Need Help with load data for 300g Lee boolits in a 45 colt new vaquero

[Tripplebeards]

I can't find any standard load data for the heavy 300g Lee boolits to fire safely out of my 45 colt Ruger vaquero. Looks like I need to stay under 20,000psi...closer to 14,000. I have trailboss,w296, lil gun, and h110 powders to try. I made tons of Lee 300g PC GC boolits and would like to be able to use them but I can't find any load data for these big boolits. If it's not recommended I'll have to order a Lee 255g mold.

[mehavey]

Were it me, I'd explore splitting the difference between Pierce's Tier I/II (that uses 280/285gr) the with the slightly heavier 300 grainer
https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf

"If it were me....."

But BEING me... I run about 950fps(-) with ~280gr :grin: :brokenima

(at 25yds)
http://i67.tinypic.com/2crm6tc.jpg

[robertbank]

Not sure where I got this load from but I did not see any signs of excessive pressure.

7 gt of Unique under a 300 gr Lyman GC bullet, Win Primers, gave me Avg Vel 784 fps and a Standard Deviation of 9. using a Beretta Stampede 4.75" SAA Clone. Temperature was 6C/42F Load was accurate as I can shoot.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[bangerjim]

I have fired hundreds of rounds of 300gn 45's using TG and ETR7 with published loads. Very accurate out of my revolvers and long guns.

Good luck. I LOVE 300gn loads in 45LC's. Most accurate round I shoot out of 4 different guns. 45LC is my fav cal!!!!!!! FUN!!!!!!!!

Banger

[Tripplebeards]

Sweet, I probably have 1000/1500 wqcoww PC GC 300g Lees ready to go. Way too hard to hunt with in the colt but figured they would make good plinker rounds. I casted them for my 450 bushmaster and I want to AC new boolts for better expansion and also try 50/50 and don't want these to go to waste. I went on hodgen's loading data and they had some low pressure listings for 300g cast. Of course with none of the powers I have. I did take the $26 plunge and order a Lee 255g 2 boolit mold when I get bored this winter I'll make some.

[Tripplebeards]

Looks like cfe pistol powder will get a 250g boolit a 1000fps and stay under 14,000 psi and will get my 300g about 700fps safely. I'll have to pick up some.

[DougGuy]

It is a total waste of time trying to slow that boolit down. These need SPIN to stabilize in flight. You don't get enough spin to stabilize it at 700fps.

Which Vaquero do you own? Original or new model? 2 digit prefix in serial number can take the Ruger Only loads to 30,000psi all day.

Medium frame = three digit prefix, limited to 23,000psi pressure.

I don't know that you can stabilize this boolit at the pressures you want to stay under.

You DO know not to try and download H110/W296 right? Use a different powder instead of downloading these two.

Hodgdon data is for a 300gr JFP. The Lee C452-300-RF goes 320gr here checked and lubed in 50/50+2%

I can get the 250gr WFN boolits to 1200fps in my medium framed Vaquero and still stay under 23,000psi. Barely. Very accurate, really good hunting load for a 5 1/2" sixgun.

[Tripplebeards]

Doug, I have the new model. Bought it new two to three years ago. I thought the new model couldn't be pushed over 14,000psi?

[DougGuy]

The new model flattop and vaquero, both medium frame with three digit prefix serial numbers, are rated to 45 ACP +P which is 23,000psi, and the wall thickness is the same for 45 Colt cylinders, so the 45Colt is good to 23,000 as well.

I cut my new model off at 260gr and save the 300s for the large frame Vaquero. I think when all is said and done, you may agree that trying to push that much boolit and stay under the pressure ceiling and still be accurate, is just asking too much.

There are others in this thread that use 300gr boolits at rather low velocities, but I think they may be different boolits than the Lee C452-300-RF. I know for a fact that this one does not do well out of a Ruger revolver under about 1,000fps because it doesn't get enough spin.

[Tripplebeards]

205700

I made 10lbs of 255g lee boolits with 50/50 w/2% pewter added today. Broke in my new pot and mold. Didn't know I needed to clean out the grease first. ..it smoked and made a nasty smell. It took a little getting used to adjusting the the temp.

Ill pc them tommorow. My goal is to find a safe pressure load that will be a 1000fps or greater and stay close the 20k psi mark.

Doug, where did you find your 1, 200 fps load data?

[Tripplebeards]

205796

All PCd just have to slug my bore tomorrow before sizing.

[DougGuy]

My new model vaquero is actually chambered in 45 Schofield, and I used QuickLoad to develop the load using H110 and the LBT 250gr WFN-PB and WFN-GC boolits. You could certainly load the same WFN boolits into 45 Schofield brass and shoot them out of your vaquero, but stick with 45 Colt brass and you DO want the shoulder of your boolit to be seated in the cylinder throats when they are chambered.

Check out Brian Pearce's handloader articles where he lists "tier 2" loads which will work fine for your vaquero.

http://buffalobore.net/HandloaderDecJan2012.pdf

https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf

This brings us to the sizing part. No need to slug the bore, Ruger 45s have been right at .451" for years and years and years, it's the one thing they got right with the barrel dimensions.. If your vaquero is stock and hasn't been worked on, your throats might be .451" or they might be smaller, they may even be right at .452" but at any rate, most handloaders will size .452" for a 45 caliber Ruger this is about the best size for that barrel so check and see if your boolits will go into your cylinder throats from the front.

You want them to go with light finger pressure. If they won't, the throats are undersize and even if you load .452" into your cases, upon firing the throats will size down the boolits to whatever throat diameter is as the boolits pass through the throats. Typically stock cylinder throats need reaming to size them slightly over boolit diameter and make sure they are all even. Uneven throats will open groups horribly.

[Grmps]

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=45%20Colt&Weight=All&type=Handgun

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=5
+P loads http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/?Caliber=45+Colt++P&Weight=All