Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading New .45 Colt load for hunting

I've loaded some extremely accurate loads with H-110/296 from 300 to 325 grain in my Rugers and FA-83s
I much prefer H-110/296 for my top end loads. In my younger days a litter bottle wasn't safe at 120 yards with those loads

Someone might have already mentioned it, but the Ruger flattop .45s have a smaller frame and can't handle the pressures of the .44 frame, full size New Model Blackhawks.

Beauteous piece.

Have any of you guys tried hodgedon longshot ?

Yep.

11-12 grs works well keeping bullets 280 on down in the "Smith 25" category.

I've used it with a custom 300 too, but that bullet is not commercially available and recommending a 280 with standard cast bullets keeps it in the safe range for that class of 45.

I loaded up some 250xtp with it for my Blackhawk and it seems like a house fire load to me but I havnt put it into any varmints yet.

I've played with the 270-SAA Keith bullet (286 grains) for the last decade or so.
Fired many of them over 9.0grn. H-Universal for 1,000fps. More accurate than I am out of my Bowen tuned Bisley.
20grn. of 2400 gives 1,200fps for a bit more oomph.
25grn of 296 for 1,350fps and more recoil than is fun anymore.

I think my next load will be 18.5 of 2400. Should be 1,100fps out of the Bisley and about 1,300 out of the Henry. Seems perfect, after a decade of tinkering.

Sadly, I've never killed a darn thing with the Bisley. Though saboted 270-SAA's out of my Knight have whacked a few.

Something like this is about the most I want these days. I used to make similar loads with bullets I cast from a Walt Melander made NEI 454-270-PBK mold.

I wish I shot well enough to see how well that load actually shoots. A lot of paper and steel ain’t had a prayer.

Not in 45 colt but I have a new cylinder to try.

Here is 15.0g in 44 Mag, 5 shots at 25 yards. My initial impression of Longshot is that is has a lot potential. All of the bullets were touching.

If anyone has a copy of Hodgdon's original Longshot edition of the 2004 Annual Manual, it has loads up to 30,000 CUP for the 45 Colt.

I can find it for data if anyone is needing it.


My load above was from starting loads with 300gr. Sierra JFP's.
Starting 11.2grs 21,100 CUP 1005 fps. MAX 12.5grs. 29,200 CUP 1136 fps.

The only other load is the Hornady 250 XTP at 12 grs starting 22,100 CUP 1129 fps and MAX 13.4 grs. 29,900 CUP for 1252.

Oddly the data ISN'T under Ruger, Freedom Arms T/C only, but under the regular 45 Colt column and I don't recall seeing it since, but I've never checked their online data. The STARTING load is a decent but top level Smith 25 45 Colt load, but I keep the bullet weight below 280.