45 Colt/RCBS 270 SAA/Bulleye

[MePlat]

Has anyone experimented with Bullseye in their 45 Colt BH for accuracy?  I tried 8.5 gr/RCBS 270 SAA yesterday at 50 yards benched just as a pretest (I guess one could call it) and it showed promise.  Very good promise.  Did not chrony it yet but am when I do a twice around the wheel test.  I just had 8 rounds and 6 went into 1.75 inches outside to outside with 2 slightly out.  I do not have good benching skills as I do not spend 75 to 95 percent of my time shooting from rests as I am not into developing a benchrest loads for a revolver and shoot offhand almost all the time.

[Racer X]

8.0 grains of W231 is a nice load that gives me ~ 940 FPS out of my 7-1/2" SBH Hunter. The same load would probably be in the 850 FPS range in my 4-5/8" Blackhawk.

For a hotter load, I shoot 18.5 of 2400 which gives me 1240 in my Hunter and probably 100 FPS less in the 4-5/8" Blackhawk. This load is comfortable in the Hunter, but near the outer limits of what I can tolerate in recoil in the shorter barrel gun. However, I shot at a 6" diameter oak tree the other day with this load out of the short barrel gun and it blew clean through it. I was amazed.

[Autorim]

The big issue with Bullseye in the .45 Colt is the possibility of a double charge. You might try Trail Boss. It has a great deal more bulk per charge and performs well for me.

[MePlat]

Sorry I don't want a wimpy cowboy load.  I want a load that does have some steam to it.  I also use 18.5 2400 with the Lyman 454424 bullet and 17.5 with the RCBS 270 SAA but I was looking for economy plus some power along with accuracy.  I was just wondering if anyone has tried Bullseye and wondered if it would pan out in the accuracy dept.
I know there are chances of a double charge with several powders not only bullseye and I would have to be extra careful.
I've tried 10.5 Unique and it chronos 1080 from a 5.5 inch gun with good accuracy but back to the bullseye powder etc.

[Autorim]

To answer your question - I have not tried Bullseye in the .45 Colt and likely won't. Trail Boss, W231, Unique, 2400 and IMR 4227 work for all of my current needs. Trail Boss is not necessarily for wimpy loads, fills the case and burns clean. A 265 or 270 grain bullet and IMR 4227 for me is a good shooting and reasonably powerful load.

[Racer X]

13.0 grains of HS-6 is becoming another classic load with the 270 SAA. It runs 1140 FPS out of my Hunter and probably 100 FPS less in a short barreled gun. It is also quite accurate.

[S.B.]

Racer X, the two loads you list(8.0 of 231 & 13 of HS6) are what Linebaugh recommends for the 250 SWC Keith bullets.
Steve

[Tom W.]

I've tried it and liked it, but I like Herco or Blue Dot better...

[John R.]

I use 13.5 grs. of HS-6 with the 270 SAA. I also use Titegroup with this bullet (7.0 to 7.5 grs.). It makes for a very economical load.

[Lloyd Smale]

You will usually (and i said usually) not get guilt edged accuracy pushing bullets in the 44s and 45s to anything but target velocitys with a powder as fast as bullseye. What the problem is is that it gives the bullet such a quick kick in the but that it deforms it. You will usually get the best accuracy in a handgun with a powder that creates its peak pressure about half way down the barrel. Dont believe all the stuff about bullets bumping up to fit a bore. A bullet that bumped up is a bullet that is deformed and unless it does it exactly the same each time it will never give the best accuracy possible. If you really want to fool with it try a harder alloy then you usually use. A much better way to go with your project would be to use a powder like unique, herco, power pistol or universal clays. they are the best matchs to pushing bullets in these calibers to 900-1000 fps. When you get below 900 231 starts comming into the picture and when you get around 1100 your get into hs6 territory. Other then making ammo that cost the least ammount (less powder) there is no advantage to using bullseye.

[S.B.]

Good point, Lloyd.
Steve

[fowler]

I think Lloyd said it pretty well. Bullseye is a low velocity target powder and it is not one I would try for a mid range powder. I like W231 foe 800 to 900fps loads, 7.5gr of Titegroup for about 950fps loads and/or HS6 for similar speeds and on up to 1100fps. If I want faster then W296/H110 is the powders get the nod.

I have truthfully found the Titegroup to be really a nice load and with this bullet gets used about 90% of the time...

[Autorim]

I would say that Loyd is right on.

[Racer X]

These are my actual chronograph results and general observations using the 270 SAA in moderate loads. I shot these loads in my Clements custom 7-1/2" SBH Hunter (tight chambers, lapped barrel, .004 B/C gap). Therefore, my velocity is higher than what you would probably get in an unaltered factory gun with the same barrel length. The bullet was cast of Lyman # 2 and LBT lube. Except where otherwise noted below, I used WLP primers.

 -- 13.0/HS-6: 1140 FPS with an Extreme Spread of 35 (most accurate, clean brass)

 -- 18.5 /2400: 1235 FPS with an Extreme Spread of 81 (fairly accurate, sooty brass)

 -- 18.0/2400: Not chronographed, probably somewhere around 1150-1200 FPS (not accurate, sootier brass)

With the 18.5/2400 load, I also did a side-by-side comparison between Winchester WLP and Federal 150 primers. The difference in Average Velocity and Extreme Spread between the 2 primers is negligible. Federals 150s were 13 FPS faster Average Velocity and 9 FPS less Extreme Spread. I haven't shot the Federals off the bench for accuracy, so I don't know if they shoot better than Federals. 

This second observation is subjective, but I believe there is slightly less leading with the 18.5/2400 load than 13.0/HS-6. When I drop back to 18.0/2400, leading is noticeably less than either the 18.5 of 2400 or 13.0 of HS-6, but accuracy was poor -- at least on that day at the range.

Around here, a can of 2400 is $20 verus $25 for all Hodgen powders. So with 2400, I use ~ 1/3 more powder but pay 20% less than for a can of HS-6. When I run out of 2400, I will probably go back to HS-6.