Lower velocity .45 Colt Loads using H110??

[JohnnyB]

I have a pound of Hodgdon H100. I recently loaded my .45 Colt load using this powder to get a little more oomph out of a hard cast 250 gr LRNFP in my Ruger New Model Blackhawk with 7 1/2" barrel. I chronographed my load of 24.4 gr at an average of 1330 fps, which is quite potent. Hodgdon has their mininum load at 25.7 gr with 250 grHornady XTP @ 1398 fps. My question is: can I safely load H110 for lower velocities such as 900 - 950 fps? I have used HS-6 and Hodgdon Universal and have gotten those velocities, I was just wondering if in a pinch, I can Use H110 for those velocities.
Thanks,
John

 

[rcmodel]

NO.
That would not be prudent!

Hodgdon and many reloading manuals clearly warn H110 / W296 ball powder should not be downloaded below the recommended starting load.

If you want 900 with a 250 lead bullet, look at Unique, or a whole host of other faster Hodgdon powders better suited to reduced pressure loads.

rc

 

[Hammerdown77]

+1 to rcmodel.

LOTS of other powders will give you 900 fps safely with that bullet. You should be able to find at least one of them.

My favorites are Universal, Unique, and lately, Power Pistol.

 

[Wireman134]

H110/W295 do not work well at low charge densities, and don't say the "Devil made me do it".

 

[zxcvbob]

It might be possible if you seat the bullet down in the case (like a wadcutter) until the powder is lightly compressed. But why would you want to, when Red Dot powder works so much better to acheive that load range?

 

[hydraulicman]

get yourself some trailboss and enjoy shooting that .45 colt

 

[Varminthound]

Get your self one or more reloading manuals and do some homework. Use established and tested loads. By asking your question you display a lack of experience and the need for more background in the field of reloading.

 

[TonyT]

hydraulicman has an excellent suggestion - Trail Boss popwder for he 45 Colt.

 

[Txhillbilly]

Titegroup is also a great powder for 45Colt.

 

[bluetopper]

With H110 it's either all or nothing. Heed what the other posters have said.

 

[gun guy]

i agree with tb, hammer, its just not a good idea, sounds like alot of years of experience, all agreeing, thats so rare i would have to believe it. there are lots of other powders and years of data on that round, it shouldn't be hard to find something that works well for you, good luck, be safe.

 

[CraigC]

Absolutely not! Eight to nine grains of Unique is perfect for your desired velocity range.

 

[JohnnyB]

thanks, guys,
I've been reloading for 8 months now, so I don't have years of experience. But also learn by asking questions, which is what I did. I had NO intention of loading a low load of H110. I wanted to know if it was possible to do it safely, that's all. I normally use between 7.2 and 7.8 gr of Hodgdon's Universal, and am happy with that. The H110 is to see what a +P load would be like in my Ruger. I've owned guns for over 43 yrs, so I'm not a newbie around guns, just reloading. Price of ammo got me into it, and I now enjoy it. I researched a lot about different loads before I started.
again thanks

 

[zxcvbob]

I suggest you get a pound of Herco and experiment with different loads from 8.0 to 12.0 grains. That should give you from about 900 fps to over 1200 -- maybe 1300. At the upper end, it'll rip the skin off your palm if your gun has checkered grips (don't ask me how I know.) If you decide you want more power than that, *then* try H110, W296, AA#9, Lil'Gun, or 2400.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Welcome to THR and to handloading JohnnyB.
I too have recently tried H110 in my Ruger .45 Colt. The other posters are correct in that you can't download it. There is a reason there is a minimum as well as a max charge listed. I don't like the fact that the window on H110 is so narrow. I'm gonna give some 2400 a try for full throttle loads next.
For loads in the 900 fps range, I like 9 grains of Unique behind a 255 SWC from Missouri Bullets. I also like 6 grains of Trail Boss behind a 230 cast bullet.
Happy loading and happy shooting.

 

[Hammerdown77]

Arkansas mentioned 2400, and I second that suggestion. With 2400, you can load "Ruger Only" .45 Colt loads, OR, you can download it to standard pressure, although it won't burn as completely and will be kinda dirty. Also, it doesn't need a magnum or WLP primer like H-110. Unless you're looking for absolute top velocity in .45 Colt, 2400 will do everything you need to do in the 1000+ fps range with 250 grain and up lead bullets.