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Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 2:11 pm
by fortyshooter
Continuing my load work on the MB 325 Slammer 45 Colt subsonic round for use with suppressor or without. Last try was with Alliant 2400 at 15 and 17 gr. which both proved to be too fast at 1200-1300 FPS. to shoot quietly.
Todays test was with 8 gr. of Unique and it proved to hit my goal at around 1000 FPS with some good accuracy. Video also shows how well it cycled in the Henry carbines.....
https://youtu.be/IgPDDnAFA0k
My Henry Carbine front loader was setup with the MagnaSpeed chrony and the X Model had the suppressor and was used on the paper target. The Rossi Ranch Hand brought along to see how well it cycled and shot thru it.
After some work on the Henry front loader it cycled the wide flat nosed Slammers just as well as the Ranch Hand....like hot butter smooth! The X Model will chamber the round but you have to jiggle it a bit and I think some adjustment on the carrier height or angle will fix that.
Looks like a successful heavy Colt load for the Henry rifles plus revolver use as well!
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 10:07 pm
by DsGrouse
Thanks. I have bunch of heavy matt's bullets and a new 8lb jug of unique. I'll give these a go. Now for supers, I had very good luck with the heavy 300+ grn bullets and IMR 4227.
I'd be interested in knowing what you did on the inside to get it to load those long beasts.
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:53 am
by fortyshooter
DsGrouse wrote: ↑Sun Jun 25, 2023 10:07 pm
Thanks. I have bunch of heavy matt's bullets and a new 8lb jug of unique. I'll give these a go. Now for supers, I had very good luck with the heavy 300+ grn bullets and IMR 4227.
I'd be interested in knowing what you did on the inside to get it to load those long beasts.
On my front loader carbine I just machined back the case stop about .080 and it runs really well with the 1.655 45 Colt as you could see.
Now the 45 X model would take that length without any mod but the lifter tends to want to drop down a bit and cause an issue unless I jiggle the rifle but with a typical 250 gr. 45 Colt load it works fine.
Will have to study that and see what I can do.
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:37 am
by DsGrouse
hmm, i am trying to find load data for heavy 300grn+ loads using unique, but all the data says 6.1 grns is the max
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 1:14 pm
by Rifletom
After watching the video, I'd certainly say that load with Unique is a keeper. Heavy hitting load there forty. Nicely done.
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:07 pm
by fortyshooter
DsGrouse wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:37 am
hmm, i am trying to find load data for heavy 300grn+ loads using unique, but all the data says 6.1 grns is the max
That load might be max for standard 45 Colt pressure. My load was found listed under Ruger and Contender load data where 8.5 was shown as max.
Really felt easy shooting in the rifles and the Ranch Hand.
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:23 pm
by fortyshooter
Rifletom wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 1:14 pm
After watching the video, I'd certainly say that load with Unique is a keeper. Heavy hitting load there forty. Nicely done.
Thanks and glad you enjoyed it Tom! I loaded up about 75 of them which was all the clean 45 brass I had at the time. Lots of Colt 45 brass to clean up!
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:29 am
by DsGrouse
fortyshooter wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:07 pm
DsGrouse wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:37 am
hmm, i am trying to find load data for heavy 300grn+ loads using unique, but all the data says 6.1 grns is the max
That load might be max for standard 45 Colt pressure. My load was found listed under Ruger and Contender load data where 8.5 was shown as max.
Really felt easy shooting in the rifles and the Ranch Hand.
interesting, I found that in the 50th lyman book, but not the 51st. 50th says the max is 8.5, 51st says 6.1.
Lyman 50th version has the load data

As does my Sierra book.
I checked the Alliant page, and they don't give unique data over 255grns. I've checked Hornaday, Lee, lyman 50, 51st, and 4e cast, obviously, the Hodgen manual was useless. Sierra has a loading for unique under Ruger Colt Dan Wesson Freedom Arms 300grn at 9.3
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 3:57 pm
by Vaquero
Hey, forty I only watched a part of the video. sure looks like it slaps the steel pretty good.
What about the recoil with the 2400 loads?
I just ordered a sample pack of those to try in my Marlin and Rossi rifles.
I do have a

though, Why since you pulled the mag tube out,
didn't you just simply drop the rounds down the end vs struggling with the slot?
RP
Re: Testing 325 gr. 45 Colt with a pair of Henry carbines......
Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2023 9:03 am
by fortyshooter
Vaquero wrote: ↑Fri Jun 30, 2023 3:57 pm
Hey, forty I only watched a part of the video. sure looks like it slaps the steel pretty good.
What about the recoil with the 2400 loads?
I just ordered a sample pack of those to try in my Marlin and Rossi rifles.
I do have a

though, Why since you pulled the mag tube out,
didn't you just simply drop the rounds down the end vs struggling with the slot?
RP
Just the habit of putting them in the slot I guess.... or one of those common brain farts!
Recoil was mild to me with the 2400 loads.