Handgun load for whitetail

[Gster]

I have a New Vaquero 45 Colt/45 acp and I'm getting pretty confident with it out to 50 yrds. The only 2 bullets I have loaded in .45 Colt for it so far are 200grn lrnfp (Trail Boss) and 185grn Nosler jhp.(Titegroup) Ruger only loads are out of the question. I know I should go heavyer so I'm open to suggestions from the handgun hunters.

[lamarw]

I no longer hunt; although I have nothing against hunting and think it is a good thing. I have never hunted with a handgun.

This will not keep me from offering an opinion. I would go with either a 250 or 255 grain bullet if using a .45 Colt. I suspect the bullets you are reloading might be just fine at 50 yards. I have taken a few deer in my time with a 100 grain rifle bullet in .243 Winchester.

The recipes for the above mentioned .45 Colt bullets are in several reloading manuals. Pick the one you have the powder for and/or prefer.

Good Luck this Fall.

[GeauxTide]

I like Hunter's Supply 275gr under 10 grains of Unique. Just over 1050 and safe in medium frame Rugers. You can expect full penetration from most any angle to 50 yards.

[Hunter Customs]

I like Hunter's Supply 275gr under 10 grains of Unique. Just over 1050 and safe in medium frame Rugers. You can expect full penetration from most any angle to 50 yards.

The above load would definitely be a good deer load, what kind of pressure does it make?

I myself plan on using a 255 gr SWC at 950fps.
I do not plan on shooting over 50 yards, most likely 35 yards or less.

Good luck out there deer hunting.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

[Hunter Customs]

GeauxTide, I looked up the 275 gr bullet you mentioned, that's the kind of bullets I like best.

Good weight with a big metplat, it should be a Jim Dandy bullet for anything in the lower 48.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

[ligonierbill]

North central PA...anywhere near Renovo? I have done well with 10.6 gr AA#5 under a cast 250 RNFP. Recently bought some 255 "Keith" bullets from Missouri Bullet (and read Elmer's autobiography to get in the spirit), and they look like they will be my "go to". I am loading for a stout Blackhawk, but that load should be fine in yours...work up slowly of course. I get 980 fps out of a 6 1/2" barrel, plenty for anything walking around Pennsylvania.

[Gster]

About an hour north. Can damn near throw a rock into NY. I don't cause that would be a waste of a perfectly good rock.
I was thinking in the line of 250 grn lead with around 6grns of Titegroup.

[Longshot4]

It's been a few years since I took my 44 Mag. Super Blackhawk out for deer but I did learn a little about Hunting loads. Try to keep the kinetic energy up (HOT). Don't choose a bullet that will loose weight. Any exposed led will be lost. If I were to load for that trophy buck I would start with a tough hollow point like a Barns... Practice practice practice Work up a load at a bench but don't let the barrel touch anything. Get to know your trigger well. It's nice to have a stick to help steady your hands in the field. Try to keep a group of shots in the size of your fist. That will tell you the max range for you. If the deer is farther than the range of the fist size group don't shoot. Try to load for 1000 Ft. Lbs.> If you can if you can't try to get what you can out of it.

[black mamba]

Literally tons of game have been killed with 45 Colt factory loads, with a 255 gr soft lead round nose bullet at about 850 fps. Any Keith style or WFN bullet of around the same weight or a little heavier would be a significant step up in killing power, even at such a low velocity. In general, upping the velocity helps range and trajectory, while upping the bullet weight improves penetration. A 250-280 gr. flat nose bullet at around 1,000 fps will be very deadly out to 50 yards and beyond, and still have very controllable recoil. Limit your range to where you can keep 5 rounds in 5 inches from shooting positions (not a bench rest), and you should be in great shape.

[WESHOOT2]

For easy shooting in 45 Colt most highly recommend driving a 255--280g lead bullet with HS6.

Stable.
Accurate.
Easy-metering.
"Clean".
Very progressive, with a pressure curve timed to big cases and soft recoil.

[GeauxTide]

The above load would definitely be a good deer load, what kind of pressure does it make?

According to the 45 Colt article Brian Pearce wrote in HL 246, he loaded a 285gr RCBS bullet with 10gr of Unique and listed pressure at 20,000 and a velocity of 1057. My cases, RP and Starline, fall out of the cylinder and no pressure signs on primers.

[Mike / Tx]

Something in a 250 - 275gr in either a SWC, WFN, or RFN, loaded over a charge of Unique, Universal, HS-6, AA-7, or similar powders in the 900'ish +/- FPS range will put all the meat in the freezer you can handle if you can do your part and put them where they need to go.

I load mine with a variety of cast, and just using the plain ol Lee 255gr RF, loaded to just over 950fps, it will plow through about 16" or more, of the fine sand I use in my 6gal bucket traps, at 50yds.

Pick something in the medium weight range for caliber, get good with them, and go have fun.

[44 AMP]

250gr cast (hard) 10.0gr Unique has been my standard .45 Colt "heavy" load for decades. Clocks 1070fps (avg) out of my 7.5" Blackhawk.

Its the listed top end load for the Colt SAA in all the old manuals. This load gives 900-something from the shorter 5.5" barrels, sometimes over 1000fps, depending on individual guns.

Don't look for expansion, just place your shots properly and it will drop anything that walks in America.

Accurate in my guns, too ringing the 200yd gong with this load is simple for me, but then 30+ years of shooting it might have something to do with that, too.

[WESHOOT2]

from the Penn Bullets website:

WESHOOT2
YES, IT'S LOADED Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Vermont
Age: 50
Posts: 3,954

Coming Now -- "thunderheads"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I have occasion to receive samples of ammunition components (don't be jealous) for my perusal and possible endorsement, but I rarely ever get to publicly praise a new product because most don't pass my personal critical criteria.
I am picky / fussy / cranky / anal.

Mr. Robert Palermo of Penn Bullets some time ago sent me a (unsolicited) 'samples' pack of his superb cast bullets for a look-see, and I was most impressed (lead bullets are hard to make right).
I praised them publicly.
So he sent me something.................different.

"Thunderhead"

I opened a box of 45 Colt bullets.
Looked like a cylinder.
Hard (enough, but not 'too'), beautifully molded, well-lubed (some red stuff), but it was their shape that intrigued me; they are cylindrical.
Below the crimp groove they appear (and measure) like a conventional 255g LSWC in shape, beveled base, and bands.
Above the crimp groove they simply rise to their full height measuring .443".
That's a BIG meplat!
Weight was a fairly consistent 269ish, varying only in tenth-grains. So far so good, but IMNSLE bullets that look good don't mean diddly; function is paramount (this bullet is claimed to function through certain rifles, but I can't address that).
Bullet OAL is .665", short enough to work in most any cylinder. Sizing was consistent at .452", and the 'cylinder' portion above the crimp groove was right on at .442-.443" (BIG meplat!)
All in all, a 'nice-looking' bullet.
Cylindrical, like a wadcutter, but with almost half sticking up from the case mouth.

So my initial thought was "These things can't possibly fly straight or hit concentrically when driven fast and zooming out at distance; gotta 'tip'.

Testing required.

So I tested.

Test platform: 45 Colt Redhawk, stainless, 5.5" tube.
Data collection: 50-60F, humidity 40ish, light winds, PACT ONE (12 ft), 5-75 yd targets.
Equipment: Bonanza Co-Ax press; LEE (size, seat), Lyman ('M' flare), Redding (Profile Crimp) dies; all charges weighed.
Components: new Winchester brass case, Penn Bullet 270g "Thunderhead"; CCI, Federal, Winchester primers; OAL 1.577".

I will offer some load data, but please remember that THESE LOADS WERE DEVELOPED IN MY GUN -- START LOW AND WORK UP SLOW.
SAFETY FIRST

All given loads exhibited tremendous accuracy in MY gun, but as always your results may vary.
Not all tested loads are offered, but I feel my limited sampling can give a good idea of potential. As my usual practice, I consider accuracy (and consistent velocity when the bullet must do 'work') my measure of a successful load.

Here we go!:

270g Penn, W-W case, Federal 150, ('heavy' crimp -- ALL loads received a 'heavy' crimp using the superior Redding Profile Crimp die), 12.5g Vihtavuori Oy 3N37.
av = 1037fps / H = 1043 L = 1032 / ES = 10.2 / SD = 4.4
Nice.

270g Penn, W-W case, Federal 150, 14.0g Hodgdon HS6.
av = 1079fps / H = 1090 L = 1061 / ES = 29.6 / SD = 11.6.
Nice.

270g Penn, W-W case, Federal 150, 10.0g Hercules Unique (yes, I have Unique, yes, it's old).
av = 967fps / H = 978 L = 952 / ES = 26.0 / SD = 13.6.
Stiff.

270g Penn, W-W case, Federal 150, 11.0g Alliant Power Pistol.
av = 1061fps / H = 1079 L = 1048 / ES = 31.0 / SD = 12.8.
Stiff.

270g Penn, W-W case, Winchester LP, 19.0g Vihtavuori Oy N110.
av = 958fps / H = 987 L = 935 / ES 51.9 / SD 22.1.
Soft, and this powder shows great velocity potential; more testing required -- safety first.

Now for some serious stuff. The next two loads are 'up there', and extreme caution is MANDATORY when moving in this direction. NOT for you-know-which guns. NOT to be exceeded UNLESS: you KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING; you have access to a chronograph; you have a full and complete grasp of handloading processes; you understand fully the ramifications of 'loading heavy'; you accept full personal responsibility if you bend-or-break your gun, or get hurt.
Okay?

270g Penn "Thunderhead", Winchester case, CCI350, 26.0g Winchester W296.
1301fps.
This load 'felt' relatively 'soft'. I believe I can increase this charge some, but I'll do a very careful 'mapping' before proceeding further. I'll start my 'mapping' at 24.0g and work up in .2g increments, fire and record a minimum of 12 rds at each charge weight, and carefully measure my fired cases, too.
I've already bent my 44 Redhawk
This process will allow me to 'see' how each increase changes velocity, and as I raise the charge I can easily observe any abnormal velocity change.
Even I practice safety first (stupidly at times, but still safely).

270g Penn "Thunderhead", Winchester case, CCI350, 26.0g Hodgdon H110.
1389fps.
Done; NO room (safety-wise IMO) for more.

As stated earlier, all loads posted exhibited excellent accuracy, and some loads (including both 'hotties') were fired on paper at 73 yds (longer-distance testing will commence as soon as the mud hardens).
ZERO 'tipping' or ANY 'flight-failures' were noted; ALL holes were perfect.

So what's the big deal?

I see this bullet design as perfect for 44 Special defense ammo (big heavy bullet going kinda slow; flat front), 45 Colt defense ammo (especially with the ultra-light guns now chambered in this fine old cartridge), and animal hole-making.
Further testing on game animals will determine if the bullet maintains a true course after impact, but I'll for now assume it will (I been wrong before; testing required).
It's short enough to fit most cylinders, yet offers maximum weight.
It has that awesome meplat, which seems to give 'correct' results in real-life experiences.
It's accurate, like a wadcutter.
It can be driven fast without leading (in my gun), and there is no apparent instability in its flight path, even at distance (gotta make the BIG meplat! strike perpendicular and such).

So I endorse this product; any other users?
__________________

"all my ammo is factory ammo"

I mean, if you're really interested in a big meplat......