Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Your favorite handload for your Colt SAA 45 LC

Bought a Colt SAA clone (Uberti Cattleman). Looking for a good starting point. Thinking something like 250 gr lead round nose....
What load has been good to you?

I settled on this load for hunting:



It's a pretty hot load, found in the "strong action" section of the load book. I'm not sure what category your gun falls in.

Some nice shooting there!
My action is on the weaker side I believe. Looking for an accurate plinking load

For safe light loads, take a look at trail boss. It's my go to powder for ight loads. It eliminates my concerns for the supposedly powder flash over in large cases with light loads. It's bulk also helps prevent accidental double charges in large cases

Well, I'm afraid I can't be of any real help. I have the Ruger convertible, and when I plink, I just switch cylinders and shoot .45 ACP ammo.

Since you're only plinking, you might consider getting some 230 grain truncated cone bullets from pennbullets.com. They'll look cool as guys are loading them up, and the recoil will be tame. But, I also get that you bought a long Colt so you could shoot bigger bullets. MontanaMarine will sniff this thread out tomorrow or the next day--he'll have a load for you. Take his data as gospel.

Good luck with your new toy--be sure to post a pic of it, along with some targets of whatever load you try! I think the "New Gun" and "Load Development" threads are the best!

Are you sure you meant Trail Boss? Hodgdon's data says that Trail Boss loads are some of the lowest volume of powder. 4.5 grains is barely a pinch.

250 grain LRNFP
Hodgdon Trail Boss

Min
4.5gr 606 fps

Max
5.8 727 fps

Trail Boss is a very voluminous powder, Waders.

My go to 45 colt load for everything is 8.5 grains of Universal and a Lee 255RF, Good stout load that will make meat w/o straining anything.

http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/maplewood-bullets-lee-452-255-rf-for-the-45-colt/


Listed here in Taffin Tests

http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt45lc.htm

I've used quite a few powders in 45 Colt. Several give excellent results for Cowboy-type loads. The last I used was Trailboss, but I've also used W231 and Unique for the loads you're seeking. Its been so long since I loaded any up that I can't remember specifics. A friend of mine made some huge trade a few years back and then traded me something like over 800 newly-loaded 45 Colts for like $75. I've been shooting on those ever since.

A classic load for the .45 Colt is a 250 grain lead bullet and 8.0 grains of Unique. This load is safe in SAA's (and your Uberti) and duplicates the traditional factory load. It should deliver 850 to 900 fps, depending on barrel length. This is a full power load, not a wimpy Cowboy Action load.

Congrats on the Cattleman. Missouri Bullet Company for about any profile 45 bullet you desire.

That's my standard .45 Colt Load too. Nowadays, I use it with a 260 gr WFN LBT cast bullet. Kills hogs at the Ranch DRT.

I appreciate the pointers guys. It’s gonna be a ton of fun. My boys love John Wayne movies and they have no idea I bought the Uberti. I’ll try to post some pics when I get her next week. I’ve got at least 8 lbs of Unique, I’ll start with that. Guess I need to order some lead from the Missouri bullet company.

Congrats on the new revolver Deerhunter5555, you may not like the load I've developed for my SAA, A buddy sent me some RCBS 82049 bullets he cast and sized to .454" that Brinelled at 15, the bullet weighs around 260 gr on my scale and is lubed with blackpowder bullet lube, 40 grains of FFFG blackpowder is a hoot to shoot.

WW cases and WLP primers, bullets leave the 7.5" barreled revolver at 941 fps a real serious and accurate load that shoots to the sights and doesnt lead.

He said, when I get tired of fugging with you, I'll just send ya the damn mould and you can cast em your damn self, a real pleasant old guy.

Unique is a fine powder in the old cartridge. I can't beat it for accuracy. It burns a little dirtier than some, and produces less speed than others, but accuracy matters most on targets and critters with the Colt and bullets over 250gr.

Interesting...your throats require .454. I was gonna order some .452 as I thought that was the common size? Better wait till I get the gun in hand.

Yes, IIRC my chambers mic .455"

I had leading issues until I went blackpowder with blackpowder lubed cast lead bullets, I run the base pin through a block of Sharpsguys blackpowder lube and re-install, have fired 36 rounds of the blackpowder loaded ammunition without one hint of the revolver wanting to foul seize.

Throw the fired cases in a small tub of warm soapy water, give em a good shake, throw em out on an old shop towel, let dry, tumble as usual and you're ready to load and shoot again.

BTW, the looks on peoples faces when you touch off a blackpowder loaded revolver is worth the price of admission alone, it's a real serious BOOM! and blows fire 4' out the end of the barrel and two feet on either side of the revolver at dusk.

I can only imagine the flash on some of the battlefields during the Indian Wars!

Unique or Universal are both good choices, although my current standard pressure load is Power Pistol with a Lyman 454424 sized .454" from Matt's bullets. Power Pistol charge weights are similar to Unique, but a bit speedier and it meters well. Downside is that it's a not the cleanest burning stuff.

In your shoes I would definitely use Unique. I've used MO Bullet's 250-255 grain RNFP & SWC bullets in various Rugers with good accuracy. But the Lee bullet sized 454 has been the best all around bullet I've found to date.