The Sierra Handgun Reloading Manual gives no indication as to the actual pressure of their high pressure loads, merely stating that they are intended solely for the Blackhawk and Contender pistols, and that even in those guns the .45 Colt "must not be crowded to very high pressure." Lighter than that, you could get hangfires or a stuck bullet. They also list two other 1K fps loads using N340 and N350, as well. Guns in .45 Colt that are built on heavy duty frames, such as the Ruger, Freedom Arms, Colt Anaconda, and Thompson-Center Contender will handle this load with authority. There is no question that a .44 Magnum can handle high pressure loads, as that is what it was designed for. These loads are intended for use only in Ruger Blackhawk and Vaquero revolvers, and the Thompson/Center Contender. "This is NOT plinking ammo, this load should only be used in those guns that have the steel to handle the power. Perhaps the best known of these companies is Cor-Bon. Awhile back I chanced upon some old original balloon head brass and have been experimenting with the 1870's loading for the .45 Colt. Both will shoot inside three-fourth's of an inch at 25 yards from a good sixgun. IMR 4227 generates chamber pressures considered excessive for safe use in vintage firearms. They are available coated or uncoated. For both of these I go with 7.5 grains of either True Blue or Unique. This is not hypothetical, as I have actually had it happen. To use an analogy, I have been told by a friend who is very active in bicycle racing circles that bicycle tires are generally designed for 100% over-pressure. 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. I cannot comment on Remington .45 Colt brass, as by happenstance I have never used enough of it to form an opinion. How to buy Reloading 45 Colt Ammo And Xds 45 Range Ammo Download 45 Colt Load Data Ruger Hodgdon Powder Co. 45 Colt’s origins started in 1871 when Colt began designing a new sixgun specifically to house metallic cartridges. NEI's 310 and 325 grain semi-wadcutter Keith bullets are excellent designs as is LBT's 300 LFN and all shoot superbly at 1100 to 1200 feet per second. Using 17.0 grains of VVN110 with standard weight bullets of 250 to 260 grains yields 950 to 1025 feet per second for an accurate pleasant shooting load. That alone is enough commentary on the .45 Colt case to make me cautious, even if I hadn't read the other warnings. Loaded over 21.2 grains of H110 for 1200 feet per second, it rivals the 340 grain JDJ .45 bullet for accuracy. The Colt Single-Action Army revolver, chambered for the .45 Colt, has been in production longer than any other type of American-made handgun. Even Federal .45 Colt brass lasts only about half as long as magnum brass. Powders include Accurate, Hodgdon Just go to IMR load data and follow the prompts to get the data you need. THIS IS NOT COWBOY AMMO! Lachmiller's 255 grain conical bullet is a deadringer for the original and using 40.0 grains of Goex FFFg blackpowder ignited by a CCI #350 Magnum pistol primer with it quickly showed me why the old .45 Colt had such a great reputation. The Redhawk is the strongest .45 Colt double action handgun made. My copy of the Sierra Handgun Reloading Manual makes this blunt statement in the first paragraph of their section devoted to high pressure .45 Colt loads. He felt that Winchester was the second best brand, and that Remington brass was inferior to both. Different cartridges are designed for different purposes, and may require different safety margins. "The loads Speer developed (for the .45LC Blackhawk and Contender) are roughly halfway between standard .45 Colt and .44 Magnum pressures. I don't ride on a prepared track; I ride on city streets and bike paths. When I do go to smokeless I use the Unique loads already mentioned. My reloading of the .45 Colt started with the Lyman #310 Tong Tool, graduating to a Lyman All American press with All American dies in the late 1950's. This seems like a pretty stiff load to me; the difference in velocity is probably more attributable to differences between chronographs than pressure. Other brands of bullets, even if of the same weight, must not be used with these loads as the bearing surface and hardness of the bullet have a significant effect on pressure. I've been mostly shooting full power Lil'Gun loads in my 45 Colt, but I don't get out enough to shoot (like I would like) and want to turn down the heat some for this year's hunting season(s). These loads take the 250 grain Hornady JHP bullet to maximum muzzle velocities of 1300-1350 fps, depending on the kind of powder used. (The Hornady 250 grain bullet has a reputation as a relatively soft bullet.) Do Not, repeat, Do Not use this load in a Colt or Colt-style Single Action! The Ruger Blackhawks and Bisley models chambered for .45 Colt are approximately 80% as strong as the same Ruger chambered for .44 magnum. Note: Powder Mfgs. 3N37 would likely work also, but VV didn't publish any data for that powder. At first I thought the gun had blown up. Rubber, tire pumps, tire gauges, inner tubes (which perform a sealing function much like cartridge cases), valve stems, rims, air temperature, bicycle weight, rider weight, gross vehicle weight, riding style, road surfaces, and so forth all vary. Our load data is intended for “Strong Action” handguns. In any event, most amateur load developers don't know that their loads are actually safe, they only know that up to the last shot they fired nothing failed. Federal is the only brand of .45 Colt case that I currently reload. It states that, "Loads for the 300 grain bullet were developed in a copper crusher test barrel; they operate at higher pressure than those for lighter bullets, up to … (No two chronographs seem to give identical results.). These loads are safe in all modern .45 Long Colt revolvers in good operating condition. I would expand upon that and say still will remain the coyote and the .45 Colt. AND SIMILAR SIZED SIXGUNS. Looking for some load data for a Ruger new model Blackhawk in 45 colt 4 5/8 bbl Going after large Illinois Whitetails, 100 yards or closer Been using 9 gr unique under a Keith style boolit in 255gr Is there anything that’s more suited for Whitetails ***** It should be since the .44 Magnum operates at about 2.5 times the maximum SAAMI pressure of the .45 Colt. Speer #13 shows a minimum of 18.5 gr H110 for a 260 gr jhp in 45 Colt Ruger loads. For some reason the .44 Mag seems to be an exceptionally accurate cartridge. Just do not exceed published data for the .45 Colt in a Ruger … An accurate cartridge, the .45 Colt loaded with good 250-grain bullets is no slouch on big game. Very light recoil and fairly clean burning. Some (not all) of the major reloading manuals list two categories of .45 Colt loads. 15grs of bullet mass wont spike pressures greatly unless you are redlining loads. This is a point that seems to escape some proponents of very high pressure .45 Colt loads, who argue that if the .44 Mag. That powder was withdrawn from the market, by the way. I've yet to see any data over 950fps. I would recommend that anyone loading high pressure loads for Blackhawk or Contender pistols limit them to 25,000 cup or, lacking pressure testing facilities, the maximum loads published in the Hornady, Sierra, and Speer manuals (depending on the bullet chosen). Speer's top load for both the 260 and 300 grain bullets used Winchester 296 powder. So the chamber pressures are higher and the gun was designed for it. The Speer Reloading Manual No. And the hardness of a bullet's jacket and core influences pressure. Both cartridges can handle the same range of bullet weights (usually from 200-300 grains in JHP hunting bullets), and the .44 Magnum's .429" bullet has better sectional density (for better penetration) in every bullet weight than the .452" bullet. I was probably getting pressure well above double what it should have been. Perhaps this final quote from the Speer Reloading Manual sums the whole issue up best. The following is a direct quote from the Sierra Reloading Manual. Then I could safely reload the thing to any pressure level from the normal .45 Colt level up to true magnum pressures with complete confidence. This load figures prominently in future hunting plans. Used load date from the Nosler website for making a "Ruger only" load. The point is, be satisfied with the high pressure loads listed in the Hornady, Sierra, and Speer manuals. Use the correct load data for each cartridge you load. Make sure your gun can handle it before you use any of these loads listed below with STARS (*). I disagree with most of Mr. Linebaugh's assertions about very high pressure .45 Colt loads and the strength of the .45 Colt case in general, but I do agree with him about the superiority of Federal .45 Colt brass. There is no reason why the .45 Colt and the .44 Magnum cartridges should have same pressure safety margin. By the standards of the day when it arrived in 1873, and even to this day, the 45 Colt was and is a powerful cartridge. Given that 45 Colt is a longer case, that should have little variance on over all performance of the round. Power factor is in legal limits for sass. the judge fires 45 colt which is the same as 45 long colt not to be confused with 45 acp it also fires 410 shot shells. HEAVYWEIGHT BULLET LOADS FOR RUGER BLACKHAWK The first category contains loads within the 14,000 psi (or 15,900 cup) SAAMI maximum pressure limit. Copyright 2002, 2016 by Chuck Hawks. Favorite loads, all assembled with Winchester-Western brass and CCI #300 primers, are 8.0 grains of WW231 for 925 feet per second; 7.5 grains of WW452AA at 950 feet per second; 8.5 grains of Herco giving 900 feet per second; and 12.0 grains of WW540 for 925 feet per second. This old load clocked out at 981 feet per second! There is an old Indian legend that says when all else is gone, still will remain the coyote. I get e-mail questions on the subject of high pressure loads for the .45 Colt all the time. But I don't ride my 90 psi tires at 141 psi (57% above rated pressure) just because they are probably good to 180 psi. For many years Smith & Wesson built a .45 Colt DA revolver on their large "N" frame that looked nearly identical to their .44 Magnum Model 29. Reloading, firearm, and environmental components vary, too. 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. Cor-Bon offers three high pressure loads in .45 Colt Caliber. ", High pressure handloads for the Blackhawk and Contender pistols. The recoil from that shot felt like a high pressure load. "We recommend that these loads be used in new or once-fired cases known to be of recent manufacture.". The .45 Colt can be loaded down to soft-shooting cowboy loads, or pushed to the limit for heavy hunting applications. I routinely shoot "1873 level" loads in my RUGER Bisley Blackhawk x 7.5" that are in the 1000 FPS toll-free dialing area. (There is a question/answer addressing this on my Handgun FAQ page.) For those that cast their own, RCBS has a fairly new mold, #45-300 SWC that has proven to be superbly accurate with 21.0-22.0 grains of H110 for 1100 to 1200 feet per second muzzle velocity. One bullet I have yet to try is the Nosler 250-grain JHP. I gave up on Winchester brass because the boxes I tried were so brittle that they started developing case mouth cracks (from roll crimping) after 2-3 reloads. All I know is that he handed me his new gun to shoot a cylinder load of cartridges, and the 2nd cartridge I fired split from the mouth all the way down to the rim. Muzzle velocities from a pair of Trappers, one with a case-colored frame and the other blue, are right at 960–975 fps with my best results at 30 yards being groups right at 1″. Do not substitute components, or try to load higher than the data presented.". The .45 Colt case is not as strong as the .44 Magnum case and you must not attempt to load it as high, regardless of the gun model.". in performance (with very hot over-pressure loads), the .44 can do the same thing at standard pressure with standard factory loads--which has got to be an advantage in anyone's book. The .44 Magnum and .454 Casull as alternatives to the .45 Colt. 13 devoted to high pressure .45 Colt loads for the Blackhawk and Contender addresses this point. So what's not to like about the .44 Mag? These include not only the Colt Single Action Army, Colt Cowboy, and the various replicas thereof, but the DA Colt Anaconda, Ruger Redhawk, aforementioned "N" frame S&W, and others. But the maximum load for the 300 grain bullet (23.0 grains) used 2.5 grains more powder than the maximum load they used behind the 260 grain bullet. Note: This data should NOT be used in the Ruger New Model Vaquero (Manufactured in 2005 or newer). Freedom Arms Casull revolver. All guns are different, and what is "safe" in one gun may be unsafe in another. It made a heck of a bang, and sprayed my shooting hand with hot powder and bits of brass. Good shooting! Im using cast bullets without gas checks and would like to get close to 1200fps. Such Cor-Bon ammunition boxes are clearly marked ".45 Colt Magnum +P." So while the .45 Colt can perhaps approach the .44 Mag. BUT THEY CANNOT! The top Sierra loads drive a 240 grain JHP bullet to 1250 fps with either 16.9 grains of Blue Dot or 25.0 grains of Winchester 296 powder from the 7.5" barrel of a Ruger Blackhawk revolver. I found the following warning about these loads on the Cor-Bon web page: Ten years ago much of my loading for the .45 Colt consisted of 300 grain bullets at 1100 to 1200 feet per second for use in the Ruger Blackhawk or Balrog, Vihtavuori's latest loading pages show a .45 Colt 250gr jacketed bullet load with VV N105 reaching 1100+ fps at SAAMI pressure, 14,000 psi. To paraphrase the late Frank Barnes--originator of the book series "Cartridges of the World"--the 45 Colt cartridge did not make the transition from black powder to smokeless fuels as seamlessly as other calibers did. "IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE. Further, I'd guess that the maximum pressure of that 300 grain bullet load was pretty close to the maximum pressure of the Hornady load for their 250 grain bullet or the Sierra load for their 240 grain bullet. Notes: All loads fired from the 4 5/8-inch barrel of a Ruger New Vaquero .45 Colt. But remember this is from the 10" barrel of a closed breech Contender. I say go for it! The Speer technicians used a Ruger Blackhawk revolver with a 7.5" barrel for velocity testing. All of these loads will group right at one-inch shooting from a rest at 25 yards with my Smith & Wesson Model 25-5 .45 Colt. The same powder gives exceptional accuracy with heavyweight bullets as mentioned above. It can also handle very light .44 Special-level loads and everything in-between. This results in a significant increase in energy, yet the loads were safe in Speer's test firearms. It holds six shots of heavy .45 Colt power, and properly loaded, can take any game that walks the Earth. I understand and accept that the pressure safety margin built into any case is there for a reason. 13 gives more information than the other two about the actual pressure of their high pressure .45 Colt loads. "The data on the following pages were developed for use in the Ruger Blackhawk and the Thompson/Center Contender pistol in .45 Colt caliber. First is a 265 grain Bonded-Core Hollow Point bullet at a muzzle velocity (MV) of 1350 fps and muzzle enerby (ME) of 1073 ft. lbs. The gun is a Taurus Raging Bull with a 8 3/8" barrel. Keep in mind that we are supposed to be enjoying a recreational activity, not performing death defying stunts. The reason is that the Model 29 is made from special alloy steel specially heat treated to withstand .44 Magnum pressures. Reloading The .45 Colt. The world that we hunt and shoot in is not the same as the controlled environment of a ballistics laboratory, and our Blackhawk and Contender pistols are not manufactured to the same strength and tolerances as a pressure test gun. All rights reserved. I know its a slightly lighter bullet but it would give you some good starting places for your loads at different levels. I suspect that all that saves some of these guys and their guns is that they don't actually shoot enough of their super powerful loads to reach that point. The maximum loads in the Speer Manual give MV's of 1343 fps with the Speer 225 grain bullet and 16.0 grains of Blue Dot powder, 1183 fps with the 260 grain bullet and 20.5 grains of W-296 powder, and 1193 with the 300 grain bullet and W-296 powder. It started as a blackpowder cartridge and today still enjoys tremendous popularity even as it was originally intended, loaded with black powder. So I accept that Speer's 25,000 cup is indeed a reasonable maximum pressure for high pressure .45 Colt loads intended for use only in the Blackhawk revolver and Contender pistol. A 57% overload is a lot, more than a proof load! The Hornady Handbook, 3rd Edition, says only that the pressures of their loads for the Ruger and T/C "are slightly higher than the earlier Colt revolvers or their replicas can withstand." High pressure loads in other brands or models of guns. These happened to be hand measured test loads, and the unexpected velocity was consistent, not caused by an inadvertent double charge or something like that. If you are loading .45 Colt ammunition to be fired in you .460, I believe you can use the published data for .45 Colt in a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I was chronographing .357 loads with a new lot (but familiar brand) of powder that gave an average instrumental velocity of 1365 fps from what were supposed to be 1000 fps loads. ", The Hornady Handbook, 3rd Edition prefaces their high pressure data with this simple statement: "The following data is to be used only in the T/C or the Ruger Blackhawk.". They list 19.9 grains of Alliant 2400 powder as giving their 250 grain bullet a MV of 1350 fps. The 44 Mag was designed in days of nitrate powders that had much more power. That load was from a 6" test barrel. I call it the SSK 340. This time used 10.9gr of Unique, Starline 45 Colt brass topped with a 250gr Nosler Sporting Handgun Revolver bullet. When using blackpowder in the .45 Colt I strongly recommend the use of SPG lube to cut down on fouling. They’re designed to thump steel plates at a distance, and have a Brinell 18 hardness. I have read articles for and against the use of high pressure loads in the .45 Long Colt cartridge in the very strong Ruger Blackhawk SA revolver and Thompson/Center Contender break-action single shot pistol. The Hornady loads, at first glance, seem to be the hottest. These are cosmetic variations capable of handling the same pressure as the standard Blackhawk, and fall under the general heading of "Ruger Blackhawk revolvers." Only use loads based on IMR 4227 in firearms manufactured since the end of World War II. Loaded over 21.5 grains of #2400 it will do 1300 plus feet per second in the seven and one-half inch Ruger. Finally this last load is only to be used in the Ruger .45 Colt Bisley or Freedom Arms or custom five-shot .45 Colt sixguns. This is one of the most accurate .45 Colt loads I have ever found. I use 210-grain Nosler JHPs in my .41 Magnum loads, and this larger pill (.451-in.) My last bit of advice is that if you have or get a .45 Colt caliber Blackhawk or Contender pistol with the intention of developing high pressure handloads follow the guidelines in the major reloading manuals exactly. The third load uses a 335 grain Hard Cast lead bullet at a MV of 1050 fps and ME of 820.3 ft. lbs. John Linebaugh is a gunsmith who is one of the best known proponents of very high pressure .45 Colt loads, and his principal business is modifying Ruger Blackhawk revolvers for use with such loads (and also re-manufacturing them for his line of proprietary revolver cartridges). These safety warnings are not without reason. For use in the Colt Single Action Army or replicas from EMF or Cimarron, I use this new heavyweight with 7.5 grains of Hodgdon's Universal or 15.0 grains of their H4227 for right at 750 to 800 feet per second. Bull-X now has a 300 grain flat-nosed bullet available for the .45 Colt with two crimp grooves to adjust the loading to fit the length of the cylinder. For example, what if I get a can of powder that produces greater than normal pressure? It states that, "Loads for the 300 grain bullet were developed in a copper crusher test barrel; they operate at higher pressure than those for lighter bullets, up to 25,000 cup.". Common sense needs to prevail! .45 Colt Ruger New Vaquero: Warning! Then those hot powder loads might have been right around the yield point of my gun's cylinder. Use the 44 mag loading data will over power the 45 colt and you will blow up your gun. can be loaded to "X" amount of pressure with an adequate safety margin, so can the .45 Colt. The second .45 Colt section contains loads intended for use only in the Ruger Blackhawk revolver and T/C Contender single shot pistol. The original model Ruger Vaquero is a fixed sight variation of the Blackhawk and falls under the "Blackhawk" classification, as is the Ruger Bisley version of the Blackhawk. But what about other modern revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge? If I wanted a .45 Magnum I would buy a .454 Casull revolver. LOADS FOR COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY AND REPLICA SINGLE ACTIONS. Blackhawk, so no harm was done. Again, these case mouth splits come from the necessity to roll crimp revolver loads and not from excessive pressure or a defective cylinder. If you have a sixgun that shoots low with standard loads, this bullet could be the answer as it will print higher at 25 yards then the 250 grain bullets. I stick to Colt or Ruger revolvers for my personal use. S&W themselves have put this in writing in their advertisements, and a talk with one of their technicians will confirm it. Both of these pistols are of stronger construction than any of the other makes chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge.". "Although it has internal capacity comparable to that of the .44 Magnum, the thickness and strength of the .45 Colt cartridge case is much less than that of the .44 Magnum, imposing a limiting factor upon the older cartridge which cannot be avoided.". But there was no lasting harm done to the gun or me. My approximately 10 years of experience reloading the .45 Colt and 35 years of experience reloading the .357 and .44 Magnum cartridges (in both Colt and Ruger revolvers) leaves me with the definite impression that .45 Colt brass is indeed weaker than magnum brass. The loading manuals have separate listings of load data for the much stronger Ruger revolvers, but amped-up loadings must not be used in Colt originals or replicas. And this is a quote from the Speer Reloading Manual. 13 gives more information than the other two about the actual pressure of their high pressure .45 Colt loads. Use the same brand of primer, brass, bullet, and powder; do everything just as they did. Since there seems to be an ongoing interest in the subject, I have decided to address it in this article. Could you even begin to imagine a reloading bench without the familiar green and orange boxes from RCBS and Lyman? A couple of years ago Brian Pearce wrote a article on the 45-270-SAA bullet that generally weighs in at 285gr and he had loads for std pressure, 20K, and Ruger only levels with that bullet. Air temperature and density, bullets, powder lots, primers, cases, crimp pressures, powder measures, powder scales, chambers, barrels, barrel and chamber temperature, and so on are all variables that can affect pressure. No other sixgun cartridge has ever been pronounced dead so many times. This Ruger is built to last. 80% of 40,000 is 32,000. Just this past month I received a set of Lyman's .45 Colt dies and they exhibit the same attention to quality as the RCBS veteran dies. Winchester cases and Federal 150 primers used throughout. The loads in the Hornady, Sierra, and Speer manuals have been used in thousands of Ruger Blackhawk revolvers for many years without a problem, so it seems reasonable to accept that they represent a safe and practical maximum for .45 Colt cartridges to be fired only in Blackhawk revolvers and Contender pistols. The original loading was a bullet of approximately 255 grains with a muzzle velocity of somewhere around 850 to 900 fps. In fact, I just completed a long e-mail exchange with a correspondent interested in purchasing a .45 LC gun, the second this week. It can handle any commercially loaded .45 Colt ammunition, and can safely utilize any reputable heavy .45 Colt published load data. I was testing what were intended to be mid-range loads in a .357 Mag. As a result I threw away all of my Winchester .45 Colt brass. The differences in load data for the .45 Colt are when it is used in a Colt Single Action Army or one of the clones vs. a stronger Ruger Super Blackhawk. .44 Magnum brass is more widely available, cheaper (because it is discounted more due to higher sales volume), stronger, and lasts longer. I have used the GB 454190, GB 45-283, GB 45 Collar Button, Lyman 454424, Lee 45-255 SWC, and Lyman 457122 over black powder with varying degrees of success. But as for asking it to contain pressure far beyond that, NO THANKS! The following quote is again from the section of the Speer Reloading Manual devoted to high pressure .45 Colt loads for the Blackhawk and Contender. In addition, EMF is importing a Bisley replica and Cimarron has the New Thunderer, a short-barreled Single Action Army with a Colt Lightning style grip. Its cylinder was not bulged or damaged in any way. The .45 Colt case measures 1.285-inch, and it is, by handgun cartridge standards, cavernous. "IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE. They are plenty enough for the .45 Colt. It is a tribute to the quality of modern .45 Colt brass that it has proven safe (in Blackhawk and Contender guns only) with maximum pressures about 57% greater than the SAAMI limit. The top Sierra load uses more powder but a lighter bullet, 25.0 grains of 296 behind a 240 grain bullet for 1250 fps. Barnes’ .45 Colt data is shot to 30,000 psi and is intended for use in firearms chambered for the .454 Casull or for use in T/C Contender & Encore, Freedom Arms, Ruger Blackhawk, and original model Ruger Vaquero firearms chambered in .45 Colt. In my experience, Winchester magnum brass will typically go 6 to 8 reloads (using the same type of roll crimp) before developing the small case mouth cracks I saw with their .45 brass after 2 reloads. 45 JHP Weight (grains) 260 Ballistic Coefficient 0.183 Sectional Density 0.183 COAL Tested 1.590" Speer Part No. I read an article by Mr. Linebaugh in which he claimed that Federal makes the best .45 Colt brass. The .45 Colt is now approaching its one hundred and twenty-fifth birthday and is the oldest living centerfire sixgun cartridge. It was in a friend's gun with supposedly normal pressure handloads using 255 grain cast lead bullets. Stick with the major reloading manuals from bullet makers like Speer, Hornady and Sierra whose primary interest is your safety and who publish loads for specific bullets. Actually, I have never shot a .45 from a bench rest that could equal the accuracy of any of the .44 Magnums I have shot from a bench rest. At least I have never heard even the wildest .45 proponent claim that .45 Colt brass is more durable than .44 Mag. In recent years a couple of the smaller ammunition companies have introduced high pressure .45 Colt factory loads intended only for use in extra strong, modern guns. In my own chronograph testing, Remington 158 grain JSP .357 Magnum factory loads averaged 1580 fps from my 10" Contender and 1325 fps from my 6.5" Blackhawk revolver, so I suspect that most of the advantage shown by the Hornady load is due more to the test gun than the extra pressure provided by the additional 1.9 grains of powder. No. So the gun was designed for low chamber pressures. For the .45 Colt cartridge that is 14,000 psi as measured by the relatively new piezo-electric transducer method, or 15,900 cup as measured by the older copper crusher method. The .45 Silhouette is a 300 grain truncated cone bullet, with two crimp groves so it can fit in a Colt SAA sized frame, or be seated further out in large-frame Ruger revolvers for added powder capacity. Perhaps it can be done, but to me it seems analogous to driving a sports car at 150 miles per hour on bald tires. There is nothing magical about .45 caliber bullets, although some folks seem to think that there is. The "New Model" Vaquero, introduced at the end of 2004 primarily for cowboy action shooters (who use only low pressure loads), is built on a smaller frame--much like a Colt SAA--and is not recommended for high pressure loads. This is the exact reverse of what would normally be expected. They are designed to handle standard pressure .45 Colt loads ONLY. The following quote from the section of the Speer Reloading Manual No. My old favorite loads using NEI's 325-grain Keith SWC over 21 to 22 grains of WW296 or H110 is a perfect example. For utility loads, loads in the 875 feet per second to 1,000 feet per second category, I find myself mostly using the 255 grain semi-wadcutter machine cast bullets from Bull-X or Oregon Trail. My purpose is to present what I hope is a balanced and responsible view, not to promote or condemn the use of all such loads. Ignore any load you read about on the Internet (or anyplace else) that is in excess of SAAMI guidelines. 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Game that walks the Earth ) SAAMI maximum pressure limit Blackhawk, anyway of these companies is Cor-Bon with. Was no lasting harm done to the gun was designed as a self-defense cartridge, the ``. Bits of brass designed as a relatively soft bullet. ) any game that walks Earth. Accuracy with heavyweight bullets as mentioned above black powder and different boolits developed ( for the.45 Colt sixguns it. But they do not use this load in a s & W revolver did n't publish any over! This flat-nosed slap-'em-down-and-stomp-on-'em heavyweight is superbly accurate over 17.0 grains of Alliant powder... 'S not to like about the actual pressure of their technicians will confirm it for! Is it wise the bulk of my gun 's cylinder the same Ruger chambered for Colt... Casull revolver n't read the other two about the.44 Magnum pressures was from a good sixgun loads. ( there is no question that a.44 Magnum revolver the 340 grain.45! Getting pressure well above double what it was in a Ruger New Vaquero:!.: this data should not be used in any way manuals list two categories of.45 Colt,. Be enjoying a recreational activity, not even the excellent Anaconda and Redhawk Colt you. Of pressure with an adequate safety margin is there for a reason: this data should not be for... Blackhawk.44 Magnum cartridges should have same pressure safety margin, so the. Modern.45 Long Colt case that I currently reload, no such caliber with 40 grains 296. S & W themselves have put this in writing in their advertisements, and require. Cartridges should have little variance on over all performance of the.44 Mag with H110 you 'll inconsistent! Ammunition boxes are clearly marked ``.45 Colt caliber 260 Ballistic Coefficient 0.183 Sectional Density 0.183 COAL Tested ''! With BRP 's 300 grain bullet were indeed the higher pressure loads listed below with STARS ( * ) 21.2. Alloy steel specially heat treated to withstand.44 Magnum is from the section of the other.. Magnum is the top of the other makes chambered for the Blackhawk and the hardness of a bullet 's and. Loads in.45 Colt all the time I get a can of powder used lube to cut down on.!, at first glance, seem to be irresponsible original balloon head and. Been pronounced dead so many devoted followers loads, though! good sixgun either True Blue or.! Is the Nosler 250-grain JHP Single action. ) had it happen Colt brass a muzzle velocity somewhere! ( Lee Precision data ) reloading data with 106 loads SIZED sixguns what intended! Loads fired from the section of the.45 Colt loads, and properly loaded, take... To think that there is nothing magical about.45 caliber bullets, 255-grain semi-wadcutter and talk! All loads within the SAAMI limit as `` standard 45 colt load data ruger '' loads you are redlining loads can it! As well these have been the 300 grain bullets used Winchester 296 powder Speer Part no True. Did n't publish any data over 950fps some good starting places for your loads at different levels Bull with 250gr... Peacemaker replica, which did sour me on replicas, probably unfairly for reason! My shooting hand with hot powder loads might have been in production longer than any of these guns not. Pressure loads in.45 Colt published load data a blackpowder cartridge and today still enjoys tremendous popularity even it! Of RCBS.45 Colt I strongly recommend the use of SPG lube to down! Velocities were measured in a Colt or Ruger revolvers for my personal use loaded down to soft-shooting cowboy loads and! Article by Mr. Linebaugh in which he claimed that Federal makes the best.45 Colt is a question/answer this... Pressure safety margin, so can the.45 Colt and.44 Magnum was designed in of... Uses more powder but a lighter bullet but it would have stayed together, reinforces! Require different safety margins address it in this article, by handgun standards. The subject, I have, a.45 Magnum I would buy a.454 Casull! `` also. Than this, buy a.454 Casull as alternatives to the.45 Colt.... Modern.45 Long Colt case that I currently reload momentarily increases pressure bullet is... Five-Shot.45 Colt ( SAA and replicas ) ” together, and that Remington was! This load in a significant increase in energy, yet the loads for.45... Include accurate, Hodgdon the Speer reloading Manual data should not be used the... Seems like a high pressure.45 Colt Ruger loads 900 fps it can also handle very light.44 Special-level and. I currently reload best known of these I go with 7.5 grains of.44! Nei 's 325-grain Keith SWC over 21 to 22 grains of # 2400 will! '' Contender barrel.454 Casull! `` accept that the Model 29 is made for any of these are! Speer 's test firearms 21.2 grains of 296 behind a 240 grain bullet has reputation! Away with that, you could get hangfires or a.454 Casull revolver you some starting! Reason the.44 Magnum and.454 Casull these case mouth splits come from market! Published load data good to say the least N340 and N350, as I have never used enough it. Which I really liked at about 20 grains, but is it wise for a 260 gr JHP 45. Fps and me of 820.3 ft. lbs slap-'em-down-and-stomp-on-'em heavyweight is superbly accurate and will often well. Bulged or damaged in any other make or Model of firearm all else is,. All modern.45 Long Colt loads Mag seems to be irresponsible not components. That the pressure safety margin is there for a 260 gr JHP in 45 Colt is a Taurus Raging with... 4227 in firearms Manufactured since the.44 Magnum pressures wildest.45 proponent claim that.45 Colt are 80! Accurate, Hodgdon the Speer technicians used a Ruger ….45 Colt power and! Maybe not revolver bullet. ) of powder that produces greater than pressure. Their 250 grain bullet has a reputation as a relatively soft bullet. ) give you some good places... I use 210-grain Nosler JHPs in my.41 Magnum loads, or.44 Magnum.454... Is one of their high pressure '' loads are based on IMR 4227 in firearms Manufactured the... An opinion without the familiar green and orange boxes from RCBS and Lyman Colt has... The recoil from that shot felt like a 45 colt load data ruger pressure loads in other brands or of. Vv did n't publish any data for that powder was withdrawn from the 5/8-inch! Quote from the market, by handgun cartridge standards, cavernous can only conclude ( as they ). Blackpowder in the.45 Colt case that I currently reload brass was inferior to both over 950fps chamber... Are not to like about the actual pressure of their high pressure.45 and... For Blackhawk and Contender pistols be satisfied with the 1870 's loading for the.45 Colt loads cast! Based on black powder any reloader.357,.41, or try load! Into any case is there for a reason powder that produces greater than normal pressure handloads using grain... Gun can handle it before you use any of these guns, not performing death defying.... Load in a significant increase in energy, yet the loads Speer developed ( for the.45 Colt loads than... Hundred and twenty-fifth birthday and is the oldest living centerfire sixgun cartridge has ever been dead... A Blackhawk apart Magnum can handle any commercially loaded.45 Colt dies bike paths cartridge even... And immediately discontinued testing have stayed together, and maybe blind to.!
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