Just snagged a Ruger Bisley 45 colt Stainless 5.5"

[TybrneRyan]

I was very fortunate to pick up a Ruger Bisley 45 colt Stainless 5.5" today. It appears the chamber throats are on the small side and will most likely need to be reamed out with a Manson reamer to .4525. My mold selection is limited at the moment, any suggestions on favorite cast bullets for this particular wheelgun? I hope to try some 300 to 325 grainers without it shooting too high. I've read that the RCBS 45-270-SAA is a good bullet to try in the 280gr range.

Ryan

[chsparkman]

Nice acquisition. My standard is the Lyman 452664. My Vaquero has always shot that boolit very well over a moderate load of Universal. I haven't tried heavier boolits yet but I'd like to. You'll have fun with that gun.

[762sultan]

As luck would have it there is a NOE group buy trying to get started for the rcbs 45-275 saa mold. Check the group buy forum for the details and place your order. It will take an unknown amount of time to get the required 15 orders to order the tooling. When 15 orders are placed the tooling is ordered and then it is placed on the production schedule. There are about 6 possible orders now. NOE makes great molds,you won't be disappointed. It will be worth the wait!

[161]

I sure like mine

[Dale53]

I have used the Lyman 452664 (250 gr RF) with excellent results in my Bisley Vaquero and my SS Blackhawk .45 colt/.45 ACP Convertible. However, my favorite bullet is the Mihec faithful copy of the RCBS .45/270/SAA (it weighs 285 grs in Solid Form and about 270 in hollow point). As far as I am concerned that is THE bullet for .45 Colt. It isn't terribly important who your mould supplier is, Mihec or NOE (RCBS is good, also) but the design has a LOT to recommend it for general use.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/LoadedRounds45-270-SAA-3732.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/LoadedRounds45-270-SAA-3732.jpg.html)

FWIW
Dale53

[TybrneRyan]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I have molds from Mihec and NOE. If Mihec makes a four cavity of the 270 SAA boolit I will probably go that route.

[762 shooter]

What Dale said. I lucked into a Mihec 45-SAA that throws 285 grainers. Makes a very nice Boolit.

762

[DougGuy]

There's also a group buy for an improved Lee C452-300-RF which is an excellent heavy weight. With gas checks that fit. $55 2 cavity. Should go around 320 checked and lubed. Choice of .452" or .454" which the .454" has the advantage that you can size it .452" for the Bisley rather than hope the as-cast size will be good enough. Here is the thread for the group buy if you are interested, same boolit design for both .44 and .45 caliber, you just specify which size(s) you want: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?241573-55-430-310-FN-%28Lee-Copy-improved%29

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/b0365352-e008-4573-ae2e-859b8a99fe82_zps7c72c5cb.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/b0365352-e008-4573-ae2e-859b8a99fe82_zps7c72c5cb.jpg.html)

Nice find on the Bisley!

If you need help with the cylinder shoot me a PM, I do several Ruger cylinders per week.

[huntrick64]

I shoot a lot of rounds out of my 45 bisleys and the 270-SAA is my favorite bullet as long as the gun has adjustable sights. My Mihec mold throws them at 283 grains in 50/50 alloy and that is just too heavy for my 45 Vaquero Bisley (prints way too high and not adjustable). For the fixed sight 45 colt I prefer a bullet in the 240 - 250 grain range. I had the RCBS 270-SAA and sold it off after comparing it to Mihec's version. My two favorite loads with this bullet are 8.2 grains of HP-38 (general use and plinking) and then the 23.0 grains H-110 (hunting and "dental work" loosening). Please verify your own loads and assume your own risk! You will absolutely love this gun. After correcting the cylinder throats, changing the forcing cone to 11 degrees, and firelapping out the thread constrictions, my 45 bisleys will shoot around 1" groups at 25 yds with the correct loads and me not drinking coffee.

[dmize]

I shoot 2 bullets out of my 4 45's the MiHec 270 clone and the Lee 310.
At normal SAA pressures the Blackhawk,Vaqueros and the Uberti shine with the MiHecs cast 50/50,and with the 454 SRH and the Blackhawk at "exuberant" loadings the Lee 310 is spectacular.
There was just a group buy on the 270 SAA clone so you may be able to still snag an over run.
I must add,if you don't have a SAA or clone,the Mihec works really good at higher pressures with a harder alloy. I simply use the bullets to differentiate between power levels.

[osteodoc08]

I miss mine. Didn't have time to shoot it at all and had to send it down the road. Miss it every shooting session. It was the combo stainless Bisely 5.5" :-(

[RobS]

I've shot many different styles of 45 Cal revolver boolits. I now shoot just 4 different designs which are similar in that they are LFN style designs.
This one:
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=267&osCsid=7tsgvhda6uqep1t7kcobjvj301
which turns out at about 235 grains HP/260 grains solid from my mold, an older BRP mold.

Then these three I put together over at Accurate Molds:
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=45-235R-D.png
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=45-310B-D.png
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=45-345A-D.png

I mainly shoot the 310 from my Ruger 45 Colt Bisley, then the 260 and 235 from a Ruger small frame 45 Colt Flat Top. I have shot the 345's as well in the Bisley however I reserve them for my everyday Ruger SRH 454 Casull loads.

[TybrneRyan]

I'll have to try some of those bullets from accurate molds. I think the 280gr-315gr range is where this Bisley will do best for my aplication. Thank you for the insight and suggestions.

[Frank V]

Ryan, Congratulations you just bought one of the better SAs on the market.
I think your suggestion of the RCBS 45-270-SAA is one of the better bullets out there right now.
Two other bullets I really like are the Lee 45-250-RF that's a bullet with a meplate you can almost dance on, the other is the old Lyman 454190, this is the original bullet Lyman came out with in the 1800s for the .45 Colt. It's a good accurate bullet, but it does have a small meplate very similar to the still loaded WW & RP RN FP factory lead bullets. I have taken a lot of small game with this bullet, but you might not want to use it for hunting medium to big game. It will penitrate straight & deeply though. I like it a lot.
Good shooting, you've got a nice gun & ctg. to play with.

[TybrneRyan]

Thanks Frank. I will definitely try the Lyman 454190. I'm expecting to acquire many molds for this SA.

Regards,

[Frank V]

Thanks Frank. I will definitely try the Lyman 454190. I'm expecting to acquire many molds for this SA.

Regards,

I know what you mean, I've probably got 4 moulds that suit the .45 Colt & I've had fantastic results sizing them .454 dia.
The 454190 just looks Colt, it shoots really well too & has become one of my favorite bullets. For a fun powder that shoots accuratly, to the sights, is Colt level powerful, & BURNS VERY CLEANLY, try Red Dot. There are loads for it in some of the manuals. Eddie Janis told me about it several years ago & I was surprised at how cleanly Red Dot shoots. Eddie Janis has a LOT of experience with the .45 Colt. www.peacemakerspecialists.com

[M-Tecs]

I have a pair. I love mine.

[TybrneRyan]

I know what you mean, I've probably got 4 moulds that suit the .45 Colt & I've had fantastic results sizing them .454 dia.
The 454190 just looks Colt, it shoots really well too & has become one of my favorite bullets. For a fun powder that shoots accuratly, to the sights, is Colt level powerful, & BURNS VERY CLEANLY, try Red Dot. There are loads for it in some of the manuals. Eddie Janis told me about it several years ago & I was surprised at how cleanly Red Dot shoots. Eddie Janis has a LOT of experience with the .45 Colt. www.peacemakerspecialists.com

I'll have to give the red dot a try. I'm limited on Non magnum pistol powders, I have green dot, hs6 and unique. Looking forward to the results. Thanks again Frank.

Regards,

[osteodoc08]

You can get some decent mid-high level loads out of the HS-6 you've got. Enough to hunt anything you need be hunting with a 45 colt anyhow.

[2shot]

I'll have to give the red dot a try. I'm limited on Non magnum pistol powders, I have green dot, hs6 and unique. Looking forward to the results. Thanks again Frank.

Regards,


I just tried Green dot in my 45 Bisley and was amazed at how clean it burned and got great accuracy with the Remington 250 grain boolits and RCBS 270 SAA going around 850-900fps. Much cleaner than anything I have tried to date.


2shot

[Frank V]

TybrneRyan, osteodoc08 is correct I've got a great HS6 load but it's right at max in the manual so won't quote it. It's accurate, almost 900fps, & clean burning. We know HS6 is the same powder as the discontinued WW540, I came onto 5lbs of WW540 before it was discontinued & same loads shoot the same as HS6. I called Hodgdon & spoke to one of their ballistitions & his words were "yup same stuff" good enough for me. So if you ever come across any WW540 grab it, I would.

Red Dot however runs well betweemn 5 & 6grs, shoots cleanly & really duplicates the RP & WW original loads.
I like it.

[TybrneRyan]

TybrneRyan, osteodoc08 is correct I've got a great HS6 load but it's right at max in the manual so won't quote it. It's accurate, almost 900fps, & clean burning. We know HS6 is the same powder as the discontinued WW540, I came onto 5lbs of WW540 before it was discontinued & same loads shoot the same as HS6. I called Hodgdon & spoke to one of their ballistitions & his words were "yup same stuff" good enough for me. So if you ever come across any WW540 grab it, I would.

Red Dot however runs well betweemn 5 & 6grs, shoots cleanly & really duplicates the RP & WW original loads.
I like it.

I'll load up some Hs6 rounds and check the manuals. I go out to the range tomorrow morning and will let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

[DougGuy]

It appears the chamber throats are on the small side and will most likely need to be reamed out with a Manson reamer to .4525. My mold selection is limited at the moment, any suggestions on favorite cast bullets for this particular wheelgun? I hope to try some 300 to 325 grainers without it shooting too high.

You should be able to get it on paper easily enough with heavy for caliber boolits. I will tell you, tight cylinder throats WILL make one shoot several inches high even at close range. I just finished reaming and honing an unfluted SS Bisley cylinder that would only take a .450" pilot on the reamer. Throats were VERY tight, as was the rest of the chamber dimensions even in the back this one was tight.

Also, a lot of the powder/loads suggested in this thread have been pretty much cowboy loads fit for a Colt. Yours thrives off slow burning powder and heavy boolits. 2400, LilGun are great for 75% - 90% power band, W296/H110 is THE powder for maximum loads, but don't use this powder to download it with.

The Lee boolits like the one I pictured in an earlier reply are my favs, they have a wide meplat that is devastating on game, and a smooth ojive/transition into the long load bearing sides. They work very well with an 11° forcing cone, I like that they don't have a driving band like a Keith type LSWC which unless you have immaculate cylinder/bore alignment at lockup, part of that driving band is going to get wiped by the forcing cone. Lee also makes the same RF boolit in 255gr weight, that is a PB design instead of a gas check.

The best loads I have for my .45 Colt Vaquero are the Lee 300gr RF cast in 50/50+2%, over 17.0gr of H2400, 20.5gr LilGun, and 22.5gr H110 for 3 different power levels that range from just over 1,000f/s to 1275f/s. I get good groups and no leading, the gas checks let me use a slightly softer alloy without leading.

NOTE.. Do NOT use these loads in anything but a large frame Ruger, they are firmly in the "Ruger Only" section of the load data and are not safe in a Colt, S&W, Colt clone, medium frame Ruger etc..

[TybrneRyan]

You should be able to get it on paper easily enough with heavy for caliber boolits. I will tell you, tight cylinder throats WILL make one shoot several inches high even at close range. I just finished reaming and honing an unfluted SS Bisley cylinder that would only take a .450" pilot on the reamer. Throats were VERY tight, as was the rest of the chamber dimensions even in the back this one was tight.

Also, a lot of the powder/loads suggested in this thread have been pretty much cowboy loads fit for a Colt. Yours thrives off slow burning powder and heavy boolits. 2400, LilGun are great for 75% - 90% power band, W296/H110 is THE powder for maximum loads, but don't use this powder to download it with.

The Lee boolits like the one I pictured in an earlier reply are my favs, they have a wide meplat that is devastating on game, and a smooth ojive/transition into the long load bearing sides. They work very well with an 11° forcing cone, I like that they don't have a driving band like a Keith type LSWC which unless you have immaculate cylinder/bore alignment at lockup, part of that driving band is going to get wiped by the forcing cone. Lee also makes the same RF boolit in 255gr weight, that is a PB design instead of a gas check.

The best loads I have for my .45 Colt Vaquero are the Lee 300gr RF cast in 50/50+2%, over 17.0gr of H2400, 20.5gr LilGun, and 22.5gr H110 for 3 different power levels that range from just over 1,000f/s to 1275f/s. I get good groups and no leading, the gas checks let me use a slightly softer alloy without leading.

NOTE.. Do NOT use these loads in anything but a large frame Ruger, they are firmly in the "Ruger Only" section of the load data and are not safe in a Colt, S&W, Colt clone, medium frame Ruger etc..

Hey Doug,

I greatly appreciate your input. I do have the 300gr Lee and have some test loads with starting charge of 21.5gr of H110. I'm anxious to see how these role. My cylinder throats are small as you mentioned before, I have a Manson reamer with pilots on it's way since I have two old vaquero's that need this treatment as well. This is the only heavy boolit mold I currently have. The others are 200-255 range. I'm not very thrilled with the lee mold and I may hop on the group buy you linked to earlier.
I've become spoiled with H&G, MP and NOE molds. ;) I will post pics tomorrow of the results.

Thanks again Doug,