Load data-Cast 45-Rossi Lever

[Sawbuck_Slim]

Does anyone own one of the Rossis 92 lever action. Having a hard time finding any decent powders or load data for my Rossi in 45 caliber- I have 45-452-250 gr. rnfp and and in 45-452-200 gr, rnfp cast.
New to this and have been at it for a cpl months now looking up data.
I have been shooting the hornady leverrevolutions-225gr, 960fps, they shoot great in my handgun and my Rossi lever.ANy suggestions on powder, would like to stick with the same powder for both to make it simple. Thank you

[lonewelder]

Any published data for standard colt loads will work fine.the 92 i s a strong action and I would not blink at using ruger only loads.you may find the cresent buttplate not fun with heavy loads.my advice to you is to hang around here and learn.welcome to the forum

[retiredPO]

Theres a site called the Reloading pages of M.D. Smith a lot of good load data,and a lot of other good info.....
good jumping off point.... also... I generally go to the site of the powder I want to use....and see if they have recommendations.
Right now Im lading a lot of 45 LC for my 92 45 LC with IMR 7625... Im loading a cast HP at 230 grs. and a HP at 275 and a SWC
at 250... Starting loads are in the 7.2 for the heavier bullets, up to 7.6 for the light ones,... and top end of 9.2 and 9.6 respectively...
my Rossi loves the powder and the loads.... ps my 44 mag Oct barrel Rossi 92 likes the powder also...

[runfiverun]

I have 3 different ones 2 rifles and a carbine.
I have worked loads in them using just about everything from clays up through 2400.
they all shot pretty decent.
if you want low velocity cowboy loads go with the faster powders like clay's, tite-group, 231 or even red-dot.
if you wanna pick up some velocity 231 and red-dot will go a bit quicker, but you start getting into unique and herco territory [8+grs] pretty quickly.
other powders such as 800-x and steel will give decent velocity's without a lot of recoil and still burn pretty clean. [they do it through a long burn and gas volume]
they pick up right where the other two start to build higher pressure.
after those, 2400 takes over and will give velocity's up into the 1600 fps area with the 250's without too much trouble.
if you still wanna go faster than 1600-1650 fps I quit on the 2400 and move right along to H-110 and fill the case up.
pick something in those burn speeds and work with them in their windows of pressure and velocity.
as long as you have a good bore seal and a decent lube you will see what the rifle will do.

[hickstick_10]

UNIQUE will cover most of your needs until you have the urge to try some more exotic or high velocity loads. I have tried many others for a plain meat and potatoes powder, and I have yet to replace it.

If you dont have a reloading manual, now would be the time to purchase one. Lyman has pistol and rifle data for jacketed and cast bullets.

[Sawbuck_Slim]

Okay, thank you much, thats a good start.

[jonp]

Do you have a starting point with Steel? Id like to try some but am not finding starting data.

[retiredPO]

Steel????? not sure what your asking....

[snaketail]

Steel? Like steel chickens?

I used all the different powders I could find (a limited selection these days). I settled on Unique. At first I was using 10gr of Unique under a 250g LRNFP, but found that 8.0 was a better load for accuracy. At first I used .452 boolits and spent way too much time scrubbing the bore - went to .454 and things got a lot better.

I shot a Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette match with 200gr .452s - at first the accuracy was pretty good...hit 7 chickens, then 5 pigs, then 3 turkeys and no rams (and after winning the .22 match that morning). The guy spotting for me said my hits were all over the place - and the leading in the bore showed why.
My next match was with a 250gr .454 boolit over 8.0gr of Unique and the difference was obvious.

You've noticed that there isn't too much info on reloading .45 Colt for rifle. Here's what I've "discovered"on my own: .45 Colt seems to work best with a heavier boolit - 250 to 270 gr. Unique is a great 'all-around' powder for this boolit - may not be the best, but is better than most. The biggest improvement I found was using a .454 boolit rather than the .452s made for .45 ACP. I put a Gunslinger Spring Kit in my Rossi 92 - improved the trigger pull - but maybe too light now...See Youtube vids for alternative ideas.

From my experience I suggest a .454 250/270gr boolit over a medium load of Unique, a receiver sight and some TruOil on the stock.

M

Forgot something - the group you get when shooting from a bench will be significantly different from the group you get shooting off-hand. The two piece stock and how you hold it will make the difference.

[TXGunNut]

Steel????? not sure what your asking....

Steel's a powder. Think it's pretty new, haven't seen any on the shelves or much data for it. Guess the target market is sillywet shooters.

[RobS]

A bit of a read but it's a good one concerning the 92 action and there is also some load data as well.......... on the upper side of pressures.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm

[Sawbuck_Slim]

Should have checked my barrel first I guess. I have coming 500-250 gr.452 rnfp, now Im reading that .454 works better, I ordered the .452. I shot alot of factory loads and they shoot great from Hornady 185 and 225 to winchesters 250, an d they were alll .452, so maybe they will be ok.

Still at it deciding, cant find any powder to choose from to buy, I do have red dot and American select on hand so I guess I will have to see what I can do with those, The AMERICAN SELECT SEEMS TO BE OK FOR PLINKING, HAVE NOT LOOKED IT UP YET UT i AM HOPING rED DOT WILL GIVE ME ANY AROUND 1100 FPS IN THE rOSSI. Whoops, sorry about the caps.

[runfiverun]

they will do fine..

steel was developed as a shot shell powder specifically for pushing steel shot loads.
if you use it as a handgun powder you have to either weigh every charge or go by cc volume.
I went with 12grs of steel and 10 grs of 800-x they were quite close in velocity.
steel burns in the range of blue-dot but isn't temp sensitive and burns well at lower pressures.

[T-Bird]

.452 works fine for me in my Rossi. I shoot 270SAA over 11gr AA#5 for around 1050 fps and a new load : Lee 45 200fp over 7.0 gr Titegroup. Haven't chrono'ed this load from the rifle, but I get around 900 fps from my 1858 Pietta conversion. My rifle is from the '90's maybe the bore size is different? I never slugged it- never needed to. Shoot Straight, T-Bird

[NVScouter]

I was shooting that LEE 250 RNFP over R7 around 1600fps from a 18" Rossi. It was quite the thumper and accurate.

[Sawbuck_Slim]

Yeah, 1600 is too much for me, cant take any recoil anymore, thats why I went with the 45 rifle.Right now the Hornady 960 fps out of my rifle is nothing, so i figured I could step it up a bit going by that.
Got my 500 cast bullets today, I put away the Lee hand reloader with all the hammer business, ordered a single stage Anniversary package, cant wait, then I can get to business.I pounded my butt of to neck 200 cases and reprime yesterday, thats enough of that:)) No choice, will have to go on a road trip in search of a powder, still have to make up my mind, one day its unique, then Im thinking unique wouldnt do what I want in the rifle,would be fine in the revolver, so Im still at it.

[helice]

Slim,
I've always been a sucker for the Hercules/Alliant powders. As Run5Run reported there are a lot of ways to load up the 45 Colt and, from my experience, they are all good. You are going to enjoy Unique and even Blue Dot. Your 250 gr. RFN will pack a bunch of thunder even at 1000ft/sec. I've had mine push 250 XTPs to 1800 ft/sec but they get a bit uncomfortable. Get used to the rainbow trajectory and go hunting.

[Sawbuck_Slim]

Rainbow trajectory, I like that.LOL Speaking of that, just in general, have the rossi zeroed at 50 yards, what are we looking at, 12 inches over at 100 yards as far as hold over.
Im just guessing

[snaketail]

T-Bird: I shoot a 270SAA and mine drops a .454 boolit with Wheel Weight.

To be exact, my 92 likes .454 better than .452. It shoots .452 OK, but it shoots .454 better (better as it doesn't lead the bore...maybe because I figured out I don't have to run them so fast to get the job done...will take down a 200 yard ram with a medium load of Unique.)

I doubt anyone can give you a "perfect" load for all rifles - think of the challenge as a fun way to find what your rifle likes best. And with today's shortages you are somewhat limited in the choices you have.

M

[donhuff]

I've been shooting my 45-92 lately using a new to me NOE 454424 bullet, and found that 8.5g of Unique works well just like it has been doing in my blackhawk using the old Lyman version of that bullet. And 12.5g of 800X works good to, but is a pretty stout load, but extremely clean burning And the bore is spotless, but I blame that on the powder coated bullets, and I size them to .4535 cause that's what my .452 sizer does now that I honed it out a little.
I also shot some of them loaded with 2400 @ 20.0g and they were scary accurate at 100 yards! But after a magazine full, I folded up a hand towel and placed it between the butt plate and my shoulder.

I was using a weaver scout scope to shoot these targets to do away with some of my blurry vision at 100yds. That black dot is just too little for me at that distance now days. After I'm confident with the loads, I'll put the iron sights back on, cause I never shoot at anything that little, and I can see beer cans good enough from that far away.
9920899209

[Dan Cash]

Sawbuck Slim, you wrote: No choice, will have to go on a road trip in search of a powder, still have to make up my mind, one day its unique, then Im thinking unique wouldnt do what I want in the rifle,would be fine in the revolver, so Im still at it.
If you are loading for any revolver other than a heavy frome Ruger, develop your load for your revolver and take what you get with that ammo in your rifle. You could segregate your ammo by bullet shape but it is still risky and very easy to bulge a chamber in the six xhooter.

I have SAA and Smith & Wessons and a 92 in .45 colt. The 92 does just fine with the revolver loads of 7.8 grains Unique under a 240 and 225 grain bullet. Not as snappy as the rifle would handle but adequate and does not cost $200 + for cylinder repalcement.

[hickstick_10]

Yeah, 1600 is too much for me, cant take any recoil anymore, thats why I went with the 45 rifle.Right now the Hornady 960 fps out of my rifle is nothing, so i figured I could step it up a bit going by that.
Got my 500 cast bullets today, I put away the Lee hand reloader with all the hammer business, ordered a single stage Anniversary package, cant wait, then I can get to business.I pounded my butt of to neck 200 cases and reprime yesterday, thats enough of that:)) No choice, will have to go on a road trip in search of a powder, still have to make up my mind, one day its unique, then Im thinking unique wouldnt do what I want in the rifle,would be fine in the revolver, so Im still at it.

I feel your pain, Im heading out tomorrow to get some more powder myself, be about 80 clicks to get to the nearest store that has a selection of powders, gonna get some more unique (down to my last pound) and hopefully scare up some h110 or 2400, and anything else I can scare up. Along with primers, its going to be an event.

Its been 5 years since I did a major stock up (dont shoot smokeless a heck of alot), so Im not looking forward to the sticker shock Im sure Im in for.

The unique will do most of what you want, and remember the longer barrel is going to do alot of the heavy lifting when it comes to a velocity increase. My really good rifle loads dont tend to shoot worth beans in the revolver, I used to get carried away with the slower powders only to find it was a waste out of a shorter barrel. Now I just work up a good revolver load and see how it makes out in the rifle, I tend to have more success that way. Grab a couple cans of different powders if you can to experiment, you'l eventually use em all.

Sold my 44 mag for the very same reason of recoil you mentioned, found I was shooting way more 44 specials and decided If I needed more stomp I would use the 1886 and use a lighter kicking pistol cal rifle for the plinking and small game.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Have two Rossi 92 caliber 45 Colt that were made about 20 years apart. An Interarms (very nice fit) and a plain old Rossi before that silly safety toggle switch.
Both shoot the Lee 255 rnfp cast of 50-50 (WW and range scrap) that drops at 262 grains excellent with 18.5 grains 2400. This is not the max but running about 1450 fps.
To put that in perspective.. This is 45-60 territory (I shoot this also). That 140 year old cartridge was a noted bear, moose, elk... big critter thumper. So I do not see any corn cruncher today taking a 50-50 boolit through the heart-lungs and shaking it off to walk far away. This boolit will expand with violence and exit. Pigs.. hit them 4 inches up in the body where the front legs are and again rip a nice large exit hole. I hope yet to get to help demise a horse or cow one day . If you need more power get out a 45-70 or (for me) the 50-95 with a 350 grainer.
Mike in Peru

[Sawbuck_Slim]

That impresses me, if mine will do that, I will be thrilled, thank you so much!

[Sawbuck_Slim]

Thats exactly where i thought I would start, find me something bearable in my handgun that shoots good, which atound 960fps seems to work out, then put them in the rifle and go from there. I had a beautiful T/C encore prohunter, have cold hands and shoot a few rounds of 308 with the 15 inch barrel, I loved it, but that was enough of that, so I sold it, took a beating, and bought my new 45 rossi toy, Im not sorry.

[Sawbuck_Slim]

A big thank you to everyone, all of you have been such a great help to this newbie. I got my hands on a chrono today, brand new, still in the box for 40 dollars, the guy never used it, so that may help me.
Hornady has not been much help, I have one thing left, still trying to figure out what to do with all these new Hornady cases I have, they are sooo short right from the start, they are not much help when it comes to reloading thier own cases.Im thinking they are like 1.217. I would even buy a box of hornady bullets(225...) if I could figure out how far to seat bullet vs. OAL.

[jh45gun]

452 size lead bullets shoots fine in my Rossi Ranch Hand which is the short mares leg 92 clone.

[w5pv]

Linbaugh has some real good info also.