S&W 625-3 .45 Colt + 265 grain Bullet...Which Powder?

[Southern Shooter]

I have a 1989 production S&W 625-3 in .45 Colt. I have a Lee 452-255-RF mold that drops wheel weight bullets at 265 grains. I have been told that I should keep the pressures down so as to not tear up this gun. But, I would like a general purpose load stout enough that it would be useful in the woods of the Southeast states and in the mountains of Utah. The two powders that I have on my shelf at this time are Blue Dot and HS-6 (please, don't suggest another powder. There is NOT a pound to be found for 100 miles in any direction).

-For the combination of specific gun and weight of bullet, which of these two powders would ya'll suggest and why?

-What should the pressure range be kept at for this revolver?

 

[Catshooter]

Southern,

That Smith is a strong weapon. Will it take loads that a Blackhawk will? No, or at least not for long.

I have used both of your powders. I preferred HS 6. Of course I live in South Dakota and it can get a bit cool here. Though I don't know if it's true I have read that Blue Dot can be temperature sensitive. HS 6 is not.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to use any non Ruger only load. Your bullet at 900 to 1,000 feet should do what you want it to.


Cat

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Catshooter is right on the strength of the gun. Its load range is about halfway between the Colt and the Blackhawk. I own one of the newest model and love it. But I haven't tried BlueDot or HS-6. Taffin also loves this gun. http://www.sixguns.com/range/SmitAndWessons45ColtClassic.htm

 

[huntershooter]

Google: John Linebaughs, "The .45 Colt, dissolving the myth.."

Specific info for "N" frame .45 Colt and HS-6.

 

[USSR]

I regularly use John Linebaugh's 13.0gr of HS-6 load with that weight bullet in my S&W 25-5. The pressure generated is well within the S&W N frame's capability and it is a fine shooting load.

Don

 

[41 Mag]

S&W 625-3 .45 Colt + 265 grain Bullet...Which Powder?
I have a 1989 production S&W 625-3 in .45 Colt. I have a Lee 452-255-RF mold that drops wheel weight bullets at 265 grains. I have been told that I should keep the pressures down so as to not tear up this gun. But, I would like a general purpose load stout enough that it would be useful in the woods of the Southeast states and in the mountains of Utah. The two powders that I have on my shelf at this time are Blue Dot and HS-6 (please, don't suggest another powder. There is NOT a pound to be found for 100 miles in any direction).

-For the combination of specific gun and weight of bullet, which of these two powders would ya'll suggest and why?

-What should the pressure range be kept at for this revolver?

I admit to not knowing enough about the S&W to be useful in what pressure one can take over the other. I have always shot Ruger Blackhawks or Redhawks and not been overly worried as long as I stuck to published loads. Not knocking the Smith's by any stretch, as they are a fine line of handguns, just I haul mine in places and conditions I wouldn't want to with a Smith. Those Rugers are just built more like tanks than fine watches.

That said, if I were looking for particular load ranges for your bullet "weight", I would look hard at the following link,
RCBS 45 270 SAA

While this isn't the identical bullet your using, the load ranges which are presented are within what your looking for, with the bullet "weight" your wanting to use.

I pour that same bullet, and can tell you upfront that even with the seemingly anemic standard 45 Colt loads it is a real performer. It has shot supremely accurately through a whole band of loads I have tried form my RH. Not to mention a few I have run through my 454. Penetration isn't lacking either. With this bullet, along with a handful of others in other calibers, I have to move the 5 gallon bucket trap I use back to 50yds in order to keep them from popping out the bottom. My bucket trap is filled with slightly packed sand, and laying on it's side. I staple the targets to the lids or use the stick on type. When I'm dune shooting it is easy to sift the sand and recover all of the bullets, IF they don't shoot completely through it.

I'm not sure what your alloy is, but I use straight WW or WW cut with about 1/4 - 1/2 by weight of pure. I use either the 45/45/10 lube blend of Alox or the Carnuba Red. Either one does great.

Hope this helps.

 

[USSR]

The 20,000 psi load data in Table 2 in the above link is perfectly safe in the S&W N frames. I regularly use the following loads in mine with the 255 - 270gr bullets:

13.0gr HS-6
18.0gr 2400
22.0gr 4227

These bullets with these loads will completely penetrate a deer from any angle.

Don

 

[murf]

my medium load for my 45lc blackhawk (4.625" barrel) is: 14.0 grains of blue dot, cci 300 primer, 265 grain lswc bevel-base bullet, heavy crimp, velocity avg. is 1030 fps (chrony @ 12 feet). substituting a 255 grain lrnfp bumps the velocity up to 1080 with the same components.

the 265 grain load is very accurate in my gun.

as usual, you should start with a lesser powder charge (two grains should work) and work up to your desired velocity.

murf

 

[Don McDowell]

Somewhere around 12-13 grs of bludot should give you an accurate load with useful velocity that won't put a lot of undue strain on your gun.
Check out Alliants web guide.