45 colt powder choices

[Doc.Holliday]

Good afternoon; I am a newbie to this forum and also a new 45 colt reloader.
I have one nagging question when it comes to reloading this cartridge regarding powder choices.
I am of the opinion that no matter what, you will never turn this cartridge into a race horse. So assuming you use the correct diameter of bullet for your 45 colt; the correct lube, the right primer, good brass, and a couple of reloading manuals for load data; WHAT is the real advantage of or how do you select a powder for this cartridge when the for example in Lymans Reloading Handbook #46 gives 7 powders for the#454190 bullet (250 grain#2 alloy) that if loaded to max load the velocity difference goes from 1017 fps with HS5 to 1185 fps with unique with the other 5 clustered around 1100 fps.
Now these are Ruger T/C loads.
So to summarize what would make one choose one powder over another in this instance where none is going to turn it into a barn burner. Would it be its clean burning traits. amount needed per load - economy, or what you already have on your bench?
Many thanks for your patience.
Doc

[Wally]

IMHO Red Dot is the best choice as it is fluffier. Many like Trail Boss and Unique. As I recall Mike Ventrino advocated Red Dot powder, but now prefers Trail Boss...

[Doc.Holliday]

I have that powder and I see in the book under Ruger loads 6.5 gr for 835 fps to 9.4 gr for 1097 fps.
I cannot see any other powder listed giving much better velocity or economy?
It is supposed to be a clean burner so perhaps there is no better alternative ??
Thank-you
Doc

[rbertalotto]

I shoot lots of 45LC. I have six revolvers and five rifles in that caliber.

For mild plinking loads I use Green Dot............Why? Because some one gave me 16 pounds of it a few years back and at 6.5g a load, it will last a long time! Very clean burning and super accuracy for a plinking / cowboy action load under a 255g Lee boolit.

Now, for hunting loads in the rifle......I certainly do get these puppies traveling in the company of 44mag. I use cut down 454 Casull brass with the small primer pocket. Thicker brass and much more brass around the primer. In my Marlin 1894 and my Rossi 454/45 I have a 250g boolit traveling at 44mag velocity. I use H110 exclusively for this type of load. Do a search, there is a long article somewhere on the web about loading the 45LC to much higher pressures than you would think.......(Now, all this said, do not exceed data in the reloading manuals........)

For other loads I've been having great fun with Trail Boss. I like it in my progressive press because it's hard to accidentally double load a case. Very clean and extremely accurate in all my guns.

I've also loaded Vit N110, 5744, 4759 and Pyrodex.

All I use for boolits are 200g RN and 255g FPRN..........

Have fun!

[Doc.Holliday]

Thank-you for the reply.
I have a Rossi 92 carbine with 16 inch barrel and a Rossi Ranch Hand -the Wanted Dead or Alive replica with a 12 inch barrel.
The Ranch Hands are classed as a rifle up here so it is non restricted etc.
Almost a colt buntline.
If I were to pick Red Dot and used 7.0 grains for plinking in both would the max load of Red Dot make an appropriate Deer Hunting load? Or am I missing something by not going to a slower powder?

Thank-you
Doc

[zxcvbob]

My favorite .45 Colt powder is Promo. (just like Red Dot but cheaper and slightly less fluffy)
Maybe switch to Herco for your hunting load.

[Rocky Raab]

Of the 20 or so powders that CAN be used in the 45 Colt, the ones in the approximate middle of the burn rate spread are probably the better choices. That would mean powders like Unique, Universal, True Blue, Herco, 231, PB, AA#5, 4756, and a few more. The final choice would come down to accuracy.

[btroj]

I use lots of #105 surplus. Burns very similar to AA5. I like it , meets my needs and I have lots of it.

[pmer]

I'm a 45 Colt fan too and I am going past 1550 FPS with this 300 grain FPGC and H110.

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=45-300G-D.png

The rifle is 20 inch Rossi and the Boolit feeds great. Some of the other longer nosed boolits won't feed in my Rossi 92 but this one will bring the flop to a whitetail for me.

[BoolitBill]

I love my 45 Colts and I am glad you stated that nothing will make it a barn burner. My personal opinion is that it reallly doesn't need to be one to be effective. With that said my favorite 45 Colt powder is Unique. Some say it is a dirty powder, leaves black soot on my cases, etc., but I like it because in my guns it is accurate.

[Tim357]

9 grains Unique with either Lyman 454190 or 454424

[Keith429421]

Along with the Unique load of 8.5 gr, I like 7.5 gr of 231.

[zxcvbob]

Has anyone tried Bullseye? (about 7 grains with a 255)

[Superfly]

7 cc lee dipper of win 231 sure works nice in the rossi circit Judge and in the Vaqaro rugur

lee 255 boolit

[gandydancer]

I started shooting hand cannons back in the days when bill ruger made some of his 1st 44 mag flat top's. as a matter of fact I still have some custom made ammo proof loads made for ruger no markings on brass. at one time it was a full box of 50 over the years I have given 1/2 of it away. anyway! in june 1986 I purchased my first 454 casull 7.1/2" bbl with a 45 colt cylinder and thousands of rounds later & 3 other casull's I still have that 1st 7.1/2 revolver I also have the screwed up hands to prove it(rightis hurtess) my point is 45 long colt NOT A BARN BURNER MY ***. in CT southington pistol club 105 feet ABSL useing a sierra 200 grain jacketed bullet( I'll not give the load. powder was H110 corno at 2040fps belive it. in all those years and rounds the revoler went back once for repair a broken trigger spring. BARN BURNING MOTHER. and now all I shoot is 9 grains UNIQ 255 gr keith about the same as a factory load around 850 fps. GD

[Ziptar]

8.0 - 9.0 grains Unique, Usually right down the middle at 8.5 gr under a 255gr RNFP with WLPs.

That being said I'm trying out some Universal now. It meters easier and seems to be a tad less sooty. First batch was 7.5 gr and I wasn't overly impressed but, trying out some 8.5 gr Universal loads today see what thats like.

[Doc.Holliday]

Thank-you for all the kindly replies Gentlemen. Therefore forgive me if I am reading this wrong but does this mean I will have more success in building an accurate load with the middle burning rate powders? And as my reloading manuals do not give muzzle energy values will again middle road powders translate into a better hunting load for deer and bear?
Sorry for my ignorance and thanks for your advice.

Doc

[Doc.Holliday]

I forgot to add that my confusion is resulting from the Lyman book showing that under T/C data for the 45Colt with the #454190 bullet it has got Red Dot a fast burner only 33 fps slower than PB a middle burner at the starting level and at the maximum load the Red Dot is faster by 2 fps than the PB
Is there more energy associated with the PB powder or like in my earlier post is PB or similar burning rate powders more inherently accurate??
Sorry for the rambling and re-questioning.

Doc

[Rocky Raab]

Doc, the middle burners are a bit more tractable. By which I mean they are less sensitive to minute charge variations, give better case fill and will be operating closer to their design pressure range than fast burners.

Experiment a bit and find the powder that's most accurate in your revolver, and gives you about 900 fps with a 255-gr bullet. That's truly all you need for deer and bear at reasonable ranges. Untold thousands of critters (two and four-legged) have fallen to such a load for more than a century. It works.

[DanWalker]

I'll add my 2 cents if you all don't mind. I shoot 6.5 grains of red dot under either a 454424(HP) or a LEE 300 grain WFNGC.
I've killed pronghorn with this load, and it kills just fine. And after shooting more than few whitetails, I can tell you that pronghorn can be an awful lot harder to put down than a deer.
I shoot the red dot load due to it's accuracy and economy. I've tried 9 grains of Unique, 6.5 grains of Bullseye,and up to 20 grains of 2400. I came back to the red dot load because it works for me. The others work as well, but I prefer this load.