IMR 4227 and the 45 colt

[Treetop]

rondog, I have same exact rifle and I use 19 grains of IMR 4227 behind a 255 grain Keith SWC. It's very mild and puts our smaller central Texas bucks down immediately. All bucks shot have been pass throughs with lots of internal damage and mild recoil from both my 3 screw Ruger and my 24" Rossi.

The only change I have made to my Rossi is the addition of a Lyman tang sight. Using this sight, I shot a 5 shot, < 1" group off the bench with this load at 50 yards, so I didn't experiment any further.

[44man]

I found one place for 4227, either one, the .357 max. No luck in the 45-70 or .44 mag.
I admit to not trying it in many calibers and not in the .45 so I don't know.
But at IHMSA shoots with it in the .44, heat affected it so at 200 meters I would be 16 clicks up over normal and still hit 50 meters short. I would hit the first steel center and next shot was lower to continue lower and lower. I turned my SBH over to see if the barrel was bent. 296 cured it and I shot so many 40's I lost count while the 4227 shooters cussed a blue streak.
Yes, in practice I shot super groups.
What does it do in the .45? I have no idea but it will never, EVER go in my .44's again.
ALL of my big bores use 296 except the BFR 45-70 that uses 4759.

[Flinchrock]

The very first powder that I ever loaded hand gun ammo with was IMR4227, worked up to 25gr under a 240gr bullet in 44 mag.
I used mag primers then and I still do today when I load with that powder. In the distant past, I tried standard primers for one 50 rnd batch. I didn't have a chrono then but the loads didn't "feel" right and the groups opened right up. Never used standard primers with it again.
Always got great accuracy with it in .44mag. I haven't done much with it in .45 Colt yet, but that will change soon.

[44man]

The very first powder that I ever loaded hand gun ammo with was IMR4227, worked up to 25gr under a 240gr bullet in 44 mag.
I used mag primers then and I still do today when I load with that powder. In the distant past, I tried standard primers for one 50 rnd batch. I didn't have a chrono then but the loads didn't "feel" right and the groups opened right up. Never used standard primers with it again.
Always got great accuracy with it in .44mag. I haven't done much with it in .45 Colt yet, but that will change soon.

I DID get accuracy with maybe the best 200 meter group I shot in practice but it did not hold at shoots. Testing with 296 had POI stay the same and primer testing showed the mag primer open groups to 3X larger. I reject over 1" at 50 meters none the less and have many at 1/2" even to 100 meters. I did a drop test with my boolit at 200 yards, home made mold. Got 1-5/16". 21 gr of 296, Fed 150, 330 gr boolit. Attachment 174168 Last two shots in my box at the end of an IHMSA shoot at a cardboard chicken at 200 meters. Attachment 174169 Opens from Creedmore. Those two shots measure 5/8". 240 gr Hornady Sil bullet, 23.5 gr of 296 and a Fed 150.
Come back with 4227. Ever aim at a chicken at 200 meters? Look at the period at your post.
Some love 4227's but never show. Get the gun warm.
I won Ohio state with 79 out of 80, shook on the last ram. 296 and a Fed 150. Can you hit 20 straight turkeys at 150 meters with 4227? I was International class.

[ole 5 hole group]

really old thread, but I like IMR4227 and find it to be accurate in 44 magnum, 45 Colt, 500 S&W but it is real dirty in low pressure loads - cleans up well at max velocities. It is unburnt powder that you see (confirmed by calling manufacture) and it will tie up your revolver on occasion - no big deal, as a powder kernel will get under your star extractor when you kick out the empties and that causes the bind.

Besides a couple wooded dole rods, leather hammer, Brownell's screwdriver set etc that is carried in the range bag - I also have a used toothbrush - works very well under the star when using IMR4227.

[rondog]

Thanks Treetop! Just what I wanted to hear! I only shoot paper targets and water jugs, and have a serious yearning to use it for mule deer too. A Marbles tang sight is definitely on the parts list. I'll probably load a spread from 19 to 22 and see where the happiness lies.

44man - thanks, but I'm not sure what you mean about "heat". Are you talking about physical outdoor temperature affecting performance, or the gun itself heating up in competition?

I don't compete (don't even like to be around others with guns), and if it's hot out you'll find me cowering in the shade somewhere.

[white eagle]

I found a new liking for imr 4227 in my 30-30
shoots real good @19.5 gr with a dacron filler and NOE 165 gr cup points
I know its not a 45 colt but since I started this thread I have gotten rid of the
colt but still have the powder

[44man]

Both heat, kinda! Gun heat was the worst but summer temps don't help much either.
Seen guys all the time spraying in barrels with alcohol mix and using a fan between relays.
Velocity would get higher and higher starting with the second shot and I could see primer flattening get worse, no telling what final shot pressures were. My last shot had no seam at the primer left. First was normal.
Everyone was using 25 gr with a 240 bullet so I tried that and kept downloading with no change.
Why it did not do that in the max, I don't know. I got a new Ruger in max and went to a shoot with the new gun to just sight it, shot a 39 out of 40. It loved 4227! I shot many 40's with the Ruger and maybe some of the best revolver groups I ever shot.
I have no idea what happens in the .44! I used mag primers back then since I just started IHMSA and did not reach primer testing yet. Books called for them with all loads since it was a Magnum gun I guess.