An article by John Linebaugh on loading for the S&W Model 25-5 .45 Colt. It contains loads pushing 300 and 320 grain bullets past 1100 fps although those are considered absolute maximum.
A note on "Ruger level" loads. Ruger threw a monkey wrench into that description with the mid-size New Vaquero frame and the recent Lipsey's Flattop models based on it. From (IIRC) 1972 on, all Blackhawks including .45 Colts were built on the large .44 Magnum frame. But with the reintroduction of the mid-size cylinder frame one has to distinguish between Ruger level for New Model Blackhawks and a lower level for New Vaqueros and Flattops.
Don't quote me on this but IIRC in Pearce's article on the new convertibles he recommended 23 kpsi as a safe maximum for .45 Colt loads in the Flattops since that was the SAAMI max for .45 ACP +P loads which Ruger chambers in the same size cylinder. As Pappy348 said above 30 kpsi is considered the safe max for "Ruger only" loads in the bigger New Model Blackhawk .45 Colts.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
