45 colt 250 grain

[hornady]

I will be ordering a new Ruger Black hawk in 45 colt this week, still up in the air on barrel length, but it will be 4.5 or 5.5 inch, and was thinking of getting a 250 grain mold for it, something like the Lyman #454190, would this be a good choice, or should I go up or down on the bullet weight, this gun will mainly be for punching paper , or a close range White tail deer gun. I cast other bullets 9MM, 38/357. 45ACP, and .308, but this would be my first 45 colt. Thanks in advance.

[txbirdman]

I like the looks of the 4 5/8 barrel but you'd get a little more velocity out of the longer barrel. I like the 255 RFN Lee bullet but there's nothing wrong with the 454190. You probably should check the cylinder throats (slugging). The ones on my Vaquero were as small as .449. I borrowed a reamer and opened them up to .4525. I like 9 gr. of Unique with the Lee RFN for a general purpose load. It will take a whitetail at close range easily.

[Rocky Raab]

Dittoes for the Lee 452-255-RF. I tumble-lube mine and load them as-cast - about as simple a procedure as can be imagined. No leading, great accuracy and I think that meplat would hit like the flat side of an axe.

I personally load a bit lighter than some, mostly because I do more fun shooting than hunting. I favor 8.0 Unique or Universal, 7.0 W231, or 6.5 of Red or Green Dot or American Select.

Oh, all of my Blackhawks are 4 5/8" regardless of caliber.

[felix]

Me too, Rocky. 4 5/8 is about all the weight I like in a heavy gun (to me, 98 pound weakling as advertised in weight lifting commercials in those type magazines.). ... felix

[Rocky Raab]

And one good holster fits 'em all, too!

[JJC]

I have the 5.5 barrel and shoot the RCBS 270 SAA Boolit at 1150 fps. I like it but if and when I would like to get the shorter barrel for poking around the woods.

[hornady]

Thanks guys I too like the look of the shorter barrel but may end up with the 5.5, to squeeze out a little more velocity. I will give the 255 a try. I will need to get the gun, but will diffidently slug it. I was looking at a used Ruger in 44 40, but read that some of them had a problem with the Bore and cylinders being mis-matched, and some said they needed the cylinders reamed out. May have been Internet rumors, but for the price of a new Black hawk, I decided to just go new, there is just something about the old 45 Colt round

[Hardcast416taylor]

I have a 5 1/2" model Blackhawk convertable. I`ve shot bullets from 185 Gr. up to 300 Gr. thru it. If you just want to casual shoot it use a 230 Gr. meant for the .45 acp. My business load is using the RCBS 255 Gr. cast with 50/50 alloy. For more serious work I cast with just ww alloy. Don`t skimp on getting a comfortable holster for it if you plan on packing it around for awhile.Robert

[Grapeshot]

I will be ordering a new Ruger Black hawk in 45 colt this week, still up in the air on barrel length, but it will be 4.5 or 5.5 inch, and was thinking of getting a 250 grain mold for it, something like the Lyman #454190, would this be a good choice, or should I go up or down on the bullet weight, this gun will mainly be for punching paper , or a close range White tail deer gun. I cast other bullets 9MM, 38/357. 45ACP, and .308, but this would be my first 45 colt. Thanks in advance.

You might try the Lyman 452424,255 grain LSWCor the Lyman 452664, 250 grain RNFP. Both have worked well for me in all my .45 Colt revolvers.

[kennisondan]

donot fool around with jacketed bullets, get cast bullets for sure, cost is right and they are quite effective. I load some for USFA reproductions with a 265 gr RN lead to old black powder velocities with unique.. 8 gr. a little less of red or green dot as stated above... for my vaquero birdhead with short barrel I shoot em all up to 300 gr. lbt flat nosed wide nosed hard cast pushed over a thousand fps; and in my blackhawk done up by clements I also shoot them all. my longest barrel is 5.5... I had gotten used to the 7.5 and thye 6 inchers used to be the shortest I would shoot but carrying and moving with them .. you have to try at least as short as a 5.5... still plenty of sight plane for seeing sights pretty well, and a pleasure iwth the right holster.. anything longer than the 5.5 will be a bear to use from sitting.... I have grown accustomed to crossdraw chest /shoulder mounting of all my hunting 45 colts...
I doubt also that any whitetailed deer the size of the ones here in Louisiana will contain a 45 bullet well placed at anything over 750 fps unless it is trapped in loose hide on the other side and a soft lead bullet to boot.. you will be happy..
cheers
dk

[ChuckS1]

Can't go wrong with the 454190...

[Rocky Raab]

Friend hornady, I hope when you slug that gun you do it with confidence and not diffidently.

(I think I know what you really meant, but that was a hoot. You even spelled the wrong word correctly!)

[9.3X62AL]

I'm another fan of the Lyman #454424 in 45 Colt. The #454190 shoots just about as well from my current 45 (Ruger BisHawk x 7.5"), but the big meplat and square shoulders cut much cleaner holes in paper and I suspect would be more efficient on game. I'll admit right here to STRONG prejudices favoring the Keith/Thompson/SWC design as a good all-purpose boolit, though.

[timkelley]

I like the 255 Lee and I loaded up my last yesterday. I will probably get to pour tomorrow as it is supposed to rain and will be prime pouring weather. Get the six gang mold if the wallet will go for it. You can easily pour four or five hundred in a couple hours.

[JJC]

Do you guys that have the Lyman 452424 crimp on the front of the driving band? I stayed away from this mold due to that fact, as stated in the manual. I read in handloader magazine (I think) that they were cut wrong for a number of years and that was the reason. I guess they are putting the correct dimensions out now?

[9.3X62AL]

I crimp #454424 into the crimp groove, and the boolit's front drive band is a snug fit into the chamber throats. My cases are only sized about 1/2" down the case wall, then expanded. Between the fatter case base area and the boolit front bands entering the throats, I get around the issue of generous chamber diameter that seems to be a feature of 45 Colt chambers. This regimen has prolonged case life GREATLY for me with this revolver.

The Lyman #454424 and #454190 are in real life a lot stubbier-appearing than catalog photos or diagrams indicate.

[zxcvbob]

I really like Lee TL452-230-TC. I cast them with any old scrap lead alloy, lube with Alox (unsized), and load them roll-crimped lightly into the top little lube groove. Very accurate, and they make nice big holes in the paper.

[geargnasher]

I really like Lee TL452-230-TC. I cast them with any old scrap lead alloy, lube with Alox (unsized), and load them roll-crimped lightly into the top little lube groove. Very accurate, and they make nice big holes in the paper.

POI is a factor with the lighter boolits and fixed sights.

Gear

[geargnasher]

I crimp #454424 into the crimp groove, and the boolit's front drive band is a snug fit into the chamber throats. My cases are only sized about 1/2" down the case wall, then expanded. Between the fatter case base area and the boolit front bands entering the throats, I get around the issue of generous chamber diameter that seems to be a feature of 45 Colt chambers. This regimen has prolonged case life GREATLY for me with this revolver.

The Lyman #454424 and #454190 are in real life a lot stubbier-appearing than catalog photos or diagrams indicate.

+1, and I do one better with almost all my .45 Colt loads including 454190, 452664, Lee 300 WFN, and Lee 255-RFN: I screw out the sizing die until it only sizes the part the boolit will occupy when seated, leave the rest as-fired so it doesn't rattle around in the cavernous chamber. Between a tight case head fit and tight boolit in the cylinder throats, you get a really straight start and good accuracy.

For paper the Keith boolit is best. Works for hunting, too, and is about the right weight for the gun.

One more thing, I don't know why anyone would ever want anything other than a 7-1/2" barrel! Oh, well, I guess that makes for good horse-racing too.

Gear

[R.C. Hatter]

I have an old model 4-5/8" Blackhawk myself, and you can't very well go wrong with #454190 over top of 8.0 gr. Unique, or #454424 (if you can find one) using the same powder charge. Its big medicine for most game.