45 colt powder choices

[Char-Gar]

8.5/Unique under 260 grain plain base cast bullet has been a standard 45 Colt load in my part of the world for many years. I use it.

[Doc.Holliday]

I tried 21 grains Imr 4227 over 250 grain cast bullets with different crimps and irregardless got aa lot of kernels left in my Rossi 92 rifle barrel. the load was accurate and easy on the shoulder But the kernels are a real pain in a lever action. Is their a mid range powder that anyone can recommend that does not leave kernels? Soot and smoke isn't a big deal ; just those confounded kernels.
Thank-you
Doc

[Doc.Holliday]

I should mention that at our deer camp recently the fellows and I took shots at a tree 170 yards distant. I was shooting my Rossi 92 45 colt with 7.5 grains of Red Dot over the same 250 grain bullet. This load is accurate and clean - no kernels but is apparently SLOW. When the sound of my shot faded We all could hear my bullet smack the tree 170 yards distant.
One of my more educated buddies told me the speed of sound is 1116 fps so my bullet isn't near that. Sound Right??
I was 12 inches low at that distance but dead centre. I was kind of proud of that off hand shot with iron sights but the laughter was dis heartening over the bang then thud
Doc

[DanWalker]

I'm guessing you're supersonic or very close to it with that load. Anyone who'd laugh at a shot that hits it's mark is about as smart as a fencepost.
I'll take a 1100 fps well placed killing shot over a 3000 fps gutshot any day of the week.
Your load will fully penetrate and cleanly kill anything you can get a tag for.

[Doc.Holliday]

Thank-you Dan for the reply. I guess it seems to me that I am not loading to the potential of the 45 colt. I am reading on this and other forums of achieving greater speeds and not having to use holdover etc by using more lets call them efficient powders. That was the reason for my 2nd last post regarding a mid powder that didn't leave kernels.
I have heard good things about Universal but have heard no defining advice on its speed or energy or whether it leaves kernels.
I am happy with my abilities with Red Dot but I guess man is never satisfied
Kind regards
Doc

[Doc.Holliday]

Thank-you Dan for the reply. I guess it seems to me that I am not loading to the potential of the 45 colt. I am reading on this and other forums of achieving greater speeds and not having to use holdover etc by using more lets call them efficient powders. That was the reason for my 2nd last post regarding a mid powder that didn't leave kernels.
I have heard good things about Universal but have heard no defining advice on its speed or energy or whether it leaves kernels.
I am happy with my abilities with Red Dot but I guess man is never satisfied
Kind regards
Doc

[USSR]

I tried 21 grains Imr 4227 over 250 grain cast bullets with different crimps and irregardless got aa lot of kernels left in my Rossi 92 rifle barrel. the load was accurate and easy on the shoulder But the kernels are a real pain in a lever action. Is their a mid range powder that anyone can recommend that does not leave kernels? Soot and smoke isn't a big deal ; just those confounded kernels.

Doc,

18.0 grains of 2400 is in the same power range as your 21 grains of IMR4227 load, and there are no kernels to contend with.

Don

[Doc.Holliday]

Many Thanks Don. I'll have to give 2400 a try.

Doc

[robertbank]

Doc gt yourself a F! Chrony to chronograph your loads. If you are developing loads a chrono is a must have. I do like the 8.5 gr of Unique in your .45Colt. I guess I am going to have to look for a .45Colt Rossi. I have the .44mag and .357mag. I plan to go after deer next year with the .44mag. Lots of power for deer. In time I may try my .357mag as well.

Take Care

Bob

[DanWalker]

Doc,

18.0 grains of 2400 is in the same power range as your 21 grains of IMR4227 load, and there are no kernels to contend with.

Don

GREAT load! I use 18.5 grains, and it works great. Around 1400 fps from the 16" barrel of my winchester.

[45 2.1]

Dependent on how slow a burning powder you use, you will have to crimp it very firmly in most cases. New or once fired brass is still to soft to hold a boolit long enough to get it burning right. Older, harder brass that has been fired a lot will hold crimp much better and get these powders burning right in the 45 Colt.

[Tristan]

Thank You ALL kindly for your advice . I appreciate the help.
With my 270; 308 and 250 savage I was never as perplexed as this.
This is the first pistol cartridge I am reloading and was getting more confused as I went along.
I shoot a lot of 30/30 but we only pay about $12.00 a box up here for Rem or Win brand in either 150 or 170 gr so I never took up reloading for it.
Again I digress. Sorry for the rambling.
Many thanks again truly appreciated.

Doc.

Doc -

No sense being perplexed!

The Colt 45 is on of my favorite cartridges to reload for, probably because the advise I received many years ago paid off immediately with accurate and inexpensive loads. That advise was 8-9gr. Unique over a standard primer ( I use Win. ) topped with a Keith 260 gr. projectile (I've been mostly using machine cast 255 SWC's from a Magma mold). Worked, like a charm.

Although I've never used the load to take a deer, I have read innumerable testimonials to it's ability to do so, often with the admonition that "It'll go right through a deer, lengthwise!"

Hope I get a chance to try that one day.


Tristan
Good luck with your choices and have a blast!

[Doc.Holliday]

I just purchased a pound of Power Pistol powder to try and achieve a clean burning mid level load. I had seen in other posts where its burn rate is middle of the road Further I've read that quite a few reloaders have had great success with it.
I have seen some low level loads in the latest Lyman book with jacketed slugs but am wondering if anyone has any mid level load data with cast they can share with me??
Kind Regards
Doc

[ramsay]

Hello: I use Lyman 454190 pure linotype over either 10 gr Unique, 10 gr Green Dot, or 20 gr wc 820 bought from Jeff Bartlett..

I use these loads in my Ruger Blackhawk ..

Just got a new Marlin 1894 and found the wc820 load to be good at 100 yd..
At 100 yd, the Unique load is light..

Ramsay

[Bullet Caster]

Doc,
I would suggest to use W-231 as it is cleaner burning than Unique. And did you know that Doc Holiday was Margaret Mitchell's first cousin? I used to give a two hour "Gone With The Wind" tour when I lived in Jonesboro, GA. He had an affair with his first cousin (not Margaret Mitchell, of course) and if you'll remember in the movie "Toombstone" on his death bed, he remarked to Wyatt that the only one he ever loved was his cousin and she joined a convent over the affair. Sorry I didn't mean to hijack the thread but I've done a lot of research on Doc Holiday and the influence he had on Peggy Mitchell's developing the character of Ashley Wilkes in GWTW.
Doc Holiday has been credited with several kills including Johnny Ringo which he may or may not have killed. Johnny Ringo was found dead on a tree that had fallen over a little stream. Some even say that Ringo may have been his only kill. Just thought you'd like to know. BC

[Ziptar]

Speaking of cousins and Johnny Ringo...

My Wifes' great, great, great, grandmother was Johnny Ringo's great aunt.

Back to powders......

I like 8-9 grains of Unique under a 255gr RF and 9-10 grains Unique under a 270-SAA.

I did a trade with another forum member last month for a bunch of LBT 310 grain GC LFN boolits. Theres a load on handloads.net for 9 grains of Unique but, several more that use 20-23.5 grains of H110. I guess I'll have to pick some up.

[Pigslayer]

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!

I have always loaded my .45 Colt at subsonic levels and had very good luck. Recently after buying the latest Sierra Reloading manual I found that with the newer, stronger actions such as the Ruger Blackhawk I can load them to much higher velocities. I shoot a 255gr GC & a 300gr GC and have some "warmer" loads ready for the range. Just baby steps . . . but warmer.
Although the Sierra manual pertains to jacketed bullets only . . . it is still a wealth of information. Thanks for your post.
Pat

[drklynoon]

As I am sure you know a clean burn depends on the operating pressures being reached for the correct amount of time to burn all the powder. I am a trailboss guy for my .45 but if I were to move to another powder I would venture to a ball type powder like 231. The reason for this is they tend to burn uniformly under less than optimum pressures. Cast loading is a touch different than jacketed due to a cast bullets ease of escape from the case. This leads to unburned powder and odd pressure spikes. Considering your previous posts doc. What I would attempt to do is to work out a 2400 load for your Rossi. Basically I would emulate the performance of a .44 mag. I'd keep the pressures a little lower but all in all this is what I would do. I'd find a good starting load and keeping working it until the speed you want is reached. Just my .02. Cheers and good luck.

[Harter66]

+1 for Unique

I tried H110 in my RBH but didn't get the results I was looking for . It did what it was supossed to my gun just didn't care for it.

W/Unique I reach 1000fps w/the 7.5 in bbl w/LEE 255RNFP that actually weigh in closer to 265.

Sort of apples and oranges here,I have a 38/357 18" rifle and a 6" Security 6 . Same loads from the same box w/ 7nique have shown over and over a gain of 400 fps from the revolver to the rifle . I would expect similar gains for the 45s if I had a rifle to shoot them in.YMMV

[kliff]

Back in the day....circa 1973, I was using PB behind some 200gr cast boolits, probably somewhere around 8.0gr, or whatever the Speer manual of the period recommended. My Ruger BlackHawk .45LC ate it like it was candy. Actually it was the "convertible" model, but I don't remember even installing the ACP cylinder, much less firing it. All I wan't to shoot was that LC.

Still have that pistol, btw, and will have till the day I die.