Yes to your first question. and Most times Yes to the second part.

I have been shooting my .450 sized 45 cal maxi balls with BH209 (cast of pure lead) to get a tighter sabot fit I knurl the Maxi's rolling them between 2 files. I can easily get them to .457. and that is what I need to get a good fit being the Maxi's have such a small driving band area.

I also Knurl Hornady .430 240 grain swaged SWC to get them to .435, then they are just right tight with a regular Harvester or MMP green sabot (60 to 70 lbs to seat). My Cast .430 pistol bullets just havn't done well for me accuracy wise and i believe it is due to the bearing surface being broken up with the lube groves. The sharp sguare corners on the base of them also makes it dificult to seat sguarley in some sabots. I had the old Hornady swages Bullets from 30 yrs ago before I started casting. The 45 maxi's have done great but are a problem to get consistantly tight. I have sent a prelimanary order to LBT for a .454-300-LFN-BB smooth sided, to shoot in sabots with BH209 and to use in our 10MLIIs.

For best accuracy I find that I need 40 to 60 pounds of seating pressure to load the saboted lead or jacketed bullet. That is for consistant accuracy and Ignition using BH209 in my Knight T-bolt , I do not swab between shots and have fired more than half a box of 209 between cleenings and find that a fouled bore of BH209 loads easier than a Sceeky clean barrel.

If you get a chance pick up a pack of TC's cheap shots, they are lead in sabot, they load tight in all our guns and shoot great.

I am no longer a fan of a Condom rapped bullet, IMHO definatly see no need of a Hollow Point in a Hunting Bullet.

Ken
Central NY