45LC ammo choice problem

[rdlange]

For my BC carbine.  I have 45LC lead factory ammo and Hornady XTP ammo.  Factory lead is low velocity, Hornady I got for hunting because I read it was best.  Haven't started reloading yet.  Want to shoot both lead and jacketed.  Concerned about shooting both from the same barrel.  Advise please.

[Jimbo47]

Not a problem, and if you are concerned about leading just use gas checked bullets.

I haven't loaded and shot a lot of lead in mine, but I'm at around 1400 ft. per sec. and haven't noticed any leading from my none gas checked bullets, and have shot both lead and jacketed in mine.

I'm going to try to work up a load for some heavy cast lead bullets when I get a chance and see how they do.

I'm hoping they'll shoot as well if not better than my 300 grain Hornady XTP's.

[rdlange]

Because: I've read lead and jacketed don't go well together.  Just got a copper Chore Boy pads so I guess it won't be a problem. 

Know anything about Alliant 2400 behind lead bullets?  Don't have GC mold yet, but I'll be working on it.  All my casting have been sub-par except for round ball, so I remelted.

Anyway... looking forward to just range time with this shooter, and getting a good hog load, even though none in my neighborhood.  Lots northwest of me, and friend at church says he knows where.

Be well...

[gjdykeman]

I have reloaded for my 45LC for about two years. The goal was a load for my Blackhawk and rifle. I had leading problems???. I now shoot 300g GC, 452 sized, hard cast from a Lee mold with a moderate load of W296. I get about 1250FPS and great accuracy out to 100y. I do not shoot these in my Blackhawk as it may hit me in the eye. I also load 255g Copper plated over Unique. Just as accurate and loads in the Blackhawk and is great. 451 dia. I haven't had any leading problems using GC and copper plated. Cowboy loads lead it up big time, both guns and no accuracy. Blackhawk scoped, 6" at 100y, rifle, 1" red dot, 2" at 100y. The copper plated work great in my 45 ACP also. Handi rifle 45 ACP will be built in the spring.

[Doublebass73]

You might want to slug your bore, most factory lead ammo is .452 so you may get leading if you bore slugs larger than .452. Mine slugged at .4525 so I went with .454 lead bullets (I reload and they're easy to find). I remember seeing leading after using factory Winchester 255 grain loads.

[Hit or Miss]

I've been using 2400 under a 270 grain Keith style bullet with success.  No gc either, hardcast.

[rdlange]

Slugged barrel = .453.  Have 100 .454 lead ready to load; no brass yet... have to shoot empty first.  Hadn't thought of copper plated, sounds like an idea.  Only have 2400 right now left over from 44-40 in a marlin carbine.  It googled alot when I searched then and now as a good powder for lead and GC bullets.  Just got old reliable Lyman 454190 mold and will try it soon.  May have time for a range trip tomorrow if family stays sane and well.

Thanks all...

[Doublebass73]

2400 works nice with jacketed, I haven't tried it with cast yet but I do have some 250 grain cast loaded up with 2400, I just have to get to the range and try them.

[Darreld Walton]

If you throw 'em dead soft, or soft as most swaged bullets come, you'll get leading.  Cast 'em hard, and use a good lube, and use that 2400 up.  I personally use Universal Clays with cast and plated, though, because around here, I can get it reliably, and Unique, not so much, especially after the last election. Start your loads fairly low, and work up till you see some leading, then back off.  As mentioned, 2400 works great with jacketed!  I'm throwing 20-ish grains with 250-260 grain jacketed, and they shoot really well in my little rifle.  The load IS at the threshold of being too much in my 4 5/8's inch Blackhawk with the thin plastic grips!
I got a BUNCH of the Berry's plated, as well as the 'other' brand, can't recall, and I threw the box out.  I ordered in 500 pieces of the Starline brass, and after using it, I can't recommend anything else.  Well, I can, but at the prices the retailers are getting out of WW and Remington brass, I just go bulk direct from Starline, presently like $89.00 for 500 and shipping.
http://www.starlinebrass.com/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=ff4eb7354ad1d34cc969a97a6f9fccbd

[gcrank1]

Use up the 2400 while learning the gun, but IMO there are a lot of other powders that work well for cast bullets to buy for the next go.
IIRC from some years back in using 2400, it likes heavy bullets and a good crimp. I dont like to crimp loads for single shots, but usually depend on a good neck tension fit from the right bullet to case neck diameters.

[Jimbo47]

I'm thinking about trying a different powder in mine and right now I've still got about half a pound of IMR4227 that I had left over from loading my .357 max that I no longer have.

The only reason I'm thinking about, and not sure yet, but I notice a lot of unburned poweder residue in the barrel and also noticed that in my .357 max, but my loads shoot really well and the .357 would shoot one ragged hole.

My .45 LC likes the powder also, and it shoots a 300 grain XTP with almost the same accuracy.

This morning I went after some hogs again to try and keep the pressure on and thin them down, and a big coyote walks out across the creek 130 paces from where I was set up.   He stood there a while and at first I thought maybe it was a little far, but I finally put the crosshair just on the hairline of his back and fired.

Result was one less coyote, and a very graphic wound that I wouldn't have taken a picture of even if I had my camera.

I'm really getting impressed with this 45 Colt and so far it's been very effective on hogs and now it's shown it stuff on coyotes at 130 paces, and only thing left is making it a deer gun, and that will have to wait until next season, but from the looks of things that won't be a problem.

[gcrank1]

I use IMR 4227 also and like it. As I understand it, what we see is not 'unburned powder' but what is left after the propellant has burned off. Capture some of the particles and check them under magnification against unused powder and you will see the difference. It doesnt cake up in the bore as fouling would and seems to become less as my bullet weight and/or velocities go up.
I like the way it meters and dispenses from all my powder measures.
That said, Im really leaning toward getting more Trail Boss next time around. My limited testing is very positive and in particular I like the load density in the traditional cartridges I favor.
FWIW, the 70% of capacity loading references you will see are for starting/reduced loads; you can load all the way up to the bullet base without worries.

[Jimbo47]

That's good info on the IMR4227 which I really like, and I noticed that as you stated it becomes less with higher velocities.

I also use Trailboss but only loaded some very mild loads of around 6 grains and I'm going to try a full case without compressing but I'm just waiting on some lead bullets I've ordered.

[quickdtoo]

Lots of Colt rifle info by Paco Kelly... http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm

[Jimbo47]

Interesting article on the 45 Colt.

More powerful than the 30-30 at 100 yards!.....Loved that part!

Something else that caught my interest was near the end of the article where it mentions using Reloader 7 in the 45 Colt which I just happen to have on hand.   I might just pass on that one at least for now!

Thanks for the link Tim!

[Doublebass73]

Another one here who has had great luck with IMR-4227, especially with 300 grain Sierra JSP bullets and Ruger-T/C data. Also, Trail Boss works great for me with 250 grain lead plinking loads.

Another load that has worked well for me is 250 grain XTP's over Unique near the bottom end of Ruger-T/C data.

[dangerranger]

MY cowboy loads are just over 1000fps out of the rifle. Ive had no leading at all. I use 225 gr bullits cast from wheel weight materal. I lube them with Lee Liquid Allox  as cast from lees tumble lube mold. I use Tightgroup powder only because it takes so little. last mo I got a chance to shoot at 200yds with these cowboy loads and was suprised to be able to keep them on an 8" target. thats 10 shots in 8". Im just now working up a pig load of a 300 gr gas checked bullit over H4198. its on hold right now while Im waiting for my sizing die to be modified. Ill be loading these bullits just far enough out to lock up any colt antique pistol so that there wont be any mistakenly put into a pistol. with the extra length it will still cycle through my lever guns fine [ and the handi ].

if your well fitted and lubed plain lead bullits are kept under 1400fps you shouldnt have any lead problems. by gas checking you can raise that speed to 1700fps. after that I use only copper jacketed .  DR

[rsl]

I haven't reloaded for the 45 Colt but my Classic Carbine likes the Blazer 200 gr jacketed hollow points. Shoots a 1 1/2" group at 50 yards with a cheap scope.