45 colt?

[Tackleberry41]

I am trying to find a good load to run some XTP thru a 45 colt. I know they are for a ACP, and no crimp groove. I have several boxes of the XTP, and a tool to cut a crimp groove. Issue is consistent results. Am I chasing my tail trying to get loads to not have 100fps extreme spread? I know its not simply variations in powder charges, as Im using a jewelers scale so 7.5gr of bullseye is 7.5gr, within .01gr. I made up some loads yesterday using the FTX bullets, but ruger level. 13.0gr of 800x had all of 8.65fps spread low to high. Is it just the nature of standard pressure 45 colt loads? These are for a Uberti break top, 7.4gr of titegroup had 122.3fps spread. Universal wasnt any better, nor was unique. Bullseye was 97.14fps extreme spread.

[DougGuy]

Sell or swap the XTPs in the swapping and selling sub forum?

One other thing.. With an unloaded gun, cock the hammer and drop a pencil down the bore on the eraser end. Point the barrel upwards. Pull the trigger and observe how high the pencil flies. A decent 1911 will fling it 6-8 FEET out the muzzle, most revolvers not quite that much, but my Uberti had issues with spread going all over the place. At first mine wouldn't even clear the barrel with the pencil. Uberti sent a factory replacement spring which did the same thing. It wasn't until SilverJackHammer sent me a Colt "Cobra" SAA spring that it fixed it.

[Tackleberry41]

Not like I cant use the xtp in anything else, just wanted to find some sort of jacketed load for the gun, without buying anything. And an excuse to use that cannelure tool I bought. Guess just not going to be able to come up with a jacketed load with some decent and consistent velocity for this gun.

Its not the hammer spring, already fixed that soon after I bought it.

Maybe its just the large case combined w the low pressure. The high pressure stuff I load for my blackhawk is always so consistent in velocity.

[DougGuy]

I'm using 9.0gr Herco in my std. pressure 45 Colt loads, under a 454190 and it seems to do quite well. Just b/c something is copper covered shouldn't mean you can't find a decent load for it unless there is something wrong somewhere that dictates no matter what load, this bullet and this barrel just do not want to hunt.

[Outpost75]

It would really help to know what weight of XTP bullet you are trying to shoot. I've not had any luck with XTPs lighter than 230-grains in the .45 Colt. The 230-grainers do work well with 7.2-7.5 grains of Bullseye and approximate .45 ACP+P velocity from the 4-5/8" Ruger and are very accurate in the cylinder which DougGuy reamed for me. I have found ballistic uniformity is better with the faster suitable powders.

[Tackleberry41]

They are the 200gr. Maybe thats it, just not enough weight to make things stable.

[USSR]

No need for a crimp groove with 200gr ACP bullets and light loads. Just taper crimp them like I do.

Don

[paul h]

My swag is that the nature of the large 45 colt case, light for caliber bullets and the low pressure loads is that you're going to have velocity swings like that. I'd suggest either cutting some brass back to 45 auto rim length and using 45 acp loads, or step up to a 230 or 250 gr bullet to get more consistent burning in the large case.

I've tried light for caliber bullets in large cases and have never been able to get consistent velocities or top notch accuracy. The solution has been either to step up the pressure and hence velocity, a possibility in guns that can handle the pressure, go to a heavier bullet, or go to a different gun that uses a smaller capacity case.

[DougGuy]

This is the exact reason why I converted a 45 ACP cylinder to 45 Schofield in my second generation Vaquero, so I would have less case capacity than the 45 Colt case. It's worked out quite nicely so far.