Lee .45 300 grain RNFP GC load for S&W 25-5 .45 Colt

[Gray Fox]

I've got a nice 4" S&W 25-5 in .45 Colt that I'd like to load a reasonable load to carry in the NE Georgia mountains for black bear protection, not 50 yard hunting shots. A young man took one last year that weighed over 600 lbs. with a crossbow, but obviously most of them aren't that size. I'd like to load the Lee 300 grain RNFP GC boolit to a pressure and velocity that is reasonable, not Ruger level. I want to keep the gun and my aging wrists in good shape. I have Win 296 and Aliant 2400 to play with and welcome any reasonable suggestions. GF

[DougGuy]

2400 and LilGun would load to the warm end of things without getting into the 30kpsi loads. According to Seyfried, the model 25 will take the Ruger Only loads, but it doesn't take an astrophysicist to see there is a LOT of differences in the size and thickness of the cylinders between the S&W and the Ruger. John Linebaugh wrote an excellent article on the Model 25-5 but it was on handloads.com and all I get are 404 errors trying to find it.

Max loads of H110 only get me 1000fps out of a 4 5/8" Vaquero, and they are wrist snappers and will draw blood on the innocent and undoctrinated. Might I suggest a lighter boolit such as an LBT 250gr WFN GC, or something with the wide meplat around 280gr? The Lee C452-300RF goes 320gr cast in 50/50+2% lubed and checked here.

[Gray Fox]

Well, I sorted through my mold box and came up with a near new RCBS 270 SAA that might be interesting, and I've cast the Lee 255 RNFP boolit for years and it is a good one, too coated with 45-45-10. I think Linebaugh's daily carry load was a 250 SWC over 8.0 0f 231 which I have shot quite a few of the 255s using that load from a Rossi 20" carbine. Perhaps I really don't need anything else. GF

[onelight]

Here is a link to an article for a Ruger flat top you may find helpful.
http://buffalobore.net/HandloaderDecJan2012.pdf

[Tom W.]

That RCBS 270- SAA casts a boolit a bit heavier than advertised. You'll love it. I have one and found it to be the most accurate in my SBH that I used to own.

[Gray Fox]

Onelight: Thank you for the Handloader article. It has lots of useful info, especially milder loads my wife will like. GF

[onelight]

Your welcome. That mod.25 sounds like a great choice. Let us know how it shoots.

[StrawHat]

A Linebaugh article on the 45 long Colt.

https://www.johnlinebaughcustomsixguns.com/writings

Kevin