Light loads in 45 Colt

[Markbo]

Just a FWIW input. When I started reloading - with an awful lot of help from a lot of fellahs on this site - about 8 years ago I started on .45 ACP and .45 Colt. That is what to this day I shoot the most of. With 3 SAA clones and a couple of Rugers I set out to find me a light shooting 200gr load. Just for a packing around load. After too many load combinations to count I never found one. Not one that would shoot in all guns, but not one that would shoot in ANY gun that I could not easily get better accuracy out of using the standard 250-270gr bullets.

Off the top of my head (not near my record books at the moment) I bet I tried 6 different bullets/makers and 6 or 8 different powders and never found that one great load for any of them. I have since found great shooting heavier loads for all of them...again unfortunately not one magic load that is the favorite of all of them, but at least one for each. I had stocked up on these 200gr bullets thinking I would and have now decided I am just going to shoot them all in my .45ACPs where I have found a magic load that shoots good in all of them.

Is it because all those store bought bullets were too hard and could I find one with soft cast bullets? Maybe. I don't know. Of course YMMV and you may find that great load. I hope you do.
Mark

[bibbyman]

My light load goals are somewhat backward to the general thinking for making custom loads. Top on my list is economy of powder and lead and with light recoil. I'll only be shooting these loads at cowboy action shoots where targets are big and close. Shooting at point of aim would be nice but if it's high or low I can just adjust sight picture. At the short range, ragged hole accuracy is not needed.

I shot 5 of the 6 gr Unique / 200 gr cast loads at paper at about 40 feet and got 4 in about 2" and one further. The group was just left of center.

I shot in my first match last Sunday and hit 60 out of 60.

[magnumwheelman]

I shoot CAS once in a while ( my 1st year I shot over 1000 rounds of 45 Colt ) so I understand the economy part of light loads...

so what are you shooting for a lever gun, 38 I did that the 1st year, & it is so... much easier to use the same ammo in the revolver & the rifle, so I bought a 45 Colt lever gun, & a pair of 357 Vaqueros for the MRS to use... my loads are 250 grain Laser Cast or the brand you are currently using in trunc cone or round nose, over 5.5 r 6 grains of Trailboss, for 700ish fps, the loads function fine in all my 45 Colt revolvers ( main guns are Rugers ) & my lever gun... makes things so much easier at load up time, to just have a box of 50 or revolver/ rifle, a handfull of lite 12 ga...

[bud]

I too needed a really accurate 45LC load for rabbit hunting to include whacking jackrabbits. I lucked on to a load that just really worked in a NM 4 5/8" Ruger. It's 17 grs of 5744 and a 200 gr Lee CB meant for the ACP sized to .453. No idea why this works and so many others do not, but this one I could head shoot bunnys out to 40 yds or so. Actually hit jacks waaaaay out further than that, but no one would believe it so will let it go.

[bibbyman]

At this first match I shot my antique 1894 Marlin in 25/20. I couldn't get cast bullets so I cast up some with equally antique 25/20 Marlin/ideal combination loading tool. 90 gr bullet pushed by 4.5 gr Unique. I cleaned all 60 targets but had a failure to feed on about every stage. When I got home I figured I'd better take it apart and clean it. Maybe fouling had built up not letting the cartage carrier to drop down all the way. Upon disassembly, I became convinced the gun had never been taken apart before. Maybe just pulled the lever and bolt to clean. All screws were sharp as new.

Mary has a Marlin 1894 44 mag (pre safety) she's not used in years. I got permission to use it next time. I had to remove the scope and replace the open sights. I picked up some 44 Special brass and 200 gr laser bullets today. The old 1894 goes back into retirement.

I'd like to find a 1894 45 Cowboy so I can shoot 45 Colt in all three. I see over on the Marlin forum guys are converting 44 Marlins into 45 Cowboys by swapping out the barrel to a 45 barrel from Marlin parts. I bet inventory will soon be exhausted, if it hasn't already.

[Markbo]

Sept 11, 2013 15:10:30 GMT -5 bud said:

I too needed a really accurate 45LC load for rabbit hunting to include whacking jackrabbits. I lucked on to a load that just really worked in a NM 4 5/8" Ruger. It's 17 grs of 5744 and a 200 gr Lee CB meant for the ACP sized to .453. No idea why this works and so many others do not, but this one I could head shoot bunnys out to 40 yds or so. Actually hit jacks waaaaay out further than that, but no one would believe it so will let it go.

Just curious. How did you resize a .451" bullet to .453"?

[steve]

Right from the horse's mouth so to speak.....They used to give these away at most of the west coast gun shows if you bought 1 or 2 thousand bullets.

[bibbyman]

Thanks a bunch!

Do me a big favor and turn to the 44 Special page and post a picture of the loads for Unique and 200 gr Laser round nose flat point. I'm fixing up the Marlin to cowboy shoot.

[steve]

Here you go

[bibbyman]

Thanks again!

I've already loaded 100 rounds with 6.5 gr Unique based on my old Lyman manual and one of their 200 gr bullets. They should be plenty snapped out of a 20" barrel on a Marlin 1894.

[bibbyman]

The new Cowboy 45 Special brass has recently become available again and I got 250 today. Check in the mail on Saturday and brass came on Friday by USPS. The brass looks good.

[Snyd]

Sept 9, 2013 12:57:44 GMT -5 bibbyman said:

I found my 452460 Lyman mold. And will be getting my new Cattlemen 45s in a couple of weeks so I'll start all over again. I won't know if the guns will like 452 or 454. I'm not worried about getting MOA accuracy for SASS shooting.

I load those over Unique, give em a slight crimp with the 45 acp taper crimp die the same as a 45 auto round. Nice, accurate plinker in my SBH Hunter and Redhawk.

[toddb]

Bibby -

If you do use the Vitamin C tablets, consider what it actually is, Ascorbic Acid (sp). I sincerely have no idea if gunpowder is a base or acid but I do cook for a living and know a little bit  about food / vitamin composition. With the incredibly harsh environment created in the barrel and chamber at the time of firing, I wouldn't think that it'd be a problem but I'd probably make sure that I swabbed it out good after shooting. I'd hate to hear that the inside of your barrel pitted or anything after using the tablets as a filler.

My .02 cents For what it's worth.