45 Colt Vs 44 Magnum

[Smoke Rizen]

45's

I carried a sawed off pistol grip 12 ga. slung for fishing Alaska. This year I've worked up a load for my 45 L.C.s I use a 335 gr. gas checked hard cast lead over 20.2 gr. H-110 in Starline cases.(Starline and P.M.C. Cases run about 6-10% heavier than say W.W. or R.P.) That way I have the same vol. and pressure. I shot up to 21.5 gr. but, 20.2 seems to be the most accurate in My guns. One is a 4-5/8 barrel,the other 5-5/8 both are Vaquero's Bisley frame. I would caution You to start at 19.2 and work up watching for signs of excess pressure,and only in heavy frames like the Rugers,and T.C. s. I haven't chronoed yet but You can split log's with them. Smoke Rizen

 

[djl4570]

I have .44 Mag Blackhawks and .45 Colt Blackhawks, and .44 Mag N frames and .45 Colt N frames. I've loaded both and enjoyed the flexability of .45 Colt more than .44 Magnum. In a strong frame such as a Ruger Blackhawk I've loaded .45 Colt to near .45 Win Mag velocities using 240g Sierra's, 250g Nosler and Hornady's and 260g Speers. These same loads worked very well in my Marlin '94. There are some gotchas. Check used brass to make sure any old baloon head cases don't get mixed in with the modern solid head stuff. You have to store the hot loads in a separate box with a bright orange sticker on it reminding you not to fire these in grandpa's second generation SAA. I wouldn't fire the really hot stuff in a S&W either.

Some .45 Blackhawks come as convertables. If you get the Blackhawk in .45 Colt I am told that Ruger will fit a .45ACP cylinder to it for you for a fee of course and you have to send the gun so the cylinder can be fitted.

 

[Gunhamr]

I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 mag that has withstood the ravages of time and many hot loads. Failed to mention that it is an old three screw model. Wouldn't trade it for anything new. Also have a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt & .45 ACP with the two cylinders as factory original.
Love them both. The .45 can be loaded to mighty impressive velocities and with the proper bullet, read that Keith style SWC with plenty of flat meplat and you have a bear stopper. Should be cast hard, either 18 to 20 on the Brinnell scale. As stated above, you need penetration, not expansion.

I have loaded the .44 mag to 1800FPS with the proper bullet but this bullet would not be appropriate for bear load. This was the old Lyman 429303 mould cast of lynotype and lubed with Alox 2138/beeswax in a 50/50 mixture. Must be a pretty impressive round because I gave some to my son-in-law who was an undercover Narc. agent at the time and he shot the manifold off a Beechcraft dope smuggler trying to take off after unloading a cargo of dope in Texas. Pointed bullet so no good for bear.
Might add that this same load penetrated a bullet-proof glass that the dept. of safety was testing for bank teller windows. Nothing they had tried up to that time had penetrated. Just gave the son-in-law 50 more rounds when he was here in July.