.45 Colt hunting loads

KW-Bane · October 22, 2006, 03:08 PM

I am using a Ruger Blkhk .45colt 7.5" bl. The reloading components I have are as follows:
powders-- W231 & H110
bullets-- Oregon Trail 250gr. LRNFP
brass-- Winchester
Primers-- WLP

I have a really good load using the W231, but I would like to use the H110.

The question I have is this, is there a good hunting load (loading data) using the H110 powder and the 250gr. LRNFP? I'm also thinking of purchasing LBT Series in 325gr. LFNPB ("long" flat nose plain base) to use in hunting loads. What would be the COL's for the LBT's because I've not loaded these before?

Any help would be appreciated!!
Thanks!!

Rodger Peterson · October 22, 2006, 08:09 PM

I'm not sure what you consider hunting loads. 231 and a 250 grain bullet will do a good job on most critters. In my experience, if you want to get into the 1000 fps plus zone you will need to go to a jacketed bullet. I use a 250 grain hornady at about 1050 fps, I feel it will kill about anything and I can still hold the gun accuratly. I tried pushing a hardcast bullet to 975 fps using every trick in the book, and I cussed everytime while trying to rid the lead from the bore. Yes I have a chronograph.

KW-Bane · October 23, 2006, 04:19 PM

Sorry for not having more details!

I live in MS and hunt whitetail in sometimes heavy brush.
I have been loading the 250gr. LRNFP's w/ 9.2gr. of W231 in which I believe is close to 950-1000 fps. No, I don't have a chronograph, although I wish I did!

Oregon Trail bullets I'm using "claim" to not cause leading in the barrel, and so far they have been "close" to their claim. I have loaded the Hornady XTP's also and they are very accurate from my gun. It's the fact that someone purchased (a gift) for me a butt load of these "OT" 250gr. LRNFP's. I've been reloading & plinking a lot, but I've not really tried them for hunting deer sz game. My curiosity was high and I was hoping to give it a try, but you have convinced me to stick with the Hndy's (that was easy

)......well, I still got a lot of plinking to do, so back to the reloading bench

stinger · October 23, 2006, 06:54 PM

Caution: the following statement may or may not be over max load. Check your loading manual and always work your loads up carefully.

The OT's will definitely lead, but I can't tell you velocities, because I lost a diffuser rod (I promise I didn't shoot it) and haven't been able to check velocity in a while. It is not a huge deal, some amount of leading is to be expected. Any variety of cleaners will do a good job provided you use a little elbow grease.

But over unique, the 255's and 250's both lead from 8.5-10 g. Again, I don't have velocity, but I wouldn't hesitate to use any of these loads provided that the shots were within my range (or what some might call "very close").

iowain45-70 · October 24, 2006, 03:10 AM

I like alliant 2400 in my ruger.

Ranger61 · October 24, 2006, 09:57 AM

I doubt that you will find a load with lead bullets that will work with H110. H110 must be used at close to maximum pressure in order to ignite reliably. If you reduce very much at all you start getting a load that goes ok, then the next will have ignition problems. The only load I do in 45 with H110 is for my 454 Casull with my own hardcast 255 grain gascheck bullets.

LAH · October 24, 2006, 12:22 PM

Caution: the following statement may or may not be over max load. Check your loading manual and always work your loads up carefully.

If you want to use H110/296 you can plan on full/near full loads if you want them to work.

azredhawk44 · October 24, 2006, 12:48 PM

If you're going to use the lead bullets and H110, look into buying some gas checks for the base of the bullets. This should reduce leading and allow for increased velocity that H110 can provide.

KW-Bane · October 25, 2006, 12:01 AM

Your responses have been the same as what I'm getting locally. The 250gr leadies don't seem to be a good choice for what I was wanting to do. I was hoping someone has had enough success with leadies to give some good pointers for me to try.

They shoot very good in my .44 cal blkpwdr Remington replica converted to
.45 colt. The grooves in the replica are deeper but the rate of twist is not as much as the Ruger. I load 6.0 gr. W231 w/ 250gr leadies and the plinking begins. With that load the accuracy is excellent in that Rem... @ 25 yds I get consistant 1 1/2" groups (6 shots), not too bad!! Actually that Rem. groups better with that load than the Ruger.

***I use only .452" lead bullets and mild loads in the Rem replica***
Oh, the gap in the Rem is excellent. It's not balanced well but it shoots great!

LAH · October 25, 2006, 02:04 PM

MODERATOR EDIT:

The sticky at the top of the Handloading/Reloading forum has been there for a LONG time. take time to read it and you'll see why posts including loads in excess of published maximums are DELETED.

You can avoid this waste of your creative effort by following the guidelines in the sticky.

Johnny Guest
TFL Staff
H&R forum moderator

KW-Bane · October 27, 2006, 12:31 AM

Those articles were excellent!! Thanks Creeker!!

They were fun to read and very informing. (I printed them out)

The loads are rather hot but within the Ruger Blkhk's limits. Not sure if I want to attempt working my gun to hard without the aid of needed equipment.

I think 1200 fps will be fairly easy with Hndy XTP's (I just purchased 100 of 250gr. XTP's) using H110.
Some data (via manuals) state XXXXXXXX

out of a Ruger Blkhk 7.25" bl.
I don't think this load would be too harsh.

I'm looking forward to trying these loads out.

I will take my .44 mag. also just to see how different

MODERATOR EDIT: You are welcome to PM or e-mail me with a cite of WHICH manual shows that as an acceptable load. Until then, it is deleted.

ZeroJunk · October 27, 2006, 08:40 AM

My best two whitetail bucks were taken with 45 cal.250 Grain Hornady XTP hollow points.Neither buck went over sixty yards.

**44 AMP** · October 28, 2006, 09:05 PM

Ruger 7.5in Blackhawk. After several years of making the .45 Colt performance match .44 Mag, I got tired of it. I now shoot just one load in my Blackhawk. 250gr SWC (hardcast) and 10.0 gr Unique. This clocks 1070fps (avg) out of my gun, and it hits pretty hard. It is a bit stout, but not unpleasant to shoot, and in my gun very accurate.

A note of caution, If you use H110 or especially WW296 you should start at the listed load. Do not reduce powder charge. Erratic ignition and pressure can happen.

KW-Bane · October 29, 2006, 01:58 PM

. . . .

Johnny Guest · October 29, 2006, 02:39 PM

This thread is CLOSED.

Johnny

October 22, 2006, 03:08 PM	#1
KW-Bane Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 109	.45 Colt hunting loads I am using a Ruger Blkhk .45colt 7.5" bl. The reloading components I have are as follows: powders-- W231 & H110 bullets-- Oregon Trail 250gr. LRNFP brass-- Winchester Primers-- WLP I have a really good load using the W231, but I would like to use the H110. The question I have is this, is there a good hunting load (loading data) using the H110 powder and the 250gr. LRNFP? I'm also thinking of purchasing LBT Series in 325gr. LFNPB ("long" flat nose plain base) to use in hunting loads. What would be the COL's for the LBT's because I've not loaded these before? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!!

October 23, 2006, 04:19 PM	#3
KW-Bane Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 109	Sorry for not having more details! I live in MS and hunt whitetail in sometimes heavy brush. I have been loading the 250gr. LRNFP's w/ 9.2gr. of W231 in which I believe is close to 950-1000 fps. No, I don't have a chronograph, although I wish I did! Oregon Trail bullets I'm using "claim" to not cause leading in the barrel, and so far they have been "close" to their claim. I have loaded the Hornady XTP's also and they are very accurate from my gun. It's the fact that someone purchased (a gift) for me a butt load of these "OT" 250gr. LRNFP's. I've been reloading & plinking a lot, but I've not really tried them for hunting deer sz game. My curiosity was high and I was hoping to give it a try, but you have convinced me to stick with the Hndy's (that was easy )......well, I still got a lot of plinking to do, so back to the reloading bench __________________ http://www.kwsquad.com/kwsite2/ "Everyone knows there is right and wrong, but integrity proves a man" Last edited by KW-Bane; October 23, 2006 at 06:48 PM.

October 24, 2006, 03:10 AM	#5
iowain45-70 Member Join Date: September 24, 2006 Posts: 38	reloading the 45lc I like alliant 2400 in my ruger.

October 25, 2006, 12:01 AM	#9
KW-Bane Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 109	Your responses have been the same as what I'm getting locally. The 250gr leadies don't seem to be a good choice for what I was wanting to do. I was hoping someone has had enough success with leadies to give some good pointers for me to try. They shoot very good in my .44 cal blkpwdr Remington replica converted to .45 colt. The grooves in the replica are deeper but the rate of twist is not as much as the Ruger. I load 6.0 gr. W231 w/ 250gr leadies and the plinking begins. With that load the accuracy is excellent in that Rem... @ 25 yds I get consistant 1 1/2" groups (6 shots), not too bad!! Actually that Rem. groups better with that load than the Ruger. *I use only .452" lead bullets and mild loads in the Rem replica* Oh, the gap in the Rem is excellent. It's not balanced well but it shoots great! __________________ http://www.kwsquad.com/kwsite2/ "Everyone knows there is right and wrong, but integrity proves a man"

October 27, 2006, 12:31 AM	#11
KW-Bane Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 109	Those articles were excellent!! Thanks Creeker!! They were fun to read and very informing. (I printed them out) The loads are rather hot but within the Ruger Blkhk's limits. Not sure if I want to attempt working my gun to hard without the aid of needed equipment. I think 1200 fps will be fairly easy with Hndy XTP's (I just purchased 100 of 250gr. XTP's) using H110. Some data (via manuals) state XXXXXXXX out of a Ruger Blkhk 7.25" bl. I don't think this load would be too harsh. I'm looking forward to trying these loads out. I will take my .44 mag. also just to see how different MODERATOR EDIT: You are welcome to PM or e-mail me with a cite of WHICH manual shows that as an acceptable load. Until then, it is deleted. __________________ http://www.kwsquad.com/kwsite2/ "Everyone knows there is right and wrong, but integrity proves a man"

October 22, 2006, 08:09 PM	#2
Rodger Peterson Member Join Date: December 18, 2004 Location: Nevada Posts: 93	I'm not sure what you consider hunting loads. 231 and a 250 grain bullet will do a good job on most critters. In my experience, if you want to get into the 1000 fps plus zone you will need to go to a jacketed bullet. I use a 250 grain hornady at about 1050 fps, I feel it will kill about anything and I can still hold the gun accuratly. I tried pushing a hardcast bullet to 975 fps using every trick in the book, and I cussed everytime while trying to rid the lead from the bore. Yes I have a chronograph.

October 23, 2006, 06:54 PM	#4
stinger Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: west texas Posts: 772	Caution: the following statement may or may not be over max load. Check your loading manual and always work your loads up carefully. The OT's will definitely lead, but I can't tell you velocities, because I lost a diffuser rod (I promise I didn't shoot it) and haven't been able to check velocity in a while. It is not a huge deal, some amount of leading is to be expected. Any variety of cleaners will do a good job provided you use a little elbow grease. But over unique, the 255's and 250's both lead from 8.5-10 g. Again, I don't have velocity, but I wouldn't hesitate to use any of these loads provided that the shots were within my range (or what some might call "very close").

October 24, 2006, 09:57 AM	#6
Ranger61 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2004 Posts: 213	I doubt that you will find a load with lead bullets that will work with H110. H110 must be used at close to maximum pressure in order to ignite reliably. If you reduce very much at all you start getting a load that goes ok, then the next will have ignition problems. The only load I do in 45 with H110 is for my 454 Casull with my own hardcast 255 grain gascheck bullets.

October 24, 2006, 12:22 PM	#7
LAH Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2002 Location: In The Hardwoods Posts: 1,188	Caution: the following statement may or may not be over max load. Check your loading manual and always work your loads up carefully. If you want to use H110/296 you can plan on full/near full loads if you want them to work.

October 24, 2006, 12:48 PM	#8
azredhawk44 Junior member Join Date: September 28, 2005 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 6,465	If you're going to use the lead bullets and H110, look into buying some gas checks for the base of the bullets. This should reduce leading and allow for increased velocity that H110 can provide.

October 25, 2006, 02:04 PM	#10
LAH Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2002 Location: In The Hardwoods Posts: 1,188	*MODERATOR EDIT:* The sticky at the top of the Handloading/Reloading forum has been there for a LONG time. take time to read it and you'll see why posts including loads in excess of published maximums are DELETED. You can avoid this waste of your creative effort by following the guidelines in the sticky. Johnny Guest TFL Staff H&R forum moderator

October 27, 2006, 08:40 AM	#12
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,589	My best two whitetail bucks were taken with 45 cal.250 Grain Hornady XTP hollow points.Neither buck went over sixty yards.

October 28, 2006, 09:05 PM	#13
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,820	.45 Colt Ruger magnum Ruger 7.5in Blackhawk. After several years of making the .45 Colt performance match .44 Mag, I got tired of it. I now shoot just one load in my Blackhawk. 250gr SWC (hardcast) and 10.0 gr Unique. This clocks 1070fps (avg) out of my gun, and it hits pretty hard. It is a bit stout, but not unpleasant to shoot, and in my gun very accurate. A note of caution, If you use H110 or especially WW296 you should start at the listed load. Do not reduce powder charge. Erratic ignition and pressure can happen. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

October 29, 2006, 01:58 PM	#14
KW-Bane Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 109	. . . . __________________ http://www.kwsquad.com/kwsite2/ "Everyone knows there is right and wrong, but integrity proves a man"

October 29, 2006, 02:39 PM	#15
Johnny Guest Moderator in Memoriam Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: North Texas Posts: 4,123	Everyone may want to take a little time-out. This thread is CLOSED. Johnny