45 colt "ruger only" load review.

12681 Views 21 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Old Two Wars, 10 d ago

mikeg1005

Discussion Starter · Jun 29, 2011

Hey,
Just finished up loading my test loads for my 7.5" blackhawk in 45 Colt... I will be chronoing them this weekend... tell me what you guys think of these.

All boolits lubed with carneauba red lube casted around 12-13BHN then heat treated/water dropped(should be 16BHN surface in a few days)

All bullet seated to crimp groove, 255gr have a good amount of crimp.

200gr LRN-FP (Lee 452-200-RF)
1.537" OAL
CCI LPP
9.0gr Universal
10.0gr Universal
11.0gr Universal

255gr LSWC (Lee 452-252-SWC)
1.600" OAL
CCI LPP
16.5gr 2400
17.5gr 2400
18.5gr 2400
19.0gr 2400

255gr LSWC (Lee 452-252-SWC)
1.600" OAL
CCI LP Mag Primer
24.0gr H-110
25.0gr H-110

My goal is to have a
950-1050fps load
1100-1250fps load
1300+ fps load

I already have plinker load of 6.0gr Solo 1000 behind a 200gr LRN-FP that clocks in at 725fps... but I want to experiment/experience the full spectrum of loads for the 45 colt.

So... do these sound reasonable... after a few good hours of research I have found the above loads to be below "max" loads that people are using.

MIke.

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rclark

· #2 · Jun 29, 2011

Let me know how your 2400 loads come out.... My results were mixed. Both tests appeared to have potential, but the shots 'strung out' vertically a bit even at 15 yards howbeit they were touching. Don't like the ES and SD I got over the number of shoots. Even throwing out the high and low it was still not good. I like to shoot at least 30 rounds over chrono to get a decent feel for the load.

17g 2400, 255g SWC, CCI-300 primer 1117fps Avg, 36 STD, 187 Spread (30 shots).
18g 2400, 255g SWC, CCI-300 primer 1131fps Avg, 35 STD, 138 Spread (29 shots).

mikeg1005

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 29, 2011

Damn.... thats pretty big ES.

I used one headstamp for the 255gr loads... did you use mixed brass?

Hmm... Maybe I'll give 19.5-20gr a shot with 2400 as well since your 18 is a lot slower than I expected.

MIke.

rclark

· #4 · Jun 29, 2011 (Edited)

There are a 'couple' mixed brass in my box of 100. Majority are Winchester (just counted 3 different).... Still didn't expect such a large ES. I did use 80 vintage 2400 powder, so maybe your results will be different than mine. My loads were shot out of a 5 1/2" barrel too. Your 7.5" barrel will increase the velocity.

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Fan45acp

· #5 · Jun 29, 2011

mikeg1005, Good luck with your results. I just picked up a new Redhawk in 45 Colt. I ordered my dies and bullets,so I'm waiting for them to be delivered. I'm interested in how your loads perform. What do you think about a 255 grain swc with @ 10-10.5 grains of Unique? Anyway good luck and post your results.

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dagger dog

· #6 · Jun 29, 2011 (Edited)

I had some 255 gr Lee SWC behind 16.5 grs 2400, It did not burn completely, I did not persue. Looking forward to seeing how the higher charges work out!

cyrille

· #7 · Jun 29, 2011

sheeeeeeet!!!! I don't understand what all this high end loading is all about just because one can get a bullet to rocket out of a gun barrel @ 3,000 fps doesn't mean that the pill will hit what it's aimed at. I favor mid loads that crono between 800-900 fps and hit what I'm aiming at speed ain't everything!

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Lefty

· #8 · Jun 30, 2011

cyrille said:
sheeeeeeet!!!! I don't understand what all this high end loading is all about just because one can get a bullet to rocket out of a gun barrel @ 3,000 fps doesn't mean that the pill will hit what it's aimed at. I favor mid loads that crono between 800-900 fps and hit what I'm aiming at speed ain't everything!

But wouldn't it be great if the "3,000 fps pill" does hit what we are aiming at? I guess that why we try! My high end colt loads and high end .44 mag loads are very accurate!

Good luck with your pursuit Mike

cyrille

· #9 · Jun 30, 2011

I suppose so but the recoil would be difficult to manage and like in archery one can just as eaisley be over gunned as over bowed.

mikeg1005

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 30, 2011

cyrille said:
I suppose so but the recoil would be difficult to manage and like in archery one can just as eaisley be over gunned as over bowed.

I have never owned a big bore revolver that I could load up to mag velocities so I want to play around with it to see what I can get and how accurate it is.

My main goal is to design an accurate deer load so I can take this thing with me since I found out that WI gun season is pistol/rifle same week, and most the places we hunt don't have more than a 100yd shot which I feel comfortable shooting with a revolver... I'm planning on settling with something in the 1000-1100fps range for the deer load, but if I can manage the recoil of more than that... heck... I'll go with a faster round as it will fly flatter.

MIke.

Lefty

· #11 · Jun 30, 2011

cyrille said:
I suppose so but the recoil would be difficult to manage and like in archery one can just as eaisley be over gunned as over bowed.

My .44 is a 9 1/2" SRH, I don't feel like I'm over gunned, the .45 colt is a SBH Hunter Bisley. The recoil on it is very manageable. Neither one is over the top crazy recoil.

A factory .454 Casull is worse and is more over gunned than both of mine.

bwinters

· #12 · Jun 30, 2011

I use 10.5 grians of Unique with a magnum primer and a 300 grain cast swc. I get 1250-1300 fps. It will shoot int 5-6 inches at 100 yards. At least when I shoot it it is 5-6 inches at 100 yards. My son in law shoots 4-5 inches with the same gun and load. I guess 30 year old eyes are better than 55 year old eyes. The same load out penetrates 270 grain 375 h and h soft point. in wet compressed newspaper. I have taken a 400 lb hog with this load. Complete front to back penetration.

45longcolt

· #13 · Jul 2, 2011

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10728824/GunStuff/XTP250.mpg

That's with 25 grains of H110, 250 grain Hornady XTP. 7.5" convertable. RUGER ONLY LOAD.

rclark

· #14 · Jul 4, 2011

I suppose so but the recoil would be difficult to manage

Actually the recoil for the 17 and 18 grain loads was very manageable. I went through 60 rounds on my chrony test and my hands were just warming up

. I like to be between 900-1050 for my general purpose loads though. But it is fun though to see the BH go to work with some 'higher end' loads too once in awhile.

mikeg1005

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 5, 2011

Got back from WI a little while back...

Had a good time at the range today except for the fact that I dropped my box of reloads that had the Universal/2400 rounds in them... and they got all mixed up

I kinda figured out which was which.. .but I couldn't be certain... they chronoed in between 1000-1250.

The other box with the H-110 loads didn't get mixed up.

24gr of H-110 clocked in at 1414fps extreme spread of 68fps but that was due to ONE round that went 1377, the rest were in the 1410-1440 range.. so it was pretty good.

25gr clocked in at 1440fps!!!... this one for some reason had a 90fps extreme spread... had a low one and a really high one... if those were removed the spread would have been similar to that of the 24gr load.

Definitely didn't have that flame like in the picture above... but then again it was bright out and I wasn't looking for it.

1400+ FPS is way more than I need with a 250gr bullet... It was cool that I could get such speeds... could probably push it even faster since I didn't have any pressure issues.. but I really don't plan to... 1000-1100 fps will do just fine for deer.... plus the 1400fps loads were difficult to shoot consistantly due to the recoil... managable thats for sure, but not something I'd shoot all day.

I'm going to load up more with 2400 and chrono them next time I go to my local club(hopefully Thursday) then I'll get results for those... I do believe I will be ordering a red dot of some kind in the near future... I was able to hit stuff out past 50 yards but it wasn't too easy since smaller targets were covered up by the fat front sight post on the blackhawk... and thats in bright sunlight... when it got dark it was impossible to see(and I'm not even old!)

MIke.

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Hammerdown

· #16 · Jul 6, 2011

Try a Winchester WLP primer with those H-110 loads and see if there's a decrease in ES.

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scattershot

· #17 · Jul 6, 2011

If you mark yor primers with a Sharpie you can easily tell them apart.

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Old Two Wars

· #18 · 6 mo ago

rclark said:
Let me know how your 2400 loads come out.... My results were mixed. Both tests appeared to have potential, but the shots 'strung out' vertically a bit even at 15 yards howbeit they were touching. Don't like the ES and SD I got over the number of shoots. Even throwing out the high and low it was still not good. I like to shoot at least 30 rounds over chrono to get a decent feel for the load.

17g 2400, 255g SWC, CCI-300 primer 1117fps Avg, 36 STD, 187 Spread (30 shots).
18g 2400, 255g SWC, CCI-300 primer 1131fps Avg, 35 STD, 138 Spread (29 shots).

rclark said:
Let me know how your 2400 loads come out.... My results were mixed. Both tests appeared to have potential, but the shots 'strung out' vertically a bit even at 15 yards howbeit they were touching. Don't like the ES and SD I got over the number of shoots. Even throwing out the high and low it was still not good. I like to shoot at least 30 rounds over chrono to get a decent feel for the load.

17g 2400, 255g SWC, CCI-300 primer 1117fps Avg, 36 STD, 187 Spread (30 shots).
18g 2400, 255g SWC, CCI-300 primer 1131fps Avg, 35 STD, 138 Spread (29 shots).

In a 45 colt super blackhawk I worked up 15 grains of CFE Pistol under a 185 gr zero hollow point starline nickel case it flattened primer abit 50 yd zero 6 in low at 100 yards don't think it's too hot any opinions??

rclark

· #19 · 6 mo ago

No opinion as I only tested >= 250gr lead bullets. As long as the CFE Pistol load is listed in the reloading manuals you should be fine. Hopefully that is where you got the load (I didn't check).

Old Two Wars

· #20 · 3 mo ago

Lefty said:
My .44 is a 9 1/2" SRH, I don't feel like I'm over gunned, the .45 colt is a SBH Hunter Bisley. The recoil on it is very manageable. Neither one is over the top crazy recoil.

A factory .454 Casull is worse and is more over gunned than both of mine.

How do you like your 45 Bisley hunter i love ❤ mine from Lipsey's.

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