Have a Pedersoli Colt Lightning in .45 Colt. I tried shooting some of my handgun loads through it and the accuracy is not real good. I was using a 250 grain cast RNFP with 5.6 grains of Bullseye. This duplicate the War Department loading that was required for the Colt Model 1909 U.S.Army.
My question is what are you using in a 16 inch barreled carbine?
Try a slower powder.
Theory is that a bullet decelerating in the bore is detrimental to accuracy.
A slower powder, and more of it, will generate a larger volume of gas, perhaps enough to avoid the velocity loss
Try a slower powder.
Theory is that a bullet decelerating in the bore is detrimental to accuracy.
A slower powder, and more of it, will generate a larger volume of gas, perhaps enough to avoid the velocity loss
Pretty much everything I have is a pistol powder. Bullseye, Unique, 2400, 700X, Lil Gun, W231, W296, & HP-38.
Was thinking of the 2400. I only load rifle for the M1 Carbine. Everything else is pistols.
I had a 16" Winchester '94 Trapper in .45 Colt for thirty years. I used the same loads in it that I used in a handgun, almost always with the Lyman #454424 255 grain cast SWC design. Some manuals have hotter loads for the carbines. Ken Waters PET LOADS book has an entire comprehensive article devoted to .45 Colt loads in a 16" Trapper.
After .41 Magnum the .45 Colt is my favorite caliber. I have several revolvers, but sadly no long guns chambered in that round.
This thread piqued my interest, so I did some digging in my many loading manuals.
My basic goto is the Lyman manual. Their loading data for .45 handgun and .45 rifle is exactly the same. The only difference is that the rifle data shows higher velocities, which isn't unexpected.
Comparing data for "Ruger Only" loads is similar to the data for "Encore".
Looking at it as a whole, there are many different formulas available. Based on your criteria, it looks like personally I would go with Unique. Lots of good data available.
My favorite goto is Unique, but I have encountered availability issue recently. My R&D in that regard has identified W231 as an alternate. I have tried it in half of my handgun cartridges and it just may be my new goto. There is good published data for it in .44 Colt.
Our Win '92 45 Colt, has a 24" barrel, but I've read that 2400, 4227 and even H110 are used with 250gr leads.
Just tested the rifle's function with BE so far.
Only have 150 Rem cases from the early '80s.
Fired 100 of those factory 255gr loads in our Blackhawk, long ago, and recently the last 50 in the 460.
Have them ready for powder and bullets.
Unique most likely.
Will order some Starline 45 Colt, 45 Super and 44 Mag brass at some point.
Have a 44 Mag '94/16" Winchester but will work up loads when the kids are in town, as it's a gift to go along with the 629/4" that lives in the Rockies.
Data from Lyman's 49th.
Hope it helps.
__________________
Have Fun/Stay Safe
Last edited by Imissedagain; 12-23-2023 at 08:38 PM.
Good luck if you can find 2400 or Unique Unless you stocked up. Look at AA#9, using it in several 10 mm loads that used to use 2400.
The OP listed Unique as one of his inventories. I can't get it either these days, but I have found that W231 / HP 38 is a good alternative, and the availability is good.
I use clays, red dot and clay dot in my 45colts. I run 200 gr lead in my sa Ruger revolvers and 250gr lead in my marlins. This is for CAS loads. Have no idea about hunting or jacketed loads.
I have a pair of the Taurus Thunderbolts which are very similar to the Lightning but they are 26" barrels
I do not hand load ammunition specifically for the longer guns.
For the last 10 or so years, all of my hard cast 45 Long Colt handgun ammunition has been loaded with 231. I had switched from Unique because Unique was MUCH smokier with the lube that I use on my cast projectiles.
The SWC that I cast drops at 255 grains and I use 8 grains of 231 with it. I did get a supply of the Berrys 250 FP to try out and found it no better or worse accuracy wise in any of the firearms, used the same 8 grain load
This load shoots very well for me in the 16" Marlin that I converted into a take down
I have loaded the 300 grain XTP with 22.5 grains of H110, but I have only shot that in my Smith & Wesson revolvers. It would be safe in all the longer guns, I just have not tried it
I also have some coated 325s that I want to use as a subsonic round for the Thunderbolt. I just have not gotten around to threading the rifle's barrel yet. I had my friends at Taurus send me a spare barrel for the stainless Thunderbolt so O would always have the option to change it back to original if I wanted
I have had a Winchester model 1892 carbine (Miroku gun).
Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ
Have a Pedersoli Colt Lightning in .45 Colt. I tried shooting some of my handgun loads through it and the accuracy is not real good. I was using a 250 grain cast RNFP with 5.6 grains of Bullseye. This duplicate the War Department loading that was required for the Colt Model 1909 U.S.Army.
My question is what are you using in a 16 inch barreled carbine?
For about ten years. I have been running a business round of a three hundred grain Hornady XTP on top of 20 Grains of Winchester 296 powder. I would be willing to go after anything East of the Mississippi with it as a game round.
More recently I use the same round out of my Miroku 20" 1892 short rifle and my Uberti Low wall in .45 Colt. A very accurate round out of all of these guns.
I'm using 700X in my .45 Colt loads with Xtreme plated 250 gr. FP bullets. Shoots great in my revolvers (even though I have unburned powder left over) and my 24" Uberti 1873. I have also had good results with 231 and cast 255 grainers.
Here is the basic guide line I use for MODERN S&W 45 colts.
I BACK OFF THEM .5 GR
These are John Linebaugh "starting loads" for Ruger single action 45 colts. I use them because he used test barrels to develop his loads and give actual Pressures.
Ruger cylinders are actually the same diameter as N frame S&W cylinders. Ruger does have the advantage of a slightly offset stop notch.
If a model 25 in acp will handle 45acp+P, one in 45 colt will handle these and so should a modern carbine
I rebuilt my wife’s carbine into a trapper. Turned out nice. Run the same ammo in both.Fringe is gone. Added a saddle ring to eliminate the safety. Also added a carbine rear sight. It will hold 10 Schofield loads. If I could get it to run 45CS loads I would seriously think about making it into a true Trapper and sbr it. The top rifle is a Cowboy Ltd with a 24 inch barrel.
Last edited by Baltimoreed11754; 12-25-2023 at 12:27 PM.
I use my cast 250 gr SWC pushed by 8.5 grs of Unique in both my long and short 45LC's.........Works great.......Believe you load is way too light with Bullseye.....Change powder. Up the charge and your stars will align.
11.2 gr of RedDot/255 SWC in my Winchester trapper
I don't think so. That is way over anything I have ever heard of and I don't load much on the mild side. That is 3.5 gr over the 6.7 (150+%) in my Speer #11
Lindbaugh lists 12 gr of Unique at 30,000 CUP (27,600psi) with a 260 gr SWC and Red Dot is way faster than Unique. Most loads use at least 25% less Red Dot than Unique.
Last edited by steelslaver; 12-25-2023 at 12:56 PM.
11.2 gr of RedDot/255 SWC in my Winchester trapper
I use a program called Quick Load. According to that program your loading is considered dangerous. I have to drop the charge down to 5.0 grains until it is considered safe.
My utility/ Cowboy Action load for 45 Colt is 6.7 WW231/Hp-38, 200-220 cast RNFP with WLP primers. Feeds great in Marlin 1894 and Winchester/Rossi 92's. It's also very manageable in 4-inch and 5.5-inch Vaqueros (as well as SAA clones). About 850 fps from handgun. I shot tens of thousands of them! No leading! Does not vibrate the gun apart. A little dirty, rifle actions NEED detail cleaned every 3000 rounds or end of season, whichever comes first.
I don't think so. That is way over anything I have ever heard of and I don't load much on the mild side. That is 3.5 gr over the 6.7 (150+%) in my Speer #11
Lindbaugh lists 12 gr of Unique at 30,000 CUP (27,600psi) with a 260 gr SWC and Red Dot is way faster than Unique. Most loads use at least 25% less Red Dot than Unique.
11.2 gr of RedDot/255 SWC in my Winchester trapper
Quote:
Originally Posted by steelslaver
I don't think so. That is way over anything I have ever heard of and I don't load much on the mild side. That is 3.5 gr over the 6.7 (150+%) in my Speer #11
Lindbaugh lists 12 gr of Unique at 30,000 CUP (27,600psi) with a 260 gr SWC and Red Dot is way faster than Unique. Most loads use at least 25% less Red Dot than Unique.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ
I use a program called Quick Load. According to that program your loading is considered dangerous. I have to drop the charge down to 5.0 grains until it is considered safe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dio
Correct, I mispoke..,11.2 gr of AA#5
The AA#5 loading that you give is also to hot. 9.8 of AA#5 is about as hot as the program suggests.
PM me if you want and I will give you the data the program provides including chamber pressures.
Be very careful of what you post here. Someone may take it as gospel and try it. Could cause serious injury, loss of a firearm or............
I have tested over 30 different powder/bullet combinations over the years in my Uberti '73 Deluxe, 30" and the most accurate of all was a load using 8 grains Unique and a 255g RNFP. Averages 1130 fps and shoots 2.5" groups at 100 yards. It is the one below, except I added a Lyman tang sight.
I have a rossi 92 , 16" barrel and have shot John Linebaughs load using 8.0 grs of W231/ HP-38 with complete satisfaction . Accuracy was good , plenty of down range punch and yes--- clean shooting . I used a LEE 255 gr RNFP cast bullet . Paul
.45 Colt loading for a carbine??
Linear Mode
