45 colt woods carry ammo ? Not +P

I frequently carry a 4.62" barreled .45 colt Blackhawk. The loads I use are my own using bullets I cast myself. I have tried the Buffalo Bore rounds you mention and my reload are pretty close to the same ballistics. Anytime you start to get into heavy for caliber bullets recoil will increase. The velocity is lower than lighter bullet loads, but recoil manageable.

Grizzly Cartridges produces good ammo, you picked too heavy a load. Try this one.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ad-wide-flat-nose-gas-check-950-fps-box-of-20

Take a look at the Hornady Critical Defense load. I have been impressed with them.

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/handgun/45-colt-185-gr-ftx-critical-defense#!/

IronHand

What kind of game are you looking at? Any Flat Point type bullet like a semi wadcutter at 250 grains going at least 750 is going to put a wallop on mostly anything. That's a typical cowboy load. If you go more authentic and get a load around 900-1000 fps then your cooking with grease.

The Evangelist Cowboy said:

What kind of game are you looking at? Any Flat Point type bullet like a semi wadcutter at 250 grains going at least 750 is going to put a wallop on mostly anything. That's a typical cowboy load. If you go more authentic and get a load around 900-1000 fps then your cooking with grease.

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Exactly. Most critters simply do not need a Ruger Only load when it comes to a 45 Colt. I wish I had learned that years ago. However, I live in Texas and grizzlies are as common here as polar bears so I will happily leave this up to you bear killing experts.

250 grain hardcast at 900+ fps will take care of anything you will need.

Try Underwood. They make great ammo, peforms to about the same level as buffalo bore, and is half the price.

https://www.underwoodammo.com/colle...mi-wadcutter-gas-check?variant=18785707655225

My choice for a “standard” .45C load is American Eagle 225gr jsp. But truthfully I bought a convertible so I use .45acp +p when I want more than standard but less than BB thumpers

Buffalo Bore, Grizzly, Underwood, they're all good stuff. Any decent 250-300gr cast WFN, LFN or SWC at 900-1000fps is going to work very well. I would suggest handloading.

As a long time admirer of the 45 Colt cartridge and the gun that inspired it (Colt SAA) I am also a great proponent of the original black powder performance: a 250g or 255g projectile at a little over 900 fps from a 7.5" barrel. They didn't have WFN bullets back in the day, but were I to be carrying one of my 45 Colt single action revolvers were I might encounter something meaning to do me harm I would seriously consider loading WFNs to the above stated velocity.

I am tempted to say, if you need more than this level of performance, you probably need a rifle. I do recognize there are a number of experienced handgun hunters who frequent these pages and who shoot much heavier loads in their 45 Colts. They might take offense at my comment so, to those individuals no offense is intended. It's just my approach to the cartridge. (smile)

Dave

A large meplat Keith style SWC hardcast of around 250 grains pushed to 850-900 fps makes a good woods load.

If you don’t reload and want a general purpose woods carry load try HSM Cowboy ammunition. Their 250 grain cartridge packs a punch. The 200 grain cartridge is a more traditional load.

https://hsmammunition.com/cowboy-action/

Buffalo bore for me.

Buffalo Bore makes a standard pressure 45 Colt load.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=45

Sistema1927 said:

A large meplat Keith style SWC hardcast of around 250 grains pushed to 850-900 fps makes a good woods load.

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LRDGCO said:

Sistema has got it. 250 grs wide meplat at 15 BHN and 900 FPS will do for anything you run into in the woods and will not be too vicious with the recoil.

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That is the ammo I posted above. (almost)

ArchAngelCD said:

That is the ammo I posted above. (almost)

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Yes, but I can load that for a whole lot less than $1.25 per round (plus shipping).

shafter said:

Buffalo Bore makes a standard pressure 45 Colt load.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=45

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That's the stuff I use.

Sistema1927 said:

Yes, but I can load that for a whole lot less than $1.25 per round (plus shipping).

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I know that and I load my own ammo but that is not what the OP asked for. Since he asked for loaded ammo I had enough respect to reply to his thread as asked.

We are fortunate to have manufactures make almost anything we want. I started reloading again to save money but it is good to have folks like buffalo bore.

Buffalo bore is hotter than my loads in at least a few cases...

250-255 grain Keith at 850 FPS is all that you need.

the current issue of handloader magazine (issue no. 320) contains a pet loads article on 45 colt standard-pressure handloads by brian pearce. a good read.

luck,

murf

ArchAngelCD said:

Grizzly Cartridges produces good ammo, you picked too heavy a load. Try this one.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ad-wide-flat-nose-gas-check-950-fps-box-of-20

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I second this load. Not much more recoil than a .45 acp.. The 265 gr hardcast is decent for protection from bears

How deep do you need to plow?
9gr Unique
255gr hard cast SWC