Lets talk rifle loads

[wvfarrier]

I just finished reading Paco's article on 45 Colt from a modern levergun and some of the impressive numbers he discussed. So, in modern marlin and winchesters, what loads are you running?

[Scott Tschirhart]

I'm not pushing the .45 Colt as hard as some folks do.

I'm fond of a 270 SAA bullet sized to .454 over 13 gr of HS-6 at the moment. My Rossi 92 loves it as does my Ruger Blackhawk. Not too much, but plenty.

But I also like shooting the Hornady 255 gr Cowboy bullet over 8.5 gr of Unique. Seems to shoot to the same sight settings and it is not a cowboy load.

[COSteve]

Done

[piller]

I don't have a long gun in .45 Colt. I might need to fix that. As far as loads, if I need more than a standard load from a .45 Colt, I do have a .44 Mag and a .30-30 to fit that need. Beating your gun up all the time doesn't sound like a great idea.

[Griff]

For my Henry & 1873 I keep to cowboy action loads... i.e. around 780-850fps. 'Cause that's what they're used for, cowboy action shooting. For the Miroku 1885 & 1892 Rossi, I load a 240 JHP with the load data from Lyman's 50th for the 45 Colt under the rifle section... or, the Hodgdon's website and use the 45 Colt (Ruger/ TC/Freedom Arms) under Pistol data or the bottom end of the 44 Magnum under Rifle load data.

Mind you, I have no fear of using my cowboy action loads in the Rossi... and it has demolished exactly ONE coyote... cause that just happened to be the rifle near to hand when that bugger appeared! Apparently picking up my practice steel some of it squeeked and made some kinda noise that drew that coyote over the fence and outta my tree line! A mistake I'm happy to report that she won't make again... along with any more coyotes!!!

[Sixgun]

In 45 Long Colt....I owned a Miroko and worked with several others and never could get the accuracy I'm used to using 100+ year old guns ......to make a long story short a modern 45 L.Colt would deliver the accuracy at 50 yards what an original 38-40,44-40,or 32-20 would deliver at 100........past 100 I might as well have been shooting a smoothbore....I even scoped a couple with the same results.

I am exaggerating a little but I'd like to see someone with a 45 L.Colt consistently deliver 2" groups at 100 with any velocity load and most any acceptable bullet. Velocities needed to be high with short bullets. Average loads with pleasing velocity levels ran in the 4-6" range at 100. "On demand" is the key wording here. Geeze, I've shot ragged 10 shot hole groups but it's mighty hard to duplicate.

Sloppy chambers and a disgustingly slow twist are the words here as no cartridge is inherently inaccurate...it's the guns they are put in. You know how everyone says the 25 acp is worthless in accuracy? I used this cartridge in a 25-35 with a Marbles adapter and despite the .251 bullet in a .256 groove diameter I was able to consistly hit a 7" plate at 100 yards.

The same goes for any rifle made in 44 Magnum and I've used at least a dozen of them going back to the old Ruger Deerslayer and everyone made after.----6

[Griff]

Sixgun, the 45 Colt rifles I have are a 1:16 twist, the 44 Mag mdl 94 I had was a 1:38! That's what is disgustingly SLOW! Anymore I have a hard time pulling off a 2" group in my .30-30 which I KNOW is capable of less than half that! Next time I come up there to PA, I'll have to drag you out of your lair and away from your keyboard... we'll take several of my 45 Colt long guns and a mess of ammo and have a day at the range... You will invite me out there, right!

But, we're going to have to wait till there's warmer weather...

[Scott Tschirhart]

I could not get any accuracy with cast bullets in my Rossi until I went to a .454 diameter bullet.

[Sixgun]

Sixgun, the 45 Colt rifles I have are a 1:16 twist, the 44 Mag mdl 94 I had was a 1:38! That's what is disgustingly SLOW! Anymore I have a hard time pulling off a 2" group in my .30-30 which I KNOW is capable of less than half that! Next time I come up there to PA, I'll have to drag you out of your lair and away from your keyboard... we'll take several of my 45 Colt long guns and a mess of ammo and have a day at the range... You will invite me out there, right!

But, we're going to have to wait till there's warmer weather...

Griff,
As I know you I believe you........here's the bet...........$1.000......cash only...

You bring the 45 Long Colt rifle of your choice and it must have the factory barrel.....
A) It can have any kind of a metallic sight
B) bullets must be cast.
C) THREE velocity levels must be brought.....800 fps....1000 fps.....1400 fps. .....You don't have to chrono it exactly, just tell me
the load and I'll know within a hundred fps, but I'll bring my chrono anyway.
D) the average of THREE five shot groups with each load.

Rule are the same for me except I'll bring three rifles and YOU can decide which one you want ME to use....Colt Lightning (1889) Winchester 1873, (1887) and a 1894 Marlin (around 1910)

I'll give you 2-1 odds in YOUR favor........cash will be put up front and will be held by my "second".

That's how confident I am.-----6...o.....da bro...wit....de...hoe...

[Griff]

Okay.... but I ain't puttin' money up. And, it'll be two velocity levels, 8-900 & 11-1200 anything higher will require a different rifle. And I don't think 2" @ 100 yards is really realistic. I don't expect that in my 45 Colt rifles. 3" @ 50 yards, okay. We'll have to do some load development. Something I don't spend much time on for my 45 Colt rifles. Once AI get a 3" group at 50 I'm satisfied I'll be able to consistently hit a 12" plate at 50 yards. Anywhere on that plate I want to.

[J Miller]

I have got, in the past when I was younger, with better eyes and steadier muscles, 2" groups @ 100 yds, with my 1985 vintage Win 94AE Trapper (16" skinny barrel). This was using my favorite load of a 268 gr Keith SWC sized .454" and loaded over 9.0 grs of Unique. These bullets were cast from wheel weights using a 1970s vintage Lyman 454424 DC mold.

Getting good accuracy with a .45 Colt rifle Is not easy, but it is doable, you just have to work at it.

Joe