45 colt loads with longshot

[JT78]

I see that hodgdon shows load data for Ruger only loads in 45 colt. I have a Ruger Blackhawk Bisley 7.5 barrel. I am using a Missouri 255gr Keith style swc cast boolit just wondering if anyone has loaded cast with longshot in 45 colt? What worked well for you? My cylinder is already honed to .4525.
I also was wondering if it is safe to down load longshot by a little meaning .5 - 1.0 grain less than hodgdon shows? I know not to download with H110 and the window with it is so small I figured I'd try longshot. Only other powders I have on hand are unique and CFE pistol. Thanks for any input y'all have.

[badguybuster]

I tried Longshot in 45 acp and it was awful. Incredibly loud , huge flash and lots of recoil.

[beezapilot]

Longshot in a .44 mag was OK in a revolver, seemed pretty snappy... smoked like a black powder load in a Marlin lever gun.

[Duke3026]

I use it for the 480 Ruger, and really like it. I have some loaded for the 454, but haven’t tested it yet with 325’s.

[kingrj]

I would think that you can get great results from Longshot in the .45 Colt with 255 grain cast bullets! I use 11 grains of PowerPistol under a 255 grain Keith type cast SWC for an honest 1050 fps from a 4 and a half inch Ruger Blackhawk. Longshot is just slightly slower than PowerPistol so a little more powder might need to be used. I have chronographed my .45 Super Auto with both Longshot and PowerPistol using a cast 255 FRN bullet. 7.8 grains of PowerPistol gave 1030 fps and 8 grains of Longshot gave 1020 fps. Note that the loads I gave are WELL OVER industry standard pressures and I am NOT recommending you use them...Proceed with caution...

[JAC43]

In his Pet Loads article (HL #320), Brian Pearce listed a couple standard pressure loads (14k psi) with Longshot...and only with the RCBS 270 SAA. I think Longshot has kind of high ES at low pressure in 45 Colt and 44 Spl, it tends to even out a little as the pressure rises.

[black mamba]

Longshot is an interesting powder. Most of the burn rate charts list it much slower than its charge weights would indicate. One chart has it slower than Blue Dot, yet a standard 45 Colt load with the Speer 260 JHP shows 13.0 gr. of Blue Dot @ 14 kcup, while Longshot is only shown in the Ruger Only section of Hodgdon's RDC with 12.7 gr. being max at 30 kcup, clearly a much faster burn rate. Another burn rate chart shows Longshot on the same row (similar burn rate) as 2400 and Accurate 4100, which loads are double the charge weights of Longshot.

To JAC43's point about low pressures, Hodgdon's loads for 45 Colt don't even list Longshot for standard loads, and the starting loads in the Ruger Only section are at an average of 22 kcup. I don't think it's dangerous at lower charges, just inconsistent. My own observations place it between Power Pistol and Accurate #5, right along side N340.

[Eddie Southgate]

I use it in .32 S&W Long with 100g lead and also in .38 Spl with the 135 g GDHP , works like a champ in both . My powder of choice in .45 Colt is and always will be Unique. After Unique it would be either Red Dot or Herco . Use the Unique.

[JT78]

So I did a ladder test and loaded 5 rounds @ 11.6,11.8,12,+12.2gr of longshot and shot them. Absolutely no pressure issues, I did start to get some lead streaking on the last round of 12.2gr all rounds held decent for accuracy. The first round of 11.6 was a little dirty on the outside of the brass. It's definitely got a lot more kick than my standard pressure loads at 12,000cup not sure I will continue to pursue this powder for full power loads tho. Also the recoil wasn't too bad but I'm not recoil sensitive.