45 colt Cowboy Loads

[Bnt55]

I have a couple of new to me Uberti Cattlemen that I want to work up some cowboy loads for. If I just use the start grains in the books, is that considered "cowboy" loads?

[Soundguy]

Cowboy loads are generally lead round nose and low pressure. You can always load trail boss and be super safe and low recoil.

[G W Wade]

The best thing to do is go down in bullet weight. Maximum of 200 gr but 160 is popular. hodgdon has a cowboy load chart available, Universal- HP38- Titegroup- Clays and Trail Boss are great. PM me your number and I will send your pictures of my copy. GW

[shootinfox2]

200 gr RNFP .452
4.5-5 gr Promo
Winchester WLP

[pworley1]

This might help.
https://dilloncdn.com/bluepress/sept_09_p61_45colt.pdf

[Sam Sackett]

I have been using 4.5 of Red Dot behind either a 200 RF or a 230 TC bullet in a 45 Colt casing. Recoil is very manageable for cowboy action and it’s heavy enough not to be too dirty. I think most powders in that burn range would work about the same. Clays, Promo, Bullseye, etc.

My experience only. YMMV.

Sam Sackett

[shaner]

Check factory reloading manuals. Most have a cowboy load section. MD. Smith reloading pages have some good loads too

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[Bnt55]

This might help.
https://dilloncdn.com/bluepress/sept_09_p61_45colt.pdf

Thanks for the read. Problem is I do not have any of the afore mentioned powders. I do have a bunch of 2400/4350/3031/231/lil gun/WSF/WST/HS6/748/AA Superfield/BLC-2/4831. I will be working up a load for a 200 gr boolit.

I will look in my reloading manuals to see what I can come up with. Does anyone slug a bore when dealing with a western pistol such as the Uberti colt clone to come up with correct boolit diameter or is that not necessary with low velocity loads?

[shaner]

https://reloadammo.com/45-colt-load-data/
Try these. The 231 will make a decent load. Not great but decent lol

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[G W Wade]

231 is same as HP38 Try 6.0 gr GW

[veeman]

4.8 WST is my all time favorite in my 1911's. which is what a 45 CS is. an ACP with a rim.

[Froogal]

200 grain round nose flat point over 8.5 grains of Unique is what I use for cowboy action shooting. I experimented with the powder, started at the lowest amount, which I think was 8.2 grains, and tried the max load which is 9.2 if I remember right. Settled on 8.5.

Tried some Trail Boss, and also some Longshot. Both of those worked just fine. I settled on Unique simply because I had a good supply.

[Larry Gibson]

Most cowboy action SASS competitors who use the 45 Colt cartridge use a 160 to 200 gr bullet loaded down with fast burning powders [Bullseye, N32C, N310, N320, WST, Red Dot, etc.] to 550 to 650 fps as mentioned above. In competition all the targets are within 25 yards with most of the handgun targets being within 10 - 15 yards. The targets are relatively large, so accuracy isn't the top priority, speed is. Thus, the less recoil within reason your load gives the faster you can shoot.

I suggest using the WSF or WST powder you have with the 200 gr bullet. Suggest you start with 5.5 gr with either powder, chronograph if you can, and try 6 gr and 6.5 gr.

[Bnt55]

Thanks fellas! I will try out some of the ideas you gave me when the new guns arrive. I wanted to stay within the powders I had on hand due to the problematic nature of this economy. I have 4 lbs of Lil Gun that I might be able to trade for some red dot or something similar, not sure why I ever bought Lil Gun come to think of it....maybe it was for the 45 colt marlin, I can't remember LOL.

[Froogal]

Most cowboy action SASS competitors who use the 45 Colt cartridge use a 160 to 200 gr bullet loaded down with fast burning powders [Bullseye, N32C, N310, N320, WST, Red Dot, etc.] to 550 to 650 fps as mentioned above. In competition all the targets are within 25 yards with most of the handgun targets being within 10 - 15 yards. The targets are relatively large, so accuracy isn't the top priority, speed is. Thus, the less recoil within reason your load gives the faster you can shoot.

I suggest using the WSF or WST powder you have with the 200 gr bullet. Suggest you start with 5.5 gr with either powder, chronograph if you can, and try 6 gr and 6.5 gr.

I will agree on the handgun targets being within 10-15 yards, but for NCOWS, our rifle targets start at about 25 yards and go on out to maybe 80-100 yards.

[ABJ]

We just finished testing around a dozen different Uberti's and Ruger's in 45 colt. We were looking for a universal load for all of them. Not for formal CAS shoots but informal steel clanging from 25 to 130 yds. We wanted the most accurate load that hit 750 ish out of 4.75" barrels. So our loads are a little fast for CAS but still pretty soft. We had the most of titegroup powder so 90 % was tested with it.
The universal load that shoot in every gun was an actual weight of 245 grain, round flat, using either 5.7 or 5.9 grains of titegroup.
We did test other powders on a smaller scale and I am confident I could get any of the normal fast shotgun/pistol powder to equal the titegroup. Keep in mind we were looking for economy $$$ and soft to med. recoil.
Tony

[Bnt55]

We just finished testing around a dozen different Uberti's and Ruger's in 45 colt. We were looking for a universal load for all of them. Not for formal CAS shoots but informal steel clanging from 25 to 130 yds. We wanted the most accurate load that hit 750 ish out of 4.75" barrels. So our loads are a little fast for CAS but still pretty soft. We had the most of titegroup powder so 90 % was tested with it.
The universal load that shoot in every gun was an actual weight of 245 grain, round flat, using either 5.7 or 5.9 grains of titegroup.
We did test other powders on a smaller scale and I am confident I could get any of the normal fast shotgun/pistol powder to equal the titegroup. Keep in mind we were looking for economy $$$ and soft to med. recoil.
Tony

My ubertis are 5.5" and 7.5" and I am in the same boat as you guys, I don't shoot SASS but would like to have a mild load that is fun and as accurate as I am (which isnt that great). I will play around with the WST and the 231 as well as a couple of different bullet weights. I was really in the market for a new vaquero but I couldn't justify the expense, so I bought 2 Ubertis cheaper than one vaquero.

[ABJ]

Bnt55-Check your load books on the WST and 231 for my stated velocity for each powder and you should find what your looking for. FYI the 750 on 4.75 goes a little over 800 in our 7.5" and under 1000 maybe a little over in our rifles. We did get some accurate lighter loads in some of the guns but we were looking for one that shot good in all of them. Easier on the reloader(me). All our Ruger's are Blackhawks but most shooters preferring the Uberti's after they have played with all of them. The one exception is a Ruger flat top in 44 special. Everyone likes it. The second most popular is any of the Bisley grip guns, Uberti or Ruger. I am perfectly happy with my Uberti's.
Tony

[jonp]

200 gr RNFP .452
4.5-5 gr Promo
Winchester WLP

With all LP, that's a good bet I've used several pounds of Promo with

[farmbif]

if you could get some unique I think you will find it very useful. here is link to Alliant powder cowboy load data

https://www.alliantpowder.com/reload...aspx?gtypeid=5