REAL bullets

[Ben Grace]

I bought Lee REAL molds for a 45 and 50 cal. What's ya'll thoughts on them. All I've ever shot was roundballs but figured I give these a chance.

 

[excess650]

If your rifle shoots them accurately, they are heavier, and should penetrate better. I have shot them in .50, and my rifles seem to prefer the 250gr.

 

[Ben Grace]

I got them mostly for my wife to take with us elk hunting, I shoot a 54 with rb but about all she can handle is a 45 and I figured the heavier bullet in 45 at close range would do the job. I've got a 45 in T\C and one an investarm both 1 in 48 twist. The 50 mold was too good of a deal to pass on so I bought it too. Figured I might bust a deer around here with the 50 REAL and see what it would do. I was really wondering how far out they are accurate.

 

[Rat Trapper]

For best accuarcy be sure to use a lubed felt wad under the bullet.

 

[roundball]

I got them mostly for my wife to take with us elk hunting, I shoot a 54 with rb but about all she can handle is a 45 and I figured the heavier bullet in 45 at close range would do the job. I've got a 45 in T\C and one an investarm both 1 in 48 twist. The 50 mold was too good of a deal to pass on so I bought it too. Figured I might bust a deer around here with the 50 REAL and see what it would do. I was really wondering how far out they are accurate.

Back in the early 90's I startd out with a T/C .45x1:48" and T/C's 255grn Maxi-Hunter...a proverbial tack-driver with the following load:
100grns Goex 2F and OxYoke 'wonderwad' over powder.
( Hornady 285grn Great Plains HPs also did well )

Made a few heart shots on deer with the T/C Maxi-Hunter and they always fell in sight...an excellent .45cal choice in T/C's shallow groove 1:48's.
Never got into conicals for .50cal / larger as they were unnecessary.

 

[Patocazador]

My .45 Patriot pistol shoots the 200 gr. really well.

 

[Ben Grace]

Roundball,

I'm wanting to cast my own bullets but finding a maxi mold is hard to come by. There is one in the classifieds but I can't get a response from the seller. The lee real molds were very easy to come by. Any thoughts on how I could come across a maxi mold? I"ve heard a lot of good about the great plains, might try as well. Is the felt wad a must for the maxi?

 

[Idaho Ron]

I had a 50 cal Lyman plains mould. It was a steaming pile of crud. It was the worst mould I have ever made bullets with. I tried them every way I could I even tried to paper patch them. Here are some 50 yard targets.

Here are some Lee REAL targets.

It ain't too tough to figure out which is a better bullet. I wouldn't shoot them at carp in the river. Don't waste your money on a Lyman Plains bullet. I sent mine back to them. I told them that the mould was supposed to be .508 and it was .503. I thought it was undersized. Lyman said it was within spec and there was nothing they could do. I got rid of it and went on. Ron

 

[Ben Grace]

Thanks for the real life evidence Ron, ain't no question about that, life is in the results! What's your thoughts on my wife using a 45 cal real bullet on elk? Range, load etc. She'll be shooting a T/C Hawkin 1:48 twist. I would rather shoot a 50 or better but I"d rather her be comfortable and accurate than scared of the recoil of a larger caliber and not have a well placed shot. Thanks

 

[roundball]

Any thoughts on how I could come across a maxi mold? I"ve heard a lot of good about the great plains, might try as well.

Sorry, don't cast anything and am not knowledgeable of moulds, etc.

Is the felt wad a must for the maxi?

To me they are a must...they made a difference for me in minimizing / eliminating leading, in both the Maxi-Hunter and the Hornady GP/HP...I assume by keeping the bases from starting to melt/get soft.
NOTE: The outstanding performance I got was with the Maxi-HUNTER...not the maxi-BALL

 

[Ben Grace]

I'll definetly use the felt wad then. I haven't been able to find any maxi hunters in 45 around where I live, plenty in 50 though. I have shot the maxi hunter in 50 and got great results with accuracy wise never shot a deer with it because all I hunt with is rb's. The people I've hunted with around here (Alabama) didn't like the maxi ball because it would just shoot straight through the deer with no expansion unlike the maxi hunter so they told me it expanded well.

 

[Kylongrifle]

You can occasionally pick up maxi molds on the auction sites but you have to pick and choose. They are not cheap anymore because T/C stopped making them some time ago.Sometimes they end up in a bid war over them. Though I have only seen one maxi hunter mold up for bid in a long while and it sold for $80+..
Id also like to add that Ive had good luck with expansion of maxi balls cast from soft, nearly pure lead.

 

[Idaho Ron]

Thanks for the real life evidence Ron, ain't no question about that, life is in the results! What's your thoughts on my wife using a 45 cal real bullet on elk? Range, load etc. She'll be shooting a T/C Hawkin 1:48 twist. I would rather shoot a 50 or better but I"d rather her be comfortable and accurate than scared of the recoil of a larger caliber and not have a well placed shot. Thanks

A lot of states won't allow a 45 ML on an elk hunt so check the regs. I have killed a pile of elk and I got to tell you I am not a big fan of using a 45 REAL. My 409 gr 45 cal bullets would be enough easy but the 1-48 twist would never work with them. I would try to work her up to a 50 if you could. But again check the regs. Ron