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View Poll Results: Which powder should I burn up in the 45 Colt?

Voters
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  • IMR PB

    15 32.61%
  • IMR 7625

    4 8.70%
  • IMR 4756

    11 23.91%
  • IMR 800X

    16 34.78%
Multiple Choice Poll.
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Thread: Which powder for 45 Colt?

  1. #81
    Boolit Master GrizzLeeBear's Avatar
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    Zombie thread? Not even close. this thread was started only 3 years ago. I've had one of my threads come back to life after 10 years here! LOL

    The relevance is that the OP has a bunch of these powders and wanted to know if he could use them in the 45 Colt. Larry Gibson and Crow Eater gave the most useful responses.

    I recently picked up a Uberti SAA 45 Colt and was digging through my powder stash and found a almost full can of Dupont PB that came from my late father and found the info. in this thread helpful.

  2. #82
    Boolit Master


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    What he said.
    The details are in the opening post.

    Few gave good responses and a lot told what they would do if they had a completely different set of powder.
    We laughed. We cried. We sang. I’m glad it was bumped up for another go round ����

  3. #83
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    LabGuy's Avatar
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    Poll is fairly useless without including your intended bullet weight.
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  4. #84
    Boolit Master


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    I’ll bite.

    How would your answer vary for scenario
    A 185 grain
    B 255 grain.

  5. #85
    Boolit Buddy
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    4756 is a great powder for the 45 Colt, falling near Power Pistol and Herco for burn rate, and being bulky fills the case very well.

  6. #86
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    georgerkahn's Avatar
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    All my loadings for .45 Colt employ Unique powder. I, too, note that present lack of availability for choices selected, also being disappointed a "NONE OF THESE" check box not being offered. Too, for many (not me ) the bullet size, shape, and its composition would surely determine powder choice. I would be loose with the truth if I did not add I had, in past, used 2400; but, again, in recent years it has exclusively been Unique.
    geo

  7. #87
    Boolit Master


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    The point of the thread in the poll was not to see what you like to use for powder it’s to see what you have experience with if any containing the listed powders.
    It’s not a best scenario situation or a help me with my shopping list. It help me use up what I have left.

    That being said a couple of post back I asked another member given a choice of a 185 grain bullet for a 255 grain bullet would that change the outcome of your choices on the listed powders?

  8. #88
    Boolit Master GrizzLeeBear's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael J. Spangler View Post
    I’ll bite.

    How would your answer vary for scenario
    A 185 grain
    B 255 grain.
    Don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but I just happened to look in my "One Book/One Caliber" load book for the .45 Colt that has datal from all the powder & bullet companies. Both in this book and their online data, Hodgdon lists data for all 4 of these powders from 160 to 260 gr. bullets.

  9. #89
    Boolit Buddy
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    To be honest, I don't know about any of the 4 mentioned, except I've seen loads in manuals for 800X, and 700X is pretty good in the Colt...
    so I voted for it. I could have done a goober search for the other 3, just to pick one.... but the OP could do that just as easily, and draw his own conclusions....
    I voted 800X so I could see the results.... The premise is a good one, though.... these days, we are all sort of stuck with using what we have on hand, so I imagine there are a lot of "innovative" solutions being found.

  10. #90
    Boolit Master Castaway's Avatar
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    There’s a reason Unique’s been around for as long as it has. It just plain works. Works in 45 Colt, 45 ACP, and all the way down to tiny calibers and up to reduced rifle loads. My second vote is a discontinued powder, Win 452 AA. Mild, clean and accurate. A close third is BR-5. It does well, but does NOT use the same load data as Unique. Jeff Bartlett’s advice about using Unique data by weight won’t get you in trouble as it’s a slower powder. If loaded volumetrically, BR 5 is 1.5 times more dense and what would be a 7.9 grain charge of Unique is a 12.1 grain charge of BR5, touchmm no on the hot side. I’ve found BR 5 clean, consistent and accurate in my 45 Colt’s, both pistol and carbine

  11. #91
    Boolit Master
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    4756 use to be my favorite (back when I could get it) for full power 44 Spcl loads in my SAA. Frankly, I could get by with Unique and Bullseye for all of my handgun shooting (9MM thru .44 Mag) these days. In fact Unique is all I use in .45 Colt

  12. #92
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    I’ll bite as well. My vote is for 4756 powder. I have a good stash of 4756 powder and use it for a lot of different calibers. Works great for mid level 45 Colt loads, 44 special, .500 Linebaugh, 500 S&W, and 38 super. Very fluffy and versatile powder. Too bad it’s discontinued.

  13. #93
    Boolit Mold
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    I've been using titegroup powder and still have a couple of pounds left. I've also got some W231 but haven't tried it yet.

  14. #94
    Boolit Master
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    I have the Hogdon #26 loading manual ( bought it used at the lgs ) It has a special silhouette section that has quite a few .45 Colt recipes intended for modern firearms. Being of large case volume, it is a very versatile cartridge both in terms of powder and boolit weights. All avid boolit casters should have a .45 Colt.
    "If everyone is thinking the same thing it means someone is not thinking"

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  15. #95
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    None of the listed powders.Unique,Red Dot,Bullseye. Not in any particular order,whatever I have the most of.
    Old retired guy in Baton Rouge La.

  16. #96
    Boolit Buddy Rusty Goose's Avatar
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    No one uses Trail Boss??

  17. #97
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rusty Goose View Post
    No one uses Trail Boss??
    Lots of folks use Trailboss but, it's been discontinued for a couple years now (when's the last time you've seen some on the shelf of your LGS? If you have it's guaranteed NOS)

    I have 2 good loads, 7.5 gr Unique under 255gr Lee rnfp and 7 gr 231 under the same boolit.

  18. #98
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Y-T71 View Post
    Lots of folks use Trailboss but, it's been discontinued for a couple years now (when's the last time you've seen some on the shelf of your LGS? If you have it's guaranteed NOS)

    I have 2 good loads, 7.5 gr Unique under 255gr Lee rnfp and 7 gr 231 under the same boolit.
    VV Tinstar will act the same.
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  19. #99
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by georgerkahn View Post
    All my loadings for .45 Colt employ Unique powder. I, too, note that present lack of availability for choices selected, also being disappointed a "NONE OF THESE" check box not being offered. Too, for many (not me ) the bullet size, shape, and its composition would surely determine powder choice. I would be loose with the truth if I did not add I had, in past, used 2400; but, again, in recent years it has exclusively been Unique.
    geo
    Most of mine use it too but lately ive switched to 2400 for upper end and Promo for all else. Unique will run the gamet, though and i always have some on hand here and at hunting camp
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

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  20. #100
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by jonp View Post
    VV Tinstar will act the same.
    Act the same as Trailboss? Or Unique/231?

    Is it "fluffy" like Trailboss?

    I'm not familiar with VV powders, I've NEVER seen them in stock locally and I refuse to buy HazMat online.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check