300 grain bullets in a 45 Colt

[jh45gun]

My Uberti Colt Clone is shooting low with my 252 grain semi wad cutters. I am using 8 grains of Unique for that load. What is safe for the clones can you push them 900 fps ok with out punishing them and would that bring my POA up? I filed the top of the front sight flat but did not take off much metal. I just wanted a better sight picture and at 25 yards the gun is shooting about 6 inches low. So a kind member here gave me some bullets to try 300 Grain gas checked a while back and I never tried these I got 39 of them so I thought I would load them up and see how they shoot if they raise enough for non adjusted sight picture. Powders I have on hand would be either Unique or Red Dot. Got any tips for these. I would to use this for a close range deer load. If it works well then eventually I would look for a mold Unless I can get the 252 grain bullets up to POA

[runfiverun]

14-k is your max pressure.
try a little higher grip on the handle.

[jh45gun]

OK never tried the grip thing and thanks for the max pressure number> I like this pistol I do not want to hot rod it or give it more than it should take.

[sharps4590]

Find an accurate load with a 250-255 gr. bullet at about 800-850 fps. and file the front sight to bring it to POA. Or as runfive mentioned, a higher grip.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
And a slower moving boolit will leave the barrel that millisecond slower thus riding a slightly more elevated barrel.
So me I would load 3 rounds a with 6 grains Unique and get a little idea. Less powder will raise impact. More powder lowers impact.
For deer hunting I would want a 250+ grainer moving about 850 + fps. First for me is complete chest penetration (in and out) so there is a good red trail to follow. If thinking about any other shot then pin point accuracy is going to be my goal. The sighting system then is going to conform to my load. I have several Blackhawks so with adjustable rear sights this is an easy task.
Mike in ILL.

[Lonegun1894]

My loads are all geared towards the old Vaqueros, Blackhawks, and 1892 Winchester clones and 1894 Winchesters, so I dont think they're safe for anything like the original dimension revolver you have. The lightest load I have listed is 8.6 grs Unique, but even that is in the RUGER ONLY section of my Sierra Manual, so please DO NOT use that load. Since slowing down the boolit tends to raise point of impact, you could always slow down the 252s you have. I know that doesn't help with the 300gr loads, but its an option. Best of luck, and I hope you develop a load for the 300s.

[jh45gun]

Well if a slower bullet raises impact maybe the 300s will work even if they are going slower I would suspect they would go through a deer at shorter ranges. That is a lot of lead to be slinging. I will also try the higher grip on my current loads with 8 grains of unique.

[Lonegun1894]

Here is the basic method I have always used to adjust point of impact with fixed sight guns when I wasn't willing to take a file to them:

To raise point of impact, use a heavier bullet to increase recoil (raising the barrel slightly higher) before the boolit leaves the muzzle, resulting in a higher POI. The same thing can be accomplished by slowing the current bullet down, as that has the same effect of raising the barrel some. If however you want to lower point of impact at some point in time, just do the opposite. Either go with a lighter projectile or increase the velocity.

I tend to do this... (using loads listed in Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, p. 285, under the 255gr boolit section, it lists Unique as 6.0grs producing 590fps out of a 7.5" Blackhawk on the light end, with the top load listed being 8.5grs Unique being the top load and producing 845fps. This load is listed in the NON-Ruger, so more like SAA section, so should be appropriate for your gun, but as always, be safe and double-check anything anyone posts. Anyway, I load 5-10 rds at the start load of 6.0grs, then some at 6.5grs, then 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, and 8.5grs, and keep them separated in zip lock bags with a note inside identifying the load, and put up a separate target for each load, with each target having the load written on it to make sure I dont mix them up. I shoot each load at the appropriately labeled target holding dead on and make sure I do not attempt to compensate for the POI on target. Collect the targets, and see which two are closest to my desired POI. Now you may get lucky, but I usually end up being between two loadings, and not dead on with one load. So say the two closest are 7.0 and 7.5, with one being just slightly high and the other just slightly low, I load up another 10 rds of each at 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5grs respectively, and try them next time I am at the range. Usually, one of these will be perfectly dead on, or so close that I dont care for the 1/4" or so difference at 25yds between POA and POI. Just make sure you stay witing safe limits for your guns and this process, while not the fastest, should work out well, at least it always has for me. All my centerfire sixguns are Rugers, so my loads are slightly warmer than the SAA loads (but well within the Ruger/TC loads), but I have used this same process with various guns for myself and several friends, using both revolvers and semi-auto's, and it just plain works. If you start having windage (left/right) issues, try moving your trigger finger position slightly, either deeper into the triggerguard or less, as that tends to push or pull the gun left or right. I know you said you dont have windage issues, but I figure anytime any of us asks a question, there's someone else reading it that wanted to ask but didn't. Best of luck, and see if that load work-up helps you any. I'm sure it will. Have a great day.

[jh45gun]

Thanks for the great info. I appreciate it.