Russian Silver -- First Shots

[PT7]

I don't know the answer to your question; never have shot a rabbit with a .45LC round. I've had some chats with NCG, as she has hunted with handguns. She told me the light .45 caliber loads are ideal for rabbits because rabbits "are thin-skinned." In searching the web, haven't found a lot about using a .45 Colt to hunt rabbits. But did find an archived discussion on the castboolits.gunloads.com web site that practically says the same thing, which NCG said. Basically, the OP on that thread asked what you asked, as well as what loads could/should be used. Here are comments from some of those folk about their rabbit hunting experience using a .45LC round:

~~~I have actually shot a couple of rabbits with a .45 in a Blackhawk.... just punches through the ribs with hardly any damage, but knocks them right over. Rabbits are so fragile they offer no resistance to the bullet.

~~~Big round nose slow bullet will just poke a hole through them without too much damage. ...... They just fell down.

~~~It will do without a lot of meat damage oddly enough, if you stick to the old .45 Colt small flat tip round nose. It's an in one side and out the other.

~~~I've taken quite a bit of small game with a 45 colt. Mostly grouse but some rabbits. My favorite boolit is the lee 452-255RF. I run it about 970 and it shoots exactly to the sights. Pretty much just cuts a 45 cal hole thru meat. ... The 200 gr version would work just as good as would considerably lower velocity. My gun has fixed sights and since a small game gun has to be accurate above all else I just use what the gun likes best.


I was glad to read the last person's comment about the gun being accurate. These Russians definitely fit that requirement!

And I'm practicing with two light .45 ammo rounds now. My initial shooting results have been good so far with these, out to 15 yards. They are hand-loaded rounds from Choice Ammo in MT, with these stats:

250gr RNFPL
VELOCITY: Muzzle FPS =820; 50 yds FPS = 784
<and>
200gr RNFPL
VELOCITY: Muzzle FPS = 950; 100 yds FPS = 544

A third round I have and am considering is Aguila .45 Colt 200gr LFN. It's specs are VELOCITY: Muzzle FPS = 600; 100 yds FPS = 544. All three are "light loads." Should be okay based on what I've read about what to use for rabbit hunting.

If I can harvest rabbit(s) this winter, I'll definitely then be able to answer the Q more definitively!
PT7

.
I know zero about hunting rabbits. What does a .45LC do to a rabbit? I mean is there anything left after a .45 hits it?

[ESquared]

Great shooting and a fine looking revolver! Thanks for sharing the new acquisition!

[North Country Gal]

Thanks for bringing up our discussion on using a 45 Colt, 38 Special and so on for hunting small game, guys. Not a lot of folks know about using centerfire revolvers such as these for small game hunting, even though it's been a way to hunt small game for a very long time. A lot of people just assume, and reasonably so, that these cartridges destroy a lot of meat, when just the opposite is true. Just a matter of using the right bullet and load. Makes a grand old cartridge like the 45 Colt even more versatile. Might get some of our Henry folk, here, to give it a try.

[Mags]

.
Give it try? No rabbits and no colt. If I got a colt it would lead to escalating accessorizing big trouble....
http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 732#p69949

Thanks for bringing up our discussion on using a 45 Colt, 38 Special and so on for hunting small game, guys. Not a lot of folks know about using centerfire revolvers such as these for small game hunting, even though it's been a way to hunt small game for a very long time. A lot of people just assume, and reasonably so, that these cartridges destroy a lot of meat, when just the opposite is true. Just a matter of using the right bullet and load. Makes a grand old cartridge like the 45 Colt even more versatile. Might get some of our Henry folk, here, to give it a try.

[TNman]

Beautiful pistol and great shooting PT7!