I just bought a Lee .452 200 gr SWC tumble lube mould and cast up a few bullets. I'm planning on trying it in .45 ACP. A question for anyone who uses this particular bullet- What overall cartridge length do you use?

Seating the bullet out until it just touches the lands on my pistol I came up with 1.205". The dummy round at this length seems to feed smoothly but I haven't done any test firing with this bullet yet.

Thanks.

That's the way to do it. Like third from left, below. As long as it feeds, you're on the right track. Someone else's chamber may be a little longer or shorter, or if it's a fit up 1911 it may have a longer barrel extension (hood) and need a longer round to headspace on the bullet like that. So, what they use for a COL is not very useful to you. So stick with your measurement if it operates correctly, and you'll get the least leading and most accuracy.

I've had great accuracy from the TL bullets in general.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4279/45seatingpossibilitiesxn.jpg

It was mostly a matter of curiosity. I'm pleased with the mould so far. It's casting right at .452 with wheelweight alloy so I won't have to size 'em. I really like the other tumble lube bullets I've used.

Update: Test fired just fine. I was using light loads but ejection was still crisp. Very pleasant to shoot.

I haven't tried the headspace on the bullet idea yet.
I gather that the bullet is seated out far enough so that it engages the rifling. Is that correct?
Pete

Right. That's why the case sits higher in the chamber. This loading method stops the bullet from going into the bore slightly off center, as happens commonly because of headspacing on the extractor. With jacketed bullets that doesn't seem to cause a problem. I guess they are tough enough to straighten out in the throat, while lead definitely is not. It gets shaved by the end of the chamber where Browning intended the case mouth to come to a rest.

My old 185 grain LSWC gallery load of 3.8 grains of Bullseye had its group size cut about 40% by switching to that method. Before that it had never cleaned a slow fire target, but afterward did so on a regular basis. A fellow also PM'd me to say this method had virtually stopped his leading problem. The only issue with it occurs if your chamber and bullet are long enough so the resulting cartridge doesn't fit the magazine or won't chamber from the magazine.

deleted, will send personal message

Its a good shooting bullet.