45 Colt

[Castaway]

This probably has been asked before, but I got to wondering. I use a drop tube for loading 45-70's, but is there anything to be gained by dropping powder in a 45 Colt case? Using a Lee, 2.2 cc dipper for an average mass of 34.4 grains per cartridge.

[bigted]

That is exactly how i do it. Simple simple simple.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I would say nothing is gained by using a drop tube with the .45 Colt. Even .45-70 ammo doesn't need a drop tube unless it's match ammo. I only drop tube for .45-70 for 300 yards and beyond.

[rondog]

What exactly is a "drop tube"? I've seen that term before and admit I'm clueless.

[Good Cheer]

A length of tube with a funnel on top to let you trickle in black; the fall and arrival help the grains settle more densely. Rolled up paper and an exterior tape wrap works without getting fancy, depending upon the case mouth diameter (like an 8x57 or something).

[Good Cheer]

By the way, maxing the BP in a .45 Colt single shot lends itself to some fun loading possibilities.

[w30wcf]

Nice longer OAL.
I dump the powder slowly tthrough t he funne. That adds about 2 grs mkre capacity. Also some original45 colt BP rounds had.2 compression.

[Wayne Smith]

.2" compression is roughly what I put on 36gr FFG in 44-40 cases. I made a comression die from an old RCBS seat die.

[S.B.]

I would say nothing is gained by using a drop tube with the .45 Colt. Even .45-70 ammo doesn't need a drop tube unless it's match ammo. I only drop tube for .45-70 for 300 yards and beyond.

I always though drop tubes were used for compressed powder loads? What's the connection to match loads?
Steve

[Big Mak]

I use a drop tube for 45-70 and 45 Colt. It's a special kind of therapy.

Had fun shooting some 45 colt BP today!

[donkee]

I just drop in about 32g of FFFg Goex with a .060 veggie wad and a homemade wonder wad soaked with Emmerts/lanolin lube. Then press the pullet in with a little crunch. Standard deviation is 5 and they pretty accurate, better than my smokeless loads.

[johnhenry57]

I just drop in about 32g of FFFg Goex with a .060 veggie wad and a homemade wonder wad soaked with Emmerts/lanolin lube. Then press the pullet in with a little crunch. Standard deviation is 5 and they pretty accurate, better than my smokeless loads.

Was that with a 200 or 250 grain boolit?

[greenjoytj]

I've used a slow pour down long drop tube and vibration singly and together. None of these 3 powder charging methods shrunk the powder column significantly more than the other when loading BP into the 45 Colt case.
So to save time an speed up the powder charging process I've settled on just using a slow powder pour into a “Saturn” brand aluminum funnel, this funnel has a ridge bump down near the outlet to deflect and disrupt the smooth flow of the powder stream. The powder gets settled so well that I don’t bother with applying the vibrator tool any more.
I pre-compress the powder column with a compression plug mounted in the expander die body. The press with the compression plug is so powerful it easily packs down a 35 to 36 grain charge of GOEX 2fg into a 45 Colt case. I'm loading a soft cast (20:1 lead:tin) 261 grain RNFP from Jetbullets.com an my cast LEE 452-255 RNFP with SPG lube or homemade Emmerts lube into Starline brass, primed with CCI 350 magnum primers. No over powder card wad or lube wad is used as these ctg's get fired in 5.5" barrel revolver.
Since getting the Saturn funnel and using it carefully (to ensure the incoming powder stream hits the defector bump) I have stopped using a long drop tube and the vibrator tool while loading the 45 Colt.

[donkee]

Was that with a 200 or 250 grain boolit?

250g Missouri Cowboy #1 re-lubed bullet. I am using CCI magnum large pistol primers.

I could download them or go with a lighter bullet but I like the BOOM and the recoil rolling those pistols back into position to cock the hammer.....