45 Colt... 300 gr

[JustsayMo]

I've been testing various powders in my Marlin 1894 and Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt under a home cast Lee C452-300-RF bullet using published data for 300 grain JACKETED bullets.

The Speer #13 manual listed two powders I hadn't tried but had on my shelf. Here are the results.

HS 7 at the starting load gets 1311 fps out of the Marlin. Pretty much what I expected.

SR 4759 at .3gr BELOW the published starting load produced 1502 fps average! I wasn't expecting that! Very low Standard Deviation too. Cases & Primers look fine. Extracted easily... Difference in recoil wasn't noticed.

I've heard the 45 Colt can equal the 44 Mag but I've never managed to get 1500 fps with a 300 grain bullet in my 44 Mag Marlin...

How far off the reservation did I go?

 

[Stinger]

I haven't used that powder, and I don't have my info in front of me. But with a moderately healthy dose of 2400 I have gotten a smidge over 1000fps with a Hornady XTP 300g out of a Blackhawk 4 5/8" barrel. I've never shot that load out of a rifle, but I would expect it to be 100fps or so less than what you experienced with your Marlin. It certainly would put a stompin' on the business end even if it didn't on your end.

 

[Gunfixr]

Since you are using jacketed bullet loads for lead bullets, you're going to get higher velocities, as the softer exposed lead resists the rifling less. I haven't tried lead, but have loaded Speers 300 gr. JSP to about 1250 fps out of my Blackhawk.

 

[Walkalong]

I have shot SR4759 in the .44 Spl. ( to slow for it, but it works OK ) and the .44 Mag. It shot well in the .44 Mag. No reason it would not work for stout loads in the .45 Colt in the right gun.