.45LC Loads

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45Frank

45Frank

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Looking for some suggesting on a 45LC reloads.
I do a lot of bear and deer hunting and carry a Ruger 45LC with a 7 3/8" for backup.
Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks
 
45Frank,

Am using this load for deer in my S&W 25-5:

Cast 265gr LSWCHP
Starline brass
WLP primer
18.0gr 2400 powder
~1050fps

While you can go with a heavier load in your stronger Ruger, it's not really necessary. The large doe I shot last year was put down with one shot. 2400 is a very friendly lead bullet powder.

Don

IMG_4294.JPG
 
A 255 grain cast boolit powered by 17 grains of 2400. That load was suggested by ljnowell here on THR and it is very accurate in my Blackhawk. It has a pretty good thump too. I'm gonna try it on deer this year hopefully. If that load won't kill it, I'm running from it, not hunting it.
 
You might also try some of these http://www.carolinacastbullets.com/Home_Page.html 290 gr near the bottom made from Ranch Dog molds.

Prices are for the bullets which are lubed,sized and gas checked and ready to load upon arrival.

100 each 290 grain RNFLgc .454" $29.00 / 100
500 each 290 grain RNGLgc .454" $110.00 / 500

plus shipping, small flat rate box ($5.50) or medium flat rate box
($10.85) depending on size of the order. 300 or less can go small
box, more than 300 must go medium box. Larger orders may require
multiple boxes. I am not able to ship in larger than medium due to
weight restrictions.

I haven't tried them yet but have 500 on the way for my Rossi 92 45 Colt rifle.
 
A 255 grain cast boolit powered by 17 grains of 2400. That load was suggested by ljnowell here on THR and it is very accurate in my Blackhawk. It has a pretty good thump too. I'm gonna try it on deer this year hopefully. If that load won't kill it, I'm running from it, not hunting it.
Click to expand...

Thats a real good load too,accurate, easy to handle. I have loaded the 255gr SWC up to 22gr of 2400(this data is over SAAMI spec and should be treated as such) and still realized good accuracy, I just dont think you need that much to take on a whitetail.

2400 is, IMO, the best powder for Ruger Only 45 colt loads. It has great flexability and really gives you a thump when you need it.
 
I (if I hunted bear) a good hard wheel weight (water quenched @15 BNH) cast SOLID bullet, would make me feel a lot safer, but I would still have a problem standing upright in my own slippery excrement. !
 
I have a Redhawk in 45 Colt and have been having a ball with it. I have loaded up various weights from 200 through 310grs and they have all shot pretty well and some have shot awesome.

I have found that powders like AA-5,7,& 9 will work really well with it, and they meter great. Also Unique, 2400, and HS-6 do a great job with it as well. I really haven't found any cast load yet that wasn't pretty decent.

That all said, do yourself a favor and head over to the following sights, read up on the writings and take a few notes as you do. You will find a distinct preference for weights and velocities at which they are most effective. This was the route I went and so far I haven't found it to be wrong.

John Linebaugh's Custom Sixguns

[PDF]
Handloader 246 - Wolfe Publishing Company RCBS 45 270 SAA

I purchased a mold from MP Molds which pours not only the solid version of the 45 270 SAA, but also a couple of different HP's as well. My best overall loads have come between the 250 and the 270'ish grain weights. If I am not mistaken I think that Montana Bullet Works pours up the RCBS version if you wanted to try some out. They also pour up several RFN designs in several weights.
 
USSR said:
45Frank,

Am using this load for deer in my S&W 25-5:

Cast 265gr LSWCHP
Starline brass
WLP primer
18.0gr 2400 powder
~1050fps

While you can go with a heavier load in your stronger Ruger, it's not really necessary. The large doe I shot last year was put down with one shot. 2400 is a very friendly lead bullet powder.

Don

IMG_4294.JPG
Click to expand...
Are these homemade or did you purchase them and if you did where from. Also I have lead round nose now just to blink with and the leas fouling is horrible how are these?
 
Are these homemade or did you purchase them and if you did where from. Also I have lead round nose now just to blink with and the leas fouling is horrible how are these?
Click to expand...

45Frank,

Those bullets are hand cast by myself using the same MP mould that 41 Mag describes in his post just above yours. The most important thing to reduce leading in revolvers is to correctly size your bullets. You need to measure your cylinder throats, and size your bullets from .0005" to .001" larger than your cylinder throats. For example: my S&W 25-5's throats measure .4545", so I size my bullets to .455". Unfortunately, if you are buying commercial lead bullets, you get what you get in regards to bullet size. Hope that helps.

Don
 
I use the 300gr. RCBS SWC with 18gr. of AA#9 or
RCBS SAA 270 SWC with 19gr. of AA#9. They both give me over 1200fps.

The 300gr. load penetrated a bison.

With a 45 Carbine, the 300gr. load goes 1640fps and the 270 goes 1750fps.
 
270gr Penn Thunder Head pushed with 24gr of 296....runnin' a little under 1500fps from 7 1/2" Blackhawk.......no sign of pressure .......second from the left....

2vxp2r9.jpg
 
I frequently pack a S&W 625-7 Mountain Gun when ridge walking. I find that you don't really need to hot-rod a .45 Colt...it has enough butt behind it to get the job done and is more than adequate for my neck of the woods. Two loads I use are...

1) For precision shooting, Oregon Trails Laser Cast 255 grain hard-cast SWC over 7.8 grains of Unique (RCBS Little Dandy powder measure #15 Rotor). I use Winchester WLP primers and mixed cases...whatever is on hand. This load is both easy to shoot and is very accurate in my gun. Groups are one small, ragged hole after six rounds. Nothing left to shoot.

2) The other one is a riff on Skeeter Skelton's pet load. I use 8.4 grains of Unique under the same 255 grain Oregon Trails Laser Cast SWC. This charge weight matches up with an RCBS Little Dandy powder measure #16 rotor. That's about as heavy as anyone needs with an N-Frame Smith.

I like the Laser Cast bullets. Those are about the only bullets I use in my .45 Colts. No leading issues, either. I save jacketed bullets (and the several gas checked 300+ grain cast ones) for the .454 Casull. If I really need serious horse power, that's what I reach for.

By the way, that same versatile 255 grain SWC bullet also makes a wonderful bowling pin load for .45 Auto Rims when placed over 8.4 grains of Blue Dot.
 
I've just put together a bunch of .45 Colt for my new-to-me S&W 625-9 Mountain Gun. 9 grains (lee 1.0 dipper) of Unique behind a 250 grain LSWC. Looking forward to trying them out on Saturday.
 
I use 255 hard cast SWC's over just enough Unique to make 950-1000 fps from my 8 3/8" S&W 25. It is VERY accurate and punched through and through the last deer I shot with it at 50 yds. Bullet entered right shoulder and exited through the short ribs on the other side. It just works.
 
270gr Penn Thunder Head pushed with 24gr of 296....runnin' a little under 1500fps from 7 1/2" Blackhawk.......no sign of pressure .......second from the left....
Click to expand...
So called pressure signs in straight-walled pistol cartridges are unreliable at best. Your sixgun may show zero pressure signs right up until the cylinder cracks.

Did you chronograph that load? Because your velocity sounds at least 150fps too high. It should be more like 1300fps.
 
Like I said, pressure signs are unreliable in this application. So the fact that you're not seeing any is really irrelevant. I don't think you're too hot if you're running 24.0gr but I do think they're testing quite a bit too fast. That load shouldn't be clocking much more than 1300fps. Your posted velocity scared me until I re-read the powder charge.
 
ghitch75,

your load looks fine to me. hodgdon shows a 325 grain lfn load using 24 grains of h110. mv is 1266fps out of a 7.5 inch barrel. pressure is 27,400 c.u.p.

your lighter bullet should run less pressure than this, and 1500 fps is not unreasonable.

murf
 
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