Load suggestions for 45 Colt rifle

[AlanF]

Just received a Browning Low Wall in 45 Colt and will soon be getting 290gr bullets from Dry Creek bullets. I'm thinking of the following loads and would like some advice since I'm new to the 45 Colt and have only loaded cast in a 32-20. I'd like to shoot these in the 1100-1200 fps range. My primers will be Remington LP and cases are Star Line:

7grs Green Dot
8grs Unique
15-16grs 2400

Thank you.

[Pb2au]

I would recommend starting at 15 grains of 2400. I would be willing to bet that will do the trick.

[surfanarchist]

+1 on 2400. I shoot a Winchester Miroku 92 in .45 with 19 gr 2400 under a 250 gr cast and good results. Best to start lower and work up so 15 gr sounds like good advice.

[AlanF]

Bill - do you have any starting load recommendations for SR 4759?

[helice]

I ran between 6.5 and 7 gr. of RedDot or 700X with a 220 grain LFN (LBT). Very mild, about 1100 foot seconds, cluster groups at 50 yds from a Rossi Puma 20". Shot good for these old eyes.
15 grains of 2400 should get you right around 1200 -1250 foot seconds.
Don't you just love the low walls.[smilie=s:

[Ed in North Texas]

I've recently had the first range session with my new to me Marlin '94 in .45 Colt (not the Cowboy model). Both 8 and 10 gr of Unique were pretty accurate at 100 yds (50 yd had several .22 shooters the day I went and I don't like crowding folks) with open Firesights (and that is a near miracle for these old eyes), with the 10 gr seeming to have a slight edge. With .452 250 gr. commercial boolits (just now getting close to cool enough to start casting again), the load seemed to be pretty low pressure (soot on outside of cases, no flattening of primers at all), but I don't know that I'd recommend greater loads with Unique. I suspect that a younger person would do better, and I haven't put a low power scope on it yet, which ought to help. I'll be trying Red Dot (or American Select or Promo) sometime this winter, when I get a Round Tuit.

[AlanF]

Thanks for the info guys. Both 9.0gr Unique and 15gr 2400 left the cases very blackened. Plan to increase both loads and will try 9.5gr and 10.0gr of Unique and 15.5gr and 16.0gr 2400. May load a few with 7.0gr Green Dot...

[snaketail]

I have been chasing the elusive "accurate .45 Colt load" for a year now. I tried all sorts of powders, boolit weights, boolit shapes, etc.
I'm shooing .45 Colt in a 20" stainless Rossi 92 .454 Casull.
Here is my conclusion:
Use .454 diameter boolits - .452s are for .45 ACP and new revolvers
Mine likes 10.3gr of Unique with 250gr RNFP (no dirty cases, no leading)
Seat boolits "long", they will still cycle and the long seating reduces the jump to the lands/groves - mine is a .454 Casull and is designed to cycle long cartridges.

Other things I also discovered in the past 12 months:
The "recommended" Marbles tang sight is way to short (I was 60 clicks up at 50 yards and the thing only has 66 clicks). I've replaced it with the "Improved" version and the taller Mid-Range sight post.
The "recommended" shorter front sight does not fit the Rossi properly - the front barrel band gets in the way and the sight will not seat fully in the dovetail... I had to grind off the front part of the sight to get it into the dovetail slot.

The Rossi shoots well, I don't care for the soft wood stock, but I'd feel confident using the rifle on a hog hunt with the Colt load - .454 Casull factory rounds if it were a black bear.

Michael

[chsparkman]

I like the idea of 7.0 green Dot. Might try it myself.

[saz]

6.5grs of red dot.

[AlanF]

Thank you Bill.