Loading 45 Colt Cowboy rounds with Hodgdon Clays

mrappe · September 24, 2014, 08:21 PM

Over the years I have been loading my 45 Colt pistol rounds for CASS shooting with Unique and my 38-40 Winchester 73 rounds with Hodgdon Clays podwer. I have a lot of the Clays powder right now but have been finding the Unique hard to get lately so I was thinking about loading the 45 Colt with the Clays also. Does anyone do this? I am using a 250 grn RNFP bullet in the 45 Colt.

Thanks,
Mike

griz · September 25, 2014, 06:51 AM

I haven't shot SASS since powder was affordable but when I did there were several guys who used Clays for all loading so they only had to keep one powder on hand. Clays was well suited to that task. Hodgdon has data on their site.

Gdawgs · September 25, 2014, 07:07 AM

I have used Clays in many calibers including 45 Colts. Always works well for low power loads.

SL1 · September 25, 2014, 11:16 AM

I have started using Clays for a lot of target loads in a lot of cartridges because it is usually easier to make it burn cleanly, compared to Bullseye or especially Unique.

BUT, it is a touchy powder, with a small range of charge weights in small cases, and the ability to triple or even quadruple charge in large cases.

So, use it with caution, please. Pay close attention to the charging process, and be especially wary of bullet set-back with autoloader feed cycling.

Sl1

mrappe · September 25, 2014, 06:11 PM

The Hodgdon website for the 45 Colt suggest a max of 5.1 grns with a 250 grn bullet and a minimum of 4.2. I shoot 5.3 grns in my 38-40 original 73 Winchester with a 180 grn bullet and the web site shows a starting load of 4.7 and a max of 5.5 for that combo. It seems strange to me that the 45 Colt load would be less in this case but I guess it is because of the bullet weight.
Also I have run out of large pistol primers and I have about 1000 large pistol magnum primers that I bought many years ago for a gun that I no longer have so I was thinking of using them and just backing off the powder some in both my calibers but I am not sure how much.

Hammerhead · September 26, 2014, 01:24 AM

Clays is great, but in the big Colt case it is position sensitive with light loads, more so than Unique or Titegroup IME.

totaldla · September 27, 2014, 11:42 AM

Clays is great for this task. Easy to spot those funky green flakes in that big case which makes a double-charge harder (safer than TiteGroup IMO). Stay at the high-end of the load data and you won't have any position sensivity (not that it happens much anyways since Clays is a fast-burning, easy to ignite powder).

September 24, 2014, 08:21 PM	#1
mrappe Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 256	Loading 45 Colt Cowboy rounds with Hodgdon Clays Over the years I have been loading my 45 Colt pistol rounds for CASS shooting with Unique and my 38-40 Winchester 73 rounds with Hodgdon Clays podwer. I have a lot of the Clays powder right now but have been finding the Unique hard to get lately so I was thinking about loading the 45 Colt with the Clays also. Does anyone do this? I am using a 250 grn RNFP bullet in the 45 Colt. Thanks, Mike __________________ God is fluxing me which is good but it is not fun.

September 25, 2014, 06:11 PM	#5
mrappe Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 256	The Hodgdon website for the 45 Colt suggest a max of 5.1 grns with a 250 grn bullet and a minimum of 4.2. I shoot 5.3 grns in my 38-40 original 73 Winchester with a 180 grn bullet and the web site shows a starting load of 4.7 and a max of 5.5 for that combo. It seems strange to me that the 45 Colt load would be less in this case but I guess it is because of the bullet weight. Also I have run out of large pistol primers and I have about 1000 large pistol magnum primers that I bought many years ago for a gun that I no longer have so I was thinking of using them and just backing off the powder some in both my calibers but I am not sure how much. __________________ God is fluxing me which is good but it is not fun.

September 27, 2014, 11:42 AM	#7
totaldla Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2009 Location: SW Idaho Posts: 1,296	Clays is great for this task. Easy to spot those funky green flakes in that big case which makes a double-charge harder (safer than TiteGroup IMO). Stay at the high-end of the load data and you won't have any position sensivity (not that it happens much anyways since Clays is a fast-burning, easy to ignite powder). __________________ Lee Auto Bench Prime Castor Oil Case Lube

September 25, 2014, 06:51 AM	#2
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	I haven't shot SASS since powder was affordable but when I did there were several guys who used Clays for all loading so they only had to keep one powder on hand. Clays was well suited to that task. Hodgdon has data on their site.

September 25, 2014, 07:07 AM	#3
Gdawgs Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2009 Location: MN Posts: 656	I have used Clays in many calibers including 45 Colts. Always works well for low power loads.

September 25, 2014, 11:16 AM	#4
SL1 Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2007 Posts: 2,001	I have started using Clays for a lot of target loads in a lot of cartridges because it is usually easier to make it burn cleanly, compared to Bullseye or especially Unique. BUT, it is a touchy powder, with a small range of charge weights in small cases, and the ability to triple or even quadruple charge in large cases. So, use it with caution, please. Pay close attention to the charging process, and be especially wary of bullet set-back with autoloader feed cycling. Sl1

September 26, 2014, 01:24 AM	#6
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Clays is great, but in the big Colt case it is position sensitive with light loads, more so than Unique or Titegroup IME.