Finally cooked some lead after 6 months

[Big Mak]

I rec'v a new Lee mold, 255 gr bullets for Thumper. 45ACP loads for hiking in NW Montana in 6 weeks. (I've been back country since 1980 in Montana hunting over the years. This will be the first time without a long rifle)

255 grain power hard cast coated Grizzly Thumpers fresh outta the oven. (wet from water quenching) Loading +P for a .45ACP Colt Commander conceal carry (enhanced slide and hammer springs to withstand the power)

Bear pepper spray? LOL! That's for granola snowflakes city folk that don't know beans about hiking among bears in Montana.

Lightly powder coated green.

I have the correct Wolffe springs for my commander to withstand the punishment

Crono ladder testing forth coming. I'm not sure what powder I'm using yet. Either CFE Pistol, Unique, W248 or ? You tell me your fav heavy +P powder?

[osteodoc08]

Make sure they function 100%

[Big Mak]

Yep, Priority 1. That's why the ladder/chrono test is essential Tests not only over pressure signs but reliability. Ogive is just slightly different on this Lee mould.

[jcren]

Love cfe for thumper 45acp. Haven't chrono'd that bullet get (do have that mold) but moderate (.4 under max for standard pressure) with the 200 grain version hits 1050 from my 5"

[fredj338]

I have loaded that exact bullet to 850fps in my stock 5" 1911. It feeds fine. I used Unique but WSF or CFE will not be as compressed & you might get a bit more vel for the pressure as they are slower than Unique. Not my 1st choice for grizzly country but better than nothing. When I have been meat packing, it is a 4" 44mag. For just hiking, probably my G20 with 200gr hardcast WNLFP @ 1200fps.

[Big Mak]

I have loaded that exact bullet to 850fps in my stock 5" 1911. It feeds fine. I used Unique but WSF or CFE will not be as compressed & you might get a bit more vel for the pressure as they are slower than Unique. Not my 1st choice for grizzly country but better than nothing. When I have been meat packing, it is a 4" 44mag. For just hiking, probably my G20 with 200gr hardcast WNLFP @ 1200fps.

Not my first choice either, but my Dan Wesson 44 mag 6" is just too darned heavy to even shoulder carry when hiking with a backpack.
I'm looking to buy a Ruger Alaskan in .44 mag as soon as wife's blood pressure comes down after putting a down payment on a Shiloh Sharps.
In the meantime, the .45ACP will have to do. Better than bear spray or nothing at all!

[Big Mak]

Range report.

I thought I'd post a follow up my 255 gr load experience with a newer (2014) Colt Commander.
The purpose of making these is that my .44 magnums are all too large to carry when backpacking Glacier Nat'l Park come June.
My .45 Colt Commander carries painless along with two spare mags on the other side of my belt.
I wanted a heavy, hard hitting bullet if, God forbid, I run into a bear that won't back down.

I chrono'd these loads and intentionally started off low since I am still awaiting a 20 lb spring. (Colt commander came with an 18 lb spring)

So, I cast these hard cast bullets with a Lee 452255 RF mold (RNFP)
Light powder coating, sized to .452.
My COL was 1.60, from FP to base.
Tapered crimp as the .45ACP indexes off the brass.

They functioned flawlessly on the range yesterday, I tested 3 each, with CFE Pistol powder, in the following grains.

5.0 gr-Avg FPS 621.33
5.3 gr-Avg FPS 719.33
5.6 gr-Avg FPS 755.67

Today I'm loading up 50 of them at 5.9 gr expecting close to 800 FPS, which in a 4 1/4 " barrel is quite peppy but just shy of +P with a heavy bullet.

[Budzilla 19]

I assume nickel plated brass for the weather??? That is a massive flat nose!! I've loaded 242 grain cup points out of a NOE mold, but nothing that heavy!! good luck in that hiking adventure, sounds like you been there before, so I understand the SHTF prepping you are doing!! be safe, and have fun!!

[Big Mak]

A flat nose as massive as that should generate 500 lbs of impact,no?
No bone of bear could withstand that type of love at 800 fps at 30 yards or under? (I hope!) Maybe Yogi Bear on adrenline!

No nickel casings. All brass. Must be the camera phone that cast that color?
Very little published data on .45 ACP 255 gr loads. Thus, the journey.
I will do a final chrono to validate 800 fps on these last loads with 5.9 gr CFE Pistolpowder.

[Big Mak]

Final post on this subject. Settled on 5.8 gr of CFE Pistol Powder bheind the 255 gr hard cast boolit.
Added 20 lb slide and hammer springs to the colt commander.
Yesterday, they Chrono'd 850 fps average (4 1/4" Colt Commander). (reference--> Buffalo Bore 255 gr +P are published at 925 fps with 5" barrel)

These rounds are powerful. Slow reaction time getting back on target due to big recoil!
Not unlike 44 magnum.

[osteodoc08]

How was your accuracy and what range distance did you go out to?