270 grn Loads for Mid Frame Ruger Flattop

[Pistolero49]

Greetings Friends,

I am a new member to Cast Boolits and I am interested in developing some medium power loads for my Lipseys Ruger Flattop 4.62 inch using cast 452-270 grain-SAA Hollow Points and the below listed powders. I could not find a listing for this weight bullet in the new Lyman handbook and I am wondering if I am within a safe margin using the below loads:

452-270-SAA Hollow Points

7.8 grains Unique

6.0 grains Trail Boss

I realize that it is not a good idea to give out specific reloading data, all I need to know if I am on the right track.

Thank you,

[DougGuy]

Hi Pistolero49 and welcome to the forum!

In lieu of posting some links to loads that fit the description of the type of data you are looking for, I will copy and paste from an email that I wrote to the owner of the same exact model of Lipsey's New Model Blackhawk Flattop revolver, the links to Brian Pearce's two articles are pretty good.

As far as the question you asked, 9.5gr of Unique is still below +P levels, so your load would be safe although you might see some sooty cases because that load is not really stout enough to seal the cases in the chambers.



Here is an excellent article on the very gun you have, with load data.

http://buffalobore.net/HandloaderDecJan2012.pdf


(http://buffalobore.net/HandloaderDecJan2012.pdf)
I don't have a lot of the powders Brian Pearce has but it basically goes like this.. With lighter boolits at target velocities, faster burning powder works well. BE here is good. The heavier the boolits get, the slower the burn rate of the powder needs to be! Unique is great up to about 260gr at 900fps. Unique is spiky and unpredictable over 10.0gr in the .45 Colt and I personally will NOT load over 10.0gr of it no matter what boolit weight. I have been using 9.0gr Herco for standard .45 Colt loads with the 454190 boolit.

Here's another fine article by Brian Pearce on the RCBS 270gr LSWC. I am not fond of this boolit but LOTS of ppl are! They can be accurate and are a good choice for hunting.


https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf.

Here's a great article by Sarge on what I call the "Grand Dame Of Metallic Cartridges, the .45 Colt."

http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/the-45-colt-140-years-of-success/

(http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/the-45-colt-140-years-of-success/)Here is John Linebaugh's fine article on the .45 Colt, with loads listed. Pay attention to his starting loads. Although your gun is rated to .45 ACP+P pressures from Ruger, which is 23,000psi, I do not think 25,000psi would hurt it in any way. I would not shoot 30,000psi loads in it but I bet John Linebaugh would. Hey he's a custom gunsmith so what would he have to lose by risking it to find out? Nothing. Personally I would hate to see that sweet sixgun tested that far.

http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm


For hunting, you want a boolit you can dig a thumbnail into, soft lube, preferrably a RF nose, and slow burning magnum powder. H110 is good but do NOT download this below published minimum starting weights. 2400 and LilGun would be really good under the RF boolit for hunting, loaded to the 23,000psi level.

This is from Hodgdon, don't use the top load as these are large frame Ruger only loads. I think you could back off the LilGun to 18.0gr and have a safe load:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/Hodgdon-45LC260gr_zps494ddf3b.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/Hodgdon-45LC260gr_zps494ddf3b.jpg.html)

More from Hodgdon, this is for LilGun powder with WLP primers. Again, you could get by with some of these starting loads:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/RugerOnly45ColtDataLilGun_zpsb7f8391f.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/RugerOnly45ColtDataLilGun_zpsb7f8391f.jpg.html)

Pay CLOSE attention to the suggested seating depth, overall length, as you tranport load data to a different style or weight of boolit, it is important NOT to reduce case capacity by seating a boolit with a longer profile to the same overall length as a shorter boolit. You have to figure out where the base of the boolit will sit in the case, and make sure you don't go lower in the case without compensating the charge weight.

[Pistolero49]

DougGuy,

I appreciate all the information.

[ddixie884]

Good stuff, thanx.

[runfiverun]

I doubt I can add anything to Doug's post.

so i'll throw in a welcome to the site.

[Pistolero49]

runfiverun,
Thank you. There is sure a whole lot of great info here.