dmad
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 67 
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Post by dmad on Jul 21, 2017 15:12:44 GMT -5
I'm looking for a good all around accurate cast bullet for my medium frame Ruger Blackhawk. Don't want to go to a heavyweight since want to use the one bullet for bunnies to big game. I no longer cast so looking for a commercial available Bullet. Anyone use the Garrett 45 Colt 265 grain bullet? How does it compare to other designs? Is the bullet available for reloading? Thanks for your opinions and experience.
Dennis
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Post by sixshot on Jul 21, 2017 16:37:10 GMT -5
There are several custom casters out there that can fill your needs with a good 250-265 gr. Keith style bullet for your mid frame 45 Ruger. Montana Bullet Works seems to be one of the front runners here on the forum & Cast Performance has been around for a long time & also makes quality bullets. Many of the caster will mkae bullets at what ever BHN you prefer & many are also offering powder coating now. A good Keith style bullet with 8-9 grs of Unique is pretty hard to beat for an every day load & will usually exit on deer with most hits. I've taken several deer using 9 grs of Unique although I usually run a bit hotter for hunting.
Sized .452" with proper throats will usually make you very happy. Unique, Universal, HS6, Longshot, 4227, 2400 or H110 will all work great in your 45.
Dick
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dmad
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 67
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Post by dmad on Jul 21, 2017 16:42:09 GMT -5
Dick,
How much harder are you pushing it for hunting? Have you ever compared SWC vs LBT style bullets in game and accuracy?
Thanks,
Dennis
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Paden
.375 Atomic
Lower Goldstream Creek
Posts: 1,132
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Post by Paden on Jul 21, 2017 17:03:45 GMT -5
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COR
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,522
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Post by COR on Jul 21, 2017 17:10:08 GMT -5
Can't hardly go wrong with the 270SAA... I thought I saw a Miha variation of it but I don't have that mold. Montana Bullet Works does an outstanding job. With 16-19grs of 2400 it will do all you need.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Jul 21, 2017 17:14:26 GMT -5
Echoing Dicks words,....my current carry load in a 3" 629 is a 240gr SWC with 9 gr of Uniq. that gets just under 1000fps, and it's dropped deer, hogs, and varmints out to 75yds.
In my 3.75" 45 colt, (my avatar) I used to carry a 265gr WFN with 11-12gr of Uniq. It pushed the bullet at 1160fps, and provided fine accuracy. The only thing I was able to shoot with that load, is the bobcat it's resting on in the photo. I've since changed to a 280gr bullet and H110.
Trapr
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Snyd
.375 Atomic
The Last Frontier
Posts: 2,388
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Post by Snyd on Jul 22, 2017 0:36:36 GMT -5
I'm looking for a good all around accurate cast bullet for my medium frame Ruger Blackhawk. Don't want to go to a heavyweight since want to use the one bullet for bunnies to big game. I no longer cast so looking for a commercial available Bullet. Anyone use the Garrett 45 Colt 265 grain bullet? How does it compare to other designs? Is the bullet available for reloading? Thanks for your opinions and experience. Dennis Here's a good article on loading for the midframe 45 Colt... buffalobore.net/HandloaderDecJan2012.pdf |
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Post by sixshot on Jul 22, 2017 2:40:23 GMT -5
dmad, I've used the Keith bullet for a much longer period of time & taken a lot of game with it including elk & bear but I'll have to agree the RCBS 270 SAA is a better mouse trap. My normal hunting load has almost always been 18.5 grs of 2400 with the Keith bullet at 260 grs. I've taken 3 elk with an LBT 325 gr bullet which is a wonderful bullet & will handle anything in the lower 48 & I really couldn't tell any difference between the LBT & the Keith bullets because both gave me complete penetration on elk.
The 45 Colt is a great caliber & honestly can handle 99% of the handgunning most of us do unless we hunt Alaska or Africa. Bullet placement, correct alloy & velocity always works. One last thing, if you're going to get the maximum horsepower out of the 45 you have to go with H110 & a magnum primer.
Dick
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Snyd
.375 Atomic
The Last Frontier
Posts: 2,388
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Post by Snyd on Jul 22, 2017 11:09:25 GMT -5
Great info Dick. I've been shooting that RCBS 270 SAA quite a bit lately, 280gr from my WW alloy. I've loaded it to max in BisHunter to flatten trajectory as much as possible. 23gr LilGun/CCI 350 puts it at 1453fps. I got that load from Brian Pearces April 2007 article in HL mag. The better I shoot the better it shoots  Funny how that happens. |
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dmad
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 67
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Post by dmad on Jul 22, 2017 11:38:00 GMT -5
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Snyd
.375 Atomic
The Last Frontier
Posts: 2,388
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Post by Snyd on Jul 22, 2017 13:14:55 GMT -5
I can't speak for Dick. But I too live here in AK and if I were packing that midframe for bear protection I'd load a 300gr to 23,000psi like Brian Pearce tested in that mag article I posted above. He lists a 318gr Lyman at 1070 fps. Probably be a little slower in your short barrel but I bet you'd get it to 1000. You want heavy. Oh, it'd kill these Alaskan bunnies too! To embed your picks you click the little picture icon when you post and then past in the link. Are you potatojudges uncle?   |
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Post by sixshot on Jul 22, 2017 13:24:48 GMT -5
dmad, can't help you on the photo's, I'm looking for a change from Photobucket myself. Maybe someone else can chime in on that, several are leaving Photobucket for something cheaper.
As for loads in Alaska, Snyd's load is a good one & he's been up there for quite a while with great success. I use that same bullet from a Miha mold & depending on alloy & which pins I use it can run anywhere from 260 grs up to 280 grs so it's a very good bullet. Again I'll go out on a limb here & repeat that I always make my bullets as soft as I can & still get accuracy, it I need more speed then hardness (BHN) has to go up also but I never want a brittle bullet, to me that's a bullet that will fail.
Most of my experience has been with the 260 Keith because I've had that mold for close to 50 years & taken everything from turtles, snakes & coyotes up to deer, elk & bears & I've yet to recover one of them. One deer was shot length ways. If you need to go super heavy weight I don't think there's a better combo of power & speed than the 325 gr bullet in a six shot full size Ruger 45, something along the line of Snyd's Ruger Hunter or my Bisley. My 325's slugs are plain base & shoot very good in my 45's. I don't need bench rest accuracy, I need hunting accuracy & I easily get it with any of the 3 bullets I use.
If I had to pick one I would say the 280 gr. bullet, H110 powder, a magnum primer & a hardness of 10-12 powder coated. If using regular lubed bullets I'd raise the hardness to 12-14 BHN. One last thing, don't shoot for speed, shoot for accuracy, but as much speed as you can handle as long as accuracy is there, don't compromise.
Dick
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Post by alukban on Jul 23, 2017 12:52:23 GMT -5
I'm in New England but even I have a revolver set up for bear... or for when/if I ever get to Alaska Heck, I can use it for pigs in PA also  It is regulated to pretty much the load that Snyd recommends: 300 gr lead from Montana Bullet Works with 10.4 gr of Unique giving a little over 1000 fps. It is extremely soft shooting. I could shoot a bucket of this stuff and never wince.   |
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dmad
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 67
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Post by dmad on Jul 23, 2017 13:30:42 GMT -5
Snyd, Thanks for posting photos. I still don't see the options for photos? I thought my gun is medium frame but might be bigger? I initially wanted a FA small frame when they first came out in 45 ACP, but was told I had to get a 45 Colt then order extra 45 ACP cylinder. Was way beyond my budget and one day mentioned to Jack Huntington about it. He said if I supplied him a Ruger frame and cylinder and he could make me a light 45 ACP revolver from his parts box. I found a stainless 44 mag locally and took it apart for parts. Sold the barrel, hammer and grip to help recoup the project and sent rest of parts to Jack. He had a pull off FA 454 barrel in his parts box, bisley hammer, and a lightweight bisley grip. I asked that he keep the FA front sight base. So to lighten the package he flat topped it, scalloped the frame where he could, I wanted a round butt grip and he shortened and tapered the barrel. He rebored cylinder to 45 ACP. I told him I had a bag of 45 AR brass and asked if he could take off some metal to make it work? He suggested he recess the cylinder instead. In the mean time, I found a stainless 357 mag cylinder for cheap and asked Jack to ream it out to a tight chambered(like FA 454) 45 Colt. I sent Veral Smith of LBT a drawing of a mold design I wanted to try. It was basically a copy of the Lyman 454629 mold I had, but with a different nose, and nose had to be short enough to fit in short FA 454 cylinder. It weighs around 340 grain s, depending on allow used. i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa439/hhi812/AD92DAEC-E373-4287-B636-D59E050ECF87_zps9hp4mblg.jpgVeral didn't like the design, saying it wouldn't be accurate at longer ranges, and reason he stamped my name on it rather than his LBT stamp. My buddy shot 5 in his FA 454 Casull, with a load of 29.5 gr 296, and a 3" group at 100 yards. Veral said it wouldn't penetrate straight because of the big nose, but buddy shot it through 55" of water baffles, and it went straight and only reason it didn't go deeper is it because he ran out of water baffles. I put a load of 21.2 gr of 296 under both the 454629 bullet and my bullet, in 45 Colt cases, and through my little Isley, the FA bullet averaged 1003 fps, and 1002 fps with my bullet. I also designed it so powder capacity was identical to the 454629 mold since loads for it was plentiful. Snyd, thanks again for photo. I'll figure it one day. Dick, I like your idea of moderate velocities. If the moderate loads drop game, it must work👍 |
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Post by oddshooter on Jul 27, 2017 10:15:47 GMT -5
I used to live in Missoula, Montana and I am a real fan of Montana Bullet Works. I really enjoy talking with them on the phone. I'm always looking for a silver bullet that will kill all the monsters.
That said. Those bullets are almost $.25 each. Do you guys use these for plinking and a fun day at the range?
Is there that much of a difference seen in your application between these and lesser cost options? I shoot a lot and when I go above a dime for a boolit, I start to wonder what I'm doing.
You guys are the Pros. I feel like I'm missing something.
Prescut
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Funny how that happens.