Opinions on this .45 Colt hunting load

[Doublebass73]

I'm a new handgun hunter, I just started last year with a 10" .45 Colt Contender. I used factory ammo last season but didn't get close enough to any whitetails to take a shot. This year I want use handloads. I shot this 0.7" group today at 25 yards using 250 grain XTP's over the Hornady starting load of 19.7 grains of 2400. The book shows 1150 fps from a 10" Contender. I worked my way up to max but the starting loads were the most accurate.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has used a similar load on whitetail and how well it performed.

[sixshot]

Any good 250 gr bullet going 1150 fps is going to easily handle a whitetail with decent hits. Thats a very nice group! I've taken deer, elk & bear with 250 gr bullets on many occasions, many were going less than 1150.

Dick

[mjyeagle]

i can assure you that will get the job done on a deer my self i would use h110 and some cast 260 to 300 grs with a big flat nose

[mjyeagle]

i forgot to say good shooting thats a small group

[streak]

Doublebass73 is that a round barrel or octagonal?

That is good group! Open sights or scope??
As sixhot mentioned any good 250 gr slug moving out at 1150 fps is going to take care of the biggest whitetail that you might encounter!

[Ken ONeill]

As Dick says, your load will work well. I use 19.5 gr. 2400, CCI 350's and a 250 XTP in my 3 Ruger .45 Colts.

[luckydawg13]

nice group i would try some H110 and a cast boolit
that load you have will work i just like H110 & cast
 

[Doublebass73]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The barrel is an older round barrel, I shot that group with a Williams FP target knob peep sight and the factory front sight. It's a nice setup. I have another load that shoots almost as accurate, a 300 grain Sierra JSP over 20.5 grains of IMR-4227. I've also shot some Lil' Gun with the 250 XTP's from the Lyman manual but the accuracy wasn't as good as the 2400.

[yooper77]

Doublebass73,
How does it shoot at 50 yards?

I have for years used 20.0 grains of IMR-4227 with a 310 grain LBT hard cast plain based bullets out of my Ruger Blackhawk 5 1/2" barrel with excellent accuracy at 50 yards.

yooper77

[AtlLaw]

...25 yards using 250 grain XTP's over the Hornady starting load of 19.7 grains of 2400

Now it wasn't a handgun but a replica M73 Winchester at about 20 yards.  But the load was 18.5 gr of 2400 under the same bullet.  It traversed the length of a 6 pt. and he just rolled over and twitched.  From this limited study I wouldn't hesitate to use your load at all!   

[Doublebass73]

Thanks for sharing that experience, it looks like that bullet does the job well.

Yooper,

I haven't tried that load at 50 yet, my box of XTP's is down to the last 5 bullets so I need to pick up another box.
IMR-4227 is another powder that seems to work real well in the 45 Colt.

[Mohawk]

I have seen a factory 225 gr SWC do well on two whitetail. So I agree your load should do just fine. Double lung hit will work nicely.

[TommyD]

The 250 XTP should do the job. If you are shooting at longer ranges and find that it is not as accurate as you would like, try the 300 XTP. My Rugers like the heavier bullet better and give tighter groups at 50-75 yards than the lighter bullet.

The very first whitetail I got was with a 45 Colt 300 grain xtp at 45 yards. Ruger super Redhawk with a 2x scope.

Tom

[Fire Fox]

I have been using the Lee 300 gr Gas checked bullet in an Anaconda Colt with great results on everything from deer to large hogs. I use this same bullet in my 454 with great results. It gives good velocity, penetration, accuracy, and wound canal with all clean kills. The load is 23.5 gr of H110 , Starline brass and Mag large pistol primers. Hope this helps

[temmi]

Any good 250 gr bullet going 1150 fps is going to easily handle a whitetail with decent hits. Thats a very nice group! I've taken deer, elk & bear with 250 gr bullets on many occasions, many were going less than 1150.

Dick

What can you say when he said it all?

[Mike in Virginia]

That's a little bit less 2400 than I use under 300 grain hardcast from my 4 5/8 Ruger.  Deer don't walk away from that.