45 Colt Heavy Loads...

[BCB]

Within the past few years (I think) there was an article about reloading heavy loads for the 45 Colt in Handloader Magazine...

It gave data for 3 different pressure limits for different handguns...

I checked the indexes of recent Handloaders and I can not find it...

Anyone know which issue that might have been in...

Thanks...BCB

[USSR]

Here you go: http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf

Don

[paul h]

Brian Pearce has written several such articles over the past ~decade.

http://buffalobore.net/HandloaderDecJan2012.pdf

And there are several other good sources as well:

http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/heavyweight_bullets.htm

For 5 shooter 45's

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/article.cfm?tocid=321&magid=24

[BCB]

Thanks...

That's exactly what I was looking for...

BCB

[jonp]

I've tested some of Linebaughs loads although not to the very tippy top in my Blackhawk. Doubt anyone needs that much power. They work just like he claimed for me. Easy extraction of brass and no pressure signs.

[paul h]

When one wisely chases terminal performance by upping bullet weight and diameter as opposed to velocity, one realizes that with a suitable dose of H-110 you get serious big game performance with the big bore six shooters, without generating enough pressure to damage them.

[Whiterabbit]

when you reach 740 grains of lead in a 45 cal in a revolver, you learn there are limits to that concept too :)

(I still want an old vaquero to shoot 300 grian LEE boolits over H110)

[jonp]

I have a 300gr Lee mold and a 45Colt BH along with both H110 and W296. It will light up your day when you get towards the top end. Unless you have a Hippo strolling through your backyard I can't imagine what you need to go that high for.

[DougGuy]

I love the heavyweights in this caliber. Since I came to this forum, I have learned about the fine RF boolits cast from the Lee C452-300-RF mold and these are my go to loads now for all hunting. I have managed to assemble 7 loads that all shoot to the same point of aim from a fixed sight Vaquero, but the one that brings home the bacon, OR the bambi, is one I have backed down from a max load of H110 or W296 and settled on an honest 1,000+ FPS from 17.0gr old Hercules 2400, or 20.5gr LilGun over a WLP primer in Starline brass. These are cast from 50/50+2% which is softer than acww, but the Ruger barrel really takes a shine to this alloy, and Felix lube.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/0d3c189d-b085-4d95-a658-1f0f88b78255_zps3f37d14d.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/0d3c189d-b085-4d95-a658-1f0f88b78255_zps3f37d14d.jpg.html)

Out of this same short barreled Vaquero, the 340gr SSK TC boolit will go through 36" of seasoned oak firewood, when strapped in above 22.0gr W296, this load is definitely a handful, bordering on the not so very much fun, this is strictly a dangerous game load that I would not feel undergunned with in Alaska.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/f0ef1f31-bc74-4cd1-8db0-0bd95c1a6e1e_zps402bc1ec.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/f0ef1f31-bc74-4cd1-8db0-0bd95c1a6e1e_zps402bc1ec.jpg.html)

[BCB]

DougGuy…

Is that an extremely heavy crimp or is just the way the light is shining on the case mouth. If a heavy crimp, what are you using to form that crimp?...
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________

I’ve looked at some of those loads by Linebaugh in the past and they are ridiculous as far as I am concerned…

I shoot 23 grains of H-110 with an RCBS 45-270-SAA and I get the trigger finger hit most of the time with the trigger guard. By much of what I have read, that is a “pee-pee” load!!!...

The reason I started this thread was to attempt to find the psi that are “above and beyond the call of duty” for the 45 Colt cartridge…

I recently got the program QuickLoad and I was just messing with it to see other powders that might produce similar pressures. I certainly have no intention of trying them though!!!...

I’m really messing with fast burners and lighter boolits for the Colt. That is where this program may help with different powders other than those commonly listed in reloading manuals…

An interesting program QuickLoad is—but that subject is covered in a Sticky…

Good-luck…BCB

[DougGuy]

DougGuy…

Is that an extremely heavy crimp or is just the way the light is shining on the case mouth. If a heavy crimp, what are you using to form that crimp?...


I use a modified uncataloged Lee collet crimp die to get this crimp. Some of our more experienced posters here think it's too much crimp, that it downsizes the boolit to open it up which it doesn't. It opens fully and lays out flat when fired. Even though there is still plenty of case neck tension, I use it to provide a little more resistance to bullet pull than a roll crimp, and with slow burning powders it tends to resist the first bit of movement (when the primer lights off) and gives the powder a few nanoseconds longer to build a flame front so it burns more efficiently. I am seeing about a 25fps gain over the same roll crimped rounds in my heavy loaded .44 magnum because of this crimp. I am also seeing less standard deviation in these loads.

This is an excellent crimp to use with a softer alloy also, as lighter roll crimps do not prevent boolit movement like a heavier crimp does.

Here is the thread showing the modded die:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?201449-Question-about-type-of-crimp-required&p=2239315&viewfull=1#post2239315

[BCB]

I use a modified uncataloged Lee collet crimp die to get this crimp. Some of our more experienced posters here think it's too much crimp, that it downsizes the boolit to open it up which it doesn't. It opens fully and lays out flat when fired. Even though there is still plenty of case neck tension, I use it to provide a little more resistance to bullet pull than a roll crimp, and with slow burning powders it tends to resist the first bit of movement (when the primer lights off) and gives the powder a few nanoseconds longer to build a flame front so it burns more efficiently. I am seeing about a 25fps gain over the same roll crimped rounds in my heavy loaded .44 magnum because of this crimp. I am also seeing less standard deviation in these loads.

This is an excellent crimp to use with a softer alloy also, as lighter roll crimps do not prevent boolit movement like a heavier crimp does.

Here is the thread showing the modded die:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?201449-Question-about-type-of-crimp-required&p=2239315&viewfull=1#post2239315


Interesting...

I went to the link you posted and now I see how the crimp gets formed...

I knew there was something about it that caught my eye as soon as I saw it...

Thanks...BCB

[selpaw]

Couldn't agree more. Have the 300 grain Lee mould and even with a defect in one of the grooves it shoots great groups, esp when loaded to 1000-1200 fps. No sense in more velocity. selpaw

[Vulcan Bob]

These are not really heavy loads as they are in the standard pressure range for the .45 Colt but I do think they will handle most any chore asked of them in the lower 48. Lee 255 RNFP at 265gr with 8.0 Power Pistol, standard primer and RCBS 255-KT at 270gr with 8.0 Power Pistol, standard primer. Both loads are accurate with no bore leading (SPG lube/.452" diameter) in most of my nineteen .45 Colt revolvers, some more so than others depending on throat diameter (read Colt SAA's and older S&W's).