IMR 4227 and the 45 colt

[Art in Colorado]

Wonder if Mag primers would burn 4227 more efeciently??

[Cornbread]

It works well in the 45-70 rifle but it does leave quite a bit of air space. Nothing a little cream of wheat doesn't fix but if you don't like using fillers you might want to try a different powder that fills more of the case. I use a 350gr cast bullet from an NOE mold(this one) out of my 45-70 as it only has an 18" barrel it doesn't even make a full rifling twist so heavier bullets don't stabilize as well out of it. The bonus is I can size those down and shoot them out of my 45 colt or my 454s. Either way I use 4227 under all of them. The 45-70 needs filler though because 4227 seems to function best when lightly compressed.

[reader]

Some time ago I bought 2 lbs of old Hodgdon H4227 for cheap. I have shot one lb already.

Linebaugh has some "Ruger-only" .45 Colt data:
http://www.customsixguns.com/writing...g_the_myth.htm
Starting Loads Maximum Loads
Bullet Powder Grs. Vel. CUP Powder Grs. Vel. CUP
260 cast H 4227 24 1180 24.800 H 4227 25.5 1340 30,000

I loaded and chronoed .45 Colt Ballisti-Cast #1101 Keith 260 grs, Starline brass, Fed. GM150M primer.
H4227:
20 grs 954 fps Ruger Blackhawk 4 3/4"
20 grs 889 fps S&W 25-9 4"
23 grs 1102 fps Ruger Blackhawk 4 3/4"
23 grs 1054 fps S&W 25-9 4"
24 grs 1155 fps Ruger Blackhawk 4 3/4"
25 grs 1291 fps Ruger Blackhawk 7.5"
25.5 grs 1338 fps Ruger Blackhawk 7.5"

Temperature was 0..2 Celsius (32..36 F). Note this powder can be temperature sensitive, 44man said earlier. Also note, the powder was old, another lot could give higher pressures. Ruger Red/Blackhawk only, not for weaker guns! Start low.

Hope this helps.

[35 Whelen]

Temperature was 0..2 Celsius (32..36 F). Note this powder can be temperature sensitive, 44man said earlier.

FWIW H4227 (and IMR-4227) is not considered to be temperature sensitive as it is a single base powder and is in fact H4227 is part of Hodgdon's Extreme line of powders whose claim to fame is consistent velocities throughout a broad range of temperatures. Single base powders primary ingredient in nitrocellulose. Double base powders, containing nitrocellulose AND nitroglycerine, however are temperature sensitive.

35W

[reader]

35W, thanks for the clarification! I only wrote a disclaimer, I cannot estimate it or have time to test. 44man experience was about .44 mag anyway with higher pressures. Could be a combination of things maybe. Sorry for confusion.

[romance_coffee]

I use 22gr of imr4227 with a mag primer under my accurate mold 45-290V in my lever action. It will shoot 3/4" groups at 50 yards with me sitting at the picnic table as a rest. We designed that bullet with maximum room for powder to keep pressure lower. It's a very pleasant load to shoot... Not so pleasant for the two deer I harvested with it this year though. when I get around to it, I'll have to try working up a load in the Blackhawk. Personally, I Love the smell!

[jwp475]

Back on the day David Bradshaw won a lot of trophys using 4227 shooting IHMSA before switching to H-100/296. The latter give a bit more speed, but 4227 is a bit slower burning, also accurate.

[ejcrist]

I know this is an older thread but I just wanted to add that I tried IMR 4227 in a FA 83 (45 Colt cylinder) along with a bunch of other powders yesterday at the range and 4227 was the most accurate by a fairly wide margin. That was the first time I ever used it but I like it a lot.

[Cornbread]

I know this is an older thread but I just wanted to add that I tried IMR 4227 in a FA 83 (45 Colt cylinder) along with a bunch of other powders yesterday at the range and 4227 was the most accurate by a fairly wide margin. That was the first time I ever used it but I like it a lot.

I use it in my 45 Colt Blackhawk as well as my 454s and like you found, for my 45 colt as well as my 454s it is more accurate than anything else I have ever tried.

[sixshot]

I not only use a lot of 4227 (20 grs.) in my Ruger 45 Colt but I also use a lot of it in my 5 shot Ruger 480 with a 385 gr HP, love it!

Dick

[Cornbread]

sixshot, I use that same load under 260gr rnfp water dropped COWW out of my Ruger 45 Colt and it's beyond accurate.

[ejcrist]

I'm using 22 grains of 4227 under the 45-270-SAA cast from straight wheel weights and air cooled. I'm getting a hair under 1,200 fps out of a 7 1/2" barrel and the recoil is very manageable. I didn't notice any un-burnt powder and didn't have any sign of leading at all, even after running the Lewis Lead Remover down the barrel, forcing cone, and cylinder throats. Accuracy was outstanding at 25 yards off a rest with open sights. Groups were between 5/8"-1 1/8" center to center. I don't have any other handgun that has shot that good. I'm very impressed with this powder.

[35 Whelen]

I have no doubt 4227 works well, but I can't get past the relatively enormous charges required for the velocity attained. Thoughts?

35W

[bigboredad]

And thanks to sixshot I also use a lot in my 480. I also like it in .45 colt and .,475

[Bzcraig]

Don't shoot guns beginning with .4? But as mentioned, it does well with heavy boolits. I have a 180gr I load in 38 & 357 that it is very accurate with.

[ejcrist]

I have no doubt 4227 works well, but I can't get past the relatively enormous charges required for the velocity attained. Thoughts?

35W

I thought about that too but it's a non-issue for me. I'm estimating I'll go through it quicker than say 2400 so it'll cost a little more to shoot, but on the bright side it doesn't seem to be as popular as 2400 or H110 so it's been a lot more available in my area. Another good point is it fills the case so I'm guessing it's not as position sensitive as most.

[Cornbread]

4227 is really position sensitive if there is air space. I found out the hard way using it in a 45-70, I would get drastically different impacts depending on where the powder was in the case. For a target that looked a point graph of chaos theory put four rounds in the tube and start shooting so the powder would be in random places and then try to get a group at or beyond 100 yards. Using a filler(cream of wheat) cleared that problem right up. So long as it is just touching the base of the bullet or has very little room to move it seems to be super accurate. Give it room to shift about a lot and you will probably see the same bizarre non-groups that I did. I buy it by the 8lb jug so the fact that it takes a large charge of it doesn't bother me. All my guns do that, that start with .45 even using other powders like 3031 etc. I rarely shoot any kind of fluffy powder for reduced loads, the only exception would be .45 acp.

[BigAl52]

Like you guys I tried it in my FA 83 in 475. I use an LBT 385 gr bullet with 25 grains and a mag primer. Its the most accurate load I have used in that gun to date and recoil isn't bad. I've also tried in in 45 colt and it does well there also. However my favorite load to date in the colt is 10.2 grs of HS 6 with a powder coated Mo cast 250gr RNFP. Al

[ejcrist]

Wonder if Mag primers would burn 4227 more efeciently??

Art - I've mostly heard and read that 4227 doesn't require magnum primers but I read in Brian Pearce's article on the 45-270-SAA where he used magnum primers for 4227 loads. I don't have the link to that article but it was in one of the past editions of Handloader. I followed Brian's loads and used a large pistol magnum primer and got great results.

[USSR]

I have no doubt 4227 works well, but I can't get past the relatively enormous charges required for the velocity attained. Thoughts?

35W

What's the matter, not enough "Its the most accurate load I have used..." quotes?

Don