Heavy 45 colt- Heavyweight(300-350gr) Hard Cast Lead & N110

[Ben Shepherd]

Anyone play with this combo? I use 2400 and 296 in this application mostly, but I do use N110 with jacketed stuff quite a bit. Never have with lead stuff though, and there doesn't seem to be much data on this combo. Wondering why?

Same things hold true in 357, 41, and 44 mag as well. So why not N110 and hard cast lead bullets? It's expensive powder, but the burn rate is suited well to these applications. So why almost no published data?

 

[.38 Special]

IMO, H110 is the ideal powder for heavy loads in the big Colt. I honestly haven't seen any reason to use anything else. 296 and 2400 are neither as versatile, as clean, or as fast, in my experience, and VV powders are simply too expensive for me to bother with.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

I'm appraoching it like this:

Low volume, high quality 90% effort loads.

All out stuff? Sure 296 or H110 is best, maybe even H4227.

But if N110 will burn as clean behind a lead slug as it does behind jacketed, and run as consistent, I think it could be perfect for what I want to do.

 

[.38 Special]

Well let me know if you try it out. I'm perfectly content with 325 LFNs in front of 23 grains of H110. I can back down to 21 grains if I want to drop 150 FPS or so and it still burns clean, as long as the crimp is heavy. But heck, maybe VV is worth the money.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Try a stiff dose of N110 behind a jacketed slug sometime. IME, NOTHING burns cleaner. Also very temp stable, accurate, with small SD numbers over the chrono.

Won't go quite as fast as 296 or H110 will go, but it will do 98% of everthing 2400 will from my experiences with it so far in 357, 41, and 44 mag. Just starting to really get into 45 colt.(New redhawk )

Expensive? Yes. Too much for a lot of shooting on my budget. But for a high quality jacketed slug round you can absolutely depend on, I love it.

Just can't figure out why no one uses it behind lead.

 

[paul105]

Check Taffin Test (sixguns.com)

http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt45lc.htm

Do a search on n110 in the body of the above article for 45 colt info.

I have just recently started experimenting with n110. In the 44 mag, with 250gr K (Montana Bullet Works) it is very clean, and exhibits low ES/SD once you get in the optimum. operating range.

fwiw Paul

 

[Ben Shepherd]

I'll check out that link. Thanks. Like you're finding out, the stuff is wonderful when used correctly.

Just wondering why there's very little data from big mfg types with lead stuff.

I'll pursue this for sure. I'll post some numbers. I'll be using a redhawk and some cast preformance 325 grainers. May be a couple weeks, but I'll post chrono numbers.

 

[paul105]

Heads Up!!

Today, I was loading some .44s on my Dillon Square Deal B, using N110, when I encountered a "Powder Bridging Problem". I got lucky, and only had to pull one round. I went to verify the powder charge in the case at the powder charging station, and there was no powder in the case. I looked at the powder hopper, and it was about a quarter full. Then, I checked the next station (bullet seating), and that case was also empty. I removed the case, with seated bullet from the bullet crimping station, and weighed it -- it was about 20 grains lighter than all the other rounds I had just loaded -- when I pulled the bullet, there was not powder.

I pulled the powder measure off the press. Checked the expander/drop tube die, and it was clear. Turned out that the powder was "stuck" in the powder measure drop tube. I didn't think that N110 was "course" enough to cause this problem.

From now on, I will only use N110 in my 550B, where I have a snake light setup to visually inspect each case between the powder charging and bullet seating stations.

The Square Deal will be relegated to ball powders only (no big deal for me).

Hope this helps somebody avoid some problems.

Paul

 

[.38 Special]

Try a stiff dose of N110 behind a jacketed slug sometime.

The barrel of my .45 has never been polluted by the passage of a jacketed bullet.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

I've got 1 44 like that. In all the other big bores, I've succumbed to temptation. It's a wierd feeling though. Every time I do in one of the old model blue & wood guns, I get the "This isn't right." feeling.

 

[mohican]

others mileage may very

My experience with H110 has been quirky- it seems erratic and not accurate in my 44mags and 454 Casull

AA#9, 296 for my 44 loads

(in 44 superblack hawk with 240 GC LSC's 2400 works well, but not in the "heavy" stuff

454 I use 296 and lil'gun but with the lil'gun I use the starting loads, Hogdon's higher loads sticky in my guns (again, your mileage may vary)

I like Unique for plinking loads in each, but I am going to experiment with TrailBoss for lead loads

 

[mohican]

others mileage may very

My experience with H110 has been quirky- it seems erratic and not accurate in my 44mags and 454 Casull

AA#9, 296 for my 44 loads

(in 44 superblack hawk with 240 GC LSC's 2400 works well, but not in the "heavy" stuff

454 I use 296 and lil'gun but with the lil'gun I use the starting loads, Hogdon's higher loads sticky in my guns (again, your mileage may vary)

I like Unique for plinking loads in each, but I am going to experiment with TrailBoss for lead loads

 

[huntershooter]

H110 seems to run best at, or near peak pressure. I've had excellent results with 22.5-23 gr. H110, 300 (actually weighs 310+) gr. Beartooth WFNGC, Starline brass & CCI Mag. LP primers. This load shot in Ruger Bisley and FA revolvers ONLY. Velocity is 1230+ FPS.