Day at the range with a 44 Mag and 45 Colt

[AtlLaw]

Back when I started shooting and loading for handguns again, Bill recommended 2 powders for all my pistol shooting needs; Unique and 2400.  This has turned out to be excellent advice!   

However, never being satisfied, and wanting a mild cast bullet target load for my 44's and 45's, I got some Trail Boss. 

As an aside, this one range trip has spawned different subject matter for threads on four forums!     It could have been five but I discribe the cast bullets here and in over in lever guns and I hate to repeat myself... again... 

Anyway, I figured I'd find a load that shot well in 2 of my lever rifles, a Rossi M92 44 Mag and a Uberti M73 45 Colt, and hope the loads would do well in my revolvers of the same caliber.  I also needed a hunting load for the M92 as I had just bought it and never shot it before.

For that hunting load, my first thought was to try 240 gr. Hornady XTP's over 20.5 gr. of 2400.  Last year I had found that 20.0 gr. shot extreamly well in my hunting buddy's Ruger carbine and 20.5 was under max so I thought I'd give it a shot.   

Well, after warming up with 5 - 240 gr. WFNGC's over 18.5 gr. of 2400, the 92 commenced to put 5 of the Hornady's into an inch at 50 yards!     That, friends and neighbors, constituted the end of my search for a 44 Mag. hunting load!   

Target loads were another matter.  I loaded 2 charge weights of Trail Boss under bullets dropped from my RCBS 44-240-SWC gas check mould.  They were cast from WW, pan lubed with lube made from the formula Dee gave me and sized to .430.  They were sans GC's for this trial, but I may add them later on for comparison.

The higher of the 2 TB charges, 7.0 gr., gave the best group.  But more work is needed.  Here I'm not really handicapped by pressure constraints as the handgun the load will be used in is a Ruger SBH.

Not so with the 45 Colt!  The companion handguns to the M73 are SAA clones.  So I've got to watch pressure all around!   

I was somewhat supprised to see that the M73/45Colt showed a distinct preference for my standard SAA Unique loads as compared to 5.5 gr. of Trail Boss.     At least with the bullet I was using; a RCBS 45-250-RNFP cast and lubed the same as the 44's and sized for my SAA's at .453.

For plinking, I guess 2 inch (⁺/_-) groups at 50 yards could be considered "good enough."  Hi-ebber, and day always be a hi-ebber, there's no reason not to have a little fun in the name of science so I plan to do some more 'sperimenting!   

[Catfish]

I also only keep 2 powders on hand for handguns. I keep Win-296 ( same as H-110) and Bullseye. I load the 296 for heavy hunting loads and the Bullseye for plinking loads. But if your way works for you have at it. Main thing is you just have to keep burnning that powder. 

[dpe.ahoy]

Well Richard, I'd say you found the hunting and plinking load for the 44 in one combo.   That's not a max load, so must be a plinking load, yah?   How's it shoot outa your revolver?  If I get a good load for both rifles and pistol, that's the one I use for fun and hunting.   DP

[AtlLaw]

Well, you kinda right there DP!     I had the Ruger SBH with me, but didn't have time to try it out with the jacketed loads.       I'll bet it will shoot them just fine though!     I still want a cast bullet load for plinkin though.    Them Horny XTP's is 'spensive for lotsa shootin!   

[LONGTOM]

Richard:
Give Hodgson HS6 a look also.
I rely on it for almost all my 45 colt loads.
12.5gr behind a 250-255 bullet gives me right at 1045 fps out of my 5.5" Bisley Blackhawk and IIRC about 1600 out of my Handi.
I have tried this load in many different guns (Win 94 Trapper & Trails End, and 9 different Rugers) and all shot under 1.5" at 50 for the handguns and 100 for the rifles.
It's a lot cleaner than Unique which I used to use.
Should work good in the 44 also.



LONGTOM

[AtlLaw]

Give Hodgson HS6 a look also.
I rely on it for almost all my 45 colt loads.  ... 1045 fps out of my 5.5" Bisley Blackhawk and ...out of my Handi. ... many different guns (Win 94 Trapper & Trails End, and 9 different Rugers)

Hey Frank!
Thanks for the tip.  I've heard of that powder before but like most reloaders I have a lot more partly used cans of powder then I need!     But then, I plan to shoot the 44's and 45's more then most...    maybe it'll get used up ... I guess I may have room for one more can... 

Wait now, My 45 rifle is a toggle link action and my handguns are SAA clones.     You quoted much stronger actions.  How does that stuff work for low end target loads?  which is why I got the trail boss in the first place!?   

[LONGTOM]

Sorry Richard for not getting back to this thread.

For the 44 mag all HS6 starting loads are a 1000fps or higher out of a 7" barrel except one and that is with a 260/265gr JSP which starts at about 860fps.

For the 45 colt in a standard action strength pistol with a 7" barrel all loads start around 700fps except the heavy weights 275/300gr which are in the low to mid 600s.

I really don't know why the 44 loads are rated that much higher.
I would think you could load them down also.

In the Ruger level loads the heavy weight 275gr starts in the mid 1050s and everything else is 1100s on up to the light weights at almost 1500fps.

No loads listed for rifles although I use that load in all my levers for a very pleasant shooting experience.



LONGTOM