captain awesome
Member
wonderful. nothing else quite like it. try it in an old saa style .45 and I guarantee you'll fall in love.
What's it like to shoot a 45 Long Colt?
- Thread starter SwordRapier
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robctwo
Member
I have a large frame S&W, a Ruger Black Hawk with the 4 5/8" barrel and a Taurus SA clone. Also the Rossi 20" 1892 lever gun. The S&W shoots well out to 50 yards. The Rossi shoots fine out to 100 yards. I spend most of my time with mild loads 25 yards and closer. 200 gr swc and 250 gr rnfp are the bullets I'm using most of the time. I have some buffalo rounds of 340 gr going 1,200+ fps. Not for the faint hearted, the S&W or the clone.
I'm fooling around with .357 and .38 special as well. The .45 is more satisfying.
I'm fooling around with .357 and .38 special as well. The .45 is more satisfying.
jmortimer
Member
As a general matter very pleasant to shoot standard SAAMI loads. Depending on how heavy the gun is even "hot" "Ruger Only" loads can be manageable - like in a Ruger Redhawk. It operates at lower pressure, so the "impulse" is less and shooting exact same "power" loads such as in a .44 mag there is less felt recoil. The .45 Colt aka
11.5mm is the finest all around caliber and has a history like no other.
11.5mm is the finest all around caliber and has a history like no other.
I've been shooting .45 Colt for well over half a century. Let me try to address your questions.
First, .45 Colt is a lovely chambering. It can recoil as little as you wish or as much as you can stand. However, it is a round that needs to be hand loaded in order to get the full spectrum of its versatility. The disadvantage of the .45 Colt is that ammo is expensive if you don't roll your own, and factory offerings are limited and often hard to find.
I've been shooting cowboy action for over fifteen years. Whether SASS will be your cup of tea will depend largely upon what you're looking for and what sort of person you are. For me cowboy shooters are sort of an extended family and going to a match is similar to going to a family reunion. Nearly all of my close friends are cowboy shooters. Over the years I've competed in most of the shooting games and I enjoyed them all. Two things sets cowboy shooting apart from the other games. First, nobody much cares who the top shooter is. A shooter is judged more on his character than his ability. A$$holes are not suffered gladly. As a consequence, you won't run into many of them. Another nice touch is that who you are in the real world makes not a whit of difference. Millionaires are held in no higher esteem than the guy drawing unemployment checks. A second thing that sets the game apart from others is that you can, for the most part, play it any way you want to. The top competitors are extremely talented. They work hard to develop their skills. They shoot light loads because recoil from heavy loads slow them down. They "game" the course of fire and seek an advantage wherever they can find it. They have to if their objective is to win. But there is a greater number who play their own game. They shoot guns that interest them even if their choices cost them time, others like to shoot heavy loads, some love to shoot black powder. There is something for everybody.
A great disadvantage of SASS shooting is that the start up cost is high. You need two revolvers, a rifle in pistol caliber, and a shotgun. That's a pretty big investment for a person who isn't sure whether or not he/she will like the game. You should attend two or three matches as an observer, talk to several shooters, pitch in and help with the chores. Try to determine up front whether you want to make the investment and whether it is your kind of activity.
Some shooters are put off by the fact that costumes are required. I started off like that. It took me about six months to figure out that I was cheating myself of a big piece of the fun factor. Same with the use of an alias. There is a reason for it. It is part of the equality factor plus a chance to indulge your alter ego.
I have a range in my backyard, I can burn all the powder I want to anytime I want to. So I don't go to matches just to shoot. I go to shoot with people that I like and value. I am far too old to be a top shooter although I am probably a better shot than the top shooter, I'm just no longer fast enough to win. I don't care. I have a highly competitive nature, but I'm also a realists. So I take what the game has to offer me, and I am content with that. If you go into the game with a similar attitude, you will love it. If you have a compelling need to win, get ready to work hard and often, because there are a multitude of men and women out there who are veritable wizards with a six gun, rifle, and shotgun. I have one buddy who can put ten shot from a pair of thumb-busters on a target in under two seconds and that counts reaction and draw time...and he rarely wins a match.
First, .45 Colt is a lovely chambering. It can recoil as little as you wish or as much as you can stand. However, it is a round that needs to be hand loaded in order to get the full spectrum of its versatility. The disadvantage of the .45 Colt is that ammo is expensive if you don't roll your own, and factory offerings are limited and often hard to find.
I've been shooting cowboy action for over fifteen years. Whether SASS will be your cup of tea will depend largely upon what you're looking for and what sort of person you are. For me cowboy shooters are sort of an extended family and going to a match is similar to going to a family reunion. Nearly all of my close friends are cowboy shooters. Over the years I've competed in most of the shooting games and I enjoyed them all. Two things sets cowboy shooting apart from the other games. First, nobody much cares who the top shooter is. A shooter is judged more on his character than his ability. A$$holes are not suffered gladly. As a consequence, you won't run into many of them. Another nice touch is that who you are in the real world makes not a whit of difference. Millionaires are held in no higher esteem than the guy drawing unemployment checks. A second thing that sets the game apart from others is that you can, for the most part, play it any way you want to. The top competitors are extremely talented. They work hard to develop their skills. They shoot light loads because recoil from heavy loads slow them down. They "game" the course of fire and seek an advantage wherever they can find it. They have to if their objective is to win. But there is a greater number who play their own game. They shoot guns that interest them even if their choices cost them time, others like to shoot heavy loads, some love to shoot black powder. There is something for everybody.
A great disadvantage of SASS shooting is that the start up cost is high. You need two revolvers, a rifle in pistol caliber, and a shotgun. That's a pretty big investment for a person who isn't sure whether or not he/she will like the game. You should attend two or three matches as an observer, talk to several shooters, pitch in and help with the chores. Try to determine up front whether you want to make the investment and whether it is your kind of activity.
Some shooters are put off by the fact that costumes are required. I started off like that. It took me about six months to figure out that I was cheating myself of a big piece of the fun factor. Same with the use of an alias. There is a reason for it. It is part of the equality factor plus a chance to indulge your alter ego.
I have a range in my backyard, I can burn all the powder I want to anytime I want to. So I don't go to matches just to shoot. I go to shoot with people that I like and value. I am far too old to be a top shooter although I am probably a better shot than the top shooter, I'm just no longer fast enough to win. I don't care. I have a highly competitive nature, but I'm also a realists. So I take what the game has to offer me, and I am content with that. If you go into the game with a similar attitude, you will love it. If you have a compelling need to win, get ready to work hard and often, because there are a multitude of men and women out there who are veritable wizards with a six gun, rifle, and shotgun. I have one buddy who can put ten shot from a pair of thumb-busters on a target in under two seconds and that counts reaction and draw time...and he rarely wins a match.
dagger dog
Member
I have a 4 5/8" Blackhawk .45 Colt caliber, with CASS 250-255gr hand loads the single action ROCKS, literally the grip frame on the single actions let the revolver muzzle rock up on recoil, then the weight of the gun lets it settle back down into your one hand grip, very easy to pick up the sight picture again. If you load it stiff you have to hang on to the grip tighter which makes you kind of stiff armed and the whole arm along with the gun to rise and twist to the left.
The double action frame with its HUMPBACK sets in the hand different and usually has more of a push back motion with older factory grip designs, I can't relate to the .45 Colt loading, but in .357 Magnum the heavier 158, 160 grain loads the feel is a lot sharper recoil, but still very manageable, with special grips made to tame recoil I would imagine .45Colt +P loadings in a revolver such as the Ruger Redhawk would be no problem, factory loads would be like shooting 148 gr wad cutters through a .38 Special.
The double action frame with its HUMPBACK sets in the hand different and usually has more of a push back motion with older factory grip designs, I can't relate to the .45 Colt loading, but in .357 Magnum the heavier 158, 160 grain loads the feel is a lot sharper recoil, but still very manageable, with special grips made to tame recoil I would imagine .45Colt +P loadings in a revolver such as the Ruger Redhawk would be no problem, factory loads would be like shooting 148 gr wad cutters through a .38 Special.
Mr.Revolverguy
Member
- Joined
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- 1,882
I love shooting mine.
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MCgunner
Member
Depends on the load. I shoot two loads in my stainless Ruger Blackhawk, a 40 ounce gun or there abouts. My light load is 8.3 grains Bullseye and a cast 255 flat point. It rolls in the hand, but it isn't as sharp a recoil as a hot .357 in my other Blackhawk. With the hot load, a large dose of 2400 behind a 300 grain Hornady XTP, it's more akin to a full power .44 magnum. I don't load a "cowboy load", which are light round nose bullets at low velocity for speed shooting. That's PROBABLY going to be your .38 equivalent far as recoil goes. I cast and shoot a lot of those 255 flat points. They tell me I'm shooting a real .45 without the hand pounding and, truth be told, a 255 grain flat point at 950 fps will do about anything I need to get done.
Arkansas Paul
Member
I'll echo a few things. I just bought my first .45 Colt and LOVE it so far. It's a Ruger Blackhawk with a 7 1/2" barrel. I bought mine for deer hunting, so our uses for the caliber are a little different.
So far all I've shot through it have been pretty light target loads. Recoil is very mild with these, comparable to my .40 S&W Sigma. It is VERY accurate, and very versatile. If you decide to do something else down the road like hunting, handloading is where it's at. If you handload it's the cat's meow. Even if you don't, for what you want, it's great.
So far all I've shot through it have been pretty light target loads. Recoil is very mild with these, comparable to my .40 S&W Sigma. It is VERY accurate, and very versatile. If you decide to do something else down the road like hunting, handloading is where it's at. If you handload it's the cat's meow. Even if you don't, for what you want, it's great.
JimGnitecki
Member
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There is another dimension to this question that the original poster asked: the SASS experience.
Having done SASS twice, for many years each time, I can hopefully ffer some perspective on it.
First, the fun parts:
- You get to dress up and "act the part"
- You HAVE to shoot using an Old West alias name!
- You get to shoot THREE weapons at each and every stage of a match, and there are generally quite a number of stages. A match will take hours at least, and many take a day - or two.
- You will get LOTS of practice, with at least 3 different types of firearms, and at least 4 weapons per match
- In some states, where open carry is allowed, it's fun having munch at a local restaurant and having all the Asian tourists snap photos
- It's a history lesson every time
- There is a rule called "spirit of the game" which penalizes or disqualifies anyone who tries to "game" a stage
- Humor is usually built into the stages. Example: at one national match in Wyoming years ago, one stage began with you sitting on an electric horse, holding a lever action rifle. When the start whistle blew, you had to throw a quarter into the electric horse to get it rocking, say "Take this you varmints", and start shooting at 6 different targets, while the horse is rocking! When my turn came to shoot, it started to RAIN. That made activating the horse a hard chocie question: Do I want to forfeit the stage by not shooting, or risk getting electrocuted?
Now the not so much fun parts:
- You go through a LOT of ammo each match. At today's prices, this is an expensive sport
- You have to clean FOUR weapons at the end of each day, when you are tired from being in the sun all day
- You need a GUN CART to haul around the FOUR weapons plus ammo plus accouterments all day (No joke - you physically cannot carry it all)
- The full "costume" can get pretty costly. For a man: Old West trousers. suspenders (no belts), boots (no running shoes allowed - seriously), old west shirt, western hat, bandana, holster rig, shotgun shell belt or slide, etc
The sheer volume and weight of stuff to be carried, the number of weapons to clean every night, and the sheer cost of ammo (even handloading) kind of wore on me, and violated my desire for "simplicity".
But, when participating, I can't think of any other shooting sport, or ANY other activity, that was more sheer fun!
Jim G
Having done SASS twice, for many years each time, I can hopefully ffer some perspective on it.
First, the fun parts:
- You get to dress up and "act the part"
- You HAVE to shoot using an Old West alias name!
- You get to shoot THREE weapons at each and every stage of a match, and there are generally quite a number of stages. A match will take hours at least, and many take a day - or two.
- You will get LOTS of practice, with at least 3 different types of firearms, and at least 4 weapons per match
- In some states, where open carry is allowed, it's fun having munch at a local restaurant and having all the Asian tourists snap photos
- It's a history lesson every time
- There is a rule called "spirit of the game" which penalizes or disqualifies anyone who tries to "game" a stage
- Humor is usually built into the stages. Example: at one national match in Wyoming years ago, one stage began with you sitting on an electric horse, holding a lever action rifle. When the start whistle blew, you had to throw a quarter into the electric horse to get it rocking, say "Take this you varmints", and start shooting at 6 different targets, while the horse is rocking! When my turn came to shoot, it started to RAIN. That made activating the horse a hard chocie question: Do I want to forfeit the stage by not shooting, or risk getting electrocuted?
Now the not so much fun parts:
- You go through a LOT of ammo each match. At today's prices, this is an expensive sport
- You have to clean FOUR weapons at the end of each day, when you are tired from being in the sun all day
- You need a GUN CART to haul around the FOUR weapons plus ammo plus accouterments all day (No joke - you physically cannot carry it all)
- The full "costume" can get pretty costly. For a man: Old West trousers. suspenders (no belts), boots (no running shoes allowed - seriously), old west shirt, western hat, bandana, holster rig, shotgun shell belt or slide, etc
The sheer volume and weight of stuff to be carried, the number of weapons to clean every night, and the sheer cost of ammo (even handloading) kind of wore on me, and violated my desire for "simplicity".
But, when participating, I can't think of any other shooting sport, or ANY other activity, that was more sheer fun!
Jim G
Armored farmer
Member
I own several .357's and a couple of .45 colts. The report/blast of the .357's is deafening, esp from the ported guns. After following some very long blood trails (with ears ringing) during our handgun deer season , i finally switched to .45colt. Easier on the ears....short blood trails.
Colton White
Member
I have an A. Uberti single action 1873 Cattleman it is a pleasure to shoot if you can afford it you could shoot it all day.
Buck Snort
Member
Well, lets remember the .45 Colt comes in two varieties. There's the "old west" variety that launches a 255gr. slug anywhere from 750 to 950 fps. Then there's the loads that are appropriate for modern heavy framed guns such as the Ruger (NOT the new Vaqueros) and Freedom Arms wheelguns. They'll launch that same 255 gr. slug up to about 1200 fps and that's a real bunch of WHALLOP! The recoil of the latter is moderated by they fact that they generally are heavier framed guns than say, the US Arms (Colt) SAA. As for myself, either type is just fine and any intruder who shows up at 3:00 AM sans invite had best not be in the way of a bullet from either variety.
Buck Snort
Member
Hell, I've had lusty women walk up to me at the range when I was shooting a .45 Colt and make lacivious remarks. Well, I THINK they did, I had my ear protectors on and couldn't tell for sure!
I've got an old model Vaquero in .45 Colt.
So I can go from factory loads which are basically like .44 special or all the way up to hand pounding .44 magnum handloads.
The OM Vaquero is also a large heavy gun that does a great job of soaking up felt-recoil no matter what load you're using.
So I can go from factory loads which are basically like .44 special or all the way up to hand pounding .44 magnum handloads.
The OM Vaquero is also a large heavy gun that does a great job of soaking up felt-recoil no matter what load you're using.
I didn't like the .45LC in a single action revolver... BUT that's because I hadn't learned the trick of only holding the grip with two fingers and letting my pinky curl around under the handle. I'm thinking now that I've picked that up it would be a much more pleasant experience.
Boxhead
Member
An incredible cartridge really. From cowboy loads to very near 454 Casull performance with the heaviest slugs when loaded in a custom 5 shot Ruger.
SwordRapier
Member
Oooooh, I gotta try this, anyone know where I can rent one in UT?
wraco
Member
I usually don't pay much attention to recoil, usually taking notice of where the holes are. A good quality revolver with stocks that fit your hands shouldn't bother you much with recoil. I routinely shoot, 357, 44 magnum with Model 27's and Model 29's and can shoot them N-frames all day long.
The 45 Colt is also a fun one to shoot as well and I have two Colts for that one. A Colt New Service and a 1907 1st generation Colt SAA. Recoil is a non issue with these. Just like riding a horse, go with it and don't fight it.
Regards:
Rod
.
The 45 Colt is also a fun one to shoot as well and I have two Colts for that one. A Colt New Service and a 1907 1st generation Colt SAA. Recoil is a non issue with these. Just like riding a horse, go with it and don't fight it.
Regards:
Rod
.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I have three 5.5" Ruger Vaquero's, two in .357 and one in .45 Colt. I use the .357's for SASS because they are cheaper to shoot and I walk around the match grounds with the .45 Colt because it's just right to have a .45 in your holster. I also use the .45 Colt Vaquero for woods carry.
When shooting .38 Special ammo in the .357 Vaquero it's a very light recoiling handgun. When shooting .357 Magnum ammo it's a stiffer recoil and like said above, it's more snappy than shooting .45 Colt ammo. Since both calibers are being shot from the same platform I can compare the two and still it's hard to really compare both because the 2 calibers are so different. Launching a 125gr or 158gr bullet is just so different than launching a 230gr or 250/255gr bullet. Both caliber revolvers are not hard to shoot and both are a lot of fun.
Also remember, if you are going to shoot SASS matches you will need to buy two revolvers. I couldn't decide if I liked a Blue, Stainless or Color Case finish so I bought all three. The .357 revolvers are 1 of each in Stainless and Blue and the .45 Colt is Color Case Hardened, I just love them all...
I probably wouldn't have bought the .357's if I wasn't shooting SASS but like I said, they are cheaper to shoot even though I reload. The lead bullets for the .38 are half the price as those for the .45. I'm probably going to buy a S&W M625 in .45 Colt for a woods gun sometime in the near future if I can find one at a reasonable price.
When shooting .38 Special ammo in the .357 Vaquero it's a very light recoiling handgun. When shooting .357 Magnum ammo it's a stiffer recoil and like said above, it's more snappy than shooting .45 Colt ammo. Since both calibers are being shot from the same platform I can compare the two and still it's hard to really compare both because the 2 calibers are so different. Launching a 125gr or 158gr bullet is just so different than launching a 230gr or 250/255gr bullet. Both caliber revolvers are not hard to shoot and both are a lot of fun.
Also remember, if you are going to shoot SASS matches you will need to buy two revolvers. I couldn't decide if I liked a Blue, Stainless or Color Case finish so I bought all three. The .357 revolvers are 1 of each in Stainless and Blue and the .45 Colt is Color Case Hardened, I just love them all...
I probably wouldn't have bought the .357's if I wasn't shooting SASS but like I said, they are cheaper to shoot even though I reload. The lead bullets for the .38 are half the price as those for the .45. I'm probably going to buy a S&W M625 in .45 Colt for a woods gun sometime in the near future if I can find one at a reasonable price.
Armored farmer
Member
go ahead and get yourself a .45colt you know you want it.
A .45 colt Blackhawk 7 1/2" will be what they pry my cold dead fingers off of.
I have lots of other guns...but a single action .45 just has mystical powers.
After all, God loves single actions, why else would He give us two thumbs
A .45 colt Blackhawk 7 1/2" will be what they pry my cold dead fingers off of.
I have lots of other guns...but a single action .45 just has mystical powers.
After all, God loves single actions, why else would He give us two thumbs
VA27
Member
It's like sunshine on a cloudy day,
When it's cold outside it's like the month of May.
I guess you say what can make me feel this way?
etc., etc....
From my 3" Judge, the 45lc is a very entertaining, fun round to shoot. Recoil is not bad. It's actually very stimulating. I've never shot 45lc from a traditional cowboy type 45 but it should be pretty nice. The loads i've had from commercial sources were pleasant to shoot and rarely exceeded 800-900 fps.
mgkdrgn
Member
It;'s going to depend =a lot= on how the particular round you are shooting was loaded.
I have 255gr semi wad cutters moving at 750 - 800 fps that don't kick much more than a 22 .... and I have 250g jacketed hollow points screaming down range at 2000fps+ that makes one grateful for the recoil pad on my Rossi M92.
I have 255gr semi wad cutters moving at 750 - 800 fps that don't kick much more than a 22 .... and I have 250g jacketed hollow points screaming down range at 2000fps+ that makes one grateful for the recoil pad on my Rossi M92.
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