Which .45 Colt Bullet?

SwampYankee · April 22, 2009, 06:25 AM

After 3 weeks of searching, I finally found a Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt for reasonable cost. Last one in stock from the distributor and I manage to get it for cost! I'm in the process of buying reloading components but I have hit a snag (besides just the scarcity of said components in the first place).

Which bullet diameter should I get? I know that jacketed bullets should be 0.451 diameter. But I am loading lead and the options are 0.452 and 0.454. My impression is that 0.454 is for older, pre-WWII guns and for the .454 Casull.

Should I only but 0.452 diameter? I would like to make sure before I spend the $50 on the bullets.

Secondly, can I use 0.454 if I needed to?

Thirdly, can I use a .454 Casull die to reload .45 Colt?

Ruger4570 · April 22, 2009, 09:10 AM

I have a couple of Ruger Blackhawks in 45 Colt. The first thing I would do is slug your bore to see what diameter it is. Next be sure to slug each of the cylinder throats. Ruger has often built cylinders with tight throats which size the bullet down before it gets to the barrel.
I broke down and spent $80 bucks if I remember right and bought a "throating tool" from Brownells. Now EACH throat is the exact same diameter .4525 and slightly larger than bore dimension .452 to .4525 on my guns.
It made a difference you could measure down range on paper.
I can't comment on the Casull dies, I guess you can try one case if you already have the dies. Good luck.

GeauxTide · April 22, 2009, 01:01 PM

I've got a Blackhawk 45 Convertible and a Bisley 45. Haven't measured them, but they both shoot .452 Hunter Supply 275LBT very well from 800-1300fps. 454 Casull is an elongated 45 LC with a slightly smaller inside diameter at the mouth to ensure heavy bullet pulls for the 50+k pressure. The 454 dies may work your brass too much, but you can shoot factory stuff, resize in the 454 and measure.

Sport45 · April 22, 2009, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Thirdly, can I use a .454 Casull die to reload .45 Colt?

I believe you can use .45C dies to load .454, but not the other way around. The dedicated .454 die may be too deep to properly crimp a .45C cartridge. The sizing die should work fine for either.

SwampYankee · April 22, 2009, 07:17 PM

Thanks for the advice. I'll slug the gun and see where it ends up.

I'm glad you told me about the .454 Casull, I was ready to buy one. Makes sense, if you have a .38 Special die you don't need a .357 die. But you can't crimp a .38 cartridge with a .357 die.

RickV · September 22, 2009, 07:45 AM

Can I use a .451 230g FMJ bullet in the Colt 45 case and will there be any issues.

These loads will be used in a Taurus Judge.

Wleoff · September 22, 2009, 08:41 AM

Here's a few of the 45 Colts that I load for. The Redhawk has the scope on it, which has been changed to a red dot. To answer your question, go with .452" diameter. I tried some Magnus cast .454" and they weren't worth the trouble. I've shot a ton of .452" Magnus from 200 grains to 300 grains. I quit counting after 15,000 rounds.

For copper bullets, I use Hornady XTP in 300, 250 and 240 grains. All are .452". The 240 grain XTP is all you'll need for deer. I use to shoot 325 grain Buffalo Bore rounds in the Redhawk, but gave up on that to save my hand. Just my limited experience.

April 22, 2009, 06:25 AM	#1
SwampYankee Registration in progress Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: I can be found on a number of other forums. Posts: 1,333	Which .45 Colt Bullet? After 3 weeks of searching, I finally found a Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt for reasonable cost. Last one in stock from the distributor and I manage to get it for cost! I'm in the process of buying reloading components but I have hit a snag (besides just the scarcity of said components in the first place). Which bullet diameter should I get? I know that jacketed bullets should be 0.451 diameter. But I am loading lead and the options are 0.452 and 0.454. My impression is that 0.454 is for older, pre-WWII guns and for the .454 Casull. Should I only but 0.452 diameter? I would like to make sure before I spend the $50 on the bullets. Secondly, can I use 0.454 if I needed to? Thirdly, can I use a .454 Casull die to reload .45 Colt?

September 22, 2009, 07:45 AM	#6
RickV Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2008 Location: North Florida Posts: 172	Can I use a .451 230g FMJ bullet in the Colt 45 case and will there be any issues. These loads will be used in a Taurus Judge. Last edited by RickV; September 22, 2009 at 08:09 AM.

April 22, 2009, 09:10 AM	#2
Ruger4570 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2005 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 2,136	I have a couple of Ruger Blackhawks in 45 Colt. The first thing I would do is slug your bore to see what diameter it is. Next be sure to slug each of the cylinder throats. Ruger has often built cylinders with tight throats which size the bullet down before it gets to the barrel. I broke down and spent $80 bucks if I remember right and bought a "throating tool" from Brownells. Now EACH throat is the exact same diameter .4525 and slightly larger than bore dimension .452 to .4525 on my guns. It made a difference you could measure down range on paper. I can't comment on the Casull dies, I guess you can try one case if you already have the dies. Good luck.

April 22, 2009, 01:01 PM	#3
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,424	I've got a Blackhawk 45 Convertible and a Bisley 45. Haven't measured them, but they both shoot .452 Hunter Supply 275LBT very well from 800-1300fps. 454 Casull is an elongated 45 LC with a slightly smaller inside diameter at the mouth to ensure heavy bullet pulls for the 50+k pressure. The 454 dies may work your brass too much, but you can shoot factory stuff, resize in the 454 and measure.

April 22, 2009, 07:17 PM	#5
SwampYankee Registration in progress Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: I can be found on a number of other forums. Posts: 1,333	Thanks for the advice. I'll slug the gun and see where it ends up. I'm glad you told me about the .454 Casull, I was ready to buy one. Makes sense, if you have a .38 Special die you don't need a .357 die. But you can't crimp a .38 cartridge with a .357 die.

September 22, 2009, 08:41 AM	#7
Wleoff Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2008 Location: North AL Posts: 380	Here's a few of the 45 Colts that I load for. The Redhawk has the scope on it, which has been changed to a red dot. To answer your question, go with .452" diameter. I tried some Magnus cast .454" and they weren't worth the trouble. I've shot a ton of .452" Magnus from 200 grains to 300 grains. I quit counting after 15,000 rounds. For copper bullets, I use Hornady XTP in 300, 250 and 240 grains. All are .452". The 240 grain XTP is all you'll need for deer. I use to shoot 325 grain Buffalo Bore rounds in the Redhawk, but gave up on that to save my hand. Just my limited experience.