45 Colt Velocity

[30calron]

Hi All, New member here.
Not new to shooting. I have been working with some medical issues and my son introduced me to casting to take my mind off unpleasant things. I'm having a ball. Bought my first single action pistol, a Ruger Blackhawk Vaquero on 45 Colt. Started out using my 45 ACP bullets then ordered the Lee 255 RF mold. Loading 8 gr. of Unique and getting velocity's of 930 FPS. This seems high according to what I ahve read from other shooters. 37 degrees during my shooting so I can only imagine velocity's increasing as the Georgia summer approaches. Recoil was stiff to me. I have never shot anything stouter than 45 ACP ball and a .357 magnum. Maybe I'm a wimp but I would not enjoy anything hotter.
If this seems in order great but if not I'm all ears. My chrono is not the best (chrony Gamma) but it usually is close to documented loads on several other recipe's I have. Oh by the way sized to .452, pan lubed, OAL is 1.565, once fired starline brass and roll crimped, Wolf primers.
Thanks
Ron

[DougGuy]

Maybe a little high as most loads with the 255gr over 8.0gr Unique would run in the 850f/s range. It's nothing to be alarmed about unless you are seating deeper than the suggested COA measurement in which case pressures would be higher than the 14,000psi that SAAMI has delegated to the .45 Colt cartridge. This could possibly be an issue in an old Colt that has thinner cylinder walls but not in a Ruger.

Is yours a New Vaquero? I am assuming it is, the only thing to keep in mind here is that the New Vaquero is built on the medium frame, the cylinder is a tad smaller OD, and the webs between the chambers are a bit thinner than the original full sized Vaquero, yes there are TWO different Vaqueros, the older ones are on the large frame and can take the "Ruger Only" loads that often develop 30,000psi pressure. Your medium frame Vaquero (IF it is a medium frame) is not safe with these max pressures, but it is safe with .45 ACP +P pressures of 23,000psi.

The way to tell them apart, if yours has a THREE digit prefix in the serial number, it is the newer, smaller, lighter, easier handling medium frame model.

If yours has a TWO digit prefix in the serial number, it is the older, larger, heavier, stouter large frame model.

Welcome to the Grand Dame of metallic cartridges, the .45 Colt! Welcome to the Castboolits forum as well!

[30calron]

Nope mine is the big Vaquero. 1993 model 2 digit prefix. Thanks for the reply.

[dubber123]

Enjoy the fact you got a "fast" gun, one that actually reaches or exceeds the published velocities. It is more common to get lower speeds than the manuals print. You can safely decrease your powder charge if you wish, but it will likely make the load a little dirtier when using Unique. Enjoy.

[w5pv]

Welcome to the addiction.

[30calron]

Thanks everyone, I want a percussion pistol next. This casting is a lot of fun. Thanks for your responses.
Ron

[Wolfer]

My new vaquero with 7-1/2" ran about 950 with that same boolit and 8 gr of unique when I got it.
After lapping the thread restriction out and slicking up the bore it now takes 8.8 gr to get to the same velocity.

This velocity will be very near the original 1873 loads.

[David R]

9 grains of unique with a home cast 255 gets me a chrono AV 930 fps in my 5" smith model 25. I have been shooting this load since 1990.

David

[Harter66]

I get about 875 out of that same load in a 76' Blackhawk 7.5 in. They can be backed down quite a ways . Also there are at least 2 dozen boolits well suited to the Colts to shoot from 165 all the way up to 325 ,a 200 gr boolit is just plain fun and makes the lead go farther.

[TXGunNut]

You haven't fired a 45 Colt until you load some up with good ol' BP. I use FFFg but some folks prefer FFg. It can be a bit of a handful but one big "boom" and a cloud of blue smoke and you'll be hooked.
Welcome to the affliction and best wishes on your medical issues. The healthiest among us benefit from a little CB therapy from time to time.

[30calron]

I do want to try some BP loads. Trying to talk to wife into another mould for her 44 SBH. I want her to shoot it since she inherited it. She's a bullseye shooter and hasn't caught on to fun shooting yet. I'll stay on her. Thanks again for the welcome aboard everyone.

[MSD MIke]

I have had the same result with Unique in my Blackhawk with a 4 5/8 barrel. 8 grains nets me about 950. Other powders seem closer to normal and Unique seems closer to normal in other guns.

Mike

[CBMC]

My 7.5 Blackhawk gets me about 1000 fps @ 8.5 grains with that Lee 255 grain bullet.

[saleen322]

I am shooting a 255 grain out of my Ruger Bisley around 860 fps and it is very accurate and fun to shoot. I have no need (or desire) to take it up higher than that. I think the 45 Colt is a fine round.

[Ken in Iowa]

Dad has a pair of Vaqueros just like yours. His barrel length is 4 3/4"

He also finds the recoil of 250 gr light loads too stiff for his liking. I loaded some 200 gr SWC boolits under the same 8 gr charge of Unique which he really likes. The cases are a bit sooty, but clean up readily in the tumbler. A faster powder like Red Dot or 700x would be a better choice I suspect.

[30calron]

Yup guys I,m going to stick with my trail boss loads for awhile. I think if the urge to hunt with a handgun came up I would use the unique load. Enjoying the forum guys. Thanks

[Thomas Traddles]

Question: What was the original bullet weight and velocity for the .45 colt cartridge when it was first produced?

[Rhou45]

If my research is correct, the original 45c load was 40gr of BP under a 255gr lead round nose bullet.

[rexherring]

One thing nice about Unique is that it responds well to reduced loads so you can cut it down to 6 grains and use it for plinking, or get the Lee 200 grain RNFP for less recoil.

[DougGuy]

Question: What was the original bullet weight and velocity for the .45 colt cartridge when it was first produced?

As mentioned earlier, 40gr black powder. The boolit was a soft lead 255gr hollow base round nose. The bore diameter was .454" the throat diameter was .456" and the hollow base of the boolit was utilized to obturate and seal the bore. Velocity was around 835f/s (IIRC) and the Army specified they wanted the ability to shoot through an enemy's mount and kill the enemy.

[dubber123]

I believe Mike Venturino reports that a 40 Gr. BP charge gets very close to 1,000 fps. from a 7-1/2" barrel with a 250 gr. boolit. Pretty potent for back in the day.

[DougGuy]

That may be true. I was posting in response to the question about original boolit weight and velocity. Original to me in this caliber means the 1873 SAA adopted by the US Army for the two years before the Schofield revolver became the issued sidearm.

[Harter66]

"Able to penitrate 11 one inch pine boards."

[TXGunNut]

With the boolits, cases and powder I use today my FFFg powder charge is around 37grs. It feels a bit stiffer that my 850fps Universal loads but haven't fired it over my Chrony yet. I have little doubt it will indeed shoot thru a horse.