45 Colt BC Carbine reloading

[kc5gxc]

Finally got me some Trailboss powder and loaded up some rounds, taking gcrank1's advice. I used unsized  brass and .454 300 grain lead bullets. No crimp needed. These rounds fit like a glove and shoot mighty good. Got bullets back from rifling .010". The little carbine has a pretty solid kick with them 300 grainers coming out the barrel.                                                                                     Thanks gcrank1 for the good advice on these loading techniques !!!
Pete
 

[Spanky]

Try some 300gr. jacketed bullets and a healthy load of H110 if you want a little kick.
For plinking I use Hornady 255gr. cowboy bullets with Trail Boss and they also shoot great.
 
 
 
Spanky

[tacklebury]

Or a Hornady 300 gr. Magnum XTP with 23 gr. Reloader7 Rifle powder under it.  Moving out at about 2100 fps and save pressures.  Just don't shoot them in handguns unless barrel is over 14" long. 

[Mike in Virginia]

I can't get Trailboss to put out the energy I need from a Blackhawk, but I'd say it's plenty good enough out of the carbine.  Sure wish I had one of those. 

[RPRNY]

I just can't see TB and 300 gr bullets as a good combo past 25 yards.

My plinking round is a 185 gr RNSWC cast w/o gas check and 7.3 grains of TB. That is a pretty consistent round (and plenty easy shooting) at 75 yds. At 100 yards it strings a bit vertically.

[revbc]

Haven't ever used Trailboss, but I did download some 296............I know you're not really supposed to.  Shot good with my 290gr Ranch Dogs.

Sorry this is a bc reamed to Casull.

[Jimbo47]

I reamed my .45 colt carbine to .454 Casull.     The Trailboss powder and a 250 grain cast lead bullet is fun to shoot and super mild out of the .45 Colt cases, but doesn't have enough umph to suit me.
I loaded my .454 Casull cases with 9 grains of TB under the 250 grain bullet,( published load data) for pistol shows 1011 fps so maybe another 100 fps out of a 20" barrel, and it's a tack driver out to 50+ yards and puts them into one hole if I can hold the rifle steady enough.   Makes a gentle and quiet little plinker, and has enough whallop and accuracy to make it a nice small game rifle.

[44 Man]

There are 4 level's of published load data for the .45 Colt.  The first and lowest is for Single Action Army type revolvers and is very mild at 14k pressure.  The next level is also for revolvers but only for real Colt, US Firearms, and Rugers (no S&W) and is +P with pressures running 19K.  The Ruger level loads are fine for the Carbine's and are up to 32k.  The fourth level loads are listed as rifle specific and run to rifle pressures.  Obviously if the Handi's can be reamed to Causul and stay together fine they can also load .45 colt's to those pressures.  But myself, I always stopped at Ruger level loads and found those would easily outperform a .35 remington, so I never went higher, but of course that is up to you.  At either end, the .45 Carbine is a very fun rifle and also a great hunting tool.  Enjoy  44 Man

[gcrank1]

Glad that worked out for you Pete!
Guys, if you arent getting enough oomph are you trying a full to base of bullet load of TB? Hodgdon says ya can.

[Jimbo47]

Glad that worked out for you Pete!
Guys, if you arent getting enough oomph are you trying a full to base of bullet load of TB? Hodgdon says ya can.

I've loaded the .45 LC to just below the bullet not prefering to compress it, and not looking at my notes it was around 7 grains or so.  Nice, but still a little too light a load using the TB.    I then tried the .454 Casull case same bullet same distance and sighted the 9 grains of TB in Casull at 50 yards and the difference in report, push, point of impact more accurate sighted in at 1 1/2" high at 50, then moving out to 62 yards I put them into the 1" dot I had drawn as my aiming point on the target.  Using a  250 grain .454 dia. cast round nose bullet...
I don't have a crono or ever used one, but having shot other loads a various powders and about 2 jars of TB since I started using it 2 years ago I can really tell the difference a small amount of extra grains can make.
Bottom line is TB is bulky powder which is one of it's features but that little ..45 LC case can only hold so much powder and why I assume a lot of folks prefer other powders when it comes to the .45 LC...
I like to shoot hot loads using other powders in the .45LC but not so much with .454 Casull unless it's a downloaded .454 Casull, in the steel plated little beast.  If I want to hurt myself real bad I use my 45-70!  LOL!
A full load of TB in the .454 Casull is a pretty nice load in the little carbine!   If you haven't tried it, give it a try.

[gcrank1]

That is a fine report, Jim, thanx for that as it mirrors my experience, though Im such a woos that the 'light' load even full is enough for me most of the time  . I totally agree that if a full load doesnt give a guy what he wants that its time to go to a different powder! I am also pleased to hear that you got such decent accuracy; that some good shootin' bud!
BTW, we should mention that Hodgdon does NOT recommend compressing Trail Boss, and BB here (IIRC) has reported a falling off of velocity in a (very) large rifle case towards 100% density, but I should like to see more trials of that possible phenomenon.

[Jimbo47]

BTW, we should mention that Hodgdon does NOT recommend compressing Trail Boss, and BB here (IIRC) has reported a falling off of velocity in a (very) large rifle case towards 100% density, but I should like to see more trials of that possible phenomenon.

I've found the same with using TB in my 45-70, and again without a crono it's just a guess, but it does seem to fall off in velocity (having to holdover) once you reach the tipping point. 
I love the powder for what it was designed for,  and that is Cowboy shooting, and it is, a safe powder to load in weaker actions, because you have zero chance for a double load, and it's fun to shoot big heavy bullets downrange and listen to the plop when it hits the target.   Very quiet, and recoil is about like shooting a pellet gun.  My two guns I use it in, the .45LC and my 45-70 are very accurate but I'm not shooting them off a bench, but I still can manage a ragged hole if I take my time, breathe, and concentrate on the shot.
 

[theratdog]

+1 on trail boss great stuff.

[reloaderman]

I'm using Tight Group with my cast bullets, very clean burning !