45 Colt Blackhawk and 2400

[jonp]

I'm having fun with my new Blackhawk with a 7 1/2 in barrel. I've been trying out a Missouri Boolit 200gr rnfp and have had good results with Promo, Unique (of course!) and 231.

I wanted to try some 2400 but am having a hard time finding a load for this. One place I found listed some loads out of an old Hornady 3rd Edition Manual of 12.1 - 17.2gr. The 17.2 seems hot to me with a 200gr boolit but has anyone on here done some testing with this boolit weight and 2400?

I'm waiting for some 270gr I ordered at the advice of someone here and am just fooling with it. Not needing a max load but a place to start would be a big help.

[DougGuy]

200gr boolit is a little on the light side for the .45 Colt, you will find more data with heavier boolit weights. Generally when you don't find a certain powder listed for a boolit, it's because it doesn't work as well, or it's too high a pressure, etc..

But I am sure there is load data for that combination if you look for it. Might not be in a loading manual but it's around.

The 270 will be much easier to find data for.

There are many on this forum, myself included who have enjoyed and loaded .45 Colt as their favorite caliber for many years. It's one of those that will pretty much do anything, with the right load in the right gun.

Do you hunt? What game? .45 Colt can be loaded a bit beyond what a .44 magnum can do, it makes one fine hog round with heavy, flat point, hard cast 325gr to 350gr boolits, it makes arguably one of the best deer and black bear rounds with the 255gr to 300gr weight range. Load data for these are fairly plentiful. I have a 4 5/8" OM Vaquero that just shines with any boolit 300gr and over. It's a lot of fun, but mostly pretty brutal in the recoil department, but it's accurate and packs a hell of a wallop. If you are new to the grand dame of metallic cartridges, the .45 Colt, I'd be willing to wager you would have most fun with some of the 300gr boolits in that Blackhawk. For the most part they're very accurate and a handful to shoot.

Look on some of the powder mfgr's sites, Hogdon, Alliant, you will find data for a decent range of boolits from the standard pressure load which maxes out around 14,000psi, to the Ruger/TC Only loads which max out around 30,000psi.

[LAH]

18 grains of 2400 has been the standard for a 255/260 Keith for many years. If "I" was using that bullet "I" would start at 16 grains. That's "me", your mileage may vary.

[runfiverun]

my 255 gr load is 19.3 grs of 2400.
I wouldn't hesitate to use that load with a 200 gr boolit, the 17 grs they recommend would probably burn dirty.

[rintinglen]

I have used 17.5 grains of 2400 with a 454-424 250 grain boolit. I did load some 200 grain jhp's with Blue Dot, but I have no record of the load.

[jonp]

There is a great deal of info with heavier boolits here and elsewhere. I have a few thousand 200gr 45 cal with a crimp groove and, as I said, was just poking around with it. Not expecting that great results with 2400but wanted to plink a little. I found some nice 270gr keith boolits and ordered 100 of them so until they come in i'm amusing myself with the lighter ones

[winelover]

With a 255 gr SWC, Mrs. Winelovers uses 17.0 grains of 2400 for plinking and 19.0 as a hunting load in her BH.

Winelover

[BCB]

For the 45-270-SAA I use 19.0 grains of 2400 for a velocity of 1063 fps...

I have gone as high as 21 grains, but accuracy was not good...

I am uncertain as to where that data came from, but I know it was an acceptable source at the time--say Handloader, maybe Pet Loads, or from some manual...

So, use your own judgement. It didn't cause problems in my Blackhawk...

Good-luck...BCB

[Wadestep]

You'd do better with a faster burn rate for such a light boolit in a .45 colt. That's why it's lacking info.

[jonp]

You'd do better with a faster burn rate for such a light boolit in a .45 colt. That's why it's lacking info.
True but I have a few pounds of 2400 I was wanting to burn up. I'll try 16gr as a start. That seems conservative enough.
I am testing out Promo and Unique. Just loaded a few with Bullseye for kicks.
Thanks for the info

[PS Paul]

It appears, considering the shortage of powder out there, OP wants to just load some of what he's got.

I've done it. You already know it is not "optimal" and you might have "unburned granules", but so what? Shootin' ain't an entirely clean, white gloves affair anyway!! he he!

I shoot a 200 gr. H&G #68 clone from time to time. Just because I have 'em and do it for fun. Just like you want to. An older Hornady manual listed the 200 gr. .45 LSWC with a start charge of 12.1 gr. 2400 and max charge of 17.2.

This is from some notes I have, but I do not have the manual in front of me.

I use 14.5 to 16.5 gr. 2400 under a 255 gr. boolit in .45 Colt FREQUENTLY. They don't all have to be big BOOMERS, eh?

Give it a whirl, but PLEASE double-check this info. Just sayin'.

[jonp]

This afternoon I started at 16gr of 2400 and it was dirty. Moved up and when I got to 17.5 it burned clean, no signs of pressure and the recoil was not bad at all. I think that is as far as I need to go with this. Just trying out some powder I had with some boolits I have.

[dougader]

I have used 17.5 grains of 2400 with a 454-424 250 grain boolit. I did load some 200 grain jhp's with Blue Dot, but I have no record of the load.

I've loaded the old Speer 200 grain "flying ashtray" with 16 grains of Blue Dot for about 1320 fps in a large frame Ruger Blackhawk Bisley revolver. It frags fairly well when it meets with gallon water jugs.

[LAH]

That's how it seems to work. As you move into it's pressure range 2400 begins to clean up.

[jonp]

17gr under a 255gr boolit is pretty nice. I'm going to go up to a max of 19gr in steps just for kicks but I find the 17gr's to be good for me