Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 45 Colt Elk Hunting Loads

I could care less what Elmer Keith did or said.

This thread has nothing to do with him.

Any Gun Writers that hunt elk with the 45 Colt?

Sorry to derail the thread, but Kieth did a lot to advance modern revolver cartridges.

The Buffalo 300 would be a good one, it has been used on dangerous game. I would try out a box to see if they shoot well and are manageable and then try to match them with your hand loads.

Not me.

You might try contacting Brian Pearce.

Well said, Elmer was so full of himself he had several group pictures taken of him for posterity.

RJ

Easy on ole Elmer. He just had lots of self confidence. As they say, if you can back it up, it's not bragging.

He was an excellent story teller and from all accounts a pretty good hunter and marksman.

There were more than one very self confident writer from that era, thinking about one in particular, Col. Charles Askins, Jr.

DF

As much as I like Elmer Keith, you're right, he has nothing to do with this thread.

That I recall, the only bullet he ever really wrote about in the .45 Colt was the 454424, which, even in it's correct iteration, is far from the best choice (sorta stubby, give the bore size) today. We are currently blessed with better, heavier designs. I've read that Keith originally wanted the 454424 heavier, but Lyman (or Ideal or whoever was building those molds at the time) gave him a weight limit. So, that was what he designed, and what he wrote about.

Keith also either didn't have, or didn't fool with Win 296 (or H110, same stuff). I like 2400 for heavy-ish stuff in the old Colt, but for loading a Ruger Blackhawk to top end with heavies, it can't hang with 296.

Though my opinions are likely moot here as well. I have never killed an elk with a pistol, and likely never will.

That said, if I had to do it with a pistol, I'd hunt the devil on his own ground with a hard 270SAA and 25 grains of 296............

Bob,

If you can find them, you might profit from the writings of John Taffin concerning the 45 Colt.

He wrote about its ability with hard cast loads to "...penetrate from here to breakfast.."

He did, and he didnt care for it as it was used in almost every factory loaded 44 and 357 for many years.

For the OP, I would as Idaho1945 (Dick) and Whitworth1 (Max) here on this forum.

I dont know how many elk with the 45 Colt they have, but I know they do the elk sized stuff, which may help a bit.

I sent a 7.5 Bisley out to Idaho along with 200 300gr. LBTs loaded with 23-24grs. H110 to a friend. He used it for elk for several years until he ran out of my ammo and sold it.

45 Colt
250 XTP
25 gr IMR 4227
1200 fps

Comfortable range for me is 125 yards with confidence. My Ruger Hunter 7.5” is one ragged hole accurate at 50 yds with three shots. Never a doubt that it will do its part. It wears a Burris FF2.

Max Prasac, the gunwriter, might have some loads for you. He posts on this site, and goes by "Whitworth1".

By the way, that is great revolver. Should have kept mine. I was shooting a 310 LBT from Leadheads at 1200 FPS, but never killed a thing with it.

Elk results?

Elmer did use 300 gr. bullets in his .45 colt.. One of these blew the cylinder out and also the top strap of his old Colt.. I think about this time he started looking at the .44 Spl... That was the end of extra heavy bullets for him...

Most elk, but I've taken deer pigs, caribou, Bison with a 46 Cokt and 300 to 325 grain LFN hard cast ahead of 25 grains H-110/296 lit by Fedral mag LP . I used a Ruger Bisley

Lost sight of that directive. Only Whitetails & pigs. Sorry.

jwp,

Thanks for the info.

The reason I asked is that I have a Ruger Bisley 7.5", which shoots very well with 305 BRP LFN gas-checked bullets (I have a VERY good supply left) and 21.0 H110. Gets around 1200 fps, and has worked well on deer--as it should. In fact it's the gun and load I just might use if I ever draw a local moose tag--because most of the moose are in a rifles-outlawed zone near town, along the Missouri River. Can use bows, shotgun lugs, muzzleloaders and straight-walled rounds originally designed for handguns.

Eileen drew an antlerless tag about 10 years ago (her second moose tag in Montana) and used a slug gun, but I have considerable faith in the Bisley with the 305. However, have not used it on anything bigger than deer--and have never used it on elk--which is why I asked Reloader28 about his results.

Know a fella out west that hunted speed goats with a flintlock. He also has one of the most remarkable elk mounts on the wall I ever saw. Took it with a pistol.

Have killed bull elk with projectiles from "old-fashioned" 2-blade broadheads to monolithic bullets. In my experience they are not nearly as hard to kill as many Campfire members believe IF whatever is used lands in the right place, then penetrates the vitals while doing some damage.

But SU35 specifically asked if any gunwriters here had killed them with a .45 Colt.

13.0 grains of hs6 pushes a 300 grain wfn 1100 fps in my Bisley Blackhawk. Easy on the wrist and very accurate as well.

That load should work. I never recovered a bullet as they all exited.

Mule deer I mentioned my mentor when I sold you that scope.

He lived in Salmon Idaho and would have coffee with Elmer at the post office.

When he went to Vietnam nam Elmer sent him revolver ammo that had 22!shorts put into the slugs.

He also sent him a fifth of ol sunny brook........my friend said it was the worst tasting hooch he ever drank.