Does anybody have a good load for a 45 Long Colt

[DeadinNC]

I'm about to get a S&W 625 Mountain Gun and would like to get a load that will not kill me. I have access to a Dillon press so I can load for it also.

Thanks
MIKE

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Be safe and stay in the Black

[Strayhorn]

7gr of Unique behind a 185-gr LSWC. This is a very mild, very accurate target load that won't pound your gun or your hand. It was originally published by Ken Waters in the 60s, so it's been around. This is particularly good in an SAA.

A somewhat more powerful load, yet still won't pound you to death, is 8gr of Unique behind a 230-gr LRN. This works well on plates and gongs through a lever-action carbine like the Rossi.

These are cheap loads, too, as the two bullets mentioned are generally sold in bulk to .45ACP reloaders, so you miss out on the "premium" that seems to accompany the bullets for cowboy loads, given the growing popularity of that sport.

Ken Strayhorn
Hillsborough NC

[Mal H]

I'll move this over to the Handloading forum where all our reloading members can have a go at the question....

[Jack Straw]

I have had good luck with a 250gr LRN (or SWC)and 8gr of Unique. Lately I've been using the same bullet over 5.6 to 6.0gr of Titegroup. I am pleased with my results but I haven't settled on one particular load so far. That's because my Colt SAA likes the lighter loads while the Rossi 92 prefers the higher loads and I want to find a load that both like equally (or close to equally) well. I guess I'll just have to do more shooting! Dang, I just hate that. :)

Jack

[JoeHatley]

I've had really good luck with 7.2 grains Bullseye and a 200 grain LSWC cast bullet.

Moderately snappy...

Joe


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Go NRA

[WESHOOT2]

Rather than Unique try Universal Clays, an easy-metering clean-burning ballistic equivalent to Unique.

Try Bull-X for lead bullets.

Choices: W231, Bullseye......

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"

[Bill Adair]

DeadinNC,

Don't know what barrel length your using here (4"?), but these loads are from a 5.5" Blackhawk.

My favorite load is 9gr of Ramshot True Blue, 250gr Oregon Trail LRNFP bullets, Winchester WLP primers, and Starline cases.

Nice mild load, and the cleanest burning, best metering powder I've ever used!

My 5 1/2" Blackhawk punched two sub 1/2" five shot groups at 30' (indoors), and one five shot group that was less than 3/8"!!! A new bullet set in the hole almost covers the entire group!!

Haven't had a chance to chrono the Ramshot True Blue loads yet, but I hope to do that soon. The manual indicates about 900 fps.

This powder is new, but you can log on the Ramshot site, and get the name of a dealer near you (if there is one). The grains are very tiny spheres, and they meter so well with my RCBS Uniflow, that I could not see a variation on the scale!

I've also had good groups with 9gr of AA#5 (777 fps) using the same components, though I prefer 11gr loads (958 fps) which grouped as well, and were still not brutal. AA#5 smokes my cases worse than any other powder I've used, although all powders do that in 45 Colt, to some extent.

Unique also gives me very good groups in both .357 and .45 Colt, but does not meter well. The grains are very large flakes, and I usually hand weigh each charge, if I'm going to run them through a chrono.

Jack Straw's 8gr Unique load is one I ran through the chrono at 873 fps, while 9gr gave me 973 fps.

Velocities from your 4" Mountain Gun will be slightly less. Great gun by the way!

Bill

[45King]

I chronoed some loads from my .45 Colt Trapper this weekend, and found that 9.4 gr. Unique pushing a 200 gr. Rainier HP gave me 1175fps. Not too shabby. This load, however, is approaching max for .45 Colt.
I wanna try some Titegroup, Universal Clays, and VV N340. However, I've still got about 2 lbs. of Unique to get rid of. Anybody wanna help? :)

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Shoot straight & make big holes, regards, Richard at The Shottist's Center (http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=45acp45lc)

[Rocky Road]

My .45 Colt Mountain Gun is one of my all-time favorites.

Lyman bullet number 454424, now called 452424, is an old Keith-Thompson-designed semiwadcutter. It casts out around 260 grains in wheelweights, and is a wonderful long range bullet. The standard bulk sales 250 is also good, but has a shorter nose.

Either bullet is outstanding with 8 grains of Unique, but for last couple of years, I've been loading Hodgdens Universal, also 8 grains. Just under 900 in my revolver. On days when my bleary old eyes are clear, I can put four out of six on a TX-PT "big blue" silhouette, from a rest at 200 yards.

You CAN load hotter, of course, but please, resist the temptation. While this is the same FRAME used for the .44 Mag, the chamber walls are thinner. I've killed two deer and one hog with this load, and they didn't know the difference. (One shot each.)

If you feel the need for speed, use 230 gr. .45 ACP bullets, cast very hard, or use the jacketed round nose. You're on your own for exact powder charges. I'd start at 9 gr, of either powder.

Hope you enjoy your Mountain Gun as much as I have mine.

Best,
RR

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