Powder for .45 colt in Rifle

[bsparker]

I've search this forum and too many other places. I now feel stuck in indecision. Most references to .45 colt loads give data for pistol, with people sharing their experience mainly with a pistol. I'm looking to use a rifle, a Winchester 94ae in .45 colt to be specific.

I want to develop a load for deer hunting (I know, not hard animals to kill) up to 100 yards. I'll be putting on a skinner aperture sight. I have in mind the 250 gr Hornady XTP/HP for the projectile. I don't need lightening fast rounds, I need accurate and consistent, with a powder that's available.

What powder would you choose?

 

[AJC1]

If it were me I'd be shooting cast with Unique or #5.

 

[.45Coltguy]

Unique will do, but, 2400 would be a better choice. Works quite well from a lever rifle. 16.0-17.0gr with that 250gr XTP. Please cross reference this load.

 

[Charlie98]

My favorite is IMR4227, but 2400 would work splendid, too. I load .45 Colt for my H&R and my brother’s Trapper.

unique will get it done… but you miss a fair amount of velocity. You could go the other direction and try W296/H110… but that’s all or nothing.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I've search this forum and too many other places. I now feel stuck in indecision. Most references to .45 colt loads give data for pistol, with people sharing their experience mainly with a pistol. I'm looking to use a rifle, a Winchester 94ae in .45 colt to be specific.

I want to develop a load for deer hunting (I know, not hard animals to kill) up to 100 yards. I'll be putting on a skinner aperture sight. I have in mind the 250 gr Hornady XTP/HP for the projectile. I don't need lightening fast rounds, I need accurate and consistent, with a powder that's available.

What powder would you choose?

Nice outfit!

I have loaded .45Colt with 2400, IMR 4227, and Unique using cast and jacketed very successfully. However, I tend to load heavier bullets - over 270gr - and stick to closer ranges, mostly under 20yds. So this might not be all that helpful. However, one of my neighbors has a Winchester 94AE in .45Colt and he asked me around the time of the Y2K mess to make him some loads for long range. I took the rifle and spent a couple of weeks trying different combinations: 20gr of IMR 4227 with Sierra 240gr JHC was the magic. I scribbled notes in my Lyman’s 45th. I made him some test rounds with different loads, put a heavy crimp on the first set and accuracy was just okay. A heavier crimp made it worse. I ended up with a medium crimp on the cannelure, just enough to prevent setback. But all of those powders worked well in my Super 14 Contender barrel. Of that set of batches, only 8.5gr of Unique works well in my Ruger Vaquero.

I should never have sold that Contender barrel. I haven’t seen one like since.

 

[earlthegoat2]

H110 for me. 44 Mag pressures from a rifle is still pretty soft shooting and this way nothing will be left on the table and a few more yards of range can be had.

The only reason I may not use this “Ruger only” load would be if I had a SAA type handgun that could only handle standard pressure.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

If it were me I'd be shooting cast with Unique or #5.

Not No.9? Interesting.

 

[AJC1]

Not No.9? Interesting.

The 45c is much lower pressure than the mag I normally load and this is a carbine not a Redhawk. I would never exced Sammi regular loading in 45c because I have many other options. A 255 at 1100 fps is barely subsonic and should do fine at 100 yards. I'd like to see the percentages of burn of the mag powders. I'm not really fond of the Henry I have and I have no intention on giving it any priority for load development over the many cool rifles still waiting. The 45-70 XLR needs to be rotated in after I get this dirty thirty dialed in.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

The 45c is much lower pressure than the mag I normally load and this is a carbine not a Redhawk. I would never exced Sammi regular loading in 45c because I have many other options. A 255 at 1100 fps is barely subsonic and should do fine at 100 yards. I'd like to see the percentages of burn of the mag powders. I'm not really fond of the Henry I have and I have no intention on giving it any priority for load development over the many cool rifles still waiting. The 45-70 XLR needs to be rotated in after I get this dirty thirty dialed in.

I just meant I was kinda under the impression No.9 was one of the powders you was well stocked up with. Maybe was is the right word?
The OP is going to find the .45 Colt is a very forgiving cartridge. If I had No.9 back 20-something years ago when the guy was asking I would have used it. I had Unique, 2400, 4198, and 4227. I think I may have tried 4198 and it didn’t work out. No scribbles to indicate it was tested.

 

[.38 Special]

4227 would be my first choice. It is a "problem solver" in the old Colt and is ideally suited for carbine loads.

 

[Jimster]

Is a full case of 3F black powder out of the question? Forgive my old fashioned-ness.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Is a full case of 3F black powder out of the question? Forgive my old fashioned-ness.

Double-F for rifle.

 

[Ru4real]

I want to develop a load for deer hunting…I have in mind the 250 gr Hornady XTP/HP for the projectile. I don't need lightening fast rounds, I need accurate and consistent, with a powder that's available.

What powder would you choose?

For 1100 fps, try Tightgroup or Bullseye.
For 1300 fps, try CFE Pistol, Longshot or Unique.
For 1500 fps, try 2400, H110 / W296 or AA#9.

 

[AJC1]

I just meant I was kinda under the impression No.9 was one of the powders you was well stocked up with. Maybe was is the right word?
The OP is going to find the .45 Colt is a very forgiving cartridge. If I had No.9 back 20-something years ago when the guy was asking I would have used it. I had Unique, 2400, 4198, and 4227. I think I may have tried 4198 and it didn’t work out. No scribbles to indicate it was tested.

I'm down to a half pound. I do have two pounds of sw heavy pistol and I've yet to complete that testing... I have a heavy.pound of Unique, 3ish pounds of 2400 2 unopened pounds of universal some true blue I'd probably try, just because it sucked in 38 and 357 other than 7.2 grains under a 180 sil. It shows decent numbers in the book. I'm done with 4227 in pistol and carbines based on chunks. In rifle you get the pressure needed to make it happy. If I don't burn up the other half a pound of cfep in 45 I'd probably roll that for a test as well. Maybe not throwing the kitchen sink at every cartridge would speed up my process.

 

[35 Whelen]

I've used Unique, Power Pistol, Herco and 2400 all with excellent accuracy. Even Unique should get you 1200 fps out of your '94 and the other slower burning powders will get you even more velocity.

35W

 

[.38 Special]

Is a full case of 3F black powder out of the question? Forgive my old fashioned-ness.

I was one drink away from making the suggestion myself. Good show!

 

[AJC1]

I've used Unique, Power Pistol, Herco and 2400 all with excellent accuracy. Even Unique should get you 1200 fps out of your '94 and the other slower burning powders will get you even more velocity.

35W

I'd sure like to play with a jug of herco after how much fun fortunecookie had with it in 45c

 

[Roverguy]

Looks like a modern 1892? As per a post above, IMR 4227 is going to give great results.

 

[Pivot Dr]

Lillgun works well in my Rossi ‘92 45 Colt. YMMV, but it’s worth a try.

 

[Rob96]

In my Henry X model I am having pretty good results with True Blue. Want to use my H110 but cannot find mag primers.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

HS-6 is my choice. That powder works very well for me and it's extremely clean in that application.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

HS-6 is my choice. That powder works very well for me and it's extremely clean in that application.

I have yet to try that. Now I’m going to have to. My .357 rifle is a Handi-Rifle (H&R) so I don’t have to worry about feeding or COAL. Funny thing but, it just never occurred to me to try HS-6 in the rifle.

 

[Remington1911]

What powder would I use eh?

For starters I would use what I already had, but that does not make for a fun internet thread.

Load that up about midway and send them, play with all the same settings you do when you generally do rifle loads, it is a rifle after all. Play with the "jump" distances, personally the thing I have found to make all the difference in a 357 lever. Past that what bullet? Just good ole' lead? or something "new and fancy". If new and fancy find out just how fast you need to push it for it to "work its magic" then start there.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

What powder would I use eh?

For starters I would use what I already had, but that does not make for a fun internet thread.

Load that up about midway and send them, play with all the same settings you do when you generally do rifle loads, it is a rifle after all. Play with the "jump" distances, personally the thing I have found to make all the difference in a 357 lever. Past that what bullet? Just good ole' lead? or something "new and fancy". If new and fancy find out just how fast you need to push it for it to "work its magic" then start there.

I have in mind the 250 gr Hornady XTP/HP for the projectile.

Hornady recommends a muzzle velocity range of 850-1,550 fps for the 250gr XTP/HP.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Hornady recommends not going over 1600fps with that bullet so that's where I stopped. HS-6 and 800-X took top spots for accuracy out of my 1894CB 20" Marlin.

Once you go Skinner peep and a Patridge post there's no going back.