A .45 boolit at 4+ football fields per second or a .475 or .500 at 3+ per second?

[warboar_21]

I am not looking for an argument or trying to start one i'm just asking people's opinions on this topic. I have heard many people say there is no need to improve on what was already there. I have also heard others say that the 45 Colt could never do what the 44Mag does. So I always ask these questions to hear their reactions.

If the .45Colt had not been released in 1873 in the era of black powder but released in the 1950s like the 44 Magnum do you think it would have been loaded as low as it is(pressure wise)?
Do you not think that it would have been loaded to the same pressures as what the 44 Magnum was loaded to?

There has been test after test and all kinds of data by folks like Linebaugh who have shown that in modern handguns such as the Black Hawks, Red hawks, BFR, and Freedom Arms the 45Colt is able to match the same ballistics as the 44 mag with less pressure.
I honestly think if it were released in the 50s to the same specs as the 44 Magnum the 44 would have possibly gone away due to the American bigger is better Magnum mantra.

With all this being said do I feel that the original loading of the 45Colt is a capable round? History has certainly shown it to be very effective at what it was designed to do. It has taken countless head of game from small to large. It is a proven man stopper. In my opinion it's as relevant today as it was in 1873. There is nothing wrong with any of the larger calibers either. I think they all have their place and are just as effective if not more so when it comes to hunting large game.

[Dark Helmet]

a 480 moves an impressive amount of dirt.. Just sayin.

[Swager375]

It's not about obturation or hard/soft alloys. It has to do with bullet stability which requires velocity to achieve accuracy. What velocity needed depends upon the barrel twist rate and the weight/length of the boolit being shot.

Now that's the kind of info I was looking for! I understand the relationship between boolet length and barrel twist rate, but it had never even occurred to me that the barrels used in custom revolvers might have twist rates that are inadequate to stabilize even the heaviest boolits used at less than full throttle loadings. I don't know yet if this information will be a deciding factor, but it's definitely something I need to consider. I find the possibility of dropping several thousand dollars on a special, perhaps once in a lifetime pistol, waiting a year or so to get it, and then having it not fit my wants and needs a bit disturbing.

[David2011]

Yeah, the old Colt .45 is too old school to be of any real value today. That must be why brass is so hard to find. My only animal testing with the .45 Colt is shooting hogs. The gun is a 7-1/2" Blackhawk and the boolits are the Lyman 452374 that cast around 230 grains with my alloy. I'm not trying for hardcast. It's just air cooled WW with some monotype added at a 40:1 ratio. The boolit is propelled by a Ruger and Contender only dose of 2400. Send a PM for details. All of the pigs I've shot with this load were shoot-throughs. The .45 Colt cartridge in a strong gun like the Ruger is extremely versatile from light plinking loads to very stout loads. It can also be shot in a .454 Casull or .460.

Close but not identical to your question, I shot a sow around 225 pounds with a hard RCBS-250-KT (Keith Type) zinging out of a .44 Mag Contender with the 14" barrel at 1600 fps by the chronograph. In one shoulder, out the opposite ham. The boolit was too hard and didn't expand as evidenced by the small exit hole. The 250-KT has pretty good sectional density. No numbers off the top of my head- books are out in the shop but it's long for its diameter.

After shooting a 4" .500 S&W I don't know how I could ever shoot it enough to become competent with it. Every round was punishing and I could feel it in my hand the next day after just 2 shots.

David

[krems]

I have been shooting a custom 500 Linebaugh built by the man himself and a custom 45 colt built by Bowen for a number of years. Of the two calibers I have found that the 500 Linebaugh was the easiest to load for at various velocities with normal for caliber weight bullets. I can't speak for shooting any heavy for caliber weight bullets as i never felt the need to go that route. Granted these are custom handguns with appropriate barrel/twist rates and properly matched cylinder dimensions. I can assure you that the 500 Linebaugh will shoot as accurate as any of the above mentioned calibers 475/460/480/44 etc as long as you have a properly sized/lubed bullet. I have never noticed any accuracy problems at velocities in the 850-1000 fps range at normal hunting distances. In fact I have settled on a 440 GR "Keith" style bullet at 1000 fps for my everyday hunting/plinking load. As for the Bowen built 45 Colt...with 300/ 320 grain bullets I never could get the accuracy I wanted at velocities under 1000 fps. With the lighter bullets around 260-280 grains the accuracy was pathetic no matter what velocity I shot them at. Being a custom oversized 5 shot cylinder the gun was built to handle the longer / heavier bullets at near max velocities. Any of the above mentioned calibers will work for your intended purpose. Before having a custom handgun built ( regardless of caliber) take the time to talk with you smith about your needs and ask them what weight bullets / velocities are needed for their handguns to shoot accurately. My next custom handgun will be a 475 Linebaugh. Never shot one yet but something tells me that I need to get one.

Krems

[Rdbronco]

I would call and talk to John Linebaugh , great guy with a bunch of hard earned knowledge. I was asking the same questions of the 45 colt last year ended up with a 500 Linebaugh . Krems hit it dead on , easy to control, wide variety of loadings . By the way the 475 kicks a little harder than the 500 , Go figure . Your mileage may vary .