CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
First, welcome to The High Road!!!!! The warning above is kinda scary, but is standard procedure for listing data that is higher than normal published data. I will give you a few loads that are not above published loads for certain guns, but are very much excessive for others and that is the reason for the warning at the top. The 45 Colt varies in strength probably more than any other caliber handgun, so published data runs from plain boring to extremely hot.
I like H110/W296 for mid to boomer loads in the 45 Colt. A good load for me has been 24 grains under a 250-270 hard cast bullet. That should make somewhere up near 1400 fps and possibly more from the 14" barrel, and that will blow through anything you hit with it. Even down around 21 grains is way more power than you would need to shoot through a whitetail end to end.
Another really nice load is 13.5 grains of Blue Dot with the 250-270 hard casts, does about 1100 in 6" revolvers so look for something around 1250 or so? I have had poor results from Blue Dot below 13 grains, it seems that there is too much air space in the cases for consistent ignition.
The loads listed above are safe in Ruger revolvers, modern lever rifles and TC Contenders, even the G1 Contenders. They are NOT for use in anything else!!!
Now would also be a good time to mention that there is a specific section in most loading manuals for the 45 Colt when used in TC's, Rugers and modern rifles. You will want to pick up a couple manuals with that data in it to work from.
