# 45 Colt



## blackbear (Apr 24, 2011)

How Fast is a "good enough biggame hunting load" for the 45colt cartridge  for hunting deer,bear,hog and have enough power for complete penetration from all angles?
Will a Hornady XTP have to be driven at around 1250 fps to expand and completely penetrate something hard to stop in the trax like a big boar?
Anyone hunt with this round and do you recommend it for biggame?What bullet/ammo do you use?


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## blackbear (Apr 24, 2011)

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## HandgunHTR (Apr 24, 2011)

A 250 grain XTP at 1250 fps is a great recipe for anything in GA.


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## thurmongene (Apr 27, 2011)

so in this caliber--what length barrel ?


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## Dub (Apr 27, 2011)

In the right handgun, this round can be pushed to some very respectable hunting velocities.


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## jmoser (Apr 27, 2011)

thurmongene said:


> so in this caliber--what length barrel ?



.45 Colt develops similar velocities in shorter bbls vs a .44 mag.  I think a 4 5/8" to 6" bbl is plenty for the .45 Colt unless you really need to get screaming fast.

I want a stainless Redhawk 4" - 6" bbl in .45 colt; can usually only find the .44s for sale.

PS for penetration I like the heavier bullets - 300 XTPs and 335 gr LBTs.  The 335 hard cast will go thru anything from any angle!


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## GAR (Apr 27, 2011)

jmoser said:


> .45 Colt develops similar velocities in shorter bbls vs a .44 mag.  I think a 4 5/8" to 6" bbl is plenty for the .45 Colt unless you really need to get screaming fast.
> 
> I want a stainless Redhawk 4" - 6" bbl in .45 colt; can usually only find the .44s for sale.
> 
> PS for penetration I like the heavier bullets - 300 XTPs and 335 gr LBTs.  The 335 hard cast will go thru anything from any angle!



45 cal 310gr "PENTA" HP or 325gr LBT style LFNGC.
Plenty of power for a 45 Colt if loaded correctly.

Tom


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## scambooger (Apr 27, 2011)

Them some sure enough hard hitters Gar has right there!


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## Dub (May 2, 2011)

Nice shooting in that first video!!!


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## pacecars (May 15, 2011)

http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm


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## pacecars (May 15, 2011)

I have used hard cast 240-250 gr bullets at 1000 FPS. I would skip the HP bullets and go with the cast LBT WFN style


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## Nastytater (May 15, 2011)

Taking down a Hog,your going to need more shot placement than velocity...Doesn't matter what the knock down power is if you can't hit it...Lower velocity means greater accuracy...Try different loads and see what your pistol likes...I would suggest starting with the XTP's with a minimum powder charge...Testing is key when it comes to finalizing on a hunting reciept.


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## powhs (May 21, 2011)

Last week I loaded some 260gr wadcutters to 725fps. They penatrated 8 one gall milk juggs. Thats 4 feet of water. A hard cast bullet at decent speed will put a hole in both sides of our deer will no trouble.


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## redlevel (Jun 1, 2011)

pacecars said:


> http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm





pacecars said:


> I have used hard cast 240-250 gr bullets at 1000 FPS. I would skip the HP bullets and go with the cast LBT WFN style



Linebaugh says a 260 grain bullet at 900 fps will penetrate lengthwise through a mule deer from his wife's 4 3/4 inch single action.   I really believe, unless you are hunting 1000 lb grizzly bear (in which case you need a shotgun with slugs or a .45-70 Guide Gun), anything beyond the old standard 10 grain Unique/255 grain Keith SWC is money thrown away.   I know for a fact that load will hole a 160 lb whitetail through and through, dropping him where he stood.

It is a right pleasant load to shoot in a Vaquero or Blackhawk to boot.


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## Larry Rooks (Jun 5, 2011)

I use a cast Keith type 255 gr SWC over a dose of Blue Dot in a Ruger Blackhawk with 4 5/8 inch barrel, awesome, and have yet to not knock hog or deer on his/her butt


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## ejs1980 (Jun 5, 2011)

If you shoot the xtp type hollow points you'll definetly want to load 1200 fps or so. They will open up pretty good and cause alot of damage. With cast bullets you don't need that much velocity or recoil.


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## poorcountrypreacher (Jun 8, 2011)

I've decided I want to kill a deer with my SAA in .45 Colt. I've killed a dozen or so deer over the years with a Contender in 7x30, but never tried to shoot one with a revolver. I've been doing a lot of reading on the best type of bullet to load; still uncertain and would appreciate any opinions.

My gun is a 3rd generation made in 1978, and has a 7.5" barrel. I've not shot anything in it so far except factory loads - some cowboy loads and I also found a box of Hornady Leverevolution. I've got it loaded with those now and hope to try it on a hog, but haven't shot anything but targets so far. It shoots high with both loads.

I picked up a box of 250g XTP hollowpoints, mainly just because my local store had some. I've considered buying a box of Oregon Trail Laser-Cast 250g, but I'd have to order them. I've read that some have good results with the XTP bullets, but most are using them in Rugers and are able to push them much faster than I can in the SAA. I've also read that some guys think the SAA is better suited to using cast bullets. I doubt I can safely get a 250g bullet much over 1000 fps in my gun.

Anybody got any experience that would help me here? I don't know if its better to use an XTP and try to get a little expansion, or to just use a cast bullet and try to put a .45 caliber hole all the way through him. I'm leaning toward trying the XTP; if it doesn't expand at the lower velocity, it should be about the same as using a cast bullet is my thinking here.

Thanks for any help.


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## markland (Jun 14, 2011)

XTP bullets are not the best for penetration, great for expanding and doing alot of damage but not the best for penetration.  You would need to look at some hard cast bullets if your wanting to shoot thru most everything you will encounter!


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## LanceColeman (Jun 14, 2011)

PCP,

I like wide, flat nosed bullets. But thats just me I reckon.

http://www.buffalobore.com/


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## poorcountrypreacher (Jun 19, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. I tested several different loads with the 250g XTP bullets this weekend, using Unique and Blue Dot. All of them shot 5-6" high at 25 yds. I guess I need to try some lighter bullets, but its hard to find any decent .452 bullets in the 200g range.

Do any of you guys that shoot the heavy cast bullets think that the POI would be any lower with them?


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## GAR (Jun 20, 2011)

You will end up needing a taller front sight when shooting the heavy weights.

What type of hold/sight picture are you using?

Tom


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## poorcountrypreacher (Jun 20, 2011)

Gar - That's easier said than done with a SAA, as I'm sure you know. I can't understand why Colt would make a gun that won't shoot to POA with the standard load of a 250-255g bullet at 850-900 fps. That's what's been used in it for over a century; looks like they would put a sight on it to make that load work. 

I don't think my shooting technique is the problem. It shoot high off hand or on sandbags, and 3 different people have found it to shoot high. I've mainly shot Contenders over the years and I used the same sandbag technique I've used with them. Push the frame of the gun into the bag, keep the barrel clear and don't have anything under the grip. I've shot plenty of sub 1" groups at 100 yds with my 7x30 using this technique. 

I want to exhaust all options before sending it somewhere for a taller sight. Hornady Leverevolution factory loads are 225g and they will shot only about 3" high. If that trend continues, a 200g bullet should be close to dead on. I've loaded a test batch that is slightly hotter with the XTP bullets, but these are absolute max and I doubt they are gonna be 6" lower. I've never shot cast bullets, but I pulled 3 Cowboy bullets and loaded them up to a standard load and will test them next time.

I read on another forum that there is a cast bullet that weights 270g that was designed just for the SAA, and that it will shoot lower than other loads. I don't understand how that's possible, but I may talk to a bullet-maker and see if its worth trying.

I was using a 6 o'clock hold on a 2" black dot; the POI was consistently about 6" above POA.

Thanks for the help.


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## SASS249 (Jun 20, 2011)

I have heard, but can not verify, that the original SAA point of aim was at 100 yards, which is why it hits so high at 25.

How good are your eyes?  Reason I ask is that I have been successful in fashioning a "temporary" front sight out of elictrical tape.  If you don't want to alter the gun that can work.

All my SAA  shoot high and have had to have taller front sights installed for Cowboy action shooting.  

One uberti clone shot 15" high at 15 yards.  Even 170 grain bullets would not bring it down enough.

I did the job myself on that one Clone by filing the original flat and silver soldering a taller replacement on it.  Not a job for the faint of heart however.  This was a nickel plated gun and everyone told me I would have to have the original sight replaced and a taller sight put on and then have the gun re-nickeled, all for more than the gun cost.

I fashioned a new sight out of a silver coin, filed the front sight flat, used a heat sink pase and silver soldered away.  That was 20  years ago and the nickel job still remains good.

Aren't old guns fun?


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## GAR (Jun 20, 2011)

SASS249 they have actually been using the old dime trick for a long time. It works!

Poorcountrypreacher I may have the exact bullet that you are looking for possibly. I have a clone mold of the RCBS SAA 270. From my mold with straight WW's it ends up being about 282gr once sized and lubed.

I use this bullet in my three 45 Colt Rugers (Redhawk/Bisley/Blackhawk) with 13 grs of HS6 for an average of 1050fps.

Your top load in your SAA would probaly be somewhere around 10gr. That would easily come close/exceed 900fps.

Tom


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## poorcountrypreacher (Jun 21, 2011)

Thanks for the info, guys. SASS, I don't think my soldering skills are good enough for me to attempt to raise the sight. I'd have to send it to a gunsmith. I hope it doesn't come to that, but do you know of one you can recommend? Might as well get the action smoothed too if I send it somewhere.

Gar, that bullet is the one I was talking about. Have you noticed it shooting lower than 250g bullets? Doesn't seem like to me that it should, but I am learning that this thing is not  a Contender and there is a whole lot that I don't know. But that's what makes it enjoyable.

A good day to all.


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## GAR (Jun 21, 2011)

Preacher here is a good smith out your way. Think he is up in/around Jasper.

Gallagher Firearms 
Phone: 205-384-5229 

I'll post some bullet pictures for the old Colt later today.

Tom


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## GAR (Jun 21, 2011)

Bullet options for the old 45 Colt. These are what I load in my Rugers.

From left to right:

255gr SWCBB
275gr LBT style LFNPB
282gr RCBS 270 SAA
310 gr LBT style LFNHPGC
325gr LBT style LFNGC
330gr LBT style WFNGC (not sized or lubed yet)


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## SASS249 (Jun 21, 2011)

Worst thing that can happen is you mess it up and have to send it to a smith anyway.  You are no worse off and might just surprise yourself.

Back when you could find a good Uberti clone for a couple of hundred dollars I used to tell folks to buy one, take it apart, mess with it etc.  You can learn a lot that way and it is real hard to mess one up so much that it can not be fixed and if you did you were only out a little bit of money.  You end up knowing a lot more about the gun and get a lot of satisfaction out of doing things for yourself.

That being said, given the proce of a Colt SAA today (or even the clones) not sure I would recommend getting too radical.


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## poorcountrypreacher (Jun 21, 2011)

Thanks guys. that's a lot of great info! I'll let you know how things turn out with the different bullets and loads I'll be trying. SASS, I've considered taking it apart and doing just what you said, but haven't worked up the nerve yet. I've done some polishing before and had it turn out fine; did a pretty good trigger job on an 870 and have worked on Contender triggers a lot. But I'm very much a newbie with the Colt.


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## TJay (Jun 26, 2011)

After much consideration I've put my .45 Bisley up for sale in the marketplace.  I just don't reload much anymore and maybe there's someone out there that will take it to the field and not leave it in the safe.  The .45 is a great versatile round and the right handloads make it a THUMPER!  Hodgedon 110 was my choice of powder and the Hornady 265gr XTP was my bullet.  I loaded a few 300 gr Speer flatnose and found them to be extremely accurate and recoil while heavy seemed not as "sharp" as the 265 grainer.  I wouldn't feel disadvantaged anywhere in the US with the ol' .45.


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## poorcountrypreacher (Jun 28, 2011)

Earlier I said this:

>>>I don't think my shooting technique is the problem. It shoot high off hand or on sandbags, and 3 different people have found it to shoot high. I've mainly shot Contenders over the years and I used the same sandbag technique I've used with them.<<<

I will have to eat a little crow for that statement; my technique seems to be at least 90% of the problem. And the other 2 shooters that shot high with my gun didn't know how to shoot a single action either. After shooting a lot more and trying different loads and bullets, I'm starting to realize that everything I learned from shooting the Contender is all but useless with the SAA. I've tried a number of different grips and sand bag techniques and now most of my loads are grouping low. I shot some light loads with 200g lead bullets and they are nearly a foot low at 25 yds. I've gotten different POI with the XTP loads depending on my hold; the last group I tried was a couple inches low and right. 

So I've gotta develop a load I like and then figure out a grip the will make it usable. I think I'm gonna focus on cast bullets around 255g and see if I can find something that size that I can get to shoot to POA. Thanks for all the help.


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