What powders for the 45LC in a Handi or Contender

[revbc]

Does anyone use AA1680(correction) or Varget?  I have seen some loads with H110 and 4227.  Just wonder what you all use.

Bobby

[Castaway]

For every day plinking, it's hard to beat Unique.  My favorite is 6.8 grains under a 255 cast bullet.  Everything I've tried it in is accurate.    To replicate the original smokeless loads, go to 9 grains and a 255 grainer.  I've used both 4227's and H110 for full house loads and have had better accuracy with the 4227's, although H110 wasn't that far behind.

[tacklebury]

+1 on the Unique, H110 and Bullet.  I do load some with 6gr. and a 200 gr. for really light plinking.  I have also used John Linebaugh's loads with H-110 with pretty good luck, albeit recoil is stout.  I may have to try the 4227 and see if my BC & NMB like that any better.

[Lloyd Smale]

aa1680 can be used in the 454 475 and 500 and the big smiths. It needs a pretty big case to work well. Varget is to slow for any handgun application. For mag loads in a handgun its hard to beat 110/296, 4227, 2400 and aa9. If your running a bit slower then absolute max loads in a handgun 2400 and 4227 work the best. I probably use more aa9 then anything for mag pistol rounds.

[shot1]

Actually once you get to the highest pressure that the thin 45 Colt case can handle you loosed velocity with barrels in closed breach weapons much longer than 10". One of the major loading manuals I have around here someplace shows this. (It is the Lyman 48th) Velocity is higher in the 10" Contender than it is with the 14" with the same loads or just barely higher. The powders in the H-110/WW296, 2400, AA#9, 4227 burn rate are the high velocity powders for the 45 Colt. Be very careful and inspect each case very well before you reload them. It does not take many of the high velocity loads in the thin 45 Colt case to start having case separation problems.  

[quickdtoo]

What powders for the 45LC in a Handi or Contender

I use Lil'gun exclusively in my all my pistol chambered Handis, Bobby. 

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,118881.msg1098392036.html#msg1098392036

[tacklebury]

+1 on the Unique, H110 and Bullet.  I do load some with 6gr. and a 200 gr. for really light plinking.  I have also used John Linebaugh's loads with H-110 with pretty good luck, albeit recoil is stout.  I may have to try the 4227 and see if my BC & NMB like that any better.

Should have also stated that I've been playing with Reloader7 and having good luck with 25 gr.  Only works well with barrels over 10", but on my .45 Colt BC H&R this has been performing well with 300 gr. XTP Mags. 

[Retsof]

Tim,

Your comment about using Lil' Gun for all pistol chambered Handi's may have solved a dilemma for me.  My Handi in 500 S&W really likes the Federal factory load, using the Barnes 275 gr XPB. The listed MV on the box states 1,660 fps, though I'm guessing this is out of a pistol (I've yet to shoot it over a chrono). I've noticed the Federal specs now list this factory ammo at over 1,800 fps.  Anyway, the accuracy of the 1,660 fps load is impressive in my Handi. Also, the recoil with this load is at least to me quite tolerable and it is very effective on deer. With the high price of this factory load, I am probably going to start reloading for it. I want to duplicate as close as possible the MV of the Federal factory load with the Barnes 275 gr  XPB. I've researched this extensively over the past few weeks but couldn't find anything to directly answer my question as to what powder to use. In reviewing the various loading data from several sources, the Hodgdon data shows several powders which may work, as does the Barnes #4 Manual. In reviewing all of this data, it appears that Lil' Gun may be the best powder to do this from a loading density perspective. On Hodgdon's site I believe the starting load of Lil' Gun for the 500 S&W is 40 or maybe 40.5 grains. However, I've read another source which lists 36 grains as a starting load and achieves 1,594 fps MV out of a S&W revolverwith a 8 3/4" barrel. Pretty close to 1,660 fps. So, I'm tempted to start with this. BTW I will shoot a few Federal factory rounds over the chrono to see what the MV is out of my Handi. I just thought I'd thank you for mentioning Lil' Gun for your pistol chambered Handi's, as maybe this is the sign I was looking for.

Would you happen to know the 500 S&W case volume in cc's? I ask because in the latest Lee Reloading Manual, it lists what it calls VMD's for all the different powders. Basically, the VMD lets you able to easily calculate the loading density of a certain powder in a particular caliber/cartridge, if you know the case volume in cc's of that particular caliber. Unfortunately, Lee does not list any data for the 500 S&W. Thanks.

[quickdtoo]

Dunno the volume in CC, but water weight in grains to overflow is 63.5gr if you want to convert it. 

Tim

[Retsof]

Tim,

As always, thanks for the information. FWIW I did convert from grains to ounces and then from ounces to cc's, given the water capacity of the 500 S&W that you gave me. If my calculations are correct (and I used available formulas that I found via Internet search), the case capacity of the 500 S&W is 4.29 cc's. That's according to my figures but then again math was not my best subject in school.

Thanks again.

[quickdtoo]

You're welcome, glad to help, sent ya a PM with some more info. 

Tim

[Doublebass73]

I've had good luck with Unique and 2400. Trail Boss works well for plinking loads.