good smokless powder for 45 long colt?

[Will52100]

I've just about used up the first and last pound of Unique powder and am looking for something else.  I reload mostly black powder, but I have a 73' uberti peace maker that is just plain fun to take a 100 rounds or so and go out behind the house and make steel clang with smokeless.  

I like the performance I got from Unique, but the posibility of a double charge exist, and it doesn't meter that well.  I use a progressive press without any of the extras, and weigh each charge.  I'm thinking a little bulkerier powder so that if I do drop two charges It'll be pretty obviouse?  I'm using 7 grains of Unique with a 250 grain wheel wieght cast bullet.  I'd like to keep the pressure and velocity down to standard factory loading, and ocasionly use the same load in my 1860 henry.

Smokless loads will be primarily for plinking, hunting gets 38 grains of 3f drop tubed and a pure lead 250 grain prs bullet.  I've thought about cutting down a few cases or useing schofield brass but that'd mean anouther set of dies and seperating more brass.  I only reload for 38 colt, 45 colt and 45-70 Gov. and want to keep it simple.

[Cuts Crooked]

Trail Boss!

It was made specifically for this type of application!

(you can't throw a double charge in the .45, with Trail Boss, because it will overflow the case before you get too much in there! :-D )

[Singing Bear]

Unique is about the bulkiest of the "old time" powders of that burn rate.  I use Unique, but don't shoot that much.  I load 50 at a time and use a loading block.  Size, prime and charge.  Visually check all the cases, then seat and crimp the bullets.  I load my BP rounds the same way.  The other option is what Cuts recommended.  Only heard good things, so far, about Trail Boss, but still can't get it here.

[Will52100]

I like the idea of Trail Boss, I'll have to see if I can order some.

I noticed that out of the last 100 rounds I shot of Unique loads that I had three or four that were a lot less power than the rest.  Powder break down???Lube contamination?  I know for a fact that they were wieghed corectly.

[Bob Hurley]

I noticed that out of the last 100 rounds I shot of Unique loads that I had three or four that were a lot less power than the rest.  Powder break down???Lube contamination?  I know for a fact that they were wieghed corectly.

I'd guess it's a problem with crimping and/or case length.

[Will52100]

Thanks, I think the problem might have been A: it was pretty cold out, above freezing, but not by much, B: lube sizing residue in the case contaminating the powder, C: since the case is sligtly less than half full the powder might have been mostly to the front and the primmer had a hard time setting the powder off, D: I was using BP lubed PRS bullets and may have left a little lube on the bottom of the bullet and that weakened the powder.

On the weekest shot there was a puf of blue smoke, ...

Never had it happen before and haven't since.  I've since started using liquid Alox on a differant bullet design for smokless.  Only reason I used the PRS bullets was that I'd had a bunch made up.

[Bitterroot Bob]

TRAIL BOSS!
However, I still have eight pounds of Unique that I will continue to use. I shot two targets at 25 yards with a 4-5/8" Ruger Blackhawk. I reclined in typical Elmer Keith Creedmore style. The ammo was a handful of .45 Colt reloads loaded on a Dillon press using 250-grain bullets and Winchester brass and primers. Eight were loaded with 6.5 grains of Unique. Eight with a near recommended maximum load of Trailboss.
The Unique target had a small cluster of eight holes in the center of the B-33 target. The Trailboss target had one ragged hole in the center. No flyers.
The stuff is impressive! If you aren't heavily invested in another powder, try the Trailboss.
By the way, never reload when you are distracted or tired. Nothing can replace concentration on the job when it comes to avoiding double-charges. Besides, prevention of double-charging is merely a side benefit of using a bulky, case-filling powder. Consistent ignition and velocity is the main reason to use fluffy powder.

Bitterroot Bob

[Oklahomabound]

I load .45LC with Titegroup.  Doesn't take much, and get really consistent groupings with it.  Loaded and shot about 1800 rounds so far this calendar year.

[DWTim]

Heh, and as soon as I saw the topic, I was about to recommend Unique. I lost my powder baffle, and fashioned a new one for use with that pesky powder. Made a big difference in my Uniflow. Went from +/- 0.6 grains to +/- 0.2 grain with that powder. Most of the time it throws the exact charge, unless the hopper is too full or near the bottom.

Don't forget about Winchester 231!
http://www.wwpowder.com/data/handgun/45colt.php

I'm tinkering with Accurate #7 and #5. Accurate #2 might be a good idea for your light loads.
http://www.accuratepowder.com/loaddata_caliber_handgun.htm

Yes, I like to play with the cheap powders. Accurate goes for as little as $16/lb around here.

Don't forget about Unique's siblings, Bullseye and 2400.

[leverfan]

I'm going to have to throw in my $.02 for Trail Boss.  I've used Unique, Titegroup, Red Dot, and a bunch of others in .45 Colt (as well as other large bore pistol cases), but Trail Boss gives excellent results for target/match shooting.

[Will52100]

Finaly got ahold of some trail boss, and am impressed!  Good load density, light loads are no problem.  Only draw back is it's a little on the low side velocity wise.  Which makes them near perfect for my intended use, plinking.  Good stuff, very consistand accuracy wise.

[shaner]

i really like the trail boss also, seems they  came up with something new that really is something new, i always used red dot alot also , some green dot  too,

[DWTim]

The ammo was a handful of .45 Colt reloads loaded on a Dillon press using 250-grain bullets and Winchester brass and primers. Eight were loaded with 6.5 grains of Unique. Eight with a near recommended maximum load of Trailboss.
The Unique target had a small cluster of eight holes in the center of the B-33 target. The Trailboss target had one ragged hole in the center. No flyers.

I had question for you about this, but I forgot to ask it. Is that using an oversize bullet? For Unique, and that bullet weight, I don't start seeing acceptable accuracy until about 8.9 grains. Alliant Recommends 7.2 grains as a minimum, Speer #13 says 8.6 minimum. I've shot as low as 8.4 grains under a Speer 250 LSWC, and the rounds were not consistent. I also had my brother (who is a much better shot) put a few on the target to make sure it wasn't just me, but he actually got a keyholed one.