.45 Colt load w/Bullseye powder

[LAH]

Has anyone developed an accurate load using B'eye powder in the .45 Colt using 250~260 grain cast bullets? I have tried the famous 6.0 grains of Red Dot and it was not good at all. Had been using 7.0 grains of W-231 with ok results in my Ruger Blackhawk.

I load the same as Mr. Keith, 6 grains with a 250/260 cast. This load has always worked for me.


Dry Creek Bullet Works
Dry Creek Firewood

[BIG GUN]

6G of RD shoots fine for me out to 100yds in my Rugers & Uberti dups. I also find that 10G of Unq. @ 1050fps is a great load in Rugers using the Keith 255G.

[Wally]

I made up a bunch of test loads---using 8.0 grains of Unique with a poly-filler---then using the RCBS 250 RNF & 255 Kieth cast bullets sized to .452". Also wil try a Lee 230 TC-TL bullet with 9.0 grains of Unique with a poly-filler, sized to .452". I will chronograph and do some test groups to see how they compare. Hopefully these loads will provide the accuracy that I feel my Ruger Blackhawk should be delivering.

[RMulhern]

Use 35 grs. Goex 3F blackpowder!! Beats the krap outa smokeless!!

[LAH]

Use 35 grs. Goex 3F blackpowder!! Beats the krap outa smokeless!!

Spoken like a true castboolits member

[Dale53]

Well, I must admit I have shot a bushel basket of black powder through my Ruger Bisley Vaquero with excellent results. The .45 Colt was made for black powder and it can be a powerful round. I shoot the Lyman 452664 bullet (250 grs) ahead of a case full of Swiss 3f - it will give you over 900 fps in a long barrel (close to 1000 fps in a 7½" barrel). That will do fine for woods range deer with a nice, soft (30/1 lead/tin) bullet. Stepping down in power, if you have any Elephant 2F still around (it is no longer available) you have a pleasant load of about 750 fps. Goex is in between - 2f for somewhat less velocity and recoil and 3f for maximum velocity (and recoil).

It does take about ten minutes for clean up (I use a good, home mix, black powder solvent, dry, then finish off with Ed's Red). I generally do my clean up at the range, so that when I get home I am finished and don't have a chore facing me...

As with any black powder gun, it is advisable to go over it again with Ed's Red a few days later (just simply run a wet patch throught the cylinder throats and barrel. Wipe off the exterior and you are "good to go".

FWIW
Dale53

[jar head]

new to the pistol world of reloading looking for help . have a pietta 44 blk powder 8 on barrel with R&D taylor and co. conversion cycl. have bought 200 gr lrnfp star line brass cci lp primers is 6.0 gr of bullseye powder a safe starting load

[geargnasher]

My understanding is conversion cylinders are safe with STANDARD pressure smokeless powder loads, you should check with the manufacturer of the cylinder. While you're reading up on that, reference some standard pressure starting loads or "Cowboy Action" loads for BE in your loading manual and compare starting loads to those listed on Alliant's website. BTW welcome to CB and congrats for using the search feature to retrieve a 6 year old thread!

Gear

[therealhitman]

I loaded .45 Colt with BE and 250 RFN as a heavy load for quite a while after switching from BE to WST in .45acp (I like to use the same powders for multiple calibers where reasonable) but then moved to 700x and a lighter 200 SWC for some very accurate target loads. Makes shooting steel challenge with a single action a bit more fun. Not much faster Or more competitive) but lots o' fun!

[Outpost75]

Bullseye was used to assemble factory smokeless loads in .45 Colt for about 100 years.

A charge of 6.5 grains with the Saeco #955, 255-grain flat-nosed Cowboy bullet, cast 1:30 tin-lead, approximates the vel;ocity of factory load, shoots to the fixed sights of my Colt New Service M1909 and is accurate. The group shown shot off sandbags at 100 yards using then 65-year old eyeballs.

Attachment 157167

[LAH]

The group shown shot off sandbags at 100 yards using then 65-year old eyeballs.

Your eyes were born the same year as mine.

[Outpost75]

Your eyes were born the same year as mine.

Actually that group was shot a few years ago, I am 67 now.

[JeffG]

I've shot probably 1500-1700 rounds of 45 Colt using 452-255-RF and either 6.3 or 6.5 gr of Bullseye. It has worked just fine for me. I've started using BE-86 instead as of late.

[Outpost75]

I've shot probably 1500-1700 rounds of 45 Colt using 452-255-RF and either 6.3 or 6.5 gr of Bullseye. It has worked just fine for me. I've started using BE-86 instead as of late.

How much BE-86 are you using in the .45 Colt, with which bullet? Have you chronographed or shot groups?

Inquiring minds would like to know, please!

[JeffG]

How much BE-86 are you using in the .45 Colt, with which bullet? Have you chronographed or shot groups?

Inquiring minds would like to know, please!

Here you go, I had posted this on another thread. I actually shot 50 of these yesterday but did the workup and chrony back in the summer.

Ruger New Vaquero 45 Colt, SS, 5.5 inch barrel
Starline Brass, Load 5
Federal LP Primer
Lee 452-255-RF, 258 gr, PB + 3% Tin
OAL 1.625, Roll crimp, not in crimp groove
85-90 degrees in sunny NC
Alliant BE-86 7.5 grain
Lube was White Label 50/50


HI = 860
LO = 809.1
AV = 838.3
ES = 50.94
SD = 13.78


1 = 836.7
2 = 836
3 = 844.4
4 = 841.9
5 = 859.3
6 = 830.3
7 = 825.7
8 = 833.3
9 = 809.1
10 = 840.9
11 = 841.7
12 = 860

[Outpost75]

Gee, looks like Unique substitute which will run through a Dillon!

[Char-Gar]

Sure, BE works well in the 45 Colt and was so loaded but factories for generations. In vintage handguns start with 6 grains and stop at 6.2. For Rugers and modern handguns 6.5 grains is a good load. These are loads for the nominal 260 grain lead bullets.

I keep a Lyman 55 measure set at 6.2 / BE for 45 colt loads.

[jonp]

In my 45lc BH i found promo to work better under a 200-230gr boolit than the heavier stuff. It will work fine for target plinking, though

[Larry Gibson]

I use 7.3 gr of Bullseye under a 195 - 205 gr cast bullet (mostly the Lee 452-200-RF or the 452-190-SWC) in the 45 Colt. I shoot those out of my 2 Uberti SAAs and M1873 Uberti Winchester. I also shot a lot of them out of a M92 Rossi rifle and several M92 and M94 carbines. The load runs right at 950 fps out of the revolvers and 1150 - 1200 fps out of the carbine/rifles. The PSI as measured in a Contender barrel with an Oehler M43 was right at the SAAMI MAP of 14,000 psi for the 45 Colt cartridge.

Larry Gibson

[1bluehorse]

Many years ago I shot multitudes of 230gr. cast out of several different 45 colts using BE powder. I do not remember the charge weight, seems like it was 6.5gr., but like I said years ago. They were pleasant to shoot and more than acceptable accuracy. You'll have to look long and hard for a 45 colt BE load anymore. And all you fella's that love Unique, just keep buying it cause' it keeps the availability and cost of Herco within reach. .....same goes for 2400 (which I will admit is a good choice) but I'll stick with H4227 for the colt. I do like 2400 in the 44mag though..................as always, YMMV...