First Post - Looking for Advice (45 Colt)

simmonds · April 3, 2012, 09:58 PM

Glad to have found this site as I have been reading lots and learning some great information.

I have been shooting my entire life in many calibers both pistol and rifle yet only just recently aquired a Rossi Ranch Hand (sawed off 1892) in 45 Colt and this will be my first lever gun and first experience with this caliber.

I am also new to reloading and have just about aquired all I need to start reloading for this Rossi rifle....errrr pistol.

A friend set me up with an old Echo single stage in fantastic condition and he updated it with a modern RCBS ram with snap in shell holder so I am good go there. I picked up the Lee 4 die set, 1000 CCI #300 primers, Unique powder and only need to find an inexpensive bullet. I will be mostly shooting steel and bottles on my property range so I would like to load light as to get as many reloads out of my brass (I have a few hundred rounds of new star brass).

While doing some Google searching I found a website, Missouri Bullets I believe, and they seem to have some fantastic prices on bulk 500 bullets for the 45 Colt. Is anyone familiar with this vendor and these bullets and could someone recommend one that would work good in my Rossi 92. My goal is to load cheap and shoot often

so a light load, something easy on the brass would be great. How many reloads can I expect to get with 45 colt brass?

Sorry for the beginner questions guys and thanks for the help.

Chris

Lost Sheep · April 3, 2012, 10:48 PM

Cleanup is a bear, if you care about a bunch of broken glass around. Better to use biodegradable targets. Even tin cans rust away, but glass and plastic stay forever. Charcoal briquets make a moderate puff of dust.

Please pardon the unsolicited advice. I will be more responsive with my next one.

Lost Sheep

simmonds · April 3, 2012, 11:36 PM

Lost Sheep. Thanks for the response...I am not sure I agree with you on any environmental impact of glass...plastic yes, but not glass. There is an old spot up the road where we used to shoot for years along with thousands off others from the area. It used to be littered with broken glass from decades of shooting. Now, less than half a dozen years later all that remains of the glass is a slight powder only visable to the eye when the sun hits it just right. Anyhow, the bottles i set up on a hitch post positioned just inside a 3 sided structure with a concrete floor that I built for the purpose of shooting. Clean-up is a simple matter of a dust pan and broom. Works great!

Thanks for the briquet idea, that is a good one.

Cheers,
Chris

Sport45 · April 4, 2012, 12:45 AM

From all I've read Missouri Bullets are good. The may not be taking on any new customers but their bullets are available through Graf's and other retailers.

I haven't had any .45 Colt brass split on me yet, but I probably haven't loaded any of them more than a dozen times.

Uncle Buck · April 4, 2012, 09:26 AM

I love Missouri bullets. Right now I have a little over 2500 bullets from them, for use in my .45 Colts loads. They always throw in a few extras just to make sure you get what you paid for. (I was bored one night and counted them, 504 bullets.)

I started off using Universal (7.3 grains behind a 250 grain lead, flat tip bullet). I do not remember why I decided against it, but I now pretty much use 700-X in my .45 Colts.

There is a lot of load information available in just about every reloading book. Also, look at the powder manufacturers website: (http://www.hodgdon.com/hodgdon.html)

I also use loaddata.com when I am looking for new powder/bullet combinations.

As always, even with load info you get from reliable sources, start low and work your way up to find a load you like and shoots reliably from your gun.

I have some loads that work great in my New Vaquero's, but shoot like a drunken cowboy out of my Rossi Ranch hand.

Good luck.

simmonds · April 4, 2012, 12:11 PM

Sport45, Uncle Buck, thanks for the tips! Looks like I will give an order to Missouri Bullets for some 250gr flat points which looks like they fall just under 50 bucks for 500. The 200 grain bullets cost just under 40! Is there any reason not to use the 200 grain in my 1892 for general plinking or should I pay up and get the 250s for more versatility?

rclark · April 4, 2012, 05:51 PM

200 or 255 ... Up to you. I standardized on 250-255g bullets in all my .45 Colt revolvers because I don't want to change the sights and it is the 'standard' .45 Colt bullet from 'way back'. I can use it for plinking and for defense without changing a thing. Even shooting .45ACP with 250g RNFP out of my revolvers for the same reason. But that is just the way I think about it. It is really up to you.

zippy13 · April 4, 2012, 06:51 PM

If you really want to save some money, consider casting your own bullets (boolits). Also, do some research on light target loads -- the old NRA reloading manual has some info. Remember, when reading the powder guides, they are in the business of selling powder. Frequently the "starting" load is well above the minimum load. For your large capacity .45 Colt cases, you may wish to use some Dacron filler over a mouse fart powder charge. I do it with my .44 Mag plinker loads that are little girl approved.

simmonds · April 4, 2012, 08:14 PM

Zippy, thanks for the words.

Casting my own bullets sounds like something I would love to do if only I had a source for lead composite for dirt cheap! I guess my goal here is to save money but at the same time I really dont want to go over board. I think I am going to purchase 250 grain rnfp and probably start with about 8 grains of Unique since that is the powder I have and go from there. A pawn shop close by has an old antique bullet mold that is stamped 45-60. Not sure what that is or if it would work for a 45 colt round? Cool old mold though...I think they wanted 30 bucks for it.

EDIT: Just googled the 45-60 and looks like it is an old Winchester bullet of around 300 grains or more...cool mold but forget that!

zippy13 · April 4, 2012, 10:35 PM

Don't get too carried away with pre-selecting a bullet. I have a Rossi carbine in .38-Spl/.357-Mag and it's a little fussy about what bullets it likes. If you've got factory rounds that are smooth loading in your Rossi, you might try to duplicate their profile -- keeping in mind that flat noses are recommended for tube mags.

Uncle Buck · April 5, 2012, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Remember, when reading the powder guides, they are in the business of selling powder. Frequently the "starting" load is well above the minimum load.

Also, Please keep in mind that sometimes the starting load is just that, a start. And if you go below it by to much you end up with a bullet stuck in your barrel. Until you are VERY comfortable with what you are doing and I would recommend NEVER going below a minimum load.

Load three - six cartridges and then test fire them. Make sure you see where the bullet impacted. If the round felt like it was short, DO NOT FIRE another round. Check to make sure the bullet actually left the barrel.

Chris, I do not mean to sound like an overbearing jerk, but do you have a reloading manual?

simmonds · April 5, 2012, 09:25 AM

Uncle Buck, thanks again for the help. The only manual I have so far is the Speers #8 from 1970, second edition. I am not really concerned with nor want to shoot powder puff loads, just something in the middle of the road that will be inexpensive to shoot and easy on the brass. I will go and get a modern manual...any recommendations?

Uncle Buck · April 6, 2012, 08:21 AM

I like Lymans 49th Edition, but I have manuals from Speer, Sierra, Nosler... Those are just the ones on my desk, I think I have a few others on the books shelf.

454PB · April 6, 2012, 12:09 PM

Shooting lightly loaded ammo does not guarantee long case life. What usually ends the cases life is mouth splits from continual resizing and expansion for seating the bullet (or boolit). Splits in the case body are caused by an oversize chamber. If your rifle has a normal chamber (not oversized), you can expect 15 to 20 loadings before the case mouths begin to split.

A friend of mine bought a Marlin in .45 Colt many years ago, and his brass was splitting the length of the case body on the third loading. He took it to a smith and found the chamber was way too big.

I own two .45 Colt (Rugers...one Blackhawk convertible and a Super Blackhawk Hunter) and three .454 Casull revolvers. I get 15 loads before the cases begin to split at the mouths.

April 3, 2012, 09:58 PM	#1
simmonds Junior Member Join Date: March 31, 2012 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 14	First Post - Looking for Advice (45 Colt) Glad to have found this site as I have been reading lots and learning some great information. I have been shooting my entire life in many calibers both pistol and rifle yet only just recently aquired a Rossi Ranch Hand (sawed off 1892) in 45 Colt and this will be my first lever gun and first experience with this caliber. I am also new to reloading and have just about aquired all I need to start reloading for this Rossi rifle....errrr pistol. A friend set me up with an old Echo single stage in fantastic condition and he updated it with a modern RCBS ram with snap in shell holder so I am good go there. I picked up the Lee 4 die set, 1000 CCI #300 primers, Unique powder and only need to find an inexpensive bullet. I will be mostly shooting steel and bottles on my property range so I would like to load light as to get as many reloads out of my brass (I have a few hundred rounds of new star brass). While doing some Google searching I found a website, Missouri Bullets I believe, and they seem to have some fantastic prices on bulk 500 bullets for the 45 Colt. Is anyone familiar with this vendor and these bullets and could someone recommend one that would work good in my Rossi 92. My goal is to load cheap and shoot often so a light load, something easy on the brass would be great. How many reloads can I expect to get with 45 colt brass? Sorry for the beginner questions guys and thanks for the help. Chris

April 3, 2012, 10:48 PM	#2
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	I recommend against bottles. Cleanup is a bear, if you care about a bunch of broken glass around. Better to use biodegradable targets. Even tin cans rust away, but glass and plastic stay forever. Charcoal briquets make a moderate puff of dust. Please pardon the unsolicited advice. I will be more responsive with my next one. Lost Sheep

April 4, 2012, 12:45 AM	#4
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	From all I've read Missouri Bullets are good. The may not be taking on any new customers but their bullets are available through Graf's and other retailers. I haven't had any .45 Colt brass split on me yet, but I probably haven't loaded any of them more than a dozen times. __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.

April 4, 2012, 09:26 AM	#5
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	I love Missouri bullets. Right now I have a little over 2500 bullets from them, for use in my .45 Colts loads. They always throw in a few extras just to make sure you get what you paid for. (I was bored one night and counted them, 504 bullets.) I started off using Universal (7.3 grains behind a 250 grain lead, flat tip bullet). I do not remember why I decided against it, but I now pretty much use 700-X in my .45 Colts. There is a lot of load information available in just about every reloading book. Also, look at the powder manufacturers website: (http://www.hodgdon.com/hodgdon.html) I also use loaddata.com when I am looking for new powder/bullet combinations. As always, even with load info you get from reliable sources, start low and work your way up to find a load you like and shoots reliably from your gun. I have some loads that work great in my New Vaquero's, but shoot like a drunken cowboy out of my Rossi Ranch hand. Good luck. __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

April 4, 2012, 05:51 PM	#7
rclark Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2009 Location: Butte, MT Posts: 2,624	200 or 255 ... Up to you. I standardized on 250-255g bullets in all my .45 Colt revolvers because I don't want to change the sights and it is the 'standard' .45 Colt bullet from 'way back'. I can use it for plinking and for defense without changing a thing. Even shooting .45ACP with 250g RNFP out of my revolvers for the same reason. But that is just the way I think about it. It is really up to you. __________________ A clinger and deplorable, MAGA, and life NRA member. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Single Action .45 Colt (Sometimes colloquially referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC). Don't leave home without it. That said, the .44Spec is right up their too... but the .45 Colt is still the king.

April 3, 2012, 11:36 PM	#3
simmonds Junior Member Join Date: March 31, 2012 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 14	Lost Sheep. Thanks for the response...I am not sure I agree with you on any environmental impact of glass...plastic yes, but not glass. There is an old spot up the road where we used to shoot for years along with thousands off others from the area. It used to be littered with broken glass from decades of shooting. Now, less than half a dozen years later all that remains of the glass is a slight powder only visable to the eye when the sun hits it just right. Anyhow, the bottles i set up on a hitch post positioned just inside a 3 sided structure with a concrete floor that I built for the purpose of shooting. Clean-up is a simple matter of a dust pan and broom. Works great! Thanks for the briquet idea, that is a good one. Cheers, Chris

April 4, 2012, 12:11 PM	#6
simmonds Junior Member Join Date: March 31, 2012 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 14	Sport45, Uncle Buck, thanks for the tips! Looks like I will give an order to Missouri Bullets for some 250gr flat points which looks like they fall just under 50 bucks for 500. The 200 grain bullets cost just under 40! Is there any reason not to use the 200 grain in my 1892 for general plinking or should I pay up and get the 250s for more versatility?

April 4, 2012, 06:51 PM	#8
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	If you really want to save some money, consider casting your own bullets (boolits). Also, do some research on light target loads -- the old NRA reloading manual has some info. Remember, when reading the powder guides, they are in the business of selling powder. Frequently the "starting" load is well above the minimum load. For your large capacity .45 Colt cases, you may wish to use some Dacron filler over a mouse fart powder charge. I do it with my .44 Mag plinker loads that are little girl approved.

April 4, 2012, 08:14 PM	#9
simmonds Junior Member Join Date: March 31, 2012 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 14	Zippy, thanks for the words. Casting my own bullets sounds like something I would love to do if only I had a source for lead composite for dirt cheap! I guess my goal here is to save money but at the same time I really dont want to go over board. I think I am going to purchase 250 grain rnfp and probably start with about 8 grains of Unique since that is the powder I have and go from there. A pawn shop close by has an old antique bullet mold that is stamped 45-60. Not sure what that is or if it would work for a 45 colt round? Cool old mold though...I think they wanted 30 bucks for it. EDIT: Just googled the 45-60 and looks like it is an old Winchester bullet of around 300 grains or more...cool mold but forget that!

April 4, 2012, 10:35 PM	#10
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Don't get too carried away with pre-selecting a bullet. I have a Rossi carbine in .38-Spl/.357-Mag and it's a little fussy about what bullets it likes. If you've got factory rounds that are smooth loading in your Rossi, you might try to duplicate their profile -- keeping in mind that flat noses are recommended for tube mags.

April 5, 2012, 09:25 AM	#12
simmonds Junior Member Join Date: March 31, 2012 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 14	Uncle Buck, thanks again for the help. The only manual I have so far is the Speers #8 from 1970, second edition. I am not really concerned with nor want to shoot powder puff loads, just something in the middle of the road that will be inexpensive to shoot and easy on the brass. I will go and get a modern manual...any recommendations?

April 6, 2012, 08:21 AM	#13
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	I like Lymans 49th Edition, but I have manuals from Speer, Sierra, Nosler... Those are just the ones on my desk, I think I have a few others on the books shelf. __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

April 6, 2012, 12:09 PM	#14
454PB Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Location: Helena, Mt. Posts: 122	Shooting lightly loaded ammo does not guarantee long case life. What usually ends the cases life is mouth splits from continual resizing and expansion for seating the bullet (or boolit). Splits in the case body are caused by an oversize chamber. If your rifle has a normal chamber (not oversized), you can expect 15 to 20 loadings before the case mouths begin to split. A friend of mine bought a Marlin in .45 Colt many years ago, and his brass was splitting the length of the case body on the third loading. He took it to a smith and found the chamber was way too big. I own two .45 Colt (Rugers...one Blackhawk convertible and a Super Blackhawk Hunter) and three .454 Casull revolvers. I get 15 loads before the cases begin to split at the mouths.