Blue Dot in .454

[leftiye]

:coffeecom Hi, I'm trying to work up a somewhat reduced load in my Taurus RB for cast. Eventually, I want to go to softer lead, so full horsepower would be slowing down the process. I've done research on this, and still am researching it. But I can't find anything but maximum loads, and nothing on Blue dot. 2400, and 4227 are also candidates (for which I have had some sucess) and I'd like to get more info on them too if you have it. I'm using the two .45 cal 300 grainers (45-300 SWC, and RFP), and I'm looking for velocities in the 1200- 1300 fps range. Still kicks behind, Iwould guess! :Fire:

[Scrounger]

Simple enough. The .454 Casull is simply a .45 Colt MAGNUM. Take your choice of .45 Colt loads and increase powder charge 10% for similar velocity. The reason there is little or no data on reduced loads for the Casull and similar hot rods is that no one buys a fast car to drive like a little old lady from Pasadena... I just remembered you can even shoot Colt loads and cases in the Casull. Problem solved. I know something else is coming...

[mike3132]

19 grns of Lil Gun and a 300 grn cast bullet shoot real good out of my .454 ruger super redhawk. Speed is 1225 fps. mike

[454PB]

I use the Lyman 330 grain 452651 GC and 18 grs. of Bluedot in my F.A. 454 with 4 3/4" barrel that chronographs at 1300 fps. Depending on barrel length of your gun, you might want to reduce that a little to achieve 1200 fps.

All disclaimers apply.

[leftiye]

Thanks guys, That should help. Scrounger, I hear what you're saying, BUT I don't really want to run 300 grs. downrange at 1700 fps all of the time. Nor do I think that 44 mag equivalent loads are very slouchy. Add the undeniable killing potential of the load with a hollow point, and I think I can stand it.

I also got lucky on the freedom Arms website with some loads that will give 1300 fps and only maybe 19000 cup. Have to get out the old chrono, and see how and where they will shoot.

[AlaskaMike]

In my Redhawk in .45 Colt, 15 grains of Blue Dot gave me 1158 with a Lasercast 255 gr. SWC, and going up to 15.5 grains gave 1257 fps, again with the same bullet. This is out of a 7.5" barrel. My notes say that felt recoil was less with 15.5 grains BD that with 23 grains of W296, despite very similar velocity, for what that's worth.

Granted, my loads are .45 Colt and not .454 Casull, but if you up those charges by 10% like Scrounger mentioned, that should put you in the ballpark.

I like 2400 in heavy .45 Colt, but my experience with IMR-4227 hasn't been as good. I know some people here really like H4227 for the kind of loads your talking about, so that might be something you want to look at--I have no experience with it though. In the Redhawk mentioned above, 19 grains of 2400 pushed RCBS-270-SAA to 1104 fps. 20 grains 2400 pushed a 255 grain SWC to 1193 fps.

Mike