Lee Bullet 452-300-RF 45 Colt 300 Grain Flat Gas Check, mid range loads?

[Corbi]

Greetings, My wife bought me a Bullet Mold 452-300-RF 300 Grain Flat Nose Gas Check for my birthday.

I cast up a hundred or so boolits last weekend, then realized I don't really have any reloading data for this bullet.

I am shooting a Ruger Flat Top in 45 Colt. The max safe pressure seems to be around 23,000psi. The smaller cylinder only allows the a COL of 1.57", in otherwords seated in the short crimp groove.

Does anyone have any or know of any safe data to use with this boolit and pistol? I have Unique, 2400, 296 and Lil'gun powders on hand.

There is a good amount of data for 300+ grain bullets, trouble is it is either "Ruger ONLY" data or the COL is longer than I can use in my gun.

Thanks,
Corbi

[John Boy]

http://www.nosler.com/Reloading-Data/45-Colt-%28Ruger%29-Handgun-300-Grains.aspx

[454PB]

If it was my gun, I'd stay away from 296 and Lil'Gun. I love those two powders, but they work best at pressures your gun can't take. I'd stick with Unique or 2400.

In my use of that boolit in my .454 Casulls, I found that seating them to crimp in the front groove raises pressure quickly and dramatically.

[TMenezes]

Corbi your in the same boat I am, according to my research loads for 45 Colt

15.8 to 17.5gr of 2400 for 1048fps (Speer data).

6.5 to 8.5gr of Unique for 900fps. (Lyman data)

15 to 15.5gr of Accurate #9 for 1041fps (Speer Data)

Accurate lists 11.7 to 13gr of AA#7 at 19,000 psi and 914 fps.

Accurate also has a semi low pressure load of 13.5 to 15gr of #9 at 17,600 psi and 907 fps.

Dunno why they only went to 17.6K psi on that AA#9 load but my thought is that gives you plenty of margin for error. Plus your light little flattop may recoil allot at the upper end of the pressure spectrum. I am sure a 300gr .45 bullet at 900+ fps is going to stop anything you care to hunt with a handgun. So it may be the most enjoyable 300gr load to shoot. I'm sure you could accomplish the same with the 2400 by downloading it a bit. From what I've heard both 2400 and AA#9 make very accurate mid power loads.

Just fyi looks like the Nosler data Johnboy linked is the 30k psi limit for the full size Super Black hawk.

[Corbi]

A friend from work came up with this:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%22Practice%22+loads+for+big-bore+sixguns.-a0110470557

No COL or pressures listed but the data "looks" safe. I doubt a 300+ grain bullet at 850FPS is going to bounce off anything.

454PB, I'm on board. I expect to find out 2400 or Unique is the way to go.

The best information I have found is in "Handloader" Magazine, Dec 2011. There is a very good write up by Brian Pearce on the flat top. He gives plenty of good loads in the article. Included is data for the 318 grain Lyman 454629 boolit at 1,020 FPS......seated at 1.65". Seating 0.10" deeper seems like it will increase pressure (to who knows what).

For reference, the 250 grain XTP W/17.5 grains of 2400 is highly accurate. I did not shoot those loads over my chronograph.

Corbi

[andyw513]

I found a few sites that offer data for this, and everyone's mileage can and will vary, but I have had great luck with around 4.9 grains of Bullseye. It seems to be accurate from my new model Blackhawk, and even through my Ranch Hand the accuracy isn't compromised from the difference in velocities. I've not tried this without a check yet, but since I've got a seemingly endless supply of those from where I have my FreeChex III, I'll probably just stick to using them. Also, I have yet to try Titegroup or 700x, but I havn't really had a need to since I haven't even opened my 4 pound keg of Bullseye yet (I plan on attempting to use that this year...keyword: Try)

But: No leading so far, no unseated primers, decent accuracy. I hope my 2 cents worth helped a little.