Grade my first 45 colt reloads!

[petrey10]

what do you guys think of my first batch of 45 colt reloads.... i didn't tumble the brass this round but I will next time...

Load is...
MB Cowboy #1 250 gr LRNFP
Speer Nickel cases (from factory Gold Dot rounds)
Federal Large Pistol Primer
6.3gr of Unique (starting load... would like to work up to around 7gr)


How's my crimp?

 

[USSR]

petrey10,

Crimp is fine, but if you're using Unique, ya gotta use more powder than that.

Don

 

[rcmodel]

Looks like more crimp then you need with that light load of Unique.

I'd back off the crimp a little and your cases will last a lot longer before they split.

BTW: A cast 250 and 8.5 Unique is a standard pressure .45 Colt load that will shoot to the sights in most guns.

6.5 or 7.0 is really light, and likely won't burn very clean.

You will also get a lot of black soot on the cases because the pressure is probably too low to expand the brass & seal the chambers.

rc

 

[RidgwayCO]

What are you shooting these with? My records show 7.0gr of Unique chrono-ed at 825 fps, 7.6gr at 893 fps, and 8.1gr at 951 fps. These were Missouri Bullet 250gr LRNFP bullets shot from a 5-1/2" Ruger Bisley Blackhawk with a COL of 1.580". I don't use quite as much crimp as your photos show, but that's just me.

My favorite load with this bullet is 6.1gr of Trail Boss for about 800 fps. A nicely accurate all-day-shooter. This powder weight is above Hodgdon's published maximum, but there is no powder compression in my brass and no signs of excessive pressure. YMMV.

 

[Funshooter45]

I agree with all the above comments. They look real good though. It's pretty common to put a good strong roll crimp in them when we all first started. After you've shot a few of them, you'll realize you can reduce the amount of crimp in .45 Colts No big deal except your cases will last a long longer. And it's not being critical when people point out the light charge you are using. It's very wise to start out being super cautious like you are. Just don't be surprised when your case and chamber are covered with black soot. One time I tried to use a light charge of AA #9 in .45 Colt. I was at the starting load. The dang things turned the cases black with soot and deposited so much carbon and unburnt powder on the end of the cylinder and forcing cone that the cylinder locked up after about 35 rounds.

Very good start though.

 

[petrey10]

ok I will bump the charge up... I am just tryign to be safe and make sure the powder drops are consistent right now... I will bump it up to 7.5 gr tonight and reload another 12 rounds... i will also reduce the crimp slightly

I will creep up to 8 gr if all goes well

 

[petrey10]

I thought it was interesting in the Lee 2nd edition manual that it said starting load of 8gr and under the NOT to exceed column it said 8gr... this was under the 250gr bullet 45 colt revolver (NOT ruger only)


why?

 

[petrey10]

I wish i could get the ring around the lead bullet from the seater/crimp die to go away also... hopefully backing off the roll crimp will help

 

[Funshooter45]

It won't hurt a thing having that ring there. But if it bothers you, then you could try seating and crimping in separate steps. it might be related to the heavy roll cimp. I have never noticed it in my loads, but I wouldn't think about it if I had.

 

[Huckelberry75]

That is a load that is probably safe in the colts and replicas. I use about 9.5 gn unique with a 255 swc.

 

[petrey10]

ya i just want my loads to be nice and "factory" looking... im picky..


I have a Lee 45 colt taper crimp die that I could use if I needed but i thought I would use the lockout die and seat/crimp in one step...

 

[rcmodel]

Lee 2nd edition manual that it said starting load of 8gr and under the NOT to exceed column it said 8gr... this was under the 250gr bullet 45 colt revolver (NOT ruger only)
why?

Because Lee only publishes data they copied from the powder & bullet manufactures data.
Lee doesn't have a ballistics lab so there is no "Lee tested data".

Alliant, and Hercules before them, has published the 250 lead/8.0 grains Unique load for a long time.
But neither one of them ever gave a Starting load.
The published Hercules/Alliant load was the MAX load, and you were supposed to be smart enough to reduce it by 10% for the Starting load. (= 7.2 grains)

The other thing Lee never told you was exactly what 250 lead bullet they were talking about.
We could assume they were using factory 250 swaged lead hollow-base .45 Colt bullets of the time. In which case the MAX would be lower then with cast bullets.

The max with cast bullets is higher, depending on the exact bullet design.
Lyman #49 lists 8.2, 8.5, and 9.0 as MAX with three different 250 grain cast bullet designs.
You got to pick the one closest to what you are using.

That's why I always use Lyman lead bullet data and not Lee data.

rc

 

[Lost Sheep]

I wish i could get the ring around the lead bullet from the seater/crimp die to go away also... hopefully backing off the roll crimp will help

It won't hurt a thing having that ring there. But if it bothers you, then you could try seating and crimping in separate steps. it might be related to the heavy roll cimp. I have never noticed it in my loads, but I wouldn't think about it if I had.

If the ring is that ring I see in your first picture a little below the nose of the bullet, it is from the seating plug not being exactly the same shape as the bullet nose. You can get a differently shaped seater plut to cure that, or add some filler (a little dab of epoxy, and press the bullet nose to make an impression, then let harden).

If you are getting a shaving of a lead ring that winds up at the crimp, then Funshooter45 has a good suggestion. The ring is cut from the bullet when the crimp cuts into the sides of the bullet while the seating plug is still pushing the bullet into place. The case mouth bites into the bullet and cuts off a little bit of lead.

One solution: Later crimp or proper depth of seating (probably deeper). As the bullet is being seated concurrent with crimping, the case mouth begins to close in on the bullet. If the bullet's crimping groove (Do your bullets have one?) is not yet at the case mouth (bullet not deep enough in the case), the case mouth will dig in to the bullet sides below the groove. If the groove is in the right position, the case mouth will dive (crimp) right into the groove without shaving. If your bullets do not have a groove, the case mouth will cut one for you (in soft lead) and may leave a ring of lead.

This is a die adjustment fix.

Second solution: Less crimp, of course, would shave less lead.

As far as seating the bullet in one operation, then crimping with another: You can buy a separate crimping die or you can just use the seat/crimp die twice. Once, you back the die out enough to apply no crimp and seat all your bullets. The second time, you back the seating stem out enough (or remove it entirely) and just crimp the case into the bullet's crimping groove.

Welcome to reloading and thanks for asking our advice.

Lost Sheep

 

[petrey10]

i have an extra seater plug in the case that came with the Hornady Series 2 dies... the one in the box is flat so would this be the one for the flat point bullet?

 

[Lost Sheep]

I thought you were asking about a ring of lead shaved off the bullet.

I have an extra seater plug in the case that came with the Hornady Series 2 dies... the one in the box is flat so would this be the one for the flat point bullet?

I am guessing that would be, "Yes" if the "ring" in your question refers to the line circling around the ogive of your flat point bullets.

(Ogive: The roundly tapered end of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional
object. In our usage, the curvy part of the front portion of a bullet.)

Lost Sheep

 

[petrey10]

I loaded some rounds last night and shot them... I was getting some slight separation on the 6th bullet in the cylinder after the first 5 had been shot so I kept going back and slightly cranking the crimp down... I have got it to where the bullet only separates by a hair. How much separation is too much? I ran out of time last night but I think I can crimp slightly more before the case starts to bulge


I am loading the rounds to a 1.575'' overal length ... would going up or down help or hurt my separation problems?

 

[bentongunclub]

My 45C Loads

The loads I use in my Uberti Model 1873 and S&W 25-5 revolver are:

12.5 gr HS-7, 1050 fps, 230 gr JHP
8.3 gr Unique, 1060 fps, 230 gr JHP
29.8 gr Pyrodex, 1350 fps, 230 gr JHP

These loads are accurate and safe in my personal firearms. Use your own judgement. ALWAYS clean your brass soon if you shoot some Pyrodex as it will corrode the brass.

 

[longbow cam]

For lite loads try TrailBoss. You will take up some of the case cappacity. Burns so so, can be on the dirty side.
LBC