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Matthew323

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The Lyman Plains bullet mold in .50 caliber casts too heavy of a bullet for the CVA Optima V2 pistol. It's max recommended bullet weight is 400 grains, and your Lyman mould is dropping bullets right at 400 grains in pure lead.

So, I would like to have Tom at Accurate Molds design a .50 caliber mold with tapered bands similar to the Lyman Plains bullet.

I would like to start with the 50-425M mold as a base for the final design.
/bullet_detail.php?bullet=50-425M

1. Eliminating one band (0.060"), one groove (0.026"), and two shoulders (0.017" × 2 = 0.034")
2. Reducing O.A.L. to 0.705"
3. Increasing the meplat to 0.400" in diameter
4. New ogive radius of ???
5. Tapered band diameters...
Fourth(top) = 0.511"
Third = 0.507"
Second = 0.503"
First(bottom) = 0.499"

Approximate weight of new bullet cast in pure lead = 379/380 grains

What would be your opinion, or Mr. Mehlig's, or anyone else's that knows bullets?
 
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It depends on what you are going to use it for Hunting or Target shooting? I would have all bands the same width, Flat base and the weight you want it in. I like a wide metplat for hunting.
 
It depends on what you are going to use it for Hunting or Target shooting? I would have all bands the same width, Flat base and the weight you want it in. I like a wide metplat for hunting.

I am looking for a bullet to hunt with. All of my target shooting will be preformed with the ultimate goal of hunting in mind. The reason for the tapered bands was to try to avoid having to size the bullet as cast.

Flat base, 0.400" meplat, between 365/380 grains, 4 bands.
 
I am looking for a bullet to hunt with. All of my target shooting will be preformed with the ultimate goal of hunting in mind. The reason for the tapered bands was to try to avoid having to size the bullet as cast.

Flat base, 0.400" meplat, between 365/380 grains, 4 bands.

I understand your reasoning for a Tapered Bullet in a Pistol, There is nothing Wrong with a Tapered Muzzleloader Bullet, Look at how well the Lyman Plains Bullets Shoot for me, Both 50 and 54 Cal, They are a Tapered Design

The best advice i can give is to Contact Tom at Accurate Molds and Tell him Exactly what you want, What you will be shooting it in, Etc. Tom is AWESOME to Work with, He will Cut a Mold EXACTLY Like you Want :lewis:
 
Bruce
Have you considered the Hornady 50 cal 385 grn Great Plains HBHP bullet? Been around for a while and is almost what your looking for.
DL
 
Good advise DL, That is a Good, Well Proven Bullet, and they don’t cost a Fortune :lewis: The ones from Hornady are packaged Very well, the ones i have seen looked as good as a bullet possibly can (No dings, Etc.) And they weighed right on. If i wasn’t a Bullet Caster, I would no doubt Shoot these Hornady Great Plains Bullets
 
Yes for my 50 cal Mountain Pistol i plan on trying the 240 grn Hornady PA bullet. Just to see how the pistol likes them.
DL
 
Bruce
Have you considered the Hornady 50 cal 385 grn Great Plains HBHP bullet? Been around for a while and is almost what your looking for.
DL

I am trying to get the cost down as low as possible. I'll start out with the Hornady Great Plains bullet just to see how they shoot. A tapered, 4-band bullet that weighs no more than 370gr is about ideal for my purposes. One with a big, fat meplat is also what I am looking for.

I have redesigned my above specs to bring the O.A.L. down to 0.685". With 0.020" grooves, and 0.015" shoulders.

0.205" Nose
0.060" Grooves (3 × 0.020")
0.090" Shoulders (6 × 0.015")
0.110" 4th Band (top)
0.120" 3rd, 2nd Bands (2 × 0.060")
0.100" 1st Band (bottom)
________+
0.685"

And, just for the heck of it I bumped the meplat's diameter up to 0.410".

Kept the diameter of the grooves at 0.454". And the band diameters at...

4th. = 0.511"
3rd. = 0.507"
2nd = 0.503"
1st. = 0.499"
 
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Lee, I hope you’ll share your shooting results with the 240 grain PA bullet In your pistol. It would be great not to have to use a sabot, even though crush ribs load easily enough.
 
I am trying to get the cost down as low as possible. I'll start out with the Hornady Great Plains bullet just to see how they shoot. A tapered, 4-band bullet that weighs no more than 370gr is about ideal for my purposes. One with a big, fat meplat is also what I am looking for.

I have redesigned my above specs to bring the O.A.L. down to 0.685". With 0.020" grooves, and 0.015" shoulders.

0.205" Nose
0.060" Grooves (3 × 0.020")
0.090" Shoulders (6 × 0.015")
0.110" 4th Band (top)
0.120" 3rd, 2nd Bands (2 × 0.060")
0.100" 1st Band (bottom)
________+
0.685"

And, just for the heck of it I bumped the meplat's diameter up to 0.410".

Kept the diameter of the grooves at 0.454". And the band diameters at...

4th. = 0.511"
3rd. = 0.507"
2nd = 0.503"
1st. = 0.499"
If you TRULY want to save money, DO NOT get into bullet casting!! It's a bottomless pit!! I tried that excuse 20 years ago, and after getting a metal lathe, mini-milling machine, and whatever other tools I can cram into my single car garage, I still haven't arrived at the perfect bullet mold. The need for "just one more tool" just never ends! I am convinced, however, that the mold/knurler/sizing die combo I'm working on now is going to turn the muzzleloading world on it's head!😋
Back in the day when I used the Hornady GP in .54 cal. (with great accuracy), I filled the hollow points with epoxy in an effort to reduce expansion and increase penetration in elk. Don't know if it changed things much or not?
So, take my word for it, even if you have to pay a buck a bullet, you can buy an awful lot of them with the money it will take just to get started in bullet casting, let alone all the hidden costs involved.
Not to mention all the hair pulling you will save.
Unless you're an ornery old cuss who is just too stubborn to pay an outrageous buck a bullet!?!?🤔
 
If you TRULY want to save money, DO NOT get into bullet casting!! It's a bottomless pit!! I tried that excuse 20 years ago, and after getting a metal lathe, mini-milling machine, and whatever other tools I can cram into my single car garage, I still haven't arrived at the perfect bullet mold. The need for "just one more tool" just never ends! I am convinced, however, that the mold/knurler/sizing die combo I'm working on now is going to turn the muzzleloading world on it's head!😋
Back in the day when I used the Hornady GP in .54 cal. (with great accuracy), I filled the hollow points with epoxy in an effort to reduce expansion and increase penetration in elk. Don't know if it changed things much or not?
So, take my word for it, even if you have to pay a buck a bullet, you can buy an awful lot of them with the money it will take just to get started in bullet casting, let alone all the hidden costs involved.
Not to mention all the hair pulling you will save.
Unless you're an ornery old cuss who is just too stubborn to pay an outrageous buck a bullet!?!?🤔
Nailed it 👍
 
i am so close to ordering a mini lathe... only $1700. so i can modify my own molds
You can do so much better than that. Grizzly has Lathe/Mill combos for not much more. Or, smithy or..... You absolutely need a mill to make a mould.
Welcome to the rabbit hole!!!
 
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Shop-Fox-Small-Combo-Lathe-Mill/M101Their stuff isn’t top of the line, but I’ve built a lot of things on that lathe/mill combo, before I got my own machines. Our setup at the hospital is, I think, a 30”
Lathe, with a milling machine combo. I have, personally, two lathes, a Rockford 17 x 72 and a Grizzly 12 x 36 gunsmithing lathe, and a Bridgeport variable speed mill.
Buy the combo to start with. Eventually you’ll end up with separate machines. You think shooting is addictive....just you wait....
 
Nothing like a good Bridgeport mill.

And, a good collet lathe.

And, a good surface grinder.

And, a good bandsaw w/ blade welder on the side

And, a 3ft × 6ft polished granite surface table.

And,.............
 
The Lyman Plains bullet mold in .50 caliber casts too heavy of a bullet for the CVA Optima V2 pistol. It's max recommended bullet weight is 400 grains, and your Lyman mould is dropping bullets right at 400 grains in pure lead.

So, I would like to have Tom at Accurate Molds design a .50 caliber mold with tapered bands similar to the Lyman Plains bullet.

I would like to start with the 50-425M mold as a base for the final design.
/bullet_detail.php?bullet=50-425M

1. Eliminating one band (0.060"), one groove (0.026"), and two shoulders (0.017" × 2 = 0.034")
2. Reducing O.A.L. to 0.705"
3. Increasing the meplat to 0.400" in diameter
4. New ogive radius of ???
5. Tapered band diameters...
Fourth(top) = 0.511"
Third = 0.507"
Second = 0.503"
First(bottom) = 0.499"

Approximate weight of new bullet cast in pure lead = 379/380 grains

What would be your opinion, or Mr. Mehlig's, or anyone else's that knows bullets?
While re-reading your original post, I realized that the Accurate mold you decided to use as a base is the design I came up with several years ago - small world. It cast bullets exactly as I requested, but unfortunately they didn't group well in my NEF Huntsman, so I never hunted with them. And despite what the spec sheet says (same size bands), mine had tapered bands with a bore riding nose.IMG_20200614_204732.jpgIMG_20200614_205122.jpg
 
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