Blackhawk 45LC: reasonable deer load?

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revo

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Hello. I'm thinking to use a Ruger Blackhawk 45LC for a brush/stand deer gun. I'm considering the 4 5/8" bbl version to make a nice packin' "shorty", if you will.

Does anyone recommend any particular 45LC deer loads for this gun? Note: I'm looking for commercially available ammo as I don't yet reload.

I see some pretty hefty loads from Buffalo, Grizzly, etc. They're pretty burly and all, but they seem awfully stout for short range whitetail. Or am I completely off base here?
 
revo said:
Hello. I'm thinking to use a Ruger Blackhawk 45LC for a brush/stand deer gun. I'm considering the 4 5/8" bbl version to make a nice packin' "shorty", if you will.

Does anyone recommend any particular 45LC deer loads for this gun? Note: I'm looking for commercially available ammo as I don't yet reload.

I see some pretty hefty loads from Buffalo, Grizzly, etc. They're pretty burly and all, but they seem awfully stout for short range whitetail. Or am I completely off base here?
Click to expand...

I like 16 grains of Hodgdon's Li'l Gun behind a Lee 255 grain wide nose wadcutter. That's a pretty mild load -- about 1000 fps.
 
Keith's load

The 18.5 gr of 2400 behind a 255 gr LSWC is a very traditional load. The load will shoot through a deer and the recoil is manageable. I've shot probably 1,500 such loads through a Blackhawk and my Ruger stainless Bisley over the past couple of years.
North"wet"
 
I use a large dose (won't say here, isn't there a rule against that on this board?) of 2400 behind the 300 grain Hornady XTP. It leaves my Blackhawk's 4 5/8" barrel at over 1100 fps. Should kill about anything that needs killin'. It's making well over 800 ft lbs. In my longer .45 colt Contender it'll push 1000 ft lbs. That barrel is only a little over 7" because it has a choke that screws in the end that you take off to fire .45 colt. The choke is for firing .410 shotgun in the same barrel.
 
guys, he doesn't reload!

On commercially available ammo: I've shot Cor-bon, PMC and Buffalo Bore's hot stuff through my 5.5" Ruger Vaquero. The Buffalo Bore 260gr 1400fps stuff killed a deer for me quite well at 20 yards last fall. I really like the PMC 300 grain 1250fps stuff, its very accurate in my Marlin 1894, but its a bit hard to find. Buffalo Bore is available through Cabela's but I think it might be the most expensive of them all. The nice thing about PMC is that its in a box of 50. I like Cor-bon too, but am currently out of the hot stuff, but its been very accurate for me. Of the commerically available ammo, I like the 260-300 grain offerings, the 325+ grain seems a but much for whitetail. I don't think the 260-300 grain loads are too much for whitetail as you are relying on a slower moving big bullet to get penetration and make a big hole, rather than a real fast, expanding bullet that deposits alot of energy and likely makes two holes. From what I have seen and understand of pistols vs. rifles is that the fast rifle cartridge will "jelly" alot of tissue (referred to as permanent stretch cavity I think) around its wound path while a pistol bullet will burrow one large hole with clean tissue around the wound channel. I do think a good 250-255 grain bullet going 800-1000 fps is plenty for whitetail at pistol ranges, but its actually a very uncommon commercial loading in .45Colt these days. You either have 225 Silvertips, lots of different "Cowboy" loads, or lightish wadcutters available from the big cartridge companies. Thank God for Cor-bon, Buffalo Bore and PMC for the non-reloaders that hunt. Oh yes, Double Tap now has hot and heavy .45Colt loads too.
 
that the fast rifle cartridge will "jelly" alot of tissue (referred to as permanent stretch cavity I think) around its wound path while a pistol bullet will burrow one large hole with clean tissue around the wound channel.
Click to expand...

The only handgun caliber I've used on whitetail is .357 magnum and there's a good bit of damaged tissue from a SWC away from the actual bullet with that caliber. But, I've had rifles completely distroy lungs, as in VANISHED.:eek: The more velocity/energy, the more massive the tissue damage. The .357 had a 3" diameter area of destroyed lung tissue around it, typically. I've never used a hollow point on deer, just my 158 grain cast gas checked load at over 700 ft lbs from a four inch barrel and I was firing it from a 6.5" blackhawk. The wound channel in lung tissue is impressive enough and the deer didn't go very far at all.

For handgun caliber hunting, I like a good flat point bullet. I would try to push it faster than a standard load, though. Go for something better'n cowboy loads at least. One of the hot loads in a 260-300 grain will do the trick I'm quite sure considering the results I had with .357!
 
What I use

Like you, I found that most factory .45 Colt loads were either cowboy level loads, or bone-crunching 'Cape Buffalo' type loads...more than I felt was required for the blacktails I was going to be chasing after.

Looking on Cor-Bon's website, on thier 'Closeout's' Page, they had a load that looked interesting:

A 'Medium Velocity' 300gr JSP. The price was nice too...$12.80 a box...much cheaper than some of their other loads. If you go to their site, look under 'Store Front' and 'Closeouts' and you should be able to find it. I ran it through a chrony, and it came out closer to 1160fps than 1100. Still probably more than is needed for a deer, but, not as bad as some of their other loads.

For a while now, Georgia Arms has had a thing on their website about how they are comming out with a 260gr HP load, that sounds like a great deer load...it might be worth getting in contact with them to see how things are going.

For now though, those are the only two 'deer' loads I know of for .45 Colt. I still have about 80 rounds of the Cor-Bon load, but it sounds like you are kind of far from Washington.

greg
 
priv8ter said:
Like you, I found that most factory .45 Colt loads were either cowboy level loads, or bone-crunching 'Cape Buffalo' type loads...more than I felt was required for the blacktails I was going to be chasing after.

Looking on Cor-Bon's website, on thier 'Closeout's' Page, they had a load that looked interesting:

A 'Medium Velocity' 300gr JSP. The price was nice too...$12.80 a box...much cheaper than some of their other loads. If you go to their site, look under 'Store Front' and 'Closeouts' and you should be able to find it. I ran it through a chrony, and it came out closer to 1160fps than 1100. Still probably more than is needed for a deer, but, not as bad as some of their other loads.

For a while now, Georgia Arms has had a thing on their website about how they are comming out with a 260gr HP load, that sounds like a great deer load...it might be worth getting in contact with them to see how things are going.

For now though, those are the only two 'deer' loads I know of for .45 Colt. I still have about 80 rounds of the Cor-Bon load, but it sounds like you are kind of far from Washington.

greg
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need a press and some dies. ;)
 
MCgunner said:
Sounds like you need a press and some dies. ;)
Click to expand...

Amen.

For those who aren't sure about reloading, I always recommend the Lee Hand Press set, about $20 from Midway, and another $20 for a set of dies. If he decides reloading isn't for him, he hasn't lost much. If he decides to upgrade, he has a reloading set he can take to the range to work up loads.
 
Sigh

Vern Humphrey said:
Amen.

For those who aren't sure about reloading, I always recommend the Lee Hand Press set, about $20 from Midway, and another $20 for a set of dies. If he decides reloading isn't for him, he hasn't lost much. If he decides to upgrade, he has a reloading set he can take to the range to work up loads.
Click to expand...

Trust me...I have looked seriously into reloading, had my wife get me 'The ABC's of Reloading' for Christmas last year. I just don't see myself as having the time...I have averaged 987 hours of OT the last 3 years. After reading the book, I decided to postpone reloading a few years. It wasn't an economics decision...it was strictly a wish to spend more time with my 3 year old daughter and wife than working on a press.

It is on my list of things to get into eventually, though. Heck..it's the main reason I bought a .35 Whelen instead of something cheaper to shoot! :eek:

greg
 
Yeah, short range shots, that should be a great gun. Cor Bon and Buffalo Bore make some great rounds for that gun.
 
A Blackhawk is next on my "to get" list, but probably in .357. I'd love to have a 45LC, but don't reload, so shooting much would be cost prohibitive. :mad:

I think I can get the model with 2 cylinders - one for .357 & .38s and one for 9mm. Can anyone confirm this? I've never seen one in person.
 
Vern Humphrey said:
Amen.

For those who aren't sure about reloading, I always recommend the Lee Hand Press set, about $20 from Midway, and another $20 for a set of dies. If he decides reloading isn't for him, he hasn't lost much. If he decides to upgrade, he has a reloading set he can take to the range to work up loads.
Click to expand...


This is exactly what I did - I now load a 300 gr Speer JSP over 20 grains H110. Works like a champ, easy to do, not too time consuming, either.


Mac
 
I recommend Georgia Arms 260 45 Colt +P for your requested hunting needs... You get 50 rounds for about the same price as 20 Corbon or Buffalo Bore...Check out their web page...I believe www.georgiaarms.com
Best,Brett
 
www.georgia-arms.com

I'm a big fan of the 45 Colt ....but I reload.

You really should get a Blackhawk 44 mag and shoot 44 special and 44 mags so you can just go to a local Wal-Mart and pick up ammo since time is tight.
 
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