Limited options for .45 Colt?

[BCRider]

Texan, if you're going to shoot .45Colt or .44Mag or any of the calibers staring with 4 or higher there is simply no reason NOT to get into reloading.

Reloading will provide you with more options for bullet weghts, styles and velocities AND do it for MUCH, MUCH CHEAPER than you can buy factory .45Colt. You'll have the option of finding the happy medium general purpose load for both hunting and defense and at the same time you can load up and keep handy a store of 200 gn bullets with lighter powder charges behind them for letting folks shoot that are rather squeamish about recoil.

Oh, did I mention that it's MUCH cheaper to reload with these bigger calibers? Well it is. That alone should make you sit up and consider taking the plunge. You can shoot more and not worry about it compared to buying ANY of the factory .45Colt.

A basic single stage reloading setup can be set up for around $250 and the whole works will easily fit into a medium size storage tote when not being used. And you can reload 50 rounds for under $10 in the US. Up this way in the land of ice and snow it's more like around $12 for my buddy that reloads on my equipment. If you compare that cost to the cost for factory you'll easily see how long it'll take to pay back the $250 startup equipment cost. And even with a basic press you can easily make around 150 rounds an hour.

 

[critter]

I have a S&W 25-5 with an 8 3/8" barrel. I shoot hard cast SWC's at 900-1000 fps from it. It is very accurate with that load. Last deer I took I hit at 50 yds on the right shoulder and the bullet exited the rear of the rib cage on the left side. Good blood trail-but short!

I used to own a Ruger Bisley Blackhawk in that caliber. It was also very accurate with that load but loved 300 grainers loaded heavily. Got a wonderful deal on a FA .454, bought it and sold the Ruger. Duplication of application. Loved that SA though. Kinda wish I had kept it.

So, yeah, IMHO, the .45 Colt round is quite adequate for anything you want to do.

 

[Hammerdown77]

45 Colt is the reason I started reloading. Got a Blackhawk 45 Colt/ACP convertible, thought I'd shoot mostly "cheaper" store-bought ACP in it.

I was wrong.

Now I spend all my money on reloading supplies and equipment, but I shoot a LOT.

 

[Texan Scott]

Well, this probably needs to be moved to the reloading forums now... and probably so do I... *sigh*. From looking at the other .45 reloading threads, I can already see that asking for powder reccomendations will likely get me a chorus of "Unique!".... and that one poor guy who'll be laughed at for saying 'Trail Boss'.

Does anyone have experience they share vis-a-vis velocity gain between barrel lengths, e.g. from 4 5/8in rev. to 16 or 20in lever? with any given powder of their preference? with 200 or 250 gr bullets?

I'm not looking for RECIPES, as I know that what works best in your guns may not be best in whatever I pick up... throat/ forcing cone/ barrel diameters, etc.... but a general idea of how many fps or what rough % a bullet of a given weight might gain with a given powder? (burn rate and energy yield... everything i know about calculus and exothermal chem. leads me to think in terms of reaction rate and potential energy relative to initial mass) ... this is starting to feel less like a hobby and more like a senior baccalauriate project...

 

[murf]

a reloading manual will answer those questions.

murf

 

[stevelyn]

Well, this probably needs to be moved to the reloading forums now... and probably so do I... *sigh*. From looking at the other .45 reloading threads, I can already see that asking for powder reccomendations will likely get me a chorus of "Unique!".... and that one poor guy who'll be laughed at for saying 'Trail Boss'.

Nope. Not from me unless they are lighter plinking and GP loads.

My powder recommendations for the .45 Colt are H-110/W-296 and Lil' Gun. Of course I'm loading 300-335gr hardcast business loads at "Ruger Only" levels.

I'm interested in trying SR-4759 too. Can't find data for it at the moment.

Gonna try Power Pro 300-MP since I now have data for it.

 

[Dirty Bob]

The .45 Colt is a great place to start reloading! The straight-wall revolver cartridges are easy to reload, and there's tons of data for the .45 Colt, with many choices of powder and bullet.

If you choose to use it for SD/HD, there are some good hollow-point loads out there, and they're really not that expensive, since you don't need to buy a lot.

All my best,
Dirty Bob

 

[mgkdrgn]

Well, this probably needs to be moved to the reloading forums now... and probably so do I... *sigh*. From looking at the other .45 reloading threads, I can already see that asking for powder reccomendations will likely get me a chorus of "Unique!".... and that one poor guy who'll be laughed at for saying 'Trail Boss'.

Does anyone have experience they share vis-a-vis velocity gain between barrel lengths, e.g. from 4 5/8in rev. to 16 or 20in lever? with any given powder of their preference? with 200 or 250 gr bullets?

I'm not looking for RECIPES, as I know that what works best in your guns may not be best in whatever I pick up... throat/ forcing cone/ barrel diameters, etc.... but a general idea of how many fps or what rough % a bullet of a given weight might gain with a given powder? (burn rate and energy yield... everything i know about calculus and exothermal chem. leads me to think in terms of reaction rate and potential energy relative to initial mass) ... this is starting to feel less like a hobby and more like a senior baccalauriate project...

Ok, so NO Unique!

6 gr of Green dot will push a 255gr Keith bullet to about 850 - 900 fps. Nice mild cheap load.

 

[StrawHat]

Well, a casing full of black powder and a Lyman 454424 cast bullet get almost 1000 fps from my 5 1/2" Model P clone. Use a black powder lube and a standard large pistol primer.

If smokeless is more to your liking, the same ballistics can be reached with only +/- 9 grains of Unique. For the 45 long Colt, once you get a can of Unique and black, other powders need not apply! Both of the powders I recommend are steeped in the history of the 45 long Colt!

For more specific recipes, we will need some more information from you, ie what revolver are you loading for? If you are not getting a Ruger, there is no use listing Ruger only loads. The two loads I mentioned should be safe in any factory revolver, unless it is so beat you should not be firing it.

 

[whetrock]

As others have stated the 45LC is a grand cartridge capable of some pretty impressive numbers with that being said the vast majority of factory ammuntion for the long colt is more oriented towards Cowboy action shoters as well as older firearms that can't withstand a great deal of pressure. There are a number of cartridges that suffer from this affliction another is the 45-70 and pretty much any older cartridge that was around in the days of BP. Handloading can open a great number of doors when it comes to ammunition selection and if you feel the desire to shoot "shooters" cartridges your realy at a disadvantage if you aren't a handloader IMO.

 

[Old judge creek]

First off, I like the way the OP was stated. Those are excellent questions.

Yes, a hard cast 45 Colt 250 grain bullet at 1000fps will indeed drop a deer - even a large deer, or (more importunely from a safety standpoint) a 400 pound boar. I've BTDT with both. It'll do well on most bears in the lower 48 as well.

Both boar and bear need penetration and hard cast, large diameter bullets worh very well IMO.

As for your powder question - Unique is a great powder but I do NOT like it as much as others do - never have, 'cuz its dirty, IMO. Yet I've always had a can of in in my cabinet for years, it does have its uses.

That said, my favorite revolver powder for years now has been HP-38. It works well for me and burns cleaner than other choices in my "recipes".

As for a good DA in 45 Colt? Well, I had an opportunity to buy a S&W Mountain Gun that was a beauty, but I passed the deal up, so I'm "?stuck?" with my SA revolvers.... oh' poor me. The truth of the matter is that if I had the chance at that Mountain Gun today, I'd jump on it. If I had the very same chance at one of the Ruger DAs, I'd pass them up... they're simply TOO DARN heavy for me to tote comfortably on my hip all day long.

YMMV

 

[camar]

I shoot my .45 Colt at targets. I quit shooting animals and humans years ago. I reload and cast my own bullets, 255gr. LSWC. If I were to take it to the next level I would feel very comfortable.