Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Any reason to choose .45 Colt?

I have the 44 mag, 41, mag and the 45 colt. About all I carry anymore is my 4" mountain gun 45 colt. Low recoil and fun to shoot. My days of proving my manhood are over.

I hand load as well, and yet I still like to go buy a few boxes of cheapest 45ACP to burn, the redhawk 45acp/45lc seems more flexible in the ammo department than a 44 special/44magnum.

Now that got me drooling !

Does anyone have a copy of Linebaugh's article about loading for the S&W Model 25 or know of a link to a copy? It was published on handloads.com but that site is kaput and search results for "Linebaugh Model 25" and similar just point to that old handloads.com article so you get a 404 file not found error.

The loads he published were a good deal less than the Ruger only loads in his "Dissolving the Myth" article but he still got some very impressive velocities, up to 1100 fps IIRC. The article also went into some discussion of the point that you don't need an abundance of velocity with the .45, that at handgun velocities the work comes from bigger holes and the .45 is just a bigger drill, so even a 250 grain bullet at 950 fps will do in a lot of big game.

I've looked for it too Jim and run into the same thing. I have used his 255 SWC/13.0 HS6 load in several regular 45 Colts (Astra 45, Ruger NV) and never run into a problem with it.

Last I looked the article is on his website under the writings section.

That's a good article and is cited earlier in this thread. There was another one where he specifically loads for the Model 25 (25-5 to be exact), that's the one I'm trying to find. This is the link that can be found in threads on other forums but it leads to a 404 error.

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=12

In fact one of the places I found this exact same link was where both I and DocRocket posted it in a thread back on 1/25/13 titled "45 LC "heavy" loads in a S&W Model 25."

I have a couple of Old Bisley Vaqueros, one in 44 Mag and one in 45 Colt and they would be one of the last I would ever sell.

Since the OP stated that he reloads, the whole vista of performance is open to him from mild to wild. I like shooting both but find that after a few gun loads of some of my wilds are enough for the afternoon shoot. I like both shooters and the Bisley frame helps to manage the wild reload recoil. When loaded with mild offerings both are a wee tickle to shoot all day long and brings back a nostalgia for the Old West.

My wild loads with the 44 mag are a 300g slug at 1377fps and the same bullet in the 45 Colt runs at 1250fps. Both loads are maxed out for the respective revolver and in this arena of buffalo loads the edge goes to the 44Mag.

If we are selecting due to all around shooting and not concerned with the buffalo load max, I think either one fills the bag up with fun and great application for both calibers.

If you are looking for the all out velocity champ.....go with the 44Mag. If you end up with either....buy the other one also when the chance comes up. Two great calibers to play around with when reloading.

In truth, if you handload and shoot them in a strong gun, there ain't a lick of difference worth arguing about. Die-hard .45 fans will always quote the +30yr old Linebaugh article but it's outdated. It's 2019 and the .44 will shoot the same weight bullets 50-100fps faster.

The only real difference is in weaker guns like the SAA where the 44Spl is really the better choice for the platform.



That makes no sense whatsoever. Either cartridge can be handloaded to deliver the same result with comparable recoil.

Sorry Craig, I guess the C in your name stands for confused...

Sorry, I understand the truth is confusing for .45 Kool Aid drinkers who think the .45Colt possesses magical traits that defy the laws of physics.

In the real world, there's nothing you can do in a .45Colt that you cannot also do in a .44Mag, given guns of comparable strength. Contrary to popular wishful thinking, comparable loads will have comparable recoil. No .45 magic there either. In the Colt sized guns, the .44Spl is actually more capable with a greater safety margin. This is no revelation. If one can read, handload and chronograph, these facts are readily accessible.

Speaking of Kool-Aid, you drink plenty of the 44 mag type. The original question was about the 45 Colt. It is and remains a fantastic handgun cartridge, the discussion about handloading to improve a 44 special or load down a 44 magnum is a separate debate.

On it’s own merits a 45 Colt has been proving a point for over 140 years that it is a great round and far from obsolete...

"Any reason to choose .45 Colt?"

No, not really. But I would say pick a handgun model that you like and work backwards from there.

I came across this one a few years back and it has to be one of the most accurate handguns I have ever fired.

S&W 25-9
260gr SWC
8gr Unique

Now that is a recommendation I can get behind. I'm fond of older S&W's, particularly the 625 Mountain Gun, and Ruger Redhawks.

No Kool Aid here, I probably own more .45's than most .45 Kool Aid drinkers and have a Dillon 650 dedicated to the .45Colt. At last count, 11 .45Colt's, 10 .45ACP's, two .454's and a .450Bushmaster. Sorry but the argument that I'm a .45 hater and .44 Kool Aid drinker just doesn't hold water. You'll have to actually argue based on merit.

You're the one that brought it up, don't whine about it now. The fact remains that contrary to your first response, the .44Mag can be handloaded to anything the .45Colt can do. This idea that the .45Colt is somehow more potent and/or more pleasant is wishful thinking at best.

No Kool Aid required, just the ability to read, handload and chronograph.

Dear Confused,

You dig and dig, but there is no dirt in a hole that you dig, it is piled up beside it. You are as mixed up as you are illiterate. What I said is only about a vanilla 45 Colt, vs a vanilla 44 special and a vanilla 44 mag. If you are too ignorant to forget your silly bias and just respond to the fact that a 44 special as a factory load and a 45 Colt factory load are not equals, the 45 is better. The 45 Colt is factory loaded with a 250 grain bullet, nowhere near 1266 FPS with a 325 grain bullet.

Where do you come up with this crap?

If you don't think a factory 44 mag has more recoil than a factory 45 Colt, you couldn't be more wrong.

Somewhere, there is a circus looking for a clown, you might want to find it...

How am I biased? If it hadn't been for your misinformation, I might've just sang the praises of the .45Colt.

You're a real special kind of stupid. I guess you didn't read the OP, where he said.....



In your rush to share your infinite wisdom, I reckon you also missed the part where I said, "Either cartridge can be handloaded to deliver the same result with comparable recoil." Rather comical to accuse someone of being "confused, ignorant, illiterate, etc." when you can't even friggin' read. Yeah, I know that factory .45Colt is better than factory .44Spl and less abusive than factory .44Mag. That's why I said HANDLOADED. So the context, through this entire thread, is that of handloaded ammunition. You're the only one who seems to be confused, ignorant and/or illiterate. Got anything else stupid to say?

Oh yeah, well you said this and besides that, my dad can beat up your dad...

I guaran-damn-tee there will be issues firing .451-.454 diameter bullets in one of them.