any data on this one. I have 2400, Blue Dot, W231, Unique, Bullseye and Trail Boss. Thanks, Any help is appreciated.

July 19, 2012, 03:41 PM	#25
artsmom Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Location: Nebraska Posts: 334	Accurate Molds are top quality. Tom usually beats his advertised lead time and gets the mold to the customer quickly.