Favorite 45 Colt loads

[JEBar]

I tend to load at the upper end of pressure for several reasons.

1. Much flatter tragectory. It's fun to shoot milk jugs at ranges exceeding 200yds and the difference in holdover is huge between the different loads levels.

2. It's fun! The 45 Colt is a very flexible cartridge and I enjoy loads at each end of the spectrum.

agree .... I tend to load at the upper end for hunting and distance shooting .... a few years ago I had the opportunity to lob a few rounds out of our Ruger Redhawk 44 mag at a bucket around 300 yards down range .... it was fun to fire the round, and sit back, and watch the dirt fly .... trajectory had to be similar to a mortar .... never did hit the bucket but after a while did come pretty close ...

[RanchRoper]

Not sure where else to post this but this is a 45 Colt thread so I'll stick it here. The new rifle I just got came with a box of 50 reloaded 45 Colt cartridges. Very mild loads, even compared to any factory loads I've shot. I mentioned this in a range report yesterday and North Country Gal gave explanation on why CAS shooters use the light loads. My concern is: I've shot almost 40 of the 50 reloaded rounds, and had 1 round that did not go off at all yesterday, then today I had one slightly too fat to fit the revolver chamber, plus another misfire round. Also, another round fired, but sounded like when you pull the air valve off your car tire. Phfft!.
In the past year I have shot maybe a thousand rounds of factory ammo and never had an issue, not even one round went wrong. Hornady, Winchester, Federal, Remington. All shot fine and ejected fine. My first experience with reloaded ammo has not filled me with confidence. Maybe it's better when you load yourself and control everything, I don't know. Just my thoughts, have to ponder it some more.

[JEBar]

properly made, reloads should perform as well as or better than factory ammo .... it sounds to me like whoever made the ones you were given had some problems with components and/or workmanship ....

[BigAl52]

Its like anything else RR human error. No telling what happened. Could be a bad primer or someone loaded them on a progressive and didnt get the right powder charge in the case. I dont load the big boys on a progressive. I single stage and weight each load. I dont have any issues with misfires or what you have experienced. After charging the case I set them in a tray and observe all of the charged cases to make sure there all the same level. I think I might go back to the gun store and ask the guy who gave them to you who loaded the rounds and let him know what you experienced. Sounds to me like there was some bad loading especially if you had trouble chambering a round or 2. Al

[RanchRoper]

I could see 1 in 50 but 3 or 4 with issues seems excessive. I'm reluctant to shoot the last 10 or so left.

[DWD445]

I could see 1 in 50 but 3 or 4 with issues seems excessive. I'm reluctant to shoot the last 10 or so left.

I think I would pass on the rest, you'd be rather upset if one squib round stuck a bullet in your beautiful new rifle

[RanchRoper]

I could see 1 in 50 but 3 or 4 with issues seems excessive. I'm reluctant to shoot the last 10 or so left.

I think I would pass on the rest, you'd be rather upset if one squib round stuck a bullet in your beautiful new rifle

YES. I would be....

Anyhow, wasn't trying to hijack the thread...and now back to our regularly scheduled programming!

[RanchRoper]

I've since found out those weak reloads were a 160 gr bullet. No wonder I couldn't hear a thump.

[CT_Shooter]

I could see 1 in 50 but 3 or 4 with issues seems excessive. I'm reluctant to shoot the last 10 or so left.

I would be, too; so I agree with both JEBar and DWD445. Reloads "should perform as well as or better than factory ammo". That's too many failures in such a small number of rounds. I'd pass on them.

[RanchRoper]

I could see 1 in 50 but 3 or 4 with issues seems excessive. I'm reluctant to shoot the last 10 or so left.

I would be, too; so I agree with both JEBar and DWD445. Reloads "should perform as well as or better than factory ammo". That's too many failures in such a small number of rounds. I'd pass on them.

Agreed.