My powders of choice are Clays, HP-38, HS-6, Universal, Trail Boss, H110, IMR 4227, W296, and W231. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. SWC - 9.0 grains Unique Lyman # 452664 , 250 gr. On paper, the 357 Magnum was the first cartridge to exceed the 45 Colts muzzle energy, but many knowledgeable sixgunners, Elmer Keith included, believed the 45 Colt actually offered more practical power than the First Magnum. Today, it remains one of our most popular sixgun cartridges. Marlin and Winchester 1894s will both handle heavier-than-standard .45 Colt loads but 1860, 1866 and 1873 replicas are for standard loads only! Contest open to U.S. residents only. It is a good choice for self-defense, long-range shooting, hunting everything on four legs, and just plain fun shooting. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, State Agency: Both of these are plainbased Keith-style bullets, and their numbers are #310.451 and #325.454, with the first three digits giving the approximate bullet weight. Deployed military should use stateside address. My brass of choice is Starlines excellent 45 Colt brass with CCI 300 Large Pistol primers for all powders, except I switch to CCI 350 Magnum Pistol primers with IMR 4227, H110, W296, and all black powder and black powder substitutes. moderate recoil and substantially less muzzle report. With the coming of Rugers Blackhawk chambered in 45 Colt in the early 1970s, we finally had a sixgun that could tap the tremendous potential of the 45 Colt cartridge. sure they will feed and chamber through levergun actions. 454190 (255 grains) shares a similar profile as the original Government bullet but is a plainbase design that is generally very accurate and can be sized to around .454 to .455 inch for guns with larger throats. The accompanying data was developed using Starline cases that are strong, offer long life and are available factory direct. rifling. The availability of all of these bullets is dependent on how much time I have to cast my own. Ben Voss FN Product Manager talks about the new FN SCAR 15P ultra-compact rifle-caliber pistol at SHOT Show 2023. There are many outstanding cast bullets for the .45 Colt. The 45 Colt also predates the 38 Special, the 44 Special, and the 45 ACP, and not only is it more than 80 years older than the 44 Magnum, but it also has more case capacity and in the proper sixguns can outrank the 44 Magnum. Note that the "Ruger New Vaquero" uses a smaller frame and cylinder like original Colts. I have dozens of references from credible sources that state pre-World War II Colt revolvers feature a barrel groove diameter of .454 inch while postwar guns measure .451 to .452 inch. Failure to do so could result in severe personal injury (or death) and/or property damage. For loading black powder 45 Colt loads, I use Goex as well as Pyrodex and Triple Seven. About the same time the Winchester Trappers arrived, Marlin had a very limited run of 500 each of .44 Magnum and .45 Colt Trappers. Colt single actions are right around 0.454 inch. Cast RCBS 45-270-SAA bullets are generally loaded to an overall length of 1.650 inches to not over 1.655 inches, utilizing the full length of the Colt cylinder. H110 works well for heavy bullet loads in the .45 Colt levergun. I prefer to use 250-grain jacketed bullets in conjunction with +P loads, which is a subject for another day. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. The new RIA 5.0 Sporting Pistol from Rock Island Armory features a patented RVS Recoil system that maximizes barrel mass and linear movement to give shooters super soft recoil. The original .45 Colt bullet profile is known as a truncated cone or round nosed flat point (RNFP). patterned after the one worn by Theodore Roosevelt. Contest open to U.S. residents only. We are blessed to have many excellent cartridges and sixguns available to us, but it would be hard to find any cartridge that is as versatile as the old 45 Colt. Checked and verified, page 285, 4th Ed.Lyman cast bullet handbook. Bad Idea! I have found two things necessary gas checks and hard alloys, also in most cases muzzle velocities over 1,200-1,300 fps. Cartridge Type: Pistol/Revolver. For example, the .45 Colt with a 255-grain bullet at 860 fps (Winchester) generates 419 ft-lbs, while the .44 Magnum with a 240-grain bullet at 1,180 fps (Remington) generates 741 ft-lbs. Lyman has a 255 grain .45 Colt gas-checked bullet, #454490GC, that was designed by Ray Thompson who also brought forth the .357 Magnum #358156GC and the .44 Magnum #431244GC. hi guy, for awhile now i have slowly been adding to my collection,,i just got 2 molds, a rcbs 255 grain ,,and a lyman 325 grain gc,,,i got the dies, the powder, had dale put my name on miha list for his 45 long colt hollow point mold, ,i have some brass, i got the dies,, but still looking for that one 45 long colt gun. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, State Agency: S.A.A.M.I. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. barrel differ from a 4 4/5 revolver by It has many additional virtues, primarily its big-bore performance and reliability. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. The .44 Magnum is a great cartridge that offers a flatter trajectory and helps to make hits easier at longer distances; however, this added performance comes at the cost of greater pressures, heavier guns, increased recoil and muzzle report. We are currently populating the cartridge drop-down menu with updated cartridge renderings, new propellants and bullets, and links to complimentary product pages. Pyrodex P is the equivalent of Triple-F or FFFg black powder. It's like shooting a .38 special in a gun chambered for .357 magnum. A roll crimp is generally preferred and should be applied as heavily as the bullets crimp groove or cannelure will permit. Contest void where prohibited by law. The 45 Colt also predates the 38 Special, the 44 Special, and the 45 ACP, and not only is it more than 80 years older than the 44 Magnum, but it also has more case capacity and in the proper sixguns can outrank the 44 Magnum. Smith & Wesson revolver throats have varied significantly. My most used powders for these loads are #2400, #9, #4227 and H110. Sam Colt became a millionaire producing percussion revolvers. Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: The .45 Colt was soon loaded with smokeless powders with loads eventually standardized with 250- and 255-grain lead hollowbase bullets from Remington and Winchester, respectively, at around 870 fps, but today are listed at 860 fps. With the Winchesters, equipped with receiver sights, most of my shooting is done around 30 to 35 yards with relatively mild loads. I cast the Lyman 452-424 250gr. Their max load is 6.2 grains for an approx 881 feet per second and a pressure of 13K cup. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, a tight-chambered 45 Colt cylinder may require tolerances offered by a 454 Casull full-length sizing die. The .45 Colt is rapidly approaching 150 years in existence, and it remains one of our finest, most useful, versatile and handloaded sixgun cartridges. Reference to Powder UP and Powder DOWN is to actually shake the gun in an up or down position before firing each round and gently bring the gun to the horizontal and shooting. Taurus Marketing Manager Caleb Giddings highlights the features of the new Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum, a purpose-built revolver with a 10.5-inch barrel and an effective recoil-taming brake, with Guns & Ammo Executive Editor Joe Kurtenbach. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. I also have been having good luck lately with 10.0 grains of HS-6 and 250- to 260-grain bullets, which duplicates the performance of the early black powder loads. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. In guns with .452-inch throats, the Magma designed 250-grain RNFP offered by most commercial cast bullet companies (Oregon Trail used here) can be surprisingly accurate. My Rugers like a 355gr with 21.5-22gr H110, CCI 350, starline brass, nice tight crimp. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Reloading data is available as low as 99 per cartridge or as a subscription for $19.99. Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, State Agency: My maine load is the Lyman 454190 cast of ww + 2% tin. A check of Hodgdons loading manuals shows these two powders using the same charge weight produce the same velocities and pressures. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. The new rifle is built on an aluminum billet chassis with carbon-fiber forend and cheek riser featuring V-block bedding. Deployed military should use stateside address. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. im leaning towards the ruger blackhawk bisley 45 long cot 5.5 barrel. It is my most used powder both in cap-and-ball and cartridge-firing sixguns when black powder loads are desired. It is loaded not by weight, but by volume. Stocky's Owner Don Bitz walks David Faubion through the company's new rifle stocks for 2023. in pistol calibers than the old. That is black powder loads or Black powder level only. With their 16 barrels the Winchesters weigh right at 6 lbs. We were soon shooting 300-grain bullets at 1,200 fps from a 7.5-inch-barreled Ruger revolver. For the .45 Colt my standard load is 5.5 grains of Clays, which gives from 780 fps to 840 fps depending upon the sixgun used. With the 45 Colt, IMR 4227 is almost magical in being able to provide excellent accuracy when other powders will not. ok 45 long colt lovers,,ring out ,lets hear from you,,the more the merry. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. I have found 5.0 grains of Clays under a 250-grain bullet delivers a very pleasant-shooting load at 725 fps and will group all its shots in 0.63 inch at 20 yards. I shoot the .44 and .45 in rifles and pistolas, but I have only a rifle in .38-40. Any time I have a 45 Colt that doesnt shoot the way I think it should, I dont give up until I try this load of IMR 4227 with Keiths bullet. Members 4.5k Gender:Male Location:Dolores, Colorado Interests:All types of shooting, hunting, fishing, camping. Improving the Keith Bullet Keith's #454424 was an excellent bullet, however it has been improved by Dave Scovill and is offered by RCBS as #45-270SAA. Wolfe Publishing Company | 2180 Gulfstream Suite A | Prescott, AZ 86301. For example, Lyman mould No. SAAMI pressures for STANDARD .45 Colt is 14,000 PSI MAXIMUM, but for Ruger Blackhawk and T/C, levels in the 20,000 to 25,000 range are considered more the norm. Camp Guns: Sometimes Perfect, Other Times Not But Often Essential! Below you'll find some basic data for each cartridge to help get you started. Michigan Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: This one is from Lyman 48th addition Reloading book. The Judge has been promoted! My loading dies are from Lee, Lyman, and RCBS, and all of them give excellent service. I can not find any reliable load data for Blue Dot with cast bullets. SWC), 853 (Powder UP see note) (Hi=872.5 Lo=827.5 Spread=45 fps)(some unburned powder), 802 (Powder DOWN see note) (Hi=809.2 Lo=792.6 Spread=16.6 fps). These can be safely driven to 1,200 fps in the Ruger Blackhawk. Make sure your gun can handle it before you use any of these loads listed below with STARS (*). Handgun Reloading Data .45 Colt 9mm Luger .32 Smith & Wesson Long .32 ACP .357 Magnum .44 Magnum .41 Remington Magnum .460 S&W Magnum .38 Special .327 Federal Magnum .357 SIG .25 Automatic 10mm Auto .500 Linebaugh Powder Data Accurate 5744 Hodgdon Extreme Powder Alliant Reloder 15 Norma Powder Ramshot Powder Accurate Powder Vihtavouri Powder Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, State Agency: A gun with these internal dimensions offers a much fairer assessment of the accuracy potential of all data. The larger diameter ring that sizes the lower half of the case provides longer case life and eliminates the typical swaged bulge just ahead of the solid head. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, State Agency: I load 7.5gr of HP38 in Starline brass and crimp in the crimp groove of each of these bullets. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. I have been surprised by the fact the Marlin feeds Keith-style bullets perfectly. The top of the can says NOT FOR HANDGUN LOADS. There are many good jacketed bullets for the .45 Colt. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (when required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. VihtaVuori Oy Company, reloading booklet (1995) Numerous magazine articles on reloading special calibers and personal loads where noted. For clarification, the above three, revolvers are completely original with barrels featuring the small rounded bead-type. Heavy loads that are safe for use in the Ruger Redhawk would destroy a fine Colt SAA. Quality 300-grain jacketed bullets are also offered by all three of these manufacturers. (I) Giveaway ends March 31, 2023. One problem inherent with the original #454424 was the fact that when sized to 0.451 to 0.452 inch, the crimping groove almost disappears. Custom five-shooters built on the Ruger Blackhawk, the Ruger Redhawk, and the Freedom Arms Model 83 top the list. Cartridge Filter By Bullet Weight Powder Type Recipes ), RCBS #450255KT (258 gr.