45 LC loads

[Pappy 1]

I just purchased a Lyman mold 255 grain mold. I was planning on loading some lead bullets for my ruger vaquero 45LC. My reloading books just don't show much information for a 45LC 255 grain bullet. I was looking for some reloading info on this bullet. My plan is to use the pistol just for plinking and having fun shooting it. Any suggestion on powder that is readily available. I use to use Unique powder for my other pistols but I am out, I was told there are better powders out there to use than Unique.

[DougGuy]

Good Lord 255gr in the .45 Colt is like the most longest supported reloaded cartridge there is! If you got a manual that doesn't list much for 255gr in .45 Colt, please throw it in the trash and buy another one! Somebody must have removed some of the pages.

You may note that there is NO such cartridge as the .45 "Long" Colt, the .45 Colt is only one length. Search loads for 255gr in .45 Colt and you will be swarmed with load data.

[jim 44-40]

I use Trail Boss alot, And I have been sizing down to .451 in my new ruger vaq. Red Dot is a great powder

[bangerjim]

VERY common load. Buy a Lyman #4 Cast Bullet Handbook. 45 Colt data is everywhere.

banger

[John Boy]

My reloading books just don't show much information for a 45LC 255 grain bullet. I was looking for some reloading info on this bullet.Pappy, here's 45LC reloading data for the 255 Pb bullets - pick one ...
250-255 grain LRNFP (Lead Round Nose, flat point)
Nitro 100 use 4.7 to 5.3 grains for 800-875 fps (old formulation)
Bullseye 6.3 gr. 810
Unique 6.4 gr. 716 (very mild, caution, some bullets
can stick in barrel- this is below MINIMUM.)
Unique 7.0 gr. 722 (mild in 4 5/8" bbl)
Unique 8.6 gr. 891 MAX in one manual
Unique 8.5 gr. 734 (Actual in 7 1/2" bbl revolver)
Unique 8.5 gr. 963 (Actual in Rossi 45 Carbine)
Unique 9.0 gr. 905 MAX LOAD (I got 932.2 in revolver)
Unique 9.5 gr.*** 992 MAX+ (Actual in 7 1/2" bbl revolver)
Unique 10.0 gr.*** 1024 MAX+ (Actual in 7 1/2" bbl 250 gr. RNFP)
Unique 10.0 gr.*** 1007 MAX+ (Actual in 7 1/2" bbl 255 gr. SWC)
(I do not recommend over 8.5 gr of Unique; tough on guns)
Universal 6.5 gr. 742 Cowboy mild
Universal 7.8 gr. 941 Cowboy MAX
Universal 7.2 gr. 804
HP38 5.8 gr. 785 cowboy mild
HP38 7.1 gr. 916
HS6 9.0 gr. 787 Cowboy mild
HS6## 10.5 gr. 946 Cowboy Max load ##
Clays 4.2 gr. 713 cowboy mild
Clays 5.1 gr. 817 cowboy MAX
AA5744 16.0 gr. 773 (in 5 1/2" bbl revolver)
AA5744 16.0 gr. 872 (in 7 1/2" bbl revolver)(ES=38 fps)
AA5744 17.8 gr. 860 (-MAXIMUM LOAD Nitro)
AA5744 17.0 gr. 853 (Powder UP - see note)
(Hi=872.5 Lo=827.5 Spread=45 fps)(some unburned powder)
AA5744 17.0 gr. 802 (Powder DOWN - see note)
(Hi=809.2 Lo=792.6 Spread=16.6 fps)
AA N100 5.5 gr. 780 (mild)
AA N100 6.2 gr. 886 MAX
AA No. 2 5.9 gr. 730 (mild)(AA now says 813 fps)
AA No. 5 9.4 gr. 846 (mild)
AA No. 5 10.4 gr. 961 MAX
AA No. 5 11.0 gr.* 969 MAX + (Ruger & T/C only)
AA No. 9 13.6 gr. 800 Hi=910 Lo=813 ES 190
AA No. 9 14.0 gr. 867 Hi=909 Lo=842 ES=67
AA No. 9 14.6 gr. 905 Hi=1002 Lo=840 ES=162
AA No. 9 15.0 gr. 880=Powder Up (708=Powder Down)5" bbl.
AA No. 9 15.5 gr. 982 Hi=1016 Lo=900 ES=116
AA No. 9 14.3 gr. 850 (Factory specs)
AA No. 9 16.3 gr. 1,050 (MAXIMUM)
Nitro 100 5.5 gr. 868 (cowboy load)
Solo 1000 5.8 gr. 807 (cowboy load)
231 7.0 gr. 704 (mild)
231 7.5 gr. 843 (Actual in 7 1/2" bbl revolver)
WAP 8.6 gr. 776
IMR4227 17.0 gr. 830
IMR4227 19.0 gr. 904 Maximum for regular Colt. 45
IMR800-X 8.0 gr. 769 (mild)
IMR PB 6.5 gr. 630 (very mild)
IMR PB 7.0 gr. 700 (MAX)
VV N320 5.9 gr. 805
VV N340 6.6 gr. 641 (mild)
Trail Boss 4.5 gr. 606 (IMR start load)
Trail Boss 5.8 gr. 727 (IMR max load)
*Blackhorn 206 22.2 gr. 869 Max (full case)
N32C Tin Star 8.3 gr. 889 start
N32C Tin Star 9.6 gr. 1,001 Max
True Blue 9.3 gr. 865 near max
* Blackhorn 209 is a black powder substitute with smokeless
like qualities. Load it like Trail Boss
-------------------Ruger Blackhawk, T/C only---------------------
Nitro 100 7.3 to 8.1 gr. * 1,050 @ 8.1 Max load
(No. 5 11.8 gr.***1,080)* (10.6 to 11.8 MAX/MAX is good range)
(No. 7 14.6 gr.***1,023)* (13.6 to 15.1 MAX is good range)
(No. 9 17.6 gr.***1,180)* (15.8 to 17.6 MAX is good range)
* For Ruger and T/C ONLY !
*** ONLY USE in Ruger, T/C and modern guns. This EXCEEDS MAX LOAD Use at your OWN RISK)
## new Cowboy load from Hodgdon
AA5744 is most consistent powder I have found, point up or down in case before firing.
Less "position sensitive." Titegroup performs well.
New (2005) Trail Boss is very bulky and very consistent.
-----------------------------------------

My favorite is 6.8gr of ETR7 (4 5/8") Vaquero barrels at 768 fps with an SD of 9

[Outpost75]

6.5 of Bullseye, 8 of Unique or 9 of Herco approximate factory velocity with 255-grain lead.

[DougGuy]

Pappy check and see if the boolits you want to load will go through the cylinder throats from the front. If not, you may want to consider having the throats reamed so they don't downsize your boolits every time you fire the gun. It serves no purpose whatsoever to size a boolit to .452" and then shoot it through a .450" or .451" throat.

[bangerjim]

I use 6.5gn of ETR7 for that boolit also. And ETR7 in every other boolit and cal I load!!!!!! Good stuff!

banger

[jcren]

9 of unique is plenty fun. Loaded some for my FIL in his circuit judge. He went from thinking the 45 was a dud (commercial cowboy loads) to hog hunting with it.

[scattershot]

Never heard of ETR7. Who makes it?

[osteodoc08]

Never heard of ETR7. Who makes it?


Expansion Industries

http://expansion-industries.com/etr7-smokeless-pistol-powder-4lb.html

[John Boy]

Never heard of ETR7. Who makes it?
Scattershot, Expansion is a distributor under their label, ETR7. It is Spanish Maxom CSB1 powder. It loads nicely - burns clean and their loading data is close to Titegroup. Read all bout it in this link ...
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?244087-CSB1-powder
There are other links too - search using 'Expansion'

[birddog]

Plinking load for the 45LC has to go to Trail Boss, I love for my loads under the Lee 160gr or the 255 Lee RF.
Just plain fun and the girls shoot them all.
Charlie

[jimb16]

I'm using 8.3 unique behind a 255 gr SWC.

addendum: at 25 yards, I'm keeping them virtually all in the 10 ring. I'm shooting them offhand out of a Ruger Blackhawk.

[Pappy 1]

its pretty funny, I got lots of reloading books Nosler, Hornady, Barnes, Hodgens, Speer and a few more but loads from 200 grains 230, 250,260 on up to 300 grains. I had one very old Lyman book that did have one load for the 255 grain lead bullet, that was it, I was surprised myself.

[Pappy 1]

Well I cans see now there is a lot of reloading data out there. Thanks for the info.

[NC_JEFF]

255 rnfp is prob what I load more than any other boolit besides SWC 38 specials. I think every powder between titegroup and Unique will work in that cartridge but I usually lean toward powders that fill more of the extremely large case of the 45 Colt IE...Unique - Clays

[bedbugbilly]

I use the Lyman 454-190 RNFP - traditional style boolit. Mine are shot out of a 7 1/2" barrel Uberti Cattleman. For that particular boolit, I use either 8.0 gr. of Unique or 6.0 gr. of Red Dot. Both give me an accurate round.

On your Ruger - check your throats as they can be undersize. If you are having issues with accuracy and the throats are the problem . . i.e. undersize of what the bore is . . . DougGuy on this site is well known for his ream jobs that take care of the problem.

EDIT: Somewhere on here there is a link to a PDF version of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd edition. I can't find it but perhaps someone here can post it and help Pappy 1 out?

Pappy 1 - if you don't have a copy of one of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbooks - you need to get one and add it to your library. I have the 2nd and 3rd editions and they are my "Bibles".

[smkummer]

I have used 700X, Red dot and 231 for mild loads and it works great. I use 231, unique and herco for max. pressure colt loads. If I go below about 8 grains unique, my cases get sooty.

[bangerjim]

its pretty funny, I got lots of reloading books Nosler, Hornady, Barnes, Hodgens, Speer and a few more but loads from 200 grains 230, 250,260 on up to 300 grains. I had one very old Lyman book that did have one load for the 255 grain lead bullet, that was it, I was surprised myself.


You got load data for 250. You got load data for 260. Where's the problem? Just split the difference, as long as it is for cast.

All the books you listed are mainly for commercial FMJ's. If you are into casting your own like so many of us do, you really need to put those books on the shelf, let them gather the dust they are worthy of, and buy a Lyman #4 Cast Bullet Handbook ( I have #3 also) as mentioned. It is the bible for cast ONLY! No com-FMJ data in there. Just tons of common cast data for tons of common powders.

banger

[dadeo316]

Www.reloadammo.com. is a useful sight that I use alot.

[Hardcast416taylor]

The original factory load equivalent with a bullet in that weight range was 6.0 gr. of Red Dot powder to give approximately 900 +/- FPS With the newer made Red Dot I have had to bump the charge to 6.3 Gr. to get the same level of FPS. I used both the Lyman mold as well as the similar RCBS mold. My alloy was usually 50/50 or for a long time straight WW. Having taken several Michigan whitetailed deer with this load, I know first handed that it works.Robert

[wrench man]

All I've ever burnt in the 45 Colt is Trailboss, plinking with the Uberti 1873 SAA and two Marlin 1894 Cowboys, it's served me very well!

[dadeo316]

All I've ever burnt in the 45 Colt is Trailboss, plinking with the Uberti 1873 SAA and two Marlin 1894 Cowboys, it's served me very well!
I love trailboss too! Alot of the time it's hard to find. I use it for 45acp 45colt 38spl 44spl and subsonic 308 with cast bullets. I started using it when i couldnt find unique. Now its the go to for almost everything. Its also one of the safest to load.

[doc1876]

I have had good luck with 5g of W231, and I really like the IMR4227. I am using 13g with a Keith 250g lead. I was not impressed with the trail boss.

[dadeo316]

I have had good luck with 5g of W231, and I really like the IMR4227. I am using 13g with a Keith 250g lead. I was not impressed with the trail boss.
Trailboss is a plinker powder.

[Efin]

I like TB in my 45 colt, accurate too, agreed, I'd not load TB for home protection loads, then again that 45 isn't used for home protection.

[doc1876]

Don't even like it for plinking. Had a lot of left over "snowflakes"

[dadeo316]

Don't even like it for plinking. Had a lot of left over "snowflakes"
You can send the rest to me. I cant find any right now!

[wrench man]

I think Trailboss likes to run like ball powders?, at the top of it's range, I tend to run the loads at the top to get the cases to seal the fat chambers of the Marlins.

[Outpost75]

Bullseye was used for factory loads for over 100 years. Current Alliant is very little different than older Hercules. Load 6.5 grains with 255 lead conical Saeco #955 or 7.2 with 230-grain #954 in .45 Colt brass or 5.0 grains with 230-grain #954 in .45 Schofield brass to approximate arsenal or factory ammo. Shoots to the fixed sights of my Colt New Service M1909 and kills stuff...

Been using these loads with SOFT 1:40 tin-lead alloy for 40 years and see no resaon to change.

[Jupiter7]

Bullseye was used for factory loads for over 100 years. Current Alliant is very little different than older Hercules. Load 6.5 grains with 255 lead conical Saeco #955 or 7.2 with 230-grain #954 in .45 Colt brass or 5.0 grains with 230-grain #954 in .45 Schofield brass to approximate arsenal or factory ammo. Shoots to the fixed sights of my Colt New Service M1909 and kills stuff...

Been using these loads with SOFT 1:40 tin-lead alloy for 40 years and see no resaon to change.
My favorite load also, substitute Ideal 454424 at 252grs

[bangerjim]

My usage of TB matches the comments above.........unburned powder out the end of the barrel. It likes to be at darned near 100% loads, like some other powders (H110). Not a light load powder from my many experiences.

It is great if you are just "stuffing" cases and not worrying about the accurate weight of powder, as it is described in many places, including the TB site. I never rely on "per cent fill of case" for load data!

I rarely use TB anymore. Guess I will give my 3 bottles of it to my loadin' buddy locally. Don't even ask!

banger

[glicerin]

My buddies vaquero .45 colt shot low left with 255 grain. Moved into the black with lee 320 rnf with lite load.

[crash87]

I just purchased a Lyman mold 255 grain mold. I was planning on loading some lead bullets for my ruger vaquero 45LC. My reloading books just don't show much information for a 45LC 255 grain bullet. I was looking for some reloading info on this bullet. My plan is to use the pistol just for plinking and having fun shooting it. Any suggestion on powder that is readily available. I use to use Unique powder for my other pistols but I am out, I was told there are better powders out there to use than Unique.

You used to use Unique? Before or after it was "cleaned up"? My one complaint of Unique was that it was a "dirty" powder, but, it was a good powder in my 45 Colts, long, short, in between, whatever we want to knit pick about calling it.
I have had great luck also with Universal also, clean, uniform, no complaints. in fact, my go to powder now.
A while ago when powder was at its lowest stock, ever, I did find and bought 4# of Herco, glad I did, it to has been showing good accuracy and uniformity, Although I havent used it as much as the other 2, yet. Hey I have 4# of the stuff and need to shoot it up.
If you cant find load data for the 45 long Colt, your not looking very hard.
An FYI, do a search and find John Linebaugh's pages on the 45 Colt, my opinion, of course, but it should be on everybody's reading list, who shoots 45 colts, agree with it or not. Oh, & one more thing, his loads with HS6, and 260gr give or take slugs is spot on. Give it a try. Good shooting, now, that you have the knowledge and wisdom, others have bestowed upon you...;-)
Crash87