red dot and .45 colt

[odis]

Just got back from a satisfying after noon at the gravel pit. I shot up about 138 rounds of reloads using Leadheads 270 grain swc. 18 gr. 2400 was good 21grs. IMR 4227 was better but 6 grains of RED DOT was shooting into about 1.5 to 2 in. at 50 yrds. I don't have a chrono so I don't know what the velocity spec.s are and I don't really care. this was out of my Blackhawk that I bought in 1975 and I plan to start buying RED DOT in quantity now. The Lead heads are sized at .454 and slide through the throats with just a slight push with a pencil. If I ever start casting I'll buy the mold from NEI thats the bullet design that they use at Lead head. I can't wait to get my BFR from the Precision Center in .45 Colt that I ordered 2 mos. ago and start developing some stiff hunting loads for it. odis

[Rocky Raab]

Well, you now have good loads at two power levels. The 6 RedDot is probably shooting at 800 fps or so and the 21 4227 is likely running 1100. That's truly about all you need in the 45 Colt.

Both of those are loads that I have been recommending for decades. I generally suggest 255 SWCs, but that LeadHead bullet isn't that much different . LeadHead is a very high quality bullet caster, by the way. I met the owner at a shoot some years back, and was impressed by his operation and his thinking.

[odis]

Well, you now have good loads at two power levels. The 6 RedDot is probably shooting at 800 fps or so and the 21 4227 is likely running 1100. That's truly about all you need in the 45 Colt.

Both of those are loads that I have been recommending for decades. I generally suggest 255 SWCs, but that LeadHead bullet isn't that much different . LeadHead is a very high quality bullet caster, by the way. I met the owner at a shoot some years back, and was impressed by his operation and his thinking.
The REDDOT load is so nice I'm guessing that when I get my BFR I'll only shoot the REDDOT load in the Blackhawk. I'm looking forward to developing something very interesting in the five shot BFR!! odis

[RayinNH]

odis, I've been using the 6 grain Red Dot load with 255 grain RNFP boolits for about 15 years now. In fact it was the first .45 Colt load I tried and I stayed with it. I bet I've burned 10-12 pounds of powder with that load alone...Ray

[LeMat]

I discovered the Red Dot load just this past winter and am very pleased with it. It was a time in which I was having a terrible time finding a decent powder with the scare going on and whatnot.

I think there's a couple of threads here that talk about it.

[Trey45]

I was given a rather large supply of Red Dot powder a while ago and got all the load data I could for my handloads. One of my pet loads is 6gr Red Dot under a Lee 255gr RNFP boolit. Very accurate in my Blackhawk, and a real pleasure to shoot in my Redhawk.

[Wally]

I tried this load in my Ruger Blackhawk---I got marginal accuracy and the worst spread of any load used in it... Even raising the pistol; to the sky and slowly lower it (to keep the powder in the same position in the case when firing) did no good. I was so P/O'd that I pulled the bullets and recast to reload with a different load. I cannot argue with those that have used it successfully; I really wish it had for me.

In one string I had a Chrony reading of from 646 to 854 FPS---a spread of 208 FPS---of all the loads that I have ever tested--this was by far the worst!

[odis]

Today I had my brother inlaw who is visiting from Portland out to the pit to teach him how to shoot. After he peppered the target with .22's I would go to work with the Black Hawk with the fore mentioned load. Today it was all off hand and I have never in all my years of shooting this pistol shot so well!! I have to credit this site and the knowledge I've gained from it about sizing bullets to the throats. The leadhead swc slug in .454 shoots like a dream in this gun. I'm not even going to tell you about the one grouping at 35 yards off hand you wouldn't believe me any way. odis

[DanWalker]

I tried this load in my Ruger Blackhawk---I got marginal accuracy and the worst spread of any load used in it... Even raising the pistol; to the sky and slowly lower it (to keep the powder in the same position in the case when firing) did no good. I was so P/O'd that I pulled the bullets and recast to reload with a different load. I cannot argue with those that have used it successfully; I really wish it had for me.

In one string I had a Chrony reading of from 646 to 854 FPS---a spread of 208 FPS---of all the loads that I have ever tested--this was by far the worst!

Try 6.5 grains and use a good crimp.