45LC

[Foto Joe]

Well, I finally made it home to Wyoming and now I'm ready to experiment a little. I've got a Dakota Buntline Special (12" barrel) that I bought thirty years ago for coyote hunting and would like to shoot what it was originally designed for in the first place, Black Powder of course.

Here's the question, I haven't seen much if any real information regarding loading BP in ANY brass. 30-30, 45-70, 44-40 of course are no-brainers as they tell you on the brass what powder charge was used in BP. Not so much for 45LC. What is a typical load for 45LC and do you still use say a 255gr bullet?

I have heard of guys putting RB into a 45LC but not what the powder charge is. Also, am I correct in assuming that you would want to use a non-lubed fiber wad between powder and ball/bullet??

I got tired of shooting this thing years ago mainly because it just goes bang and empties my wallet. I think it would be a hoot to go to BP in it.



Proof stamp says AE 1979

 

[Scrapperz]

I found this thread for you maybe it will help you out some. http://www.goexpowder.com/images/LoadCharts/Cartridge-Pistol-Revolvers.pdf

I found it here:
http://xxx.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6399080&postcount=53

 

[Jefferson Herb]

Plinker ie cheap loads , use 35 gr fffg .030 wad ie gasket paper and 451-454 rb, seat just below half way to leave a groove around case,add bp lube of choice needs to be solid if used in warm weather. casting reduces price

 

[Slamfire]

Someone could get 40 grs of FFg in a ballon head case, but in modern 45LC cases, I doubt it. I forget what I was able to put in the case, but it was in the 30's.

Black powder requires a different lube than smokeless. My musket ball lube is 50% beeswax, 50% Crisco. If you get on the SASS wire, you can find threads about "pan lubing", where shooters take commerical cast, smokeless lube bullets, melt off the old lube and melt in blackpowder lube.

 

[ClemBert]

I typically load with either 35 or 40 grains FFFg in Starline brass, a 0.030 Walter Wad, and a 250 grain 0.452 RNFP lead bullet. I use a scale to weigh the charge just to be more consistent about the load although you could use a volumetric measure. A drop tube as pictured below helps to get that 40 grains in the brass. A compression plug is definitely a must with 40 grains.

 

[scrat]

45 colt all i load is bp and love it shoot it all the time. as for my 30-30 i havent got up the nerve to shoot black powder as im not too sure i want to get bp in the works. this is my prize gun. meaning it is so so so accurate shooting the loads i am doing now that i really dont want to mess with it. i currently shoot 150 grains speer with 30 grains Hogdon H4895 and winchester primer. just fantastic load i can shoot steel at 100 yards all day long with this. groupings is really good too. so ya im not messing with black powder on this one. on my 12 guage i shoot smokeless and black powder its fun as heck too shoot

 

[[email protected]]

I've shot a lot of Black Powder in my old 45 Ruger.

 

[button]

Foto Joe I agree with Clembert, 30 grains of Goex or 25 grains of Pyrodex is what I use in my 1858 Buffalo pistol. (which is Blackpowder only) so I would not see any problem using this grain or 40 grains in a steel frame Dakota pistol. (by the way I love the Dakota, I have a .357 Dakota 6 shooter and simply love it. Man having it in a 12" barrell .45 colt, I think my wife would be jealous of the time and attention I would give it!) Pics below. The powder measure is something I made to do a quick measure while at the range.

 

[ClemBert]

I use Walter Wads between the powder charge and the bullet. You can make your own but for now I use the pre-made ones. Although I haven't seen any scientific evidence that shows the importance of a wad I use one only from the advice of others. Apparently, some consider it an important step. If you don't protect the base of the bullet what is the downside?...leading?....lead vapor?...distorted bullet?...poor gas seal?

I've considered loading with 32-35 grain charges to include a grease cookies. Basically, a 0.060" thick cookie made of a beeswax/crisco combination or taking a Walter Wad and dipping it into beeswax/crisco and loading with that. With regard to the 250 grain bullet I've loaded using the bullet as it comes with smokeless lube as well as removing the factory lube and replacing it with my own beeswax/crisco concoction. With these short barreled revolvers I'm not convinced that the factory smokeless lube has any negative effect.

 

[Foto Joe]

I have a .357 Dakota 6 shooter and simply love it. Man having it in a 12" barrell .45 colt, I think my wife would be jealous of the time and attention I would give it!) Pics below. The powder measure is something I made to do a quick measure while at the range.

I originally bought this for dog hunting (coyote) in Arizona. I'd been using a 22-250 and tearing up the pelts too much with the exit wound. Using the 45 loaded with a 255 RN at 800fps did the trick. Usually no exit and unlike the 22-250 they didn't run away with a bullet hole in them half the time. Not to mention that instead of a rifle sling I could holster the gun for hiking around in the boonies looking for a suitable spot before daylight.

I'm lookin' forward to getting back in touch with this gun.

 

[Pulp]

I got curious and so I went out to the loading room and did this little experiment.



From left to right: Powder is Goex 3f.

2.2cc Lee Dipper, actual weight 34.3 grains
2.2cc Lee Dipper through a drop tube.
2.5cc Lee Dipper, actual weight 37.7 grains
2.5cc Lee Dipper through a drop tube.
40 grains actual weight.
40 grains actual weight through a drop tube.

You can see how much difference a drop tube makes. You could load some 40 grain loads if using a drop tube. I don't think there'd be enough room for any type of overpowder card, unless you had some really thin ones.

Concerning overpowder cards, unless you're interested in precision long range shooting I don't think they're necessary. But that's just my opinion. And you know what folks say about opinions. Everyone's opinion but mine stinks.

Any of the above loads will work. The obviously easiest as far as reloading goes would be the 2.2cc without the drop tube. And it will give you a good "BOOM" and acceptable velocity. That's what I use for Cowboy Action when I use my Walker with the R&D conversion cylinder.

BTW, Mike Venturino wrote an article in which he used Swiss 3f and achieved 1000+fps with a 7.5 inch Colt. So the old cartridge has what it takes, it you want to take the time to get there.

 

[button]

Just need to clarify what a drop tube is and if it is something I can make for the .45 colt or does it need to be purchased? I am using the Lee reloader for the .45 colt (you know the single bullet reloader that requiers a hammer) would this work for this type of reloader or is the drop tube intented for press loader? (beginner at reloading, but what I have does the trick! Plus a $20 investment, to see if I want to expand later.)

 

[Mr Woody]

Post #5 has a picture of a drop tube. It is just a long tube that funnels the powder charge down into the case without spilling. The added hight packs the powder a little bit and gives more room to start the bullet or add more powder.

Opinions run all over the place on drop tubes and over powder wads. I just let the bullet compress the powder on loads up to 38 grs. I have never tried a wad between the bullet and the powder but I do like a bullet with large grease groves.

Woody

 

[ClemBert]

That drop tube cost me $6 to make. Just went to Ace Hardward and bought a short length of plumbing copper pipe and a copper fitting to put on either end. The Lee 4-Die Set has a "powder-thru" expanding die (second one from the left) that allows you to expand the brass cartridge opening (for the bullet) then allows you to pour in the powder. In the picture below you will note the fitting on the top allows me to use the Lee powder funnel that normally sits in the powder-thru expanding die. On the bottom of the drop tube there is a copper fitting that fits right into the expanding die where normally the funnel would sit.

 

[JCT]

I make my own BP , so this may not apply so much...but,
I just fill the case to the top and seat a lubed RNFP 250 grain. They are consistent this way and accurate.
This may not work for commercial powder since it's denser and make not compress enough. My powder compresses enough to have room for the bullet. It's typically 28 grains weight in a full case for me.

 

[StrawHat]

Any tube that can be flared to fit over the case can be used. I have heard fellows use arrow shafts that are too bent to fly striaght, conduit, any hollow tube. The trick is to pour the powder in a consistant and slow pour. 5-10 seconds is not too long. Somehow the powder packs itself in. For revolvers I do not use a wad over the powder.

Foto Joe ... Using the 45 loaded with a 255 RN at 800fps did the trick. Usually no exit ...

Using the Lyman 454424 (260 grain SWC Keith) over a full case of black powder I get complete pentration on whitetail. You must have some tough coyotes!

 

[Foto Joe]

Using the Lyman 454424 (260 grain SWC Keith) over a full case of black powder I get complete pentration on whitetail. You must have some tough coyotes!

I tended to load my 45LC smokeless loads light, the 800fps is what the loading data claimed but as you've heard before, "your mileage may vary".

Also, typically my ranges would be in the 50 yard +/-. I'm not sayin' I never got a through and through, but even when I did, the damage to the pelt was a lot less. Undoubtedly a super-sonic .22 cal jacketed bullet can and will take a lot of inards with it on the way out versus a big ole' slow soft lead hammer.

I did have one sneak up on me once and scare the crap out of me, would have been a 5 foot shot when he stopped charging if I hadn't been watching the vultures I'd called in instead. Needless to say, when he figured out that the rabbit he wanted was connected to a human, he changed his mind in a hurry. That was the last time I "bird watched" and hunted coyote at the same time. If I'd have pulled the trigger at that range I imagine that I would have been covered in fur and backsplatter, as it was, I just counted my blessings that I hadn't been bitten by the critter I was attempting to hunt. I look back 30 years now and find it funny, I didn't then.

 

[sundance44s]

ClemBert we both made the same drop tube ....works mighty fine for 6 bucks doesn`t it .
I beleive I bought the parts needed at Lowels here , the copper tubeing was already cut at 24 inches ...real simple deal .