Loads for The Judge?

cdoc42 · December 28, 2011, 11:34 AM

Anyone have any .45 Judge loads? I'm not talking shotshells. What case can I use (.45 colt -also known as "Long Colt)? Can I use the .454 cases? I hve a 3" barrel - can I load cast bullets as low as 215 gr? Which powder?
Thanks......

sourdough44 · December 30, 2011, 11:51 PM

I loaded some for my friend's 'Judge', & then for my own Ruger 45 Colts. For him I loaded mild to mid loads in 45 Colt cases & 45 Schofield. I used Hodgdon Universal in the Colt loads & Titegroup in the Schofield cases. Just be reasonable with regular 45 Colts loads & you will be fine with your Judge.

Lost Sheep · December 31, 2011, 03:15 AM

The Taurus "Judge" is not a particularly strong gun, so don't go to the "Ruger only" loads by any means. Standard 45 Colt loads will be fine.

If you have a loading manual, use it. Figure out what kind of velocity you desire with the bullet weight and type you have or desire and pick a powder and primer combination that delivers that velocity with that bullet in the midrange between what the manual states as "starting" and "maximum" loads.

If your manual does not have a load recipe for your desires, find another manual or go to the bullet manufacturers' web sites and look through their data, or the powder manufacturers' web sites and look there.

Or get down to your local store and for $10 get one of the "One Caliber, One Book" manuals that have gathered together load data from many, if not all of the available manuals into one book. If you can't find a load there, it probably has never been published.

What case can you use? 45 Colt is the proper name, but many call it the 45 Long Colt, so the name has stuck. 45 Schofield will also serve, but you are not going to find many of those around outside of collectors' shelves. If they have balloon heads, I would not use them.

I am not sure I understand the question about using .454 cases. The diameter of all the 45 Colt cases is around .454" Actually, modern revolvers have pretty much settled on .451" to .452" diameter for the bullet size.

If you are asking if you can use cases with the headstamp 454 Casull, don't.

A .454 Casull load runs 2x to 3x the pressure your gun was designed for. The Casull case is longer than the 45 Colt case and SHOULD NOT fit (like a .357 case should not fit into a 38 special chamber), but since the Judge is sized to hold the .410 shotgun shell, I have heard that many Judges will chamber the 454 Casull. But since the mouth of the 454 Casull case is deeper in the chamber than the 45 Colt case, it may not release the bullet properly and even if the 454 Casull brass is loaded to 45 Colt pressures, you may get an overpressure condition and damage your gun, your hand, your face and possibly bystanders as well.

May I ask how long you have been loading and what manuals you have on hand? What kinds of velocities are you looking to get with those 215 grain lead slugs? I have a Speer load manual that lists charges for bullets as light as 141 grains (round lead ball) delivering 544 fps tp 632fps out of a 5.5" barrel.

Lost Sheep

Newton24b · January 2, 2012, 07:33 PM

seems to be a moot point thread now but..

theres 3 judges out. the original, which is basically the taurus 605 5 shot 357 snub stretched out. the public defender wich is a slightly thinner model 85 38 +p 5 shot snub stretched out. and the raging judge.

unless you have a RAGING JUDGE your stuck with regular 45 colt ammunition that is saami aproved for the 45 colt. if it would blow the cylinder on pattons 45 colt, itll blow the non raging judge as well.

December 28, 2011, 11:34 AM	#1
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	Loads for The Judge? Anyone have any .45 Judge loads? I'm not talking shotshells. What case can I use (.45 colt -also known as "Long Colt)? Can I use the .454 cases? I hve a 3" barrel - can I load cast bullets as low as 215 gr? Which powder? Thanks......

December 31, 2011, 03:15 AM	#3
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Thanks for asking our advice. The Taurus "Judge" is not a particularly strong gun, so don't go to the "Ruger only" loads by any means. Standard 45 Colt loads will be fine. If you have a loading manual, use it. Figure out what kind of velocity you desire with the bullet weight and type you have or desire and pick a powder and primer combination that delivers that velocity with that bullet in the midrange between what the manual states as "starting" and "maximum" loads. If your manual does not have a load recipe for your desires, find another manual or go to the bullet manufacturers' web sites and look through their data, or the powder manufacturers' web sites and look there. Or get down to your local store and for $10 get one of the "One Caliber, One Book" manuals that have gathered together load data from many, if not all of the available manuals into one book. If you can't find a load there, it probably has never been published. What case can you use? 45 Colt is the proper name, but many call it the 45 Long Colt, so the name has stuck. 45 Schofield will also serve, but you are not going to find many of those around outside of collectors' shelves. If they have balloon heads, I would not use them. I am not sure I understand the question about using .454 cases. The diameter of all the 45 Colt cases is around .454" Actually, modern revolvers have pretty much settled on .451" to .452" diameter for the bullet size. If you are asking if you can use cases with the headstamp 454 Casull, don't. A .454 Casull load runs 2x to 3x the pressure your gun was designed for. The Casull case is longer than the 45 Colt case and SHOULD NOT fit (like a .357 case should not fit into a 38 special chamber), but since the Judge is sized to hold the .410 shotgun shell, I have heard that many Judges will chamber the 454 Casull. But since the mouth of the 454 Casull case is deeper in the chamber than the 45 Colt case, it may not release the bullet properly and even if the 454 Casull brass is loaded to 45 Colt pressures, you may get an overpressure condition and damage your gun, your hand, your face and possibly bystanders as well. May I ask how long you have been loading and what manuals you have on hand? What kinds of velocities are you looking to get with those 215 grain lead slugs? I have a Speer load manual that lists charges for bullets as light as 141 grains (round lead ball) delivering 544 fps tp 632fps out of a 5.5" barrel. Lost Sheep

December 30, 2011, 11:51 PM	#2
sourdough44 Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: WI Posts: 621	I loaded some for my friend's 'Judge', & then for my own Ruger 45 Colts. For him I loaded mild to mid loads in 45 Colt cases & 45 Schofield. I used Hodgdon Universal in the Colt loads & Titegroup in the Schofield cases. Just be reasonable with regular 45 Colts loads & you will be fine with your Judge.

January 2, 2012, 07:33 PM	#4
Newton24b Junior member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 974	seems to be a moot point thread now but.. theres 3 judges out. the original, which is basically the taurus 605 5 shot 357 snub stretched out. the public defender wich is a slightly thinner model 85 38 +p 5 shot snub stretched out. and the raging judge. unless you have a RAGING JUDGE your stuck with regular 45 colt ammunition that is saami aproved for the 45 colt. if it would blow the cylinder on pattons 45 colt, itll blow the non raging judge as well.