priv8ter
Member
So, I might, if I play my cards right, have a chance to do some hunting on one of the small farms close to where I live. The only problem is it is in a Restricted Firearm area, which means no Center-Fire rifles, not even my .357 1894C.
I can't really afford to go buy a black-powder rifle, or a new shotgun to shoot slugs out of, but I do have a Black Hawk in .45 Colt I bought for just such situations. Well, actually, I bought it because I wanted a big-bore revolver, and I think I would like to get into CAS, but...possible use against deer or elk at close range was one of the reasons I went .45 Colt instead of .357.
My only problem is, even with Sportsman's Warehouse right around the corner, there seems to be a complete lack of .45 Colt hunting loads available. Oh...I've got about 6 choices for Cowboy level loads, but, after throwing them out this leaves the following loads available:
Winchester 225gr Silvertip
Federal 225gr Semi-WadCutter Hollow Point
CCI Blazer 200 gr JHP
Hunh.
That's it. I've done some research, and all of these loads seem to come in at slightly over 900 FPS, which is better than Cowboy loads, but still puts these loads somewhere in .357 Magum range as far as energy goes.
None of that is anything special, and certainly not the .44 Magnum type loads I could get when I start reloading after Santa Comes to visit, but I have read a few posts on here and The Firing Line, and one or two people have stated before they have used the Silvertips on deer, but they were using .45 Colt carbines.
So...would one of those loads(I'm leaning towards the Silvertips because they are available) with good shot placement, at 30-40 yards, have enough oomph to get a clean kill on a smaller(100-120 pound) black-tail? Or should I just stop being a cheapskate and order up some Buffalo Bore 260gr screamers?
And, if I go with the Buffalo Bores, how long does it take for an order to come in? I'd be looking at doing this the end of October, which is another reason the currently in stock and cheaper to practice with Silvertips have my attention.
greg
I can't really afford to go buy a black-powder rifle, or a new shotgun to shoot slugs out of, but I do have a Black Hawk in .45 Colt I bought for just such situations. Well, actually, I bought it because I wanted a big-bore revolver, and I think I would like to get into CAS, but...possible use against deer or elk at close range was one of the reasons I went .45 Colt instead of .357.
My only problem is, even with Sportsman's Warehouse right around the corner, there seems to be a complete lack of .45 Colt hunting loads available. Oh...I've got about 6 choices for Cowboy level loads, but, after throwing them out this leaves the following loads available:
Winchester 225gr Silvertip
Federal 225gr Semi-WadCutter Hollow Point
CCI Blazer 200 gr JHP
Hunh.
That's it. I've done some research, and all of these loads seem to come in at slightly over 900 FPS, which is better than Cowboy loads, but still puts these loads somewhere in .357 Magum range as far as energy goes.
None of that is anything special, and certainly not the .44 Magnum type loads I could get when I start reloading after Santa Comes to visit, but I have read a few posts on here and The Firing Line, and one or two people have stated before they have used the Silvertips on deer, but they were using .45 Colt carbines.
So...would one of those loads(I'm leaning towards the Silvertips because they are available) with good shot placement, at 30-40 yards, have enough oomph to get a clean kill on a smaller(100-120 pound) black-tail? Or should I just stop being a cheapskate and order up some Buffalo Bore 260gr screamers?
And, if I go with the Buffalo Bores, how long does it take for an order to come in? I'd be looking at doing this the end of October, which is another reason the currently in stock and cheaper to practice with Silvertips have my attention.
greg