Questions about 45 long colt

[six 4 sure]

I have a few questions for those of you that are far more knowledgeable than I. I purchased a Blackhawk in 45LC a couple of weeks ago. It is my understanding that the Blackhawk will handle “hot” reloads, can the same be said of the Vaquero? Some time in the future I’d like to get a second SA in 45 colt, but I want to be able to shoot the same loads through both without fear of something bad happening.

I’m new to reloading and wondered if there was any special items I should pick up for reloading the 45 colt? I did purchase the Redding profile crimp die, as per several suggestions in posts that I found. Is there anything else I need above and beyond normal reloading equipment?

What is a good source of hard cast lead bullets? Is there someone that makes cheap plinking bullets?

I purchased a box of 500 new Winchester brass from Midway. I hoping this will take care of me for awhile. But, if I buy more in the future, is there a different brand that you would recommend?

Thanks for the help.

Six

[Mal H]

The Vaquero will handle hot loads similar to the Blackhawk. I think Mike Irwin still has a mark on his palm to prove that the Vaquero can handle hot loads.

To quote from Speer in the "45 Colt for Ruger & Contender Only" section:

These loads are intended for use only in Ruger Blackhawk and Vaquero revolvers, and the Thompson/Center Contender. They are not to be used in any other make or model of firearm.

You won't need any special items I can think of other than a good quality roll crimp die set and it sounds like you've already sprung for the best.

All of the reloading supply houses are a good source of hard cast lead bullets (Midway, Graf, Midsouth, TNT, etc.) I've had excellent success with Laser-Cast bullets even in relatively hot loads. Shipping from them can get expensive, but Cabellas sells L-C bullets and charges shipping by the dollar amount instead of weight.

Any of the brand name brass will serve you well, e.g., Winchester, R-P, and my personal favorite for hot loads - Starline.

[Steve Smith]

I have been using Starline exclusively since I started loading for .45 Colt (It's not LONG!!!) The Starline is cheaper and better than the others. Only size your brass just below where the bullets seats...that will allow your brass to last much longer. Consider casting your own bullets. The heavies are very expensive to ship. Wheel weight lead is a great alloy for even hot .45 Colt loads, and besides, most moulds are being made with a gas check these days, so that's cheap leading insurance.

Go to www.sixgunner.com, find John Linebaugh's page, and read everything there. Then you'll see how strong that Vaquero is.

[John DR]

Here is a very good source for hard cast lead bullets,
Buy in lots of 2-3000 to save shipping cost.
Prices are very good.
Very good prices on new brass also.

http://ammodirect5133.goemerchant6.com/




Hope This Helps

[Redneck2]

If I use H-110 or WW-296 I use either Winchester or magnum primers. I've gone to CCI's and they seem to be consistent. Also, there's a caution to stay within a range and not go too low either.

There are a number of older threads on this. Read the Sixgunner "Dissolving the Myth" and the thread history and you should be good to go.

Make sure you hang on when you light off the first one.

[Steve Smith]

You'll wish you had the Bisley grip after you shoot a few.

[Johnny Guest]

I prefer Unique and H. Universal for medium to light-heavy loads.

I have never felt the need to go to the HUGELY powerful loads. If I do, I'll go with the .454 Casull. I have a .44 magnum, and it fills a niche. But for all around lerge revolver use, I like the .45 Colt with 250--276 bullets at 800--900 fps. They'll accomplish all I need from a field revolver, and several whitetail deer never knew the difference.

For playing-around, plinking and IDPA matches, a 230 RNL ACP bullet and 8.0 gr. 231 is very pleasant and accurate from my Mountain Gun.

Best of luck--
Johnny

[Mike Irwin]

I think the gun was hotter than the load, Mal.

Aion REALLY had that thing cooking!

[Steve Smith]

No offense to our moderator, but the .45 Colt is more efficient with hotter loads than the .44 Mag. Large bore AND large stroke, rather than just a long stroke.

[C.R.Sam]

Nuther vote for Starline brass.

Sam

[maxwayne]

I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die after loading my 45 rounds.

[WESHOOT2]

Starline cases (but your Winchester cases are still safe).
Beartooth or Cast Performance for best-quality heavy hard correctly-shaped big bad bullets.
(PENN Bullets for low-cost lead bullets.)
Federal or CCI magnum primers for H110 / W296 / AA9 / N110.

You have the correct crimp die.

Please observe anal load process when constructing heavy 45 Colt loads; HIGHLY RECOMMEND using your fired cases for cowboy-type loads ONLY.

Suggest: Cast Performance 325g LFNPB, heavy crimp, don't try starting at maximum, don't try maximum, BELT MOUNTAIN base pin for your Ruger, don't fire more than twenty rds at once, ice helps, heavy crimp.

[Steve Smith]

BTW, WeShoot2's advice about Cast Performance is dead-on. They use an LBT style bullet. You can cast the same bullet either by ordering a mould from them or Ballisticast. I use a 320 LBT-LFN. Awesome bullet.

[Fatelvis]

Weshoot, does the Belt Mtn pin make a big difference? Im thinking of getting one, is it a drop-in part?

[Steve Smith]

It will make a difference for some, but not for others.

The problem: Ruger will sometimes get a cylinder out of line with the bore. The slop in the pin will allow some cylinder movement and make things easier on the bullet. If you tighten up the movement of the cylinder, and the cylinder is out of line, then your acuracy may decrease. Try it and find out for yourself.

[zot]

is there a .45 short Colt?

[Steve Smith]

Nope, and there's not a Long Colt either.

[Gewehr98]

The boxes of ammo I bought that specifically state .45 Long Colt.

(Those imbeciles!)

Just trying to get your goat, Steve. I know how silly things get with nomenclature. I've got lots of brass for a certain military rifle of mine made in 1898 that says 30 U.S. Army. I'd hate to piss somebody off by referring to it as .30-40 Krag.

[El Loco Lobo]

I use unique in my .45 colts. anything from 6.5 grains which is realy light nice cowboying loads to 10 grains for black bear etc. each one has been worked up for each firearm
Lasercast bullets for hunting some of my own casts for CAS and gophers
Winchester brass
Really like the Rugers except the super black hawks they bite my knuckle with the old square trigger gaurd


Gewehr98-wouldn't dare do that even if was in a win '95

[Steve Smith]

Gewehr98, just because they say it doesn't make it right. The .45 Colt was never officially labelled Long. There was no Short, so Colt saw that there was not logical reason to specifiy a Long. It is .45 Colt. Unlike other cartridges where a designation between a standard length and a long version exists, the .4 Colt is just the standard length. Even my Starline brass says "Long" and it drives me (and others) up the wall.

[six 4 sure]

Thanks for the info everyone. I guess next time I'll buy starline brass. Sorry about putting the "long" in front of colt. I did that more for search purposes than anything. Then it dawned on me that .45 gives you the 3 characters needed for the search. Oh well, I promise it won't happen again.

By the way, on the Ruger web site, the revolvers are chambered for .45 long colt.

[WESHOOT2]

It's definitely 'Long'.

And heavy.

And abusively hot.

And fast.

Really good; really long..............

[Steve Smith]

Ok, if you want to say it like that, sure mine is looong too, but not "Long." Loooong, hot, and accurate, but not "Long Colt."

[zot]

Rugers wrong, its just .45 Colt, no long short or short short.how this ever started is wierd, .44s were another story, I don't believe
.45 Colt can beat a .44 mag,alot of stress on gun to get close pressures of .44 mag. .454 Casual is the gun for heavy bullets and high velocity.

[jjmorgan64]

But the whole thing is simple, if Schofield would have sold his idea to colt there would be a short and long colt. If you were in the calvary at the time and were armed with schofields you would sure as hell not want the Long Colt, this was an extremely important notation at the time.

And Zot. that's the beauty of a solid 45 Colt you can beat a 44 without going to the pressures of a 44, the 454 was developed in 45 cases, the extra lenth was added to make sure it would not chamber in weaker guns