Favorite 45 Colt loads

[Jrprock]

Howdy. New here. Thought I'd start by sharing my personal favorite loads for my Big Boy Steel carbine in 45 Colt.

I've tried a few different bullets and have settled on 250 gr Laser cast lead and the 240 gr Hornady XTP mag.

With the lead bullets I prefer either 7.5 gr of 231 or 10 gr of Universal. Both burn clean, are very accurate and easy to shoot all day. I also load the laser cast with up to 25 gr of H-110. These are at least as accurate and pack a punch!

With the 240 gr XTP mags I've gone way up there with H-110. Settled on 28 gr per John Linebaugh's data. I don't have a chrono so I slowly increased the charge watching for pressure signs. The gun has never balked and none of the brass(Hornady, Starline and Federal only at this level) has shown any indication of a problem. I use magnum primers with this and all my 45 Colt loads.

I'm thinking of trying some heavier ~280 gr Keith style bullets for deer next season. Any suggestions?

What loads do you guys like?

[JEBar]

first, welcome aboard .... happy to have you join our community and am looking forward to exchanging info .... please consider going to this thread

http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2019

and add your Henry collection to the number owned by our folks

[RanchRoper]

I don't reload but Winchester 250 gr LFN Super X shoots the best and most consistent in my Henry Big Boy. Hornady 255 gr cowboy action loads LFN would be a close second.

[ditto1958]

Welcome from Wisconsin! I don't shoot 45 Colt (yet), so I don't know much of anything about reloading for it.

[BigAl52]

Welcome from Colorado. I have a big boy carbine. It likes 6.5 grs of red dot with a 250 gr coated missouri cast and 12 grs of hs-6 is also a good load. I havent used any of the Hornady 250gr xtp yet as I dont use this gun to hunt with so I havent shot any of the heavier loads. I use standard primers in my loads for the 45 colt. Al

[445sm]

]Use the same load with 296 federal 155s 240 xtp mag , 250 xtp with 20.5gr lil gun at1450
Run a 247gr keith 28gr reloder-7 1400,. 225 Missouri bullets 225 lead 18.5gr lmr 4227 1275fps
Same 225 9.1gr Uniq 1221fps run there 225 hi tec coated 23gr 4227 1374fps run this bullet to 1904 3" groups at 25yrds
These loads MY NOT be safe in your gun. Shoot safe

[CT_Shooter]

Welcome from CT.

[dmsbandit]

I don't push my rugers or rossi model 92. No need. The colt has been killing things for over a century with a 250gr bullet at 1000fps.


So, I use 17grs of 2400 powder under either a 259gr XTP HP or Berry's Plated FN. Kills deer easy and doesn't beat me or the gun up.

[Mgderf]

I don't push my rugers or rossi model 92. No need. The colt has been killing things for over a century with a 250gr bullet at 1000fps.


So, I use 17grs of 2400 powder under either a 259gr XTP HP or Berry's Plated FN. Kills deer easy and doesn't beat me or the gun up.

^This.
Deer are not armor plated.

[Jrprock]

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.

[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.