Whats your favorite load for 45LC?

[wheelgun28]

I am getting ready to make up a batch of 45LC.

I shoot these in an M-25 with an 8 3/8" barrel.

My normal load is 5.0-grain Trailboss with a 255g LSW. It is a light load shoots fine, almost like a 22.

I am low on Trailboss but have many pounds of Red Dot, 231 and a few pounds of Unique.

My friend loads 6g or Red Dot and it is a fine load, might go with that. Shot a few cylinder fulls through this gun nicely over the years. Has a little more umpf than my Trail Boss load. I'm leaning toward this load.

So what's your favorite 45 Colt load?

 

[Rule3]

8-9 gr Unique (only thing is use it for)
240-250 LSWC


Win 231/HP38 works well also

 

[gen3guy]

250 Gr. LFP - 8 grains BE-86 - 852 FPS

250 Gr. JHP - 8.6 grains Unique - 789 FPS

200 Gr. LFP - 9.3 grains BE-86 - 890 FPS

These should be near the max of what is considered normal pressure for the .45 Colt. I rarely venture into the "Ruger/TC"
arena. As always, use caution. This is my data, not yours. You may have different results.

 

[gwpercle]

Factory Equivalent Load - 45 Colt
250 - 255 grain cast lead SWC , RF or RN
8.5 grains Unique = 900 fps.

My favorite "pet load " is the above bullet over 7.5 grains Unique @ 800 fps .
Still plenty powerful .

6.0 grains Red Dot should be about 800 fps also .
Red dot is a good powder in this application .

Gary

 

[rockquarry]

I used the standard pressure, popular Unique loads and the Lyman #454424 255 gr. SWC for about forty years then tried HS-6 loaded to about the same velocity. I get somewhat better accuracy with HS-6 in a 25-5, 6".

 

[Wireman134]

Favorite 45 Colt loads

Lightest to Ruger only
7.2gr RD/Promo w/200-260gr SWC
9gr Unique w/260gr RF
13gr. HS-6/W540 w/260-320gr. RF Ruger
14gr. BD w/250-260gr SWC Ruger
18gr 2400 w/250-320gr RF Ruger
23gr H110 w/320gr RF Ruger Only

 

[AJ]

I bought a Colt Model 1909 U.S.Army and decided I wanted to shoot it with original power loads. I did some research and found the military wanted a loading that drove a 250 grain lead bullet at 750 FPS. I use 5.6 grains of Bullseye to duplicate that loading. It shoots great in my 1909 and also in my Model 25, both are 6 inch barreled revolvers.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My mild Cowboy Action load is 6.7 grains of WW231/HP38 with any lead bullet. I started with 185 gr SWC/HP from Starr of Indianapolis and had fantastic results! When the quit manufacturing bullets I went with Patriot Bullets of Columbus, Ohio 220gr. RNFP, and again very good results. Have also loaded 250 grain RNFP with very good results. These are a lower velocity/low recoil load, but on par with 45 ACP, maybe just below Ball Ammo power factor.

Shot from my Vaquero 4", & 5.5" revolvers and 1894 CB Marlin 24" & Rossi 92 20" barrels. This type of shooting is a hit or miss type of competition, but have kept 5/5 on a 6" square plate from the Vaquero at 30 yards as fast as I could acquire the target.

Ivan

 

[medic15al]

35 grains of 3FG Olde Eynsford black powder under a 250 grain Big Lube bullet. AVE 1027fps in 5.5in Bbl Cimarron SAA copy.

Smokeless: 7.5 grns Unique under 250 cast bullet. 820 FPS AVE

 

[pasote]

my favorite 45 colt load

I am getting ready to make up a batch of 45LC.

I shoot these in an M-25 with an 8 3/8" barrel.

My normal load is 5.0-grain Trailboss with a 255g LSW. It is a light load shoots fine, almost like a 22.

I am low on Trailboss but have many pounds of Red Dot, 231 and a few pounds of Unique.

My friend loads 6g or Red Dot and it is a fine load, might go with that. Shot a few cylinder fulls through this gun nicely over the


years. Has a little more umpf than my Trail Boss load. I'm
leaning toward this load.

So what's your favorite 45 Colt load?

5.5 gr trail boss + 250 gr lead round nose at about 750 fps in my Colt SSA. I dont want to stress them out too much, they are Colts!

 

[brick]

My load is 7.4 grains of WW231/HP38 with a 200 grain LRNFP projectile. Shoots well out of my 25-5.

 

[scattershot]

I like 6 grains of Red Dot.

ETA: 250 grain cast bullet.

 

[Kurusu]

Either 8.9 grs VV N 340 under a 255 LFP or 35 grs FFg same bullet.

 

[AJ]

I bought a Colt Model 1909 U.S.Army and decided I wanted to shoot it with original power loads. I did some research and found the military wanted a loading that drove a 250 grain lead bullet at 750 FPS. I use 5.6 grains of Bullseye to duplicate that loading. It shoots great in my 1909 and also in my Model 25, both are 6 inch barreled revolvers.

I went back and checked a chart that I had made up for the 1909. The program that I used is QUICKLOAD. For the powders he had listed to get to 750 FPS with a 250 grain cast slug the loadings will go as follows:

Red Dot 4.8 Grains

W231 5.9 Grains

Unique 6.4 Grains

Trail Boss 6.8 Grains

Hope this helps.
AJ

 

[andyo5]

230g plated (or jacketed) HP over 8.0g of Unique.

 

[AJ]

230g plated (or jacketed) HP over 8.0g of Unique.

What barrel length?

 

[andyo5]

It says on the target. 5 1/2 inch.

 

[AJ]

It says on the target. 5 1/2 inch.

Sorry, did not enlarge it. How heavy is your recoil? I ran the numbers through Quickload and the pressures that load develops are in the red (upper max-dangerous) Velocity is 1119 FPS and Chamber Pressure is 31245 PSI. Probably safe in a strong gun.

 

[andyo5]

Sorry, did not enlarge it. How heavy is your recoil? I ran the numbers through Quickload and the pressures that load develops are in the red (upper max-dangerous) Velocity is 1119 FPS and Chamber Pressure is 31245 PSI. Probably safe in a strong gun.

Sir, I suggest that you consult some load books in addition to your software.
The Alliant website states 9.0g as the recommended limit for the 230g JHP bullet. Recoil with 8.0g is pretty mild.

Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide

 

[AJ]

Sir, I suggest that you consult some load books in addition to your software.
The Alliant website states 9.0g as the recommended limit for the 230g JHP bullet. Recoil with 8.0g is pretty mild.

Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide

Believe what you want and load what you want. That is why we do this. Manuals change all the time as do computer programs. I tend to try to stay safe......have not blown up a gun and still have all my fingers and both eyes after 45 years of reloading. Good luck, Sir.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

Green Dot does a beautiful job in .45 Colt;not the max you can coax out of the caliber but hot enough and very accurate.I've quitted using Tb in it since I discovered it.

 

[andyo5]

Here are some Ruger-only loads. Do not try them in a S&W or a SAA type gun. I shoot them in silhouette matches. They are only for the heavily built Rugers and similar guns, not the newer Vaquero with the light weight frame.

 

[andyo5]

Believe what you want and load what you want. That is why we do this. Manuals change all the time as do computer programs. I tend to try to stay safe......have not blown up a gun and still have all my fingers and both eyes after 45 years of reloading. Good luck, Sir.

Well, if you are advising me to ignore manufacturers' recommendations then I have no response to that.
I am the one who should be wishing good luck to you.

 

[mtgianni]

6.5 gr of Red Dot and a 250 swc are a joy to shoot. I get about 975 fps out of a 4 5/8" ruger.

 

[AJ]

Refer to this guide : Max Chamber Pressure - SAAMI Specs Note the chamber pressure that the program gave me.

You can email through the board directly if you want to discuss this as I am done posting on this thread. This has gotten way off the OP's original post.

 

[growr]

You cannot put too much FFFg blackpowder in a 45 Colt casing.......

Sure makes a lot of smoke and noise which is about 100% of the fun!!

Randy

 

[Kurusu]

You cannot put too much FFFg blackpowder in a 45 Colt casing.......

Sure makes a lot of smoke and noise which is about 100% of the fun!!

Randy

And the performance is great too. SD is very low, they are very accurate and velocities are higher than any commercial smokeless load.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

7.0/7.2gr W231 under a 250gr LRN bullet.

I also like HS-6 over the last few years. (9.7gr)

 

[The Norseman]

Reloading 45 Colt

For my Circa '90s Smith &Wesson Model 625-6
45Colt Mountain Gun.

45 Colt. My current go to and plinking Reload is;
.453 dia. 250gr Lead SWC Semi Wad Cutter or
RNFP round nose flat point.
6.0grs Alliant Red Dot, CCI LP #300 primer.
Brass is Winchester, Star Line, or R-P.
Crimp is what I call medium roll crimp.
816 FPS approximately.
Bullets tumble lubed with Ben's Liquid Lube,
for Lead free barrel performance.
Primers no where near flat.

The thing about Red Dot is it has enough bulk, that it is easy
to visually see a double charge. Also if you were to over charge
it fills the case. I'm a single stage, small batch reloader anyway.

Other powders I've used and like are; Bullseye,
Unique, American Select, and Long Shot (not much
info out there on this one), and Trail Boss.

Be safe, the Best to you and your Endeavors.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

8.5 grs of Unique behind my cast 250 gr. SWC..........My standard for many years.