45 Colt

[DanWalker]

Here's my favorites for this caliber.
For a moderate load with suprising power, try a 300 grain boolit over 6.5 grains of RED DOT. I get 900fps and OUTSTANDING accuracy from my 5.5" blackhawk.
For a full power, hard hitting, LARGE game hunting load, I use the same boolit over 18 grains of 2400. A word of caution about this load. Keep an eye on your gripframe screws. This load generates enough recoil that if they are loose and the grip can flex, it WILL crack the gripframe over time. This is not a plinking load, but if you're headed out to kill a moose,elk, bear, etc... it WILL get the job done.(I shot through 2 hogs with one of these last year)
For a load that will whistle right through any whitetail or medium game, try the classic 9 grains of UNIQUE under a 255 grain Keith SWC. I shot an antelope 2 years ago with this load and it penetrated diagonally lengthwise. The previous FOUR shots that I took and missed at the SAME antelope at 40 yards, made impressive holes in the prairie.(Nothing like handgun hunting to keep you humble)
For a nice sedate target load, for rolling cans or busting rocks, I use 6.5 grains of RED DOT under a 255 keith swc. I get 850 fps from my blackhawk, and sub 1" groups at 25 yards. This is also the load I'd suggest to anyone who has a lady or youngster hunting with a 45COLT levergun.
The recoil and blast from this load makes a 243 seem like a 416 rigby in comparison.
The above mentioned 6.5 grain load with RED DOT and a 300 grain boolit is also a GREAT hunting load from a carbine.
I've had lots of people doubt it's power due to the low blast and recoil. I change their minds when I have my daughter blow a hole clear through an 8" tree with them.
18.5 grains of 2400 under a 255 keith swc is another classic I've played with. Velocity runs around 1100fps from my blackhawk and 1500 from my win 94 carbine. I'm a cheap SOB and don't shoot this load much, as I can get nearly the same velocity from other loads that use less powder.
For a fun small game load I load a tumble lubed .454 round ball over 5 grains of RED DOT. I get 590fps and itsy bitsy groups from it. I recoils about like a 22rf from my carbine and is my daughters favorite load. I've shot a few grouse with it from my blackhawk and it puts them down nicely, and doesn't rip up the meat like a SWC does.

[xtimberman]

Good information Dan. I agree that RedDot - GreenDot too - is largely ignored by pistol shooters. Many regularly use Bullseye, then skip all the way up to Unique. I discovered how good those two are when I had some leftover from shotshell loading and had run out of Unique.

How do you get the round ball to stay put in the .45 Colt case - particularly in the tubular mag. of your carbine?

xtm

[Bret4207]

Good stuff Dan. I have a Ruger Blackhawk 45 convertible. I have never had the 45 Colt cylinder in it, but your post may change that! If only my gun had the 5.5" barrel I wanted instead of the 4.5" it came with. Sad part is it's a shooter so I don't want to change the barrel.

[Ballard]

Great post, Dan. Thanks for the information.

[DanWalker]

Good information Dan. I agree that RedDot - GreenDot too - is largely ignored by pistol shooters. Many regularly use Bullseye, then skip all the way up to Unique. I discovered how good those two are when I had some leftover from shotshell loading and had run out of Unique.

How do you get the round ball to stay put in the .45 Colt case - particularly in the tubular mag. of your carbine?

xtm
I screw the seating stem all the way down as far as it will go, and adjust the die to crimp also.
This puts the ball DEEP inside the case.
Some leverguns will feed this round from the mag. I just single load them for kids to plink with.

[Frank V]

I too like Red Dot in the .45 Colt. I keep my loads down in the Colt safe range & have no trouble reaching 800/850fps with a good cast 45-270SA. That's enough for most shooting. Frank

[mainiac]

must be something about red dot! I also use it in my 45 bisley blackhawk. 7.3 grs with a 452460 boolit. 1020 av velocity,AND, it shoots ragged hole groups!

[willwork4ww]

You can't beat Titegroup. 7.0 grs gives around 900fps with the 270 SAA. 7.5 gives 950 and 8.0 gives about 1015 from a 4 5/8' bbl, all with excellent accuracy and no position sensitivity.

[Calamity Jake]

I've used 12-15# of RD in the 45 colt over the years. Mainly for the CAS game, my wife shoots a sheriffs model Uberti 45, off hand, using 4.0gr RD and a Saeco 255rf cowboy boolet.
She loves the 45C as do I.

[LeMat]

Would 6.5gr of Red Dot work well behind a 250LRN (45 Colt)?

I've got a box of those as well as a box of 300gr LTCFP (that I bought for only $23.00 a few short years ago).

I've been having serious problems finding Unique, but seems there is Red Dot everywhere and I'd love to know that this powder works well with the 250's and 300's.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Hullo , lots of good stuff for the 45 colt & different boolits & powders, it is always nice to hear what other are using, I keep mine full of 250 KT's with 18 gr 2400, not bad...but some of the liter loads look interesting..Thanks Again

[Lloyd Smale]

redot works great with 250s. 5-7 grains depending on how mild you like it. Would 6.5gr of Red Dot work well behind a 250LRN (45 Colt)?

I've got a box of those as well as a box of 300gr LTCFP (that I bought for only $23.00 a few short years ago).

I've been having serious problems finding Unique, but seems there is Red Dot everywhere and I'd love to know that this powder works well with the 250's and 300's.

[LeMat]

Thanks Lloyd. So I take it that 7 grains is about as hot as you want to go with a 250? Same goes for a 300?

[Hardcast416taylor]

Hey Dan. Glad you agree with me on the 6.5 gr. of Red Dot loading. I`ve been using that charge as my everyday go-to load with a RCBS 255 gr. ww ac boolit. It works very well in my 5.5" Ruger convertable as well in the 7.5" Ruger Blackhawk. I break the mold as what constitutes a carry weapon as I carry the 5.5" convertable. I want to end an arguement now not 6 shots later. [smilie=1:Robert

[mag_01]

Yes I'm a bullseye user an my load is 6 to 6.5grs. behind 255gr. lee and 225 and 200gr. lee boolit --- Good performance. Not abusive.

[jh45gun]

Thanks for the info Dan

[azcoyhunter]

You can't beat Titegroup. 7.0 grs gives around 900fps with the 270 SAA. 7.5 gives 950 and 8.0 gives about 1015 from a 4 5/8' bbl, all with excellent accuracy and no position sensitivity.

I agree,

I love it in my Ruger.... Cast 300 gr, not a bad kick, but it lets you know that you are shooting a 45 LC.

Clint

[bishopgrandpa]

6.8 gr. W231 under a 255 gr cast is a great load at around 850 and accurate from my 7.5" blackhawk

[jh45gun]

Dan got any suggestions for that 300 grain bullet with any other powder suggestions besides red dot? Just curious. I got some of the 255 grain pills you sent me loaded up with 8 grains of Unique now I am looking for a load for the 300 grain ones for my Encore 45/410 barrel. Powders I have on hand are Unique, 2400 and HP38.

[revolver junkie]

my hunting load is a 330 kieth over 16 grains of lil' gun kicks like a mule, hits like freight train
it put a huge dent in 3/8 plate at 50 yards [smilie=w: man what a rush
and it dropps right out of the cylinder like a cowboy load

[Lloyd Smale]

7 is about it for me you could probably go 8 in a ruger but when i want more velocity then 6 or 7 will bring i go to a slower powder. I actually prefer bullseye to redot. It meters much better. Funny thing is though ive gotten some scary good accuacy with redot dropping it from a measure and ignoring the small weitht variations. Thanks Lloyd. So I take it that 7 grains is about as hot as you want to go with a 250? Same goes for a 300?

[jh45gun]

Dan can you clear one thing up? You state you get 900 fps with a 300 grain bullet using 6.5 grains of Red Dot yet with a 255 grain bullet the FPS is 850 with the same load of Red Dot. I guess I do not understand I would think the lighter bullet would be faster? Not trying to question your results just trying to understand why this would be?

[NickSS]

I have been using 6.5 gr of Red Dot for years in the 45 Colt with a 250 gr LFP slug. I think I have fired several thousand of them in my rifle and pistol. Works so good in both that I never have done and further experimentation

[lathesmith]

jh, it's not unusual for a heavier slug to post nearly identical or even slightly higher velocities than a lighter slug with the same powder charge, especially as your barrel gets shorter. The heavier slug gives you a better "burn", and is able to get more energy from the powder in the shorter barrel than the lighter slug can.
I agree with Lloyd, Bullseye meters better than RD, but I still use and love RD because it works so well. The only time I don't like to use RD is when charges go below about 4 grains; RD dispensing with my Auto-disk measure gets irratic with these light charges of RD, so Bullseye is my go-to powder then. But this is only for 45 ACP, you wouldn't want to load that light in a 45 Colt anyhow.
lathesmith

[jh45gun]

Thanks I did not know that now I do. I am gonna have to get some Red Dot and try it the last loads I loaded were with 8 grains of Unique. Be interesting to try some Red Dot too.

[LeMat]

I'm planning on using a 6.5 Red Dot recipe, but have a question about crimp grooves.

I've got some D&J 300gr TCFP that two crimp grooves. These are the same exact pills as shown below (I hope Roper doesn't mind if I use his picture):
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee195/Roper1952/300grTC.jpg

I'm using a Ruger Redhawk and am curious to know which crimp groove I should use.

Thanks!

[zxcvbob]

Use the longest one that will chamber properly in your gun. Seriously, that's all there is to it. (Some revolvers have longer cylinders than others.)

[DanWalker]

Dan can you clear one thing up? You state you get 900 fps with a 300 grain bullet using 6.5 grains of Red Dot yet with a 255 grain bullet the FPS is 850 with the same load of Red Dot. I guess I do not understand I would think the lighter bullet would be faster? Not trying to question your results just trying to understand why this would be?
I'm baffled as well. I'm guessing that the heavier slug has more initial resistance to movement at the moment of firing, and increases pressure, which increases velocity.

[LeMat]

Use the longest one that will chamber properly in your gun. Seriously, that's all there is to it. (Some revolvers have longer cylinders than others.)

Looks like I shouldn't have a problem using the bottom crimp groove - it'll fit just fine.

So having two crimp grooves is nothing more than giving one the ability to use it in a shorter/longer cylinder? Nothing to do with powder volume or compressing a load?

[jh45gun]

I'm baffled as well. I'm guessing that the heavier slug has more initial resistance to movement at the moment of firing, and increases pressure, which increases velocity.

That Explanation works for me LOL I was just wondering as you would think the lighter bullet would be faster. As you say I guess other things factor into it. Thanks for the reply.

[zxcvbob]

So having two crimp grooves is nothing more than giving one the ability to use it in a shorter/longer cylinder? Nothing to do with powder volume or compressing a load? That's all there is to it. (of course I could be wrong.) Yes it changes the powder volume, that's why you probably want to use the longer crimp if you can (reduce the peak pressure or allow for more powder)

[Yaak]

Dan,

You are correct, also the bullet spends just a bit more time in the barrel as well, again allowing pressure to increase which supplies more velocity. I learned this little tid bit from John Linebaugh who of course was able to explain it a whole lot better than I can....grin. My favorite bullet in the 45 Colt is the lyman 454424 cast with pure wheel weights and water dropped then lubed with LBT soft. I've used quite a few different powders under this bullet but you guys are way ahead of me with some of this stuff.

I just had to join in, this is my first post. Years ago I had a web site on 45 Colts and learned a lot, but I'm afraid I need to refresh my memory on some of it. In those days I shot a lot of bullets from Cast Performance Bullet Company along with pouring plenty of my own.

Yaak

[Rodfac]

I like 8.0 gr of Win 231 with Lyman's 454190 cast from WW, which gives me 890 fps, chrono'd. That load in a 30 yr old Colt SSA with 7.5" bbl shoots into 1.25" at 25 yds, sitting with a back rest. With most anybodies 255 gt SWC, 7.5 gr of Win 231 does as well and is somewhat milder.

Using my .45 ACP cylinder and 4.7 gr of Win 231 with 200 gr TNC's, accuracy is just as good but impact points are 1" low at 25 yds. It's still a useful load, especially if all I've put up for use are 45 ACP loads for my 1911's.

HTH's Rodfac

[.45Cole]

my 45 cents worth-
found 452460 good with 8.5 grns unique. Recoil, but very accurate. Been playing with AA5 and like it with 250 grainers. 260LFN and h110 works well too. All in rugers and marlin/browning
PS browning low wall rifle is beautiful and fun to shoot.

[DanWalker]

I've been experimenting with 454424HP's lately, in an attempt to make a good thing even better.
I'll keep you guys posted as to how it works out.