1000fps loads for 45colt

[6bg6ga]

I'm glad that you have found heavy loads that are accurate. However, in some hands this is not the case. I've seen many people that do start to flinch and these are people that have been into shooting for years. I seem to have that problem with every 44 mag that I pick up. Maybe its the idea that is Dirty Harrys favorite caliber or maybe its because the loads were at maximum and I'm not used to a unfamiliar gun.

[35 Whelen]

I'm glad that you have found heavy loads that are accurate. However, in some hands this is not the case. I've seen many people that do start to flinch and these are people that have been into shooting for years. I seem to have that problem with every 44 mag that I pick up. Maybe its the idea that is Dirty Harrys favorite caliber or maybe its because the loads were at maximum and I'm not used to a unfamiliar gun.

"Heavy", where it pertains to handgun loads is highly relative. A 255 gr. bullet at 1000 fps would hardly qualify as heavy to most handgunners when the subject is of .44 and .45 caliber handgun loads. Understand I'm not promoting them but like the OP I like a hunting load running around 1000 fps. My own 45 Colt hunting load uses a 280 gr. SWCHP running 1060 fps and while that type velocity isn't necessary the particular load is, most important, very accurate and at that speed and due to the alloy used, should promote expansion. Win, win!
I completely agree that heavy loads can cause flinching and for the most part are unnecessary especially in the case of rounds such as the .44 Magnum. But as we all know, every handgunner living east of Colorado thinks he needs to be prepared to defend himself from a bear attack!

35W

[6bg6ga]

I bought one simply so I could shoot with my brother that has a 44 mag. My 25-5 S&W seems to handle full house loads very well and I don't flinch with it. I don't however wish to punish it with heavy loads. I think the Super Blackhawk 44 mag I bought is more suited for the heavier loads and higher velocities but then again I am no expert with either caliber. But then again we bring back the arguement of the larger caliber being better and another arguement of speed vers mass and its unending. I think either caliber would bring down a bear with sub 1000fps loads but then again one doesn't want to take a chance.

[Old Two Wars]

A 45 colt NM Vaquero 5.5 bbl with 255 lee LFN and 7gr reddot will kill a bear with a good shot.

[Harter66]

I've been out in the weeds ........but that's why I had a NM Ruger BlackHawk .

Nearly all of the SAA styled guns built in the last 30 years were offered with a 45 ACP option in 45 Cal .
Any of those will be fine with anything under 20kpsi because they will eat a steady diet of 21-23 kpsi .

I ran the BlackHawk up a few times and found I didn't need all of that .
Ranch dog sent me some QL data with H322 under a custom .453-350 RF held to 20 kpsi the start load went 1240 fps in the 16" carbine , the next step up was 625 fps in the 7.5" RBH .

Held to 1050 in the Carbine at distances from powder burn to 50 yd the 454424 round groove Lyman or NOE version , 452-255 or 452-252 in weights 250-265 gr will all leave 2 holes in 2-3 feet of hog .

9.0 Unique should get you there .

Seek out a Speer manual and read Why Ballisticians get grey and look at the table provided . Yes it show a 357 load but the story doesn't change .

Barrel length , head space , throat , forcing cone , cylinder gap , actual chamber dimensions , brass sizing , cases , powder lots , primers ,groove dia , twist rate , bore dia all play a roll .

The 7.5" BlackHawk got me 1050 fps with data in the overlap top of Colts loads and the bottoms of Ruger .

[hc18flyer]

My .45 Colt Blackhawk with a 290 grain wfn at 1050fps works GREAT on Nebraska whitetails! Easy on the shooter and punches a big hole! I used 17.5 Alliant 2400 for my hunting load. I have a hollow point mold, pretty sure it isn't needed for .45 Colt, at my ranges. YMMV hc18flyer

[ddixie884]

Cool...........

[smkummer]

When ever the subject come up about a certain milestone velocity point, I remember in my youth “shooting” for that. My chronograph is on the blink but I seem to recall that 9-9.3 grains unique ( Alliant now says up to 9.5 unique with hornandys swagged 250 grain bullet as max.) and Lyman’s 454190 (250 grain) gets over 950 fps in my 7 1/2” barrel colt SAA including new service and new frontier. I can sometimes hit a 24” square metal plate at 200 yards with it. From the noise and movement it makes on 100 yard steel ( easy to hit), I have no doubt it would clean shoot through a deer, human or pig.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have used 20 gr IMR4227 with the Lyman 454424 in a Hawes (Sauer&Son) 5.5" and a 3-screw Blackhawk 7.5", both 45 Colt meeting the 1000fps and outstanding accuracy in the Hawes, Blackhawk was just OK with any loads, did not fool with the Blackhawk, too heavy and big for a comfortable belt gun in the back country. Miss the Hawes, a Colt clone.

[mainiac]

452460,,205grs,7.3 reddot
Does 1000 and shoots in a ragged hole,out of 7.5 inch bisley.

[oldsalt444]

My 1873 replica will only handle standard pressure loads (under 14k cup). I can still get 1000 fps with a 160 gr. SWC over 7.0 gr. Titegroup with only 9k cup.

Lee Reloading Manual #2 has lots of data meeting your requirements.

[Alferd Packer]

What old salt 444 said.

[Tripplebeards]

I worked up some “tier 2” loads with HS-6 and a group buy 280 grain HP I casted up. Don’t remember the load data…I’d have to look it up. Doug guy helped me with it. The data was in an old hand loader magazine as well. Never did shoot them out of my new vaquero. IMO the fixed sight issue handicaps me of really making a true hunting pistol out of it. I use the pistol for what’s designed to do…plink. I have other “hunting” pistols with red dots and adjustable sight for hunting.

BYW, so far my most accurate load so far hits POA at 25 yards. It’s using 5.2 grains of trailboss, a magnum primer, and a lee 255 grain boolit loaded long. Average velocity is 585 fps. It seems anything hotter opens up my groups and POA rises about 4/6” at 25 yards. I believe the pistol was designed for cowboy plinking at low velocity cowboy loads only and so far the ladder tests I have tried as proven it. It doesn’t like to group at higher velocities.

[Tripplebeards]

Here the link to my thread with the magazine article of Brian Peirce's load data.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...i-45-colt-data

[jaguarxk120]

One of the best places to look for loading data is
John Taffins book of the 45.
If it is 45 caliber out of a hand gun it's in that book.

[jonp]

Since my original post 8yrs(?) ago I've done more 45lc shooting. If I want to try out these high fps loads I go here for advice https://www.johnlinebaughcustomsixguns.com/writings

CAUTION: Read the entire thing before you start and pay attention to what revolvers he is using. I've approached top end with several of these loadings with my Blackhawk without any signs of trouble but I'm not recommending them. However, Linebaugh knows more about this type of stuff than 99.9% of the people out there so might be a good person to pay attention to.

[Old Two Wars]

Myself, I prefer to enjoy shooting my 45 Colts. I settled on the duplication load of 6.5 gr. of Red Dot with a 255 gr. wheel weight alloy bullet at about 900 +/- fps. It must be lethal seeing how it has accounted for a 4 pt. whitetail deer at 35 yds. with only 1 shot. If I need more than this load I uncase the .44 mag. that I have worked up loads that are way past the 1000 fps mark.Robert

Nice doe i got with a rossi circuit judge 160 grain lee flat point 7 gr red dot around 50 yd shot complete pass through behind the front sholders folded up nicely.