you will know when the extreme spread numbers start going all over the place.
luck,
murf
Standard Pressure, Heavy .45 Colt Question
- Thread starter Walkalong
- Start date
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luck,
murf
my standard load is a 265 grain bullet @ 1,000 fps. the 325 grain load is a bit less recoil and feels like a long push rather than the 265 grain load firm kick. neither load hurts to shoot and i will have no problem shooting either load all day.
murf
p.s. my blackhawk weighs 37 ounces empty which is less than your gun. your gun should recoil less than mine.
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I loaded 12 rounds at 6.3 Grs. and went to the range this morning.
Accuracy fell off a little and they were filthy.
Load # 76: 320 Gr WFN-GC, 6.3 Grs BE-86, WLP Primer, 1.566 to 1.568 OAL
85 degrees, 49% RH
Powder Back
HI=670
LO=622
Avg=638
ES=48
SD=17
Powder Forward
HI=646
LO=583
AVG=608
ES=63
SD=26
Accuracy fell off a little and they were filthy.
Load # 76: 320 Gr WFN-GC, 6.3 Grs BE-86, WLP Primer, 1.566 to 1.568 OAL
85 degrees, 49% RH
Powder Back
HI=670
LO=622
Avg=638
ES=48
SD=17
Powder Forward
HI=646
LO=583
AVG=608
ES=63
SD=26
surprised that be-86 is slower than unique: https://www.alliantpowder.com/resources/catalog/2017/2017_Alliant_Powder.pdf
you might need to switch to a faster powder at the above speeds to get the accuracy back.
luck,
murf
you might need to switch to a faster powder at the above speeds to get the accuracy back.
luck,
murf
So, 6.5 gr BE-86 may be the magic recipe?
Charlie98
Member
I consider BE-86 a bridge between Unique and BlueDot. It definitely acts slower than Unique in some cases, based on my limited testing with it.
Walk, not to stir the pot or anything... but do you think you could get the same velocities and relative pressure with Unique? ...all else being equal.
the burn rate chart for alliant powders is on page 11 of the pdf i referenced in post #182. unique isn't that much faster, so would not do much for slower loads, imo. i tested with w231 powder which is quite a bit faster than be-86 and had excellent results.
testing beyond published data is usually a slow and careful process. i jumped in here because i have done a lot of testing beyond the pale. i also think this kind of thing is fascinating.
murf
Charlie98
Member
Well... and this is just my experience... I've loaded Unique for 35 years, I know what it does and what it doesn't do. BE-86 has been called the 'New Unique'... which is a pretty tall order if you axe me. My initial test with BE-86 have been... unusual... to say the least, it does not act like Unique at all. This includes primarily 9mm and .45 Colt. I did have reasonable results in the .41MAG, but it's use in the .45 Colt has me intrigued... which is why I'm paying attention to this thread. My initial tests in the .45 Colt actually worried me a bit, even if the numbers (and the holes in the target) told me everything was fine. Walk seems to be getting good results with BE and the slow, heavy .45 bullets, which I would have taken even money against at the start...
I haven't had any in so long (decades) that i couldn't say, but I bet it would do ok.
And I am glad you did.
It crossed my mind to try W-231, and I have more than enough of it.
before i forget, when you get a chance to shoot this 320 grain load can you do an "accuracy" comparison between your two guns (the model 25 and the bfr). i'm curious to see if the slower twist (24:1) of the 454 casull chambered bfr will be as accurate as the faster twist of the 45 colt chambered model 25 (16:1).
25 yard minimum distance if you don't mind.
thx,
murf
Charlie98
Member
If only I had some.....we drink very little milk here, just the two of us.
ballman6711
Member
You could go to the grocery store and buy 10 jugs of water for about $10, lol! I used to buy the cheapest soda I could get (sometimes beer was cheaper) just to see them explode when shot. But it was a pita to pick up all the pieces afterwards.
I've been following this thread and would be curious to see your results with w231 as well if you decide to try it.
chris
i'm sure there are plenty of followers here that would love to try out your heavy 45 colt load out on water jugs once you finalize the load. could even be a separate thread on it.
murf
Sure. I might get a chance to see Walkalong one more time before I leave. I realize I have a few more pieces of gear maybe he can use, or pass along.
No biggie, I'm sure there is more than one person here that has both 45 colt and 454 casual chambered handguns and would volunteer to test that out.
murf
Obturation
Member
I've really enjoyed this walk through unpublished territory, informative and interesting to see your
process . it's always a good day when you're loading or shooting a 45 colt and it looks like you found a good combination.
It's a fun challenge to develop a load that is well rounded and within it's design parameters (pressure in this case). It's even better when testing ends and you can run off a pile of cartridges for actual use .
Good stuff , thanks
Varminterror
Member
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- Jul 17, 2016
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Who makes the 320 WFN-GC? I did a cursory google search tonight but did not find it. If I can get some of the bullets, I would be able to run them through 1:24” 5.5” SRH and 2.75” Alaskan, and a 1:16” 4 5/8” New Vaquero.
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