45 LC question

[rockquarry]

Several years ago I was into the maxed out H110 loads in my Blackhawk. Never failed to open the eyes of whoever was around, haha.

But I'm well past that now for the most part. I'm way more into casual mild load plinking. I don't like the recoil, muzzle blast, sore web of my shooting hand anymore.

We all get old

I've had four Ruger single-actions over many years, got rid of them all. I attempted to load the .45 Colt hot when it was a fad in the 1970s, but my experimentation was very short lived. I found the Ruger to be a terrible gun for heavy recoil. Sensible loads were far better loads.

 

[gwpercle]

I've loaded 45 LC for a Ruger Blackhawk for awhile now. But the bulk of my loading was with JHP's and JSP's. Only dabbled in lead a tiny bit.

This forum has spurred my interest in crossing the Rubicon into lead, so I just bought some 255 gr. Keith style lead SWC's.

I'm not looking for a hotshot load, just a fun plinker. I used tight group a few years ago for lead but man it's like shooting black powder haha. Is 231 a good subsitute? I'm open to whatever have several powders. CFE pistol, W231, Tite group, unique, and others.

A lot of the smoke you see might have come from the older style (Alox-Beeswax type) lubricants ... yes the old lubes work but the beeswax and other ingredients burned and left the dreaded " Gun Smoke" .
Try coated bullets next time , one of their advantages is no smoke .
Unique has been a favorite in the 45 Colt for years ...
my two pet loads are with 255 gr. cast lead SWC

1.) Target , tin can and plinking : 6.0 grs. Unique @ 590 fps
this load is very accurate in my Ruger Blackhawk .
This is my shooting range and tin can hunting load .

2.) Standard pressure field load - not too hot & accurate :
7.5 grs. Unique @ 718 fps . This is the load I normaly carry in the woods . Easy shooting load maybe from Skeeter Skelton , but my favorite for the last 40 years .

Last is my pet peeve ... call it the 45 Colt !
There has never been a 45 Long Colt ...every one of my 14 reloading Manuals . dating back to 1936 , all have it listed as the 45 Colt .
If Elmer Keith called it the 45 Colt then I'm going to call it the 45 Colt .
The 45 acp , 45 AR and 45 Schofield Are shorter ... and the 45 Winchester Magnum , 454 Casull and 460 S&W Magnum are all Longer ... but don't call the 45 Colt the 45 Long Colt ... it ain't
Gary

 

[reddog81]

I have shot thousands of 255gr lead bullets loaded with 5.5gr of Titegroup.

5.6gr is my preferred load but I'm sure 5.5 grains titegroup also works well.

 

[venomballistics]

A lot of the smoke you see might have come from the older style (Alox-Beeswax type) lubricants ... yes the old lubes work but the beeswax and other ingredients burned and left the dreaded " Gun Smoke" .
Try coated bullets next time , one of their advantages is no smoke

Yes ... this is a thing I tend to overlook in recent years since I completely transitioned to "the full plastic jacket"
In the good old days, if you got your lube formulation and load right, you knew it by how well it would water proof the entire range.
I had to bake a 1911 @170F so I could drop the mag and disassemble it for cleaning after a particularly heavy range day.
The lube was everywhere and set up after it cooled. Till then it was very well lubricated.
The stuff will lube areas of your firearm you never thought about and probably forgot about.
It certainly makes some smoke, and pumps sludge. I never really minded either trait unless I was at an indoor range.
What did make me transition to coatings was loading. After a while, lube would build up in the die until it would seat too deep.
Scrapers only worked for a few dozen rounds and it was seating deep again. I don't miss that part at all.
Loading wasn't as strict either. Certain powders would not play nice and lead line the bore, others would impose limits before they lead fowled. Coatings defeated all of it. Not that it matters as much in this case, where you're taking a walk on the mild side.

 

[smithra_66]

I've loaded 45 LC for a Ruger Blackhawk for awhile now. But the bulk of my loading was with JHP's and JSP's. Only dabbled in lead a tiny bit.

This forum has spurred my interest in crossing the Rubicon into lead, so I just bought some 255 gr. Keith style lead SWC's.

I'm not looking for a hotshot load, just a fun plinker. I used tight group a few years ago for lead but man it's like shooting black powder haha. Is 231 a good subsitute? I'm open to whatever have several powders. CFE pistol, W231, Tite group, unique, and others.

Can't go wrong with the Beatles load. "8 grains Unique."

Good medium level plinker. I can't imagine shooting jacketed bullets out of a 45 Colt!

 

[.38SuperMan]

I use polymer coated RNFP lead in my 45LC Blackhawk and have used 231, Unique, HS-6 and CFE Pistol with good success. My least favorite is 231 in light loads due to it being very dirty. My second least favorite is Unique as it can get pretty dirty too.

HS-6 (old WW540) and CFE Pistol both produce accurate and cleaner loads for me. I find both to work very well from mild to heavier loads.

 

[Beemer-mark]

I am probably the only person in the world that doesn't like Unique. How much do I dislike it? Well I have about 1/2 pound in the tall round cardboard container sitting on the shelf. I can never get Unique to measure consistently enough for me.

I use a lot of W-231 in my medium bore calibers but don't like it in the 45 Colt. I tried it when I was doing a lot of CAS and it felt inconsistent when I shot it.

I switched to 700X. It is a flake powder so it fills more of the case. I haven't tried it but I would also consider using 800X if for some reason 700X becomes unavailable. There is reloading data available for both powder.

700-X is my go-to powder for 38WCF, 44WCF and 45 Colt. Same powder charge in each caliber using the original bullet weights.

I got almost a full pound of Unique sitting on the shelf. Doesn't meter for a darn. Universal is as versatile as Unique and measures just fine. IMR4227 is another great powder. Meters just fine and it's impossible to overcharge a case no matter what caliber. Impossible to find thought. I ran out last month.

 

[Model19man]

I find that 7.5 grains of W231 under a Keith style 454424 255 grain SWC works well in my 45 Colt revolvers.

 

[Model19man]

IMR4227 is another great powder. Meters just fine and it's impossible to overcharge a case no matter what caliber. Impossible to find thought. I ran out last month.

It's in stock everywhere and anywhere. IMR 4227 Smokeless Gun Powder 8 lb

 

[Beemer-mark]

It's in stock everywhere and anywhere. IMR 4227 Smokeless Gun Powder 8 lb

That got pricey. I buy local, lots of powder coming in but haven't see any IMR 4227. But just started looking. Loading 32WCF right now with Universal.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I used to use nothing buy W231 for cast bullets in the 45 Colt until I tried HS6. Now I will only use HS-6. I charge 10.2gr HS-6 under a 250/255gr cast bullet with a magnum primer. It's not exactly a plinking load but not too hot especially for a Blackhawk.

 

[geo57]

I like 8.0 grs. of Unique under a 250 gr. poly coat cast RNFP. When the Unique runs out we'll try BE-86.

 

[Barbarosa99]

Pick up some polymer coated bullets, almost smoke free!

 

[mtgianni]

I was just looking at Hodgdon's website on the Ruger T/C only data and it's talking about Accurate #7 & #9 pushing a 255 gr. lead bullet to 1,200 to 1,500 FPS range. WOW

Not that a 5.5 inch Blackhawk would reach those velocities anyways. But am I correct in thinking you don't want to push lead like that? To me that just seems awful hot. I have #7 and #9 by the way.

As one who shoots cast rifle bullets regularly to over 2500 fps I had to smile at this. Yes those are warm loads in a 45 Blackhawk. Lead swedged bullets will not stand up to that, purchased cast bullets that are hard as nails with a lube that is the same might get there but might not. I shoot centerfire handguns in 32 long and mag, 38. 357 max and mag, 9mm, 40, 10 mm, 44 special and mag, and 45 acp and colt. I last shot jacketed handgun bullets in the 90's.

 

[whelenshooter]

No you are not the only one who does not like Unique. I hate it . Poor metering and the largest extreme spreads when compared with other powders in any cartridge, even with weighed charges. I have about a half pound somewhere around here that will be poured on the ground whenever I come across it. Bullseye is much better and 7.0 grs gives factory ballistics of about 870 FPS with a 255 gr cast bullet in the .45 Colt.

There is a big difference between old Unique and the new Unique. I didn't like the old Unique (the stuff in the cardboard cans) either because it didn't go through a powder measure very well. The newer Unique (in the plastic cans) seems to go through the powder measure on my Dillon 550 MUCH better! Eight grains Unique with a 250 grain Keith bullet (a REAL Keith bullet with a flat base, not a bevel base, and a good size crimp groove) in a .45 Colt has been a standby load for most of us old farts for more years than I like to think about. I call it "The Beatles Load". I think they did a song about it... at least I sing it this way, "Eight Grains Unique, I La-ah-ah-ah-ove you. Eight Grains Unique, are not enough to blow you up."

A good substitute for Unique, although the AMOUNT OF POWDER IS DIFFERENT (see a good reloading manual for powder weights) is Universal Clays. I still continue to use Unique, however. By the way, eight grains of Unique behind a 250 Keith SWC in a .45 Colt, with good shot placement, will kill deer all day long at 50 yards.

Whelenshooter

 

[shil]

Agreed; Unique definitely meters badly. I always weighed every fifth charge thrown. I've had good results in .45C with Vihtavuori N32C (Tin Star) with 250-255 grain RFN lead bullets. It meters well and bulks up in the case nicely. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find and more expensive than other choices. Furthermore, I understand it's being or has been discontinued. Looking back through my records, I see that W244, BE86, Accurate #5 and CFE Pistol also worked well for me.

 

[Muley Gil]

To anyone who hates Unique-please send it to me!!!

I'll pay the shipping.

 

[DWalt]

6 grains of any of the fast powders will work just fine. Bullseye, Red Dot, 700-X, Clays , AA#2, etc., just pick one. No need to make it complicated.

 

[Capt. F.]

Can't go wrong with the Beatles load. "8 grains Unique."

Good medium level plinker. I can't imagine shooting jacketed bullets out of a 45 Colt!

Hey, we play that song with slightly different words in the elder rock group my wife and I play in.
Think we'll rewrite it using your lyrics in case we play at a gun club or maybe we'll do House of the Rising Gun.

 

[AJ]

I have three revolvers chambered for .45 Colt. Two are Colts and one S&W. One of the Colts is a Model 1909 U.S.Army. I researched the 1909 when I got it. I found the specs the War Department wanted for the .45 Colt cartridge. The contract states a 250 grain bullet at 725 FPS. I have a program called Quick Load and ran it through that to find loadings to match. It gave me 29 different loading to obtain that velocity. I normally use 5.6 grains of Bullseye. In my 1909 it shoots center mass at 25 yards. Have adjusted my S&W 25 sights to that loading. My other Colt has a 2 inch barrel and is very good close up (7 yards or less) with the same loading. If still interested email me and I will send a picture of my listing (to much typing to retype it all). I figure if it was good enough for the War Department for shooting moving objects, then it is good enough for me to punch paper with (and maybe other things).

AJ

 

[geo57]

Just now assembled 35 rounds of .45 Colt. 250 gr. RNFP poly coat cast ( T&B Bullets ) on top of 8.0 grs. of Unique, Starline cases, Win LPP. Does about 875 FPS from my 7 1/2" Blackhawk.

 

[johnjohn]

My .45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk has never had anything but lead.

 

[The Norseman]

45 Colt reloads

45Colt. 250gr Lead/Red Dot 6.0grs, 812fps.
Everyday load.
45Colt. 270gr Lead/Longshot 9.5grs, approaching
1000fps. (mold RCBS 270 SAA) Wilderness load.

Other powders in order; Unique, Bullseye,
American Select, last resort Power Pistol(a lot of
muzzle flash), IMR4227(5-6 grains laying in
barrel after each shot).

Always do your research and read a lot of reloading
resources about the 45 Colt before trying anything.

The Best to you and your Endeavors.

 

[The Norseman]

Lube

All my Lead bullets are tumbled lubed
(in plastic butter tub with lid) with
Ben's Liquid Lube.

B.L.L. provides a lead free barrel performance.
Otherwise you need to be scrubbing lead out
with a bronze bore brush wrapped in Chore Boy
pure copper strands.

 

[Alstep]

I've never fired a factory jacketed bullet in any of my revolvers. I cast all my own. No leading problems either. I lube with 50/50 beeswax/alox.

A favorite 45 Colt load is the 200 grain copy of the old H&G 68 SWC with 6.0 grains of Bullseye. Nice mild load, accurate too. Doesn't beat you up or your gun. Works for me, no guarantees it'll work for you.

 

[Model19man]

I use W231 powder and a 250 grain 454424 PCSWC. It likes around 7.5 grains of powder which is very accurate in my Smith 25-3 and my Colt New Service flat top target. Target shows the first six from my Smith 25-3. I put in one click of right windage after this group.

 

[Model19man]

I like 8.0 grs. of Unique under a 250 gr. poly coat cast RNFP. When the Unique runs out we'll try BE-86.

I used to like Unique in this caliber. Until I tried W231. What a great and accurate powder.

 

[AJ]

I use W231 powder and a 250 grain 454424 PCSWC. It likes around 7.5 grains of powder which is very accurate in my Smith 25-3 and my Colt New Service flat top target. Target shows the first six from my Smith 25-3. I put in one click of right windage after this group.

What distance?

 

[gunbarrel]

My .45 Colt CAS load for my Ruger Vaqueros and my Marlin Cowboy was 8.0 grains of Unique with a 250 gr LRNFP bullet and WLP's. I love Unique, but it's dirty. I used 4.3 grains of 231 with 200gr LSWC & WLP's for my Gold Cup when I shot NRA Bullseye for an accurate, mild load.HTH

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

For many years my go to load for my 45LC Smiths, Rugers and rifles is my hard cast 255 gr SWC's pushed by 8.5 grs. of Unique.........Does anything I need the 45LC to do.