45 colt double ball load?

[BigBore45]

Looking for information on loading a double ball load in my .45 colt with smokeless. Titegroup or Trailboss( just bought the trailboss today).


Starline brass
WLP
146 grain ball .454" X2
with or without wad


was on another forum but no one seemed to have an idea on how to do it. thanks in advance.

[Outpost75]

Trail Boss is not ideal for this application, because it occupies too much space in the case and by the time you seat 2 balls in a .45 Colt case there isn't much powder room. Six grains of TiteGroup, flush seat first ball with case mouth, smear a pea-sized dab of bullet lube over the ball, then place second ball on top and roll crimp in mouth of case.

[BigBore45]

6 grains of tite group is a lot?? The seating depth is way deeper that a 300 gr. Cast bullet. I used quickload a 300 grain Lee bullet changed the weight to 285 grains and bullet seating depth to match the round balls seating depth and I got 4.0 grains as a max charge. 6 grains of tite group shows 34k psi! Not saying quickload is right, have you shot this load of 2 balls and 6 gr. Of tite group?

[bangerjim]

I do it all the time. 1 & 2 RB's + PC.

Use the standard load data for the weight of the double RB's equal to a standard Pb boolit (~300gn). That is what I do and it always works great. Never ever any wadding!

Don't overthink it. TG is my standard powder. Also ETR7. TB will probably be too bulky for two of 'em?

Tiny bit-o-rollcrimp with 45% of the front ball sticking out.

But 6gn is a BUNCH!!!!!!!!!!

bangerjim

[BigBore45]

yeah max load for titegroup for a 300 grain boolit is 5.8 grains. so not going to use 6 grains that for sure. might start at 3.5 grains and see where its at, the seating depth is much deeper for the round balls compared to the boolit. that will greatly increase pressure.


on a side note: do people come on this forum often and post random loads like above Post #2 without any explanation as to how the use that or why to go over published data for that weight of projectile? that seems really un-safe.

[bangerjim]

Read everything until you eyes glaze over. But...... ALWAYS VERIFY EVERYTHING with the several books you should already own on load data! It's your hands, your eyes, your arms, and your guns.

I use 3.5-3.9gn TG for a nice plinking load. But that is MY guns and MY loads.

It's sorta like the Pirate Code........more of sorta guidelines than rules!

Cast, load, and shoot safely. :Fire:

banger

[BigBore45]

I own several reloading books, still nothing on double balls loads lol

[bangerjim]

i own several reloading books, still nothing on double balls loads lol


weight!

[rondog]

What's the reason/purpose/advantage/whatever for loading two round balls into a .45 Colt case? I could see one ball, scratching my head over two.

[bangerjim]

Same advantage/purpose/reason of loading a 300gn boolit instead of a 200gn..........FUN! I do both. I love 300gn loads out of my carbines. Do I need them? No. But I have tons of lead to play with. And I don't scrimp on fun. :Fire:

[1johnlb]

Does it produce 2 holes or 1?
Will it work in the 44mag ?

[bangerjim]

It generally produces 2 holes. Getting 2 of anything to go thru the same hole is bordering on impossible.......at least for me. My 38cal 2 ball loads I leave connected and they do make 1 hole most of the time.

It works in a 38SPL, a 357 MAG, and a 45LC for me. Why not a 44mag? Once I find the 44 I want, I will be loading those also, 1 & 2 ball loads.

banger

[BigBore45]

i was thinking rabbit/squirrel loads maybe.@ 500 FPS each ball should carry roughly the energy of a .22 LR. im gonna try 3.5 grains this weekend and see how it does.

[BigBore45]

weight!

Seating depth is further in. i dont see people seating 300 grain boolits: top of boolit flush with case mouth.

[BigBore45]

It generally produces 2 holes. Getting 2 of anything to go thru the same hole is bordering on impossible.......at least for me. My 38cal 2 ball loads I leave connected and they do make 1 hole most of the time.

It works in a 38SPL, a 357 MAG, and a 45LC for me. Why not a 44mag? Once I find the 44 I want, I will be loading those also, 1 & 2 ball loads.




banger
do i use a wad between the powder and boolit? was gonna alox the balls.

[Outpost75]

If you Alox the balls, no wad should be needed.

[BigBore45]

got off work early today and decided to try trailboss first. easy enough, mark the case to the bottom of the first ball and add powder to that point, dump out powder and weigh it, 5.5 grains next decrease by 10% 5 grains, loaded and fired. Worked good mild recoil-hits at 25 yards-crony wouldnt read it so im guessing off of other know bullets and the report at 500 FPS. no signs of high pressure- did have a backed out primer(not enough to jam the cylinder) im sure from to light of load- last boolit in the cylinder looked like it was jumping crimp a bit i will seat a touch deeper and roll crimp a bit more.


Tite group at 3.5 grains was a bit more snappy that the trail boss- no backed out primer-case ejected fine- it was faster that the trailboss (from the report from my steel) crony wouldnt read either double loads, was reading single 200 grain bullets fine.