Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Minimum Velocity in the 45 Colt for Deer

Can't wait to receive my new mold, should be superb in the 45 colt.



I got it with the cup and deep hp pins.

Finally got a chance to take my wife to the range to try her new bisley 45 convertable. Needs a trigger job but looks like it will be very accurate once I dial in a load or two.

I shot many deer with the .45 Colt with 300 to 335 gr boolits to 1160 fps and it is true, they jump, walk off and bleed out. Not enough energy so they just bleed out.
yet penetration is still astounding. get lower then 1000 fps and there is a loss of energy but they still bleed out. I would still not go to 700 fps.
Everyone still says a .45 Ruger will match a .44 mag, not true until you have energy to match. I get the same weight boolits to a little over 1316 fps in the .44 but you will not in the .45 unless going to .454 pressures.
The .44 still kills faster.

Please explain how "energy" relates to the wound channel.

I'm just curious how the 45 has to be loaded to 454 pressures to kill as well as a 44? Plus, a 45 at the same speed, all else equal, has lower pressure.

A WFN 44 bullet has the same meplat as a 45 LFN.

First, the 45 Colt only needs 30,000 PSI to send a 300 grain hard cast to 1300 plus FPS, does not need 454 pressures to do this.

Second please explain this

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/9372890/45_acp_for_Deer#Post9372890

John, you've pointed out the feature that has steered me toward the 45 Colt rather than the 44 Magnum for the bulk of my handgun hunting. Equal velocities with lower pressure means more comfortable shooting at lower personal cost.

I've never found that to be the case. In almost identical custom Ruger Bisley's, I see no difference with comparable loads.

I have killed ~ 21 deer and antelope and every bullet went through. But those were fast bullets.

155 gr 458 cal cast bullets at 400 fps always go through a 20 pound raccoon, come out the other side, and make a 1/2" deep dent in Douglas Fir wood.

Is that the Miha mould? Will those bullets drop at .454"? I gotta start casting.

Yes, the new Miha mold. Hopefully it'll be arriving shortly.

Cyber Monday must be tying up the net as I'm having trouble accessing the specs on the mold. His machine work is impeccable, so if the mold is designated 454, that's what it should cast. I'm planning to size them .452".

Drop me a pm and I'll try and cast some up and send them your way to try out. He always makes extras when he makes a batch so you should be able to snap one up. My lube sizer is already packed as I'm in the process of moving, but I can tumble lube some samples and I'll mike the as cast dia.

45 Colt +P is 30,000 PSI, 36,000 for the 44 mag Underwood Ammo loads a 325 grain hard cast at 30,000 PSI in the 45 Colt to 1325 FPS. They load a 305 grain hard cast at 36,000 PSI in the 44 mag for 1325 FPS. 6,000 PSI max average lower in the 45 Colt.

I am still loading a 250 grain LSWC over Unique powder. It runs right at 900 FPS, and will go end to end through a fairly large pig. Never shot a deer with it, but I am sure it would work well.

Thanks for that post Mannlicher. That'll go nicely nicely in my New Vaq.

Like I said, in nearly identical Rugers, I've never been able to discern a lick of difference between the two. Even if it was there, it wouldn't be enough to get excited about. IMHO, wishful thinking more than anything else.