300 gr cast in .45LC

[DrBill33]

Just had 100 D&J (out of business now) 300 gr .452 hard cast given to me. Anyone have a good, moderate (I hate over-blown loads) load that they know about as regards this combo?

[Glen]

I don't know anything about those bullets, but one of my favorite 45 Colt loads for a 300 grain cast bullet is 13.0 grains of Accurate Arms #7 for about 975 fps (depending on revolver barrel elngth). The AA manual lists this load as generating about about 19,000 CUP, so it's not a hot-rod load by any stretch of the imagination and should be safe in any modern revolver (but I wouldn't recommend shooting it in an old Colt, especially not a black powder frame Colt).

[DrBill33]

Thanks. It is for an Old Model Vaquero, 7.5 bbl.

I will try it.

Doc

[targetshootr]

Here's a good link for heavy 45s.

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=5

[Lloyd Smale]

22 grains of H4227 and a cci 350 primer. Or 19 grains of aa9 same primer.

[NSP64]

12.6 gr 2400 W/W LP primer under 310gr boolit in my SRH 44mag-950 fps nice and managable(accurate too)

[45r]

I like HS-6 for rcbs 300 grain gc mid-range loads in 45 colt.Power pistol shoots ragged hole groups with the rcbs 270 SAA in my Redhawk,might work well with a 300 grain boolit also.

[Dale53]

I just KNOW that NO one will try it, but a feller just OUGHT to try the .45 Colt with black powder.

I have shot a PILE of black powder loads through my .45 Colt Ruger Bisley Vaquero with 250 gr bullets (Lyman 452664 Cowboy bullet) and they shoot to point of aim at 25 yards. I have only used them up to about 75 yards (regularly at 25 and 50 plus points in between). They are powerful loads (up to 1000 fps with Swiss 3f) and lesser power with coarser and less powerful black powder (750 fps with Elephant 2F).

Clean up with home mix Friendship Speed Juice takes only five minutes or so, then a good drying and then Ed's Red for a preservative and you're "good to go".

Well, since you WON'T be trying the Holy Black (and more's the pity:(), here is a good reference for you with smokeless loads:

http://www.sixguns.com/range/RugerPackin.htm

Scroll down to the bottom for the actual loads. You'll find what you want there.

Dale53

[DanWalker]

6.5 grains of RED DOT for a nice sedate, and highly accurate medium game load.
18 grains of 2400 for anything that walks the earth.

[9.3X62AL]

I have the Lee 310 grain WFN for my BisHawk 45, and ran some ahead of 18.0 grains of 2400. Impressive recoil, but accurate as all get-out. I prefer the 250 grainers in the 45 Colt, but those Lee castings did a job.

[AlaskaMike]

Dale--I have to ask, what's the recipe for "Friendship Speed Juice"? :D

It almost sounds like it might start off with:

"First, after the mash is done fermenting, light a small fire under the still..."

[Boz330]

Dale--I have to ask, what's the recipe for "Friendship Speed Juice"? :D

It almost sounds like it might start off with:
"First, after the mash is done fermenting, light a small fire under the still..."

Inquiring minds want to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

[Dale53]

"Friendship Speed Juice" is a home mix black powder solvent used by hundreds of shooters at the National Muzzle Loading Ass'n National Matches in Friendship, IN.

It is:

One pint of Murphy's Oil Soap, one pint of rubbing alcohol, and one pint of Hydrogen Peroxide. They are mixed together and it is suggested to keep the solution in a dark bottle to avoid deterioration of the Peroxide. I just mix it up and put a pint of the mixture in the original dark bottle that the Peroxide comes in and store the balance in a cabinet away from the light until needed.

I had heard some concerns of some that Peroxide is an "oxidizer" and could rust a barrel. I had Bill Knight, an organic chemist and Black Powder Consultant to the industry run some tests. Used according to directions, there is no danger.

If shooting a flintlock, after shooting, I plug the touch hole with a toothpick then fill the barrel with the mixture and let sit for 10 minutes (that is the minimum to COMPLETELY clean the interior). I normally do this immediately after a match and let it soak for those few minutes while I jawbone with the shooters. I pour the mixture out, then take the plug out of the touch hole and run a sopping wet patch down the bore pumping it up and down. This blows ALL of the remaining "crud" out the touch hole. Then a couple of dry patches and the alcohol in the "brew" flashes off leaving the bore dry. I immediately use a preservative on the inside with a wet patch (pumped a couple of times to blow oil vapor through the fire channel).

Cap locks are done pretty much the same way. I just put a piece of rubber over the nipple and let the hammer down on it. After I am finished, I remove the "now clean" nipple and put one drop of preservative in the nipple ( my favorite is Ed's Red but Birchwood Casey's Sheath or Break Free all work well in the extremely humid Laughery Creek Valley where Friendship is located) and I store the nipple separately in an empty cap box. Allowing air the circulate through the bore in that especially humid atmosphere seems to prevent "after rust".

Ordinary water does NOT dissolve the "clinkers" found in normal black powder fouling. The peroxide does almost instantly.

During one particularly active muzzle loading period, I had not unbreeched my match rifle for two or three years. I had occasion to remove the breech plug and an inspection showed that even the fire channel between the nipple and breech of my cap lock still had the original bluing in it with NO pitting whatsoever. Also, when cleaning, some of the cleaning solution had run down between the forend and barrel. There were "tracks" on the barrel. The "tracks" were merely soap residue that wiped off with solvent. Now THAT is an extreme test (allowing the wet solvent to slowly dry under the forend. I DID learn to be a little more neat while cleaning.

This method takes just a few minutes (other than the 10 minutes while it is soaking). I merely wipe off the outside with the solvent which immediately dissolves the external black powder solvent, the dry it and apply the preservative.

It is always a good idea with black powder to run a wet patch of preservative in the bore and wipe off the outside a couple of days later. Then the rifle is good to go until the next time you use it.

I like Ed's Red as my preservative as it aggressively dissolves any residual black powder residue should it be missed with the Speed Juice - most petroleum preservatives DO NOT.

Sorry that Speed Juice is not more "racy" but it DOES work and work better than any other solvent that I have used.

NOTE:
Friendship Speed Juice chemically cleans the metal. You MUST apply a preservative right after you use it as there is little left on the clean metal to stop rusting (I suspect that complaints about it are from people not applying a preservative after use). If you use the old conumdrum, boiling water, you will find the same thing, only MUCH worse.

We have a very active black powder segment at my home club and they shoot a match the first Sunday of the month, RAIN, SHINE, SLEET or SNOW. Nearly ALL of them use FSJ.

Dale53