Just snagged a Ruger Bisley 45 colt Stainless 5.5"

[Frank V]

TybrneRyan, osteodoc08 is correct I've got a great HS6 load but it's right at max in the manual so won't quote it. It's accurate, almost 900fps, & clean burning. We know HS6 is the same powder as the discontinued WW540, I came onto 5lbs of WW540 before it was discontinued & same loads shoot the same as HS6. I called Hodgdon & spoke to one of their ballistitions & his words were "yup same stuff" good enough for me. So if you ever come across any WW540 grab it, I would.

Red Dot however runs well betweemn 5 & 6grs, shoots cleanly & really duplicates the RP & WW original loads.
I like it.

[TybrneRyan]

TybrneRyan, osteodoc08 is correct I've got a great HS6 load but it's right at max in the manual so won't quote it. It's accurate, almost 900fps, & clean burning. We know HS6 is the same powder as the discontinued WW540, I came onto 5lbs of WW540 before it was discontinued & same loads shoot the same as HS6. I called Hodgdon & spoke to one of their ballistitions & his words were "yup same stuff" good enough for me. So if you ever come across any WW540 grab it, I would.

Red Dot however runs well betweemn 5 & 6grs, shoots cleanly & really duplicates the RP & WW original loads.
I like it.

I'll load up some Hs6 rounds and check the manuals. I go out to the range tomorrow morning and will let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

[DougGuy]

It appears the chamber throats are on the small side and will most likely need to be reamed out with a Manson reamer to .4525. My mold selection is limited at the moment, any suggestions on favorite cast bullets for this particular wheelgun? I hope to try some 300 to 325 grainers without it shooting too high.

You should be able to get it on paper easily enough with heavy for caliber boolits. I will tell you, tight cylinder throats WILL make one shoot several inches high even at close range. I just finished reaming and honing an unfluted SS Bisley cylinder that would only take a .450" pilot on the reamer. Throats were VERY tight, as was the rest of the chamber dimensions even in the back this one was tight.

Also, a lot of the powder/loads suggested in this thread have been pretty much cowboy loads fit for a Colt. Yours thrives off slow burning powder and heavy boolits. 2400, LilGun are great for 75% - 90% power band, W296/H110 is THE powder for maximum loads, but don't use this powder to download it with.

The Lee boolits like the one I pictured in an earlier reply are my favs, they have a wide meplat that is devastating on game, and a smooth ojive/transition into the long load bearing sides. They work very well with an 11° forcing cone, I like that they don't have a driving band like a Keith type LSWC which unless you have immaculate cylinder/bore alignment at lockup, part of that driving band is going to get wiped by the forcing cone. Lee also makes the same RF boolit in 255gr weight, that is a PB design instead of a gas check.

The best loads I have for my .45 Colt Vaquero are the Lee 300gr RF cast in 50/50+2%, over 17.0gr of H2400, 20.5gr LilGun, and 22.5gr H110 for 3 different power levels that range from just over 1,000f/s to 1275f/s. I get good groups and no leading, the gas checks let me use a slightly softer alloy without leading.

NOTE.. Do NOT use these loads in anything but a large frame Ruger, they are firmly in the "Ruger Only" section of the load data and are not safe in a Colt, S&W, Colt clone, medium frame Ruger etc..

[TybrneRyan]

You should be able to get it on paper easily enough with heavy for caliber boolits. I will tell you, tight cylinder throats WILL make one shoot several inches high even at close range. I just finished reaming and honing an unfluted SS Bisley cylinder that would only take a .450" pilot on the reamer. Throats were VERY tight, as was the rest of the chamber dimensions even in the back this one was tight.

Also, a lot of the powder/loads suggested in this thread have been pretty much cowboy loads fit for a Colt. Yours thrives off slow burning powder and heavy boolits. 2400, LilGun are great for 75% - 90% power band, W296/H110 is THE powder for maximum loads, but don't use this powder to download it with.

The Lee boolits like the one I pictured in an earlier reply are my favs, they have a wide meplat that is devastating on game, and a smooth ojive/transition into the long load bearing sides. They work very well with an 11° forcing cone, I like that they don't have a driving band like a Keith type LSWC which unless you have immaculate cylinder/bore alignment at lockup, part of that driving band is going to get wiped by the forcing cone. Lee also makes the same RF boolit in 255gr weight, that is a PB design instead of a gas check.

The best loads I have for my .45 Colt Vaquero are the Lee 300gr RF cast in 50/50+2%, over 17.0gr of H2400, 20.5gr LilGun, and 22.5gr H110 for 3 different power levels that range from just over 1,000f/s to 1275f/s. I get good groups and no leading, the gas checks let me use a slightly softer alloy without leading.

NOTE.. Do NOT use these loads in anything but a large frame Ruger, they are firmly in the "Ruger Only" section of the load data and are not safe in a Colt, S&W, Colt clone, medium frame Ruger etc..

Hey Doug,

I greatly appreciate your input. I do have the 300gr Lee and have some test loads with starting charge of 21.5gr of H110. I'm anxious to see how these role. My cylinder throats are small as you mentioned before, I have a Manson reamer with pilots on it's way since I have two old vaquero's that need this treatment as well. This is the only heavy boolit mold I currently have. The others are 200-255 range. I'm not very thrilled with the lee mold and I may hop on the group buy you linked to earlier.
I've become spoiled with H&G, MP and NOE molds. I will post pics tomorrow of the results.

Thanks again Doug,