45 Colt hunting loads

chiefdave

chiefdave

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Old age and arthritis have forced me to go with a somewhat less powerful (less felt recoil) cartridge for handgun hunting. I picked up a 28-2/45 Colt conversion for about half the price of a nice 25-5 and would like to know what others are using for whitetail. I'm not a big fan of cast bullets although they are up to the task. Powers on hand are HS6, H110, 296, Tite Group, Unique and 20/28. Bullets pretty much none with canalures but I live 30 miles from Sierra and can buy in bulk from their outlet store. Maybe something 220-250 gr @ 1100fps.
 

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If you want to use jacketed the Sierra 240 gr. JHP is a good bullet for white tails. The 250 Hornady XTP is pretty good too, as is the Nosler 250 JSP. Midway has Noslers is stock. With jacketed bullets you will probably have to use H110/296 to get to 1100 fps. You may get there with HS6, but I've never used it with anything but lead.

Dan
 
You will probably have less felt recoil with the 220 gr bullets and a jacket 250 is pushing a 45 colt at 1100fps. But even at 1000fps a 250gr colt is going to do the job, Not much need for expansion when you start out with a bullet that big. 23 gr of H110 should get you there with a 250gr bullet. Some guys worry about S&W in 45 colt. I have no reason to believe loads in the same pressure as 45 acp +P are a problem.

But here is a question about your gun, Is the cylinder a reamed 357 mag cylinder or a reamed 44 mag or a 25-5 or later cylinder. The later are about 0.10 longer than 357 or 25-3 cylinders and you have more case capacity when seated out further and some longer bullets need the extra length.

In an event for white tail or even big mule deer a 220-250 cast or jacketed is going to do the job even at 1000fps with no problems if you do your part
 
I use the hornday 250 xtp with a near max load of 2400, win lp primer, lee factory crimp. In a sw 25-5, very accurate load.

Sent from my ME301T using Tapatalk
 
steelslaver said:
You will probably have less felt recoil with the 220 gr bullets and a jacket 250 is pushing a 45 colt at 1100fps. But even at 1000fps a 250gr colt is going to do the job, Not much need for expansion when you start out with a bullet that big. 23 gr of H110 should get you there with a 250gr bullet. Some guys worry about S&W in 45 colt. I have no reason to believe loads in the same pressure as 45 acp +P are a problem.

But here is a question about your gun, Is the cylinder a reamed 357 mag cylinder or a reamed 44 mag or a 25-5 or later cylinder. The later are about 0.10 longer than 357 or 25-3 cylinders and you have more case capacity when seated out further and some longer bullets need the extra length.

In an event for white tail or even big mule deer a 220-250 cast or jacketed is going to do the job even at 1000fps with no problems if you do your part
Click to expand...
The cylinder is 1.618", the one on my 25-7 is 1.678". Was told it was the original cylinder bored out. Thanks for the input.
 
Sounds like they reamed out the original cylinder . Ok , no big deal just don't push it real hard . I would suggest skipping H110 loads . You really shouldn't be taking 100 yd shots anyway so why push it ? Unique will do just fine with a 250 gr bullet , jacketed / cast etc . I would load some with 8.5grs and some @ 9.0 and see which one suits you best . The 8.5 should have a velocity of about 850 fps , 9.0 grs should reach about 900 fps . Either one will more and kill a thin skin deer . I would not exceed 9.0 grs .
I will tell you than 7.5 grs of W231 / HP38 / Ramshot Zip with a 250 gr bullet will easily exceed your expectations and will be easy on the gun . Regards , Paul
 
On the length. A 28-2 cylinder is recessed and if the recesses were left when it was reamed, the effective length of the cylinder is actually near the 0.10 I mentioned. The only time I have had a problem with this is using my 255 gr cast swc. When crimped at the normal crimp groove they are a bit to long and stick out the end of the cylinder enough that they won't work. Seating them deeper would increase the pressure. But, it keeps my hotter loads out of my converted Brazilian and my 455 triple lock reamed to 45 colt. I don't know any reason a reamed 28-2 cylinder would be weaker than a longer 25-5 or later cylinder.but in some instances the loss of case capacity due to seating depth restrictions could change pressures with some of the longer bullets. But why push it. A 900-1000fps .452 heavy bullet is going to make a big hole and either go all the way through or lodge in the far side.
 
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OK, here's my soultion.

Flammable dirt - Unique.

255g RNFP over 9g to be specific.

The thing about Unique is with that bullet, 7g gives you 700fps, 8g gives you 800fps, 9g gives you 900fps (original BP load).

See the pattern?

If you can't get 'er done with a 255g RNFP @ 900fps, you need a rifle.

Moderate speed big bullets are VERY effective.
 
I have killed a number of whitetails with the .45 Colt cartridge. It's been my experience that jacketed bullets don't expand in the deer. That's soft points and hollow points, even out of a 20" barrel. Maybe with more velocity, but around 1200 fps out of a 7.5 inch Blackhawk with a 250 or 260 gr bullet is my comfort level. I settled on using a 260 gr lead flat point with a gas check and the appropriate amount of H110 behind it and haven't been disappointed yet.
 
A nice cast 240-250gr bullet at 900 FPS is all you need for whitetail.

Folks love to imagine expanding bullets actually expanding in handguns. Pretty rare in my experience unless you have a pretty fragile bullet at substantial handgun velocities.

As long as you’re not shooting at 100+ yards, you don’t need over 900 FPS in a 45. Even at long range, the high velocity isn’t for expansion as much as trajectory.

I’ve killed a few mule deer with a 45acp using my ‘everyday’ handloaded 200 gr hard cast swc at around 1,000 fps at ranges under 75 yards. Worked as well as 44 mag factory ammo.
 
I've never been able to get jacketed bullets to expand at pressure levels I am comfortable with in the S&W M25. With a good flat meplat on a 45 cal lead bullet expansion isn't needed. Like others have said a lead bullet at 900 fps in 45 cal is all that is needed. Easy on gun, easy on shooter, not easy on deer!!

A jacketed bullet that doesn't expand is a lot like a round nose bullet.

Dan
 
45 Colt hunting load

In your Smith I would load a 255 gr SWC over 9 gr of Unique, I have used this load since the 70’s in several 45 LC revolvers and have put venison in the freezer with it several times. This load has been my “go to” load in my model 25’s and Ruger 4 5/8 SA for decades. The H110/ 296 loads I use in my 7.5 “ Blackhawk with loads I would not stuff into a Smith. The 9 gr of Unique and a big flat faced Hard cast SWC will do anything you want to do on deer, provided you put the bullet where it needs to go. I also own a converted M28 in 45LC and these loads shoot fine in my gun. That revolver in your pic’s looks to be a PPC gun, an interesting build for a 45 LC.
 
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Thanks to everyone that posted a suggestion. I finally got a chance to shoot today and found the Hornady 225 gr FTX factory loads worked well and recoil was very mild (it weighs 4.1# empty and am sure that has a lot to do with it. A bonus is the factory ballistics can be duplicated with HS-6.
 
While I wouldn't go to the top loads in Gun Notes, I have and will continue to uses some of the loads listed. A modern S&W 25-5 and later are not the same as 100 or more year old guns. 45 colt SAAMI is 14,000psi because of the older guns. SAAMI 45ACP is 21000psi and 23,000psi for +P

S&W 45ACP and 45 COLT guns use the same frames, except for the Colt being slightly longer and having deeper chambers they are the same guns. Same cylinder OD, same notches in the same places over chambers. Explain to me why the 45 Colt guns will not handle the same pressures as the ACP guns. I question a mechanical engineer on this and he said there was no reason. Lots of the ACP models have multiple thousands of 21,000psi loads run through them and the still work fine.

I push my 255 bullets at 1000fps out of my 4" gun all the time. Winchester and Remington lists their 250 RNL bullets at 860. I have to assume those major manufactures are doing this at under 14,000psi as SAAMI shows 900fps at 14,000 psi for 250-255 gr bullets. 140fps doesn't take 50% more pressure. SAAMI shows 900fps with a 230 gr jacketed at 18,000 psi from much shorter cases.
 
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steelslaver , I couldn't agree with you more . After reading John Linebaughs articles on the 45 colt in model 25 smiths years ago I was of the same opinion as you .
 
Reloading 45 Colt for Hunting

My current 45 Colt reload for Plinking and
Indoor Range (S&W 625 Mountain Gun 45
Colt).

Oregon Trail Laser Cast 250gr Lead RNFP Round
Nose Flat Point, Diameter .452 Bullet
Tumbled lubed with Ben's LL formula,
6.0grs of Alliant Red Dot powder,
Primer: CCI LP #300 or S&B LP primer
Crimp: Medium?
Brass; Starline, Win, Rem, CB,
FPS: 850?

I used Handloader Magazine Article by Brian Pearce.

Other Powders I use sometimes are; Unique, Bullseye,
American Select, and Long Shot.

My current Wyoming Black Bear reload:
270gr (RCBS SAA 270) by Montana Bullet Works
9.5grs Alliant Long Shot (under 23K low pressure, high velocity)
CCI LP #300 primer
Crimp: Medium
FPS: 1000?
also Tumble Lubed with Ben's Liquid Lube formula
for lead free barrel performance.

Another research from Handloader Magazine Article by Brian Pearce.
 

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