S&W.45 Colt Mountain Gun & H110

[buck460XVR]

I can't believe the number of guys here trying to impose their idea on what is "appropriate".

I don't see anyone here trying to impose their idea of what is appropriate(at least in this thread) on anyone else. By your post above, if anyone is trying to impose what's appropriate to others here, it's you. As you state, S&W has determined what they deem appropriate for chamber pressures for their Mountain Gun and have designed it for a specific purpose. There's nuttin' wrong with that. Folks want a different gun, they should just buy one.

 

[Walkalong]

The S&W's are heat treated like a Ruger or Freedom Arms. H110 works alright in the 45 colt, but in that mountain gun I think you'll get better results using bludot.

Blue Dot is a good powder for mid-range .44 Mag or second tier (S&W) .45 Colt loads IMO.

 

[Don McDowell]

Don't care much for it in the 44 magnum or special.It also does a pretty fair job of top end loads in the 32 H&R. It does work like a champ in the 44 and 38wcf, and the 45 colt, using the data from Alliant's web data.

 

[midland man]

Don't care much for it in the 44 magnum or special.It also does a pretty fair job of top end loads in the 32 H&R. It does work like a champ in the 44 and 38wcf, and the 45 colt, using the data from Alliant's web data.

so if you wouldn't mind share your load you use with blue dot?

 

[Don McDowell]

In the 45 colt I use the data from Alliant's web , only in the 45 colt I backed it down to 12 gr with a 250-260 gr swc cast bullet.

 

[Slamfire]

Unique is the best overall powder in the 45 LC that I have used. I use "standard" pressure rounds even though I do have a Ruger Blackhawk, I am not interested in creating magnum level pressures or velocities in my light weight pistols. Hodgdon H110/W296 works well in my 357 Magnums and with full power loads in the 44 Magnum, but, in an N frame S&W, if you don't push the pressures up, I would not use it. I would not use high pressure loads in a N frame S&W as I don't want the recoil, and I don't want to batter the revolver.


I have used 2400 with 250/255 grain bullets. The 2400 load is the most powerful I have shot in my 45LC, accurate, powerful, uncomfortable. I don't recommend high doses of it, and I guess this would be the most powerful load you could shoot in the N frame.


M625-9 Mountain Gun 4" Barrel



250 JHP 8.5 grs Unique thrown, W-W cases, WLP primers
18-Mar-07 T = 55 °F V, accurate
Ave Vel = 830
Std Dev = 30
ES= 103.5
High= 893.4
Low= 789.8
Number Shots= 12


250 Nosler JHP 17.5 grs 2400 thrown, Master cases, Fed150 primers
18-Mar-07 T = 55 °F V, accurate uncomfortable recoil
Ave Vel = 971
Std Dev = 25
ES= 69.47
High= 1003
Low= 933.5
Number Shots= 11


255 LSWC (.452") 8.0 grs Unique thrown, lot 6/21/1993Starline cases, WLP primers
25-Mar-07 T = 80 °F accurate
Ave Vel = 800
Std Dev = 30
ES 99.02
High 847.2
Low 748.1
Number Shots 11


250 LRN (.452") Valiant 8.0 grs Unique lot 6/21/1993 thrown, R-P cases, WLP primers
25-Mar 07 T = 80°F accurate
Ave Vel = 814
Std Dev = 24
ES 72.81
High 847
Low 774.2
Number Shots 11


250 LRN (.454") Valiant 8.5 grs Unique thrown lot 5471, 4/3/06, R-P cases, WLP primers


25-Mar-07 T = 80 °F accurate
Ave Vel = 891
Std Dev = 17
ES 61.31
High 921.1
Low 859.8
Number Shots 27

255 LSWC (.452") 8.0 grs Unique lot 6/21/1993 mixed cases WLP (nickel)

23-Sep-07 T = 82 °F

Ave Vel = 802.5
Std Dev = 31.03
ES = 123.5
High = 867.2
Low = 743.6
N = 12

250 LSWC (.452") 10.5 grs AA#5 lot 12599 mixed cases WLP (nickel)

23-Sep-07 T = 82 °F

Ave Vel = 875.1
Std Dev = 19.36
ES = 62.64
High = 905.7
Low = 843
N = 12


250 LSWC (.452") 10.5 grs AA#5 lot 12599 mixed cases Wolf NCLP

23-Sep-07 T = 82 °F

Ave Vel = 826.2
Std Dev = 20.14
ES = 63.38
High = 862.1
Low = 798.7
N = 12

 

[USSR]

Since it is difficult to relate specific loads to pressure levels, the link previously posted by Rule3 is a good one: https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL 246partial.pdf. Note: this Table II load data also applies to the Ruger New Vaquero, which is built on a smaller frame and shares the same pressure limitations as the S&W N frame.

Don

 

[midland man]

you guys I hope would try greendot behind some lead bullets! that's what I use on my cast bullet and it works very well!!

 

[USSR]

you guys I hope would try greendot behind some lead bullets! that's what I use on my cast bullet and it works very well!!

I bet it does. Have used Red Dot, but no Green Dot. I would definitely try it if I had some.

Don

 

[Slamfire]

I bought two lbs of estate sale Green Dot and used it up in the 38 Special and the 45 ACP. The powder shot well and was accurate and consistent. In the 45 ACP, Green Dot took a half grain more than Bullseye to push the bullet to the same velocity. Bullseye has been my standard in the 38 Special and 45 ACP, it is a very reliable and accurate powder. Based on my Bullseye data in the 45 LC, I think Green Dot might be a bit fast for the 45 LC, but it ought to work well if accuracy, not velocity, is your primary concern.

I would not recommend Universal as I tried it in the 44 Special. It clearly did not group as well as Unique. Unique works extremely well in these low velocity but big cases and is my top choice for 44 Special and 45 L Colt.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I found Green Dot to be much like W231 except it seems to have a very narrow sweet spot. It will work well in the 45 Colt when you find the accuracy range. IMO Red Dot is a better choice and it's faster than Green Dot, go figure.