What's your favorite .45 Colt deer load? Didn't draw on elk, so a deer will be the biggest critter to get whacked with the revolver this year. I'm thinking Lil'gun or H110 for the powder but can't decide what to use for a bullet - cast or jacketed? What weight? The Hornady XTP 250gr and 24gr of Lil'gun should be in the 1200fps range from my 4 5/8" Blackhawk - or is the heavier 300gr bullet going slower a better choice? Maybe a Keith style bullet in the 270gr configuation? Thanks.

My big-bore revolver deer load is a 250-grain caset SWC at about 900 fps. You could do that easily with Unique or HS-6 in the 45 Colt. The loads you mention are more like what I'd use for elk, but I'm funny that way.


Okie John

Since the 'Single Six' is not chambered in .45LC I assume you mean a Blackhawk, which takes heavy loads. But then you are shooting deer with iron sights, so for most shooters that means 50 yards max range.

I have had poor luck with H110/W296 in the .45LC with bullets lighter than 260 grains, and like Okie said you do not need that kind of power. The last time I saw an armor-plated deer was over three decades ago back when I used to drink.....

My favorite load is the Hornady 250 XTP over 15.5 grains of BlueDot. That gives around 1050 fps in my short-barrreled BH. This gives reasonable recoil and blast (H110/W296 is terrible in the 4 5/8" barrel!) with great accuracy and excellent performance on deer.


.

A 300 or 325 WFN LBT; have used H110, Lil' Gun, 2400 and Blue Dot from 1,000 to 1,300 fps muzzle speeds on deer.

I have shot two deer with the 270 SAA Keith style bullet too. For some reason all have worked. I've only used a few jacketed bullets on one deer and close range pigs; they work too, just use ones with the widest noses.

I've been dinking with some Alliant 410 and really like it. Need to chronograph them though.

The best advice is to use the load you shoot the best; most of the time the fire-breathers just make hitting more difficult. You hit the deer right, your tag is filled.

I really like Lil'gun and a 265LBT at about 1200fps but I think the softpoints would be better for deer. I think the best slug would be a LBT with the noise softened. I keep waiting for some partition handgun seconds but they are not available very often.

Unless you pick an extremely fragile bullet more speed just means a better trajectory. Anything approaching 300gr at 1000fps is going to be tough to keep inside a deer.

12.5gr of HS-6, a 255gr Hunter Supply LSWC ...the deer we shoot with them dont argue...much

For our smaller blacktails I like the Hornady 250gr XTP over H110; less recoil than the 300gr loads, a bit flatter and the expansion is, to my mind, better on thin animals than the complete penetration a Keith type bullet gives.

That said, you can't ever go wrong with a good cast bullet such as those already mentioned.

I used to shoot the RCBS 255 grain SWC. With my alloy, lubed and sized they came out at 270 grains. I used 25 grains of Win 296 and Winchester std large pistol primers. That's a real wide, flat nosed SWC, almost as wide as the LBT designs. That's way more "thump" than you need for deer, but I never was able to get good accuracy out of my particular Blackhawk with lighter loads.

Centershot, I've chrono'd a .45 Colt load that will shoot through a deer if I shoot accurately.

255 grains SWC gas checked Keith type bullet, 8.5 grains Unique, WW Large Pistol Primers. Starline brass = 955 F.P.S., from my Ruger Blackhawk, 4 5/8" barrel.

If I wanted a faster load, I'd kick the Unique up to 10.0 grains, which would chronograph at around 1050 F.P.S., but the load I listed is fine with me. Easy to shoot and not hard on the wrist so makes it pleasant to do a lot of practicing.

It'll handle what I need out in the field.

Good luck on your hunt.

L.W.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0000690228

21 grains of H110 under this bullet kills effectively in a 7.5" ruger 45 colt

10 grains of Blue Dot.. 255 grain Laser Cast FN...

10 grains Unique under a 255 hard cast semi-wadcutter. 1168 average in my 5.5" Bisley.

Dan

I'd go with a 255-260 cast SWC, also. The loads mentioned are good ones, but let me throw in yet another. This one's the favorite load of Hank Williams Jr (a noted single-action and 45 Colt expert): a magnum primer and 20-22 grains of 4227, held in with a firm crimp. There's no chance of a double charge, it doesn't have the ear-splitting blast of 296/110 and it launches at 950 to 1000 fps. Very nice load, although you may see some unburnt kernels.

Actually, now that you mention it Rocky...a case loaded with 777 to the point where the 255 grain bullet just touches the powder kernels or compresses them a millimeter will deliver that 1000fps as well and the blast is a comfortable "Boom!" It's one of my favorite loads in the SAA.

Dan

I've posted something about this before but IMR4227 is a rarely thought of powder for large pistol cases but has worked well for me in various applications since 1976. Have mostly used it for mid-level loads but you can crank it on up there if you feel like it.

It shares the quality of 2400 of maintaining good accuracy from "relatively" reduced charge weights on up to max, although as you mention one will get some unburned powder granules in the mid-range loads.

I shot a Lyman #429215 (215 gr. SWCGC) in my SBH .44 using 20 grains of IMR4227 for years and years. You'd get a small pile of those yellowed powder kernels when ejecting cases but very moderate recoil and just accurate as all get out.

Currently working up loads for my 5 1/2" Bisley Blackhawk .45 using 18 and 19 grains of 4227 with a 255 cast SWC. Once again, velocity in the 900 to low 1000 fps range, low recoil (I believe due to it being slow burning powder so the recoil impulse is spread out over a few more microseconds) and this is proving to be one of the more accurate loads for this revolver.

Thanks for the mention of the magnum primer, never really thought of that before. I'll have to try that to see if it burns the powder more completely.

That is just a little more then I get with my 45acp load. I think I am around 800-830fps with a 250gr truncated cone. I have been wanting to take a deer with it since I got it. Seems more then enough for close range and accurate shooting.

So pretty good luck with that load on deer? Plenty of penatration?

This is my favorite hunting load for my 45 Colt, a Bowen customized Ruger Bisley with a 5.5" barrel. I have not killed any deer with it, yet, but it works well on feral hogs. For hunting I favor hard cast bullets.

270 gr Leadheads Keith style Taylor KO 22.15
19.5 gr 2400
WLP primer
1270 fps

I'm going to have to try that load in my Bis.

Dan

Centershot - I think your original load using a Hornady 250 grain XTP is about ideal.

The gun magazines have printed so much about hard cast bullets for hunting in the past decade or more that one is left thinking it�s the only choice. The reality is, a hard cast solid is too much bullet for a deer and you will get less performance, not more. With a 1000fps + load and a 300 grain cast bullet, you will get through and through penetration, basically that .45 caliber bullet will just zip right through your deer. If your shot is placed well, it most certainly will kill the deer, but not nearly as well as a JHP bullet. If you�re worried about penetration, then go to a 300 grain JHP, but honestly, we�re not talking about Elk or Bear, we�re talking about Deer, and they�re not that hard to put down.

I�m a huge fan of cast bullets in revolvers, and I cast a lot of bullets every year. But even Elmer Keith would tell you that a hollow point will work better on a deer (Keith used hollow point versions of his cast bullets and raved about the performance). A modern JHP will give you good penetration and good expansion, resulting in a quick, clean kill.

It�s your call, but I think the JHP is the right tool for the job on Deer. When we talk larger than Deer, THAT�s when I start talking cast bullets.

That's a valid point, Kevin.

My first deer hunting with a handgun took place in Florida. The deer there are hardly larger than Lassie, and almost all hunting for them was from treestands due to the extremely heavy cover. One shoots essentially straight down from only a few feet away.

I used loads featuring the Speer 225 JHP over (if I recall) something like 18 grains of 2400. I didn't own a chronograph then, so I can only guess that they flew at 900 fps or so. Never lost a deer with it under those conditions, and you had to anchor one on the spot because if it made a few leaps it might not be found.

Guess I should qualify the deer I'm talking about here. All the deer where I hunt are Mule Deer, most dress out about 100# (2yr olds) with a big one 150# (3-6yr olds) (that's just meat and bones, no head, skin, legs etc.) I can't imagine them being any tougher than a large white-tail. Shots will likely be 50-75yds, maybe to 100 if I can get a good rest and perfect shot opportunity. Bullet performance will need to work at those ranges. I now have the gun - a Ruger Bisley .45 Colt w/ 7.5" barrel. Thanks for all the replys - I'm leaning toward Laser-Cast 255gr SWC and Unique 9-10gr. or H4227(so far). Would like to have that bullet in the 1000-1100fps range.

H4227 will do exactly that. You can get Unique up there, but I think it starts to get a little touchy above 9 grains because it's just a bit too fast for top-end loads. My opinion.

That bullet, 21.0 H4227, a magnum primer and a firm crimp will give you great accuracy, the velocity you seek and moderate pressures.

Ive been useing heavy caliber handguns for deer and hogs for years, Ive lost count years ago, but you do tend to see a pattern, in results, and one or two shots means little, results vary a good deal.your average revolver in the hands of a good shot is best used at under about 120 yards,for a number of reasons, so start thinking of that as a reasonable max range.
one point that was not brought out here is that handgun bullets rarely expand like rifle bullets and you WANT BOTH a wide melplat to increase the dammaged area along ther bullets path and AN EXIT WOUND that lets in air and BLOOD out, both tend to limit the distance the game travels if it doesn,t drop almost instantly.
Ive used the 200 grain hollow points in a 44 mag at high velocities and the 300 hard cast bullets,and the 240 hollow points, THEY all work reasonably well on deer if the shot placements decent,NONE of them gives instant DRT kills all the time, but the 300 grains are the most consistant, in that they tend to be very predictable and exit, the 200 & 240 grain hollow points can give spectacular kills at times, but Ive also had long trailing jobs on occasion on deer and occasionally on HOGs useing those bullets, while the 300 hard cast might not give the same dramatic DRT stops it tends to be very effective and consistant and give better average performance in my opinion.
your better off thinking like an ARCHER in that hits, even good hits don,t always result in instant kills and having projectiles do complete pass thrus and having good blood trails is a big plus. EXPECT deer to run! youll seldom see deer INSTANTLY drop with lung/heart shots but you seldom see them go very far either.
BTW the classic shot to the base of the neck/ low/mid center chest, if they are facing you works very effectively with a hard cast bullet

Thanks 340mag, I am and have been an Archer for over 20 years. I can relate to what you are saying. I usually shoot through the lungs even with a rifle and some tracking is usually required (part of the fun if you ask me).

RockyRaab, H4227 sounds like the winner - now if Sportsmans just had it, being how they are the only place in town with reloading supplies (after they ran everyone else out of business). I think I'll also get some Unique when the Trail Boss runs out for the lighter loads - and if I can not find any H or IMR 4227. Thanks for the help.

I shoot one bullet wieght in my revolvers and that wieght is based on the biggest game that I might pursue with that revolver. In 45 Colt I always use a 300 to 325 Grian LFN style hard cast flat point and I have found no better powder than Win-296 or H-110 (one and the same). These loads work to perfection on any size game in my experience

jwp475, That's a pretty heavy load - a cylinder full or two of those and I'd be ready to go home. I really want to find a load that is enough, but not way overkill. If I do get the notion to hunt elk or moose with the .45 Colt, then some of the 300gr W296 HAMMER loads will be in the works. I see your logic in keeping things simple with one load - good idea. I reload and keeping a couple of loads is not to big a deal. The load with H4227 and a 255gr SWC really sounds like a winner of a deer load - without huge blast and recoil. I do like a tamed down load also - I'm currently using 6gr of Trailboss under a 200gr RNFP - lots of fun, accurate and recoils like a .22 - can't wait to hunt Jacks this winter with this load! Thanks for all the suggestions.

for those guys that think 100-120 yards with a revolver is pushing things a bit....
while ID agree that each hunter needs to know his limits, and not shoot past the range he can keep shots in a deers chest, a decent shot with a good revolver should be able to keep a 6-7" group out at 100-120 yards with practice useing a decent iron sighted revolver. (yes , I fully aggree,your going to find far more guys that can hit consistantly at 50-75 yards than at 100-120 yards but thats not usually an equipment problem, its usually a lack of skill on the opperators part, most decent revolvers with good ammo will keep a 6" or smaller 100 yard group from a rest)from a sitting possition or standing with a decent rest against his hand on a tree or similar support, based on what I see at the range with guys using 7.5"-10" barrel revolvers. now IM sure not suggesting everyone can, but most of my friends can and so can I under most conditions with my revolvers, but then we do practice frequently.
if your friends are just starting into the sport naturally, they need to test thier skills, a stack of the small paper plates makes a good test, as long as you can keep your first three shots on the paper your well in range, miss and your past your effective range

hers a ballistic calc for range and drop .

http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

sight a 41 mag,44 mag, 445 dwsm, 454 casull, 460, or 500 S&W or 480 ruger, or similar caliber in at 3" high at 50 yards with a decent hunting ;load and your within 3" out to 120 yards (yes, the longer sight radias of a 7.5"-10" barrel and lots of range time, shooting from field possitions DOES HELP)and its a rare guy thats consistant past that 100-120 yards so thats why I suggested that as a reasonable limit and having to think of a revolvers as something similar to archery, as a hunting tool, is a good idea.. Id suggest S&W, DAN WESSON and RUGER all make decent revolvers with 7.5"-10" barrels in hunting calibers that can be used in most cases