What's your Favorite 45 Colt Cowboy Action Load? Black, sub or Smokeless

[Ken in Iowa]

There seems to be quite a few CAS shooters about. Ultra light, Light, medium or heavy, please share your favorite 45 Colt recipe.

For Rossi 92s, I'm currently using an RCBS 45-230-CM RNFP mould with 1-2-97 alloy sized .454 with 50/50 (converting to BAC) Powder charge 5.5 gr of 700x fired by a Winchester WLP primer.

In my Dad's Vaqueros, we use RCBS 45-200-SWC with 5.6 of Trailboss. Same alloy, lube and primer. I use a light crimp in the front driving band.

If cartridges get mixed, they are easy to sort, but either load will function in any of our guns, rifle or pistol.

I recently sprung for a Redding dual ring sizer-really like it. My expander is an NOE .456" M type.

After sizing, the cases are sorted by length. This ensures better uniformity. The shorter cases are used for the 200 gr pistol loads.

Crimping is done in 2 stages. The bullet seaters are set to just straighten the mouth. A LEE FCD finishes the job.

I consider these to be on the light to medium side. Accuracy is quite good for the purpose and steel is hit with authority.

How about you?

[Larry Gibson]

For SASS CBA shooting with my Uberti SAA's and M1873 Carbine;

45 Colt cases
Federal 150 primers
6.5 VV N320 or 6.2 gr Bullseye
Any cast 195 - 205 gr bullet

I prefer the Lee 452-200-RF bullet cast soft of 20-1 or COWWs + 2% tin then mixed 50/50 with lead, sized .454 (usually what they drop at) and lubed with BAC or a NRA 50/50 lube.

Larry Gibson

[wrench man]

200grn RNFP over 7.0grns Trailboss for the revolvers, 250grn RNFP over 6.0gns of Trailboss for the rifles, seriously pondering dropping the 200grn boolit in favor of the 250 for all loads.

[smkummer]

4.8 grains 700X and Lee's 200 RF in both a colt cowboy revolver and a marlin cowboy rifle. No sizing. About 700 fps in the revolver. Swells the cases enough so they are not sooty. Normal bang with light recoil for a 45.

[Desertbuck]

My R92 and 1873 Cattleman both shoot best with
Lee 200gr .454 from the mold unsized
37gr of Black powder
Small grease cookie
CCI #300

[opos]

My "old man" arthritis load for my 45 Colt Pietta and Ruger Vaquero's for just plinking is a Missouri #4 RNFP 200 grain, 12 bhn projectile over 5.5 grains of Trail Boss...light crimp on the crimp groove....just never found any reason to experiment any further...It's accurate and I can shoot it for a long time with no hand or arm issues.