Any opinions on 45LC powder.

[coachseeley]

I'm about to start loading my 45LC, and wondered if anyone has an opinion on powders.
In total, I'll be loading 45LC, .40S&W, and 38 Special. The 45LC will be my first attempt at reloading pistol calibers.
My goal is to have one powder I can plink and hunt with. I'll probably go lead cast or Berry's Bullets for plinking (200-250gr) and use Hornady XTP (250-300gr.) for hunting. I have an N Frame Smitty, and it can handle the hot loads listed in manuals and on the Hodgdon website.
I think I'm going to use Titegroup, and wondered if anyone had any thoughts on ONE powder to plink with (700-900fps), and then to hunt with (1000+fps).
Also, I like the Titegroup data because I can use that powder to load my .40 and my dad's 38.
Thanks,
Steven

[DiscoRacing]

i load with titegroup and 255 grain casts

[Mike Irwin]

As soon as I get dies I'm going to be loading it.

I'm going to use Trail Boss.

It will fill the case, unlike most of the other powders out there, it's very mild mannered, and I can get a bit over original factory ballistics with TB.

[Stargazer]

Unique would load all of those calibers. You may want to go to 2400 or H110/W296 for 45LC hunting rounds though. Unique will get you a good velocity with the 45 LC but it will only go so far. To gain a couple of hundred FPS you would need to switch to 2400 or H110/W296. Just some suggestions, please use the manuals for specific weights of powder.

[Stumper]

Unique is the classic 45 Colt powder. It will duplicate traditional ballistics at mild pressures and allow a bit of a boost at acceptable pressures. Slower powders such as 2400 are best for absolute top end loads. Of course there are many powders that will work well in 45 Colt. Back when I loaded for one, many of my plinking loads used Red Dot. Those were the days when just about all of my pistol and shotgun powders were Hercules products.

[Sport45]

Welcome to The Firing Line!

I will go along with those that said Unique. It, or Hodgdon Universal should work fine in all those cartridges. I understand Universal measures better, but I haven't opened my jug yet to find out. I'm still working off the last of my Unique.

Oh yeah, stay away from the H110/W296 loads unless you're loading for a stronger gun that is known to be able to handle the extra pressure.

[Doodlebugger45]

I have to agree with the above comments. You are asking a lot from one single powder. It might be best if you bite the bullet and buy 2 cans of powder for the different appplications. For my mild loads in my fairly weak SAA clone, I use 231 or Tite Group or Trail Boss and they all do well and burn fairly clean at low velocities. For my hot loads for my Casull, I use 2400 or 110 or Enforcer powder. I can get loads in the .45 Colt cases that are only 100-200 fps less than my hot .454 Casull loads.

If you are sticking to just one powder though, it would be hard to beat Unique. I used it before but I hate the way it meters in my powder measure.

[zxcvbob]

Herco should be able to do it all, but it's a little slow-burning for the .38 Special. Bullseye is not a bad choice, but it's a little fast for the top-end .45 Colt loads. I have about 20 different powders, but I keep coming back to those 2 -- and Promo for target loads.

[Slamfire]

Unique.

I have a S&W N frame in 45 LC and I do not think it is appropriate for magnum level loads.

I keep all my loads, which are 255 gr or less, under 1000 fps. 99% percent of my loads are a 250/255 L at 800 to 850 fps.

[GeauxTide]

Been using Unique since the 70's. Hard to beat for every day loads. Have used 8-9gr in 41, 44, and 45LC for years. My best 200gr SWC load in a 45acp is Unique, also. I don't mind the dirty, cause cast bullet shooting is dirty, anyway. Part of the fun is the cleaning after.

[temmi]

For "Cowboy" loads I use Trail boss.

For more Bang I use Bluedot

[coachseeley]

Slamfire,

I hear what you're saying...
When I first got my revolver a few years ago, I was looking for a hunting load to hunt mulies within 50 yards. I made a few phone calls to Buffalo Bore and Smith & Wesson directly. Both parties said that the N-frame is capable of handling the +P hot loads "for hunting purposes only". They both said, "don't go out an plink with them... but they're okay to hunt with."
That being said, I found a shop that sold Cor-Bon products, and ended up buying a box of 300gr. FN that Cor-Bon says travel at about 1200fps. I've fired a few out of my gun, and it is a huge difference in handling, but the gun showed absolutely no negative signs at all, and it still is tight and smooth.
The .45LC I have has a 5 inch barrel with full under lug. It's a beefy-mother that's for sure.
I appreciate your input, and whatever I go with, I'll use extreme caution. Thanks, from one Smitty owner to another.

As far as Titegroup goes... the Hodgdon website lists a mild load and a +P load for Titegroup. That's why I am looking into that powder.

Who uses Keith-style bullets? I would say I'm a fairly young guy for shooting 45LC, and I'm fascinated with the old cartridges. I also picked up a 45-70 that I'm starting to load. I'd shoot 44-40 if I were able to reload them. There's something about doing things the way the oldtimers did years ago. What manufacturers make a Keith-style bullet?

Thanks again for everyone's input.
Steven

[Doodlebugger45]

Lots of plalces make hard cast Keith style bullets.

Here's a good place with good prices:
http://www.missouribullet.com/result...5&secondary=14

Another one with a bit higher prices:
http://www.montanabulletworks.com/45_Colt.html

And finally, another one with premium cast bullets at even hgher prices:
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

[Hammerhead]

In .45 Colt I've had great luck with Trail Boss and 200 grain plated SWC's (.45acp bullet)

[DiscoRacing]

Unique

Very dirty tho... if you have a nickel or polished stainless gun.

[44 AMP]

250gr hardcast SWC and Unique. My working load gives just shy of 1100fps in a 7.5" Blackhawk, and does everything I need.

Lighter loads perform well, accuracy is very good. Not as clean as some other powders, but not as dirty as others.

Unique is very good, and, while it doesn't fill the big .45 Colt case as much as some, a standard load fills it enough that a double charge is instantly apparent.

Been using Unique since the 1970s, and see no reason to change now.

[Sport45]

Very dirty tho... if you have a nickel or polished stainless gun.

I don't have any nickel or polished stainless guns, but wouldn't that make cleaning easier? I wouldn't avoid Unique if it just wiped off. Heck, I don't avoid Unique in any of my guns and my stainless 1991A1 has a rough finish.

I think Unique gets a bad rep for being dirty. I don't have any powders that don't leave some soot and most of the "dirt" on mine is bullet lube anyway.

[rogn]

The general consensus is that you wont break your S&W N frame with hot loads but you will rattle itloo se with a steady diet of hot loads. The old classic load of 8-10.5gr Unique is a wonderful load,lot of "dirty load" accusation is due to OS chambers on most revolvers. A Unique load on warmer side will run a bit cleaner. A good load thats fairly clean, shoots accurately, with good power is a 10-12.5gr load of HS-6 and a 250- 255gr bullet. Heavy loads my vote goes to VV N110 and 270gr cast. Clean, accurate , powerfull >44mag. However, the HS-6 will work in the other 2 cases , well too. The above loads are safe in my guns, but use appropriate caution in any load development.

[jmortimer]

Unique - I use around 9 grains with hardcast 255 grain SWC which will do just about anything a gun can be used for.

[hodaka]

I've only been loading for the .45 LC for a couple of years. A 7 1/2 Blackhawk and a Taurus Thunderbolt rifle. I think Unique is the standard and it was what I started with. Lately I've tried some Trailboss and find that it is pleasant to shoot and accurate.

[DiscoRacing]

I don't have any nickel or polished stainless guns, but wouldn't that make cleaning easier? I wouldn't avoid Unique if it just wiped off. Heck, I don't avoid Unique in any of my guns and my stainless 1991A1 has a rough finish.

I think Unique gets a bad rep for being dirty. I don't have any powders that don't leave some soot and most of the "dirt" on mine is bullet lube anyway.

OK

[Uncle Buck]

I use IMR Hi-Skor 700-X powder for my .38 Specials, .357 Magnums and .45 Colt.

I do not have a problem with it yet.

[sourdough44]

Hodgdon Universal would do most of it.

[Two Spurs]

I've been using Titegroup for the last year or so for my Cowboy Action Shooting and it works great. Currently at 4.6 gr with 200 gr RNFP for my 45LC and 3.2 gr with a 125 gr RNFP for my wife's 38's. This performs well for our competition and doubles as a great plinking round also. Added bonus is that I use TG for my shotgun loads with equally good performance.

[shafter]

My plinking load is 8grs of Unique with a 250gr rnfp