45Long Colt for Deer
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45Long Colt for Deer
I plan on getting a rifle in the 45 LC. Could I use it for deer sized game?
Thanks for the help...
Thanks for the help...
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Welcome to the Fire. The Colt will do a great job on deer. In a rifle the pistol cartridges really come alive. If You reload the .45 really shines.here is a great article from Paco.
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/ ... vergun.htm
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/ ... vergun.htm
- Old Savage
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I shot this one with my .45 Colt Winchester with 300gr hard cast at 100yds. One shot kill, complete penetration. You shouldn't have much problem with heavy ammo on up to Moose and some bears.
CQ DX de KC0HBR
www.greatoutdoorsgunshop.com
www.greatoutdoorsgunshop.com
- Old Savage
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The critical factor is the design of the bullet that's gonna go into & come out of the animal. If you try to use the round nose with the tiny meplat, (flat) that the Remington & Winchester standard ammo are stoked with, it won't do the internal damage, or cause the quick blood loss that a Keith-style SWC or a well-designed HP will do, but like the other man said, you don't need blinding speed for it to be a good killer with this large diameter bullet. Just my 2 cents, & welcome! jd45
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jd45 wrote:The critical factor is the design of the bullet that's gonna go into & come out of the animal. If you try to use the round nose with the tiny meplat, (flat) that the Remington & Winchester standard ammo are stoked with, it won't do the internal damage, or cause the quick blood loss that a Keith-style SWC or a well-designed HP will do, but like the other man said, you don't need blinding speed for it to be a good killer with this large diameter bullet. Just my 2 cents, & welcome! jd45
I agree. I carry a 45 when I'm working around the place and its loaded to standard pressure with semi-wadcutters (lead) and it has taken down a deer with no problem.
A '73 Winchester with the same loads works fine too.
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I don't think you will have any trouble with standard .45 Colt loads.I have used the 255gr.semi-wadcutter with Unique and it will make you a good load.
SmokeEater2 where are you at in North Arkansas?
SmokeEater2 where are you at in North Arkansas?
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
JOSHUA 24:15
JOSHUA 24:15
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Properly loaded it will equal or beat a .44mag
Out of a rifle barrel you can get impressive velocities, especially in a strong gun. (Don't try this with an 1873 or similar toggle action.) In fact the result is about the same as you would get from a .454Casull handgun.
The .45Colt gets a lot of attention with heavy cast bullets, but for deer I wondered if a lighter JHP wouldn't be better, such as the Hornady 250 grain. If you are thinking larger game then you can go to 340 grain bullets or so and be knocking on the door of what a good .45-70 will do.
The .45Colt gets a lot of attention with heavy cast bullets, but for deer I wondered if a lighter JHP wouldn't be better, such as the Hornady 250 grain. If you are thinking larger game then you can go to 340 grain bullets or so and be knocking on the door of what a good .45-70 will do.
The Speer .451" 260GR JHP shoots very well out of my rifle as well.....better than Hornady's .452" 250GR XTP.......I guess, because mine has a tight bore, (.4505") It's best to slug your bore with a soft lead slug or bullet, & measure it with a micrometer, if you can get hold of one.....a vernier caliper will work, too, then try to match bullet diameter to groove diameter. jd45
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I second the motion about PACO'S article, "The .45 Colt in Leverguns" I have used his loads with H110 and RE#7, rifle, with cast performance 265gr WFNCGC. I and 1/2 inches fir three at 100 yds. And they hit with AUTHORITY!!!! All you will ever need for Whitetail, black bear, and more!! Art
Dead Calm is alive and well!!!!!!!
Thanks Old Savage, that's the exact picture I thought of when I read the title for the post.
The load I use is 20 grs of 2400 under a 255 SWC from http://www.tennesseevalleybullets.com/
It clocks at 1205fps from my 4 5/8ths Paradox, and 1565, I believe from the 16" Trapper.
I take a lot of deer with it in TN Here's another pic..
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The load I use is 20 grs of 2400 under a 255 SWC from http://www.tennesseevalleybullets.com/
It clocks at 1205fps from my 4 5/8ths Paradox, and 1565, I believe from the 16" Trapper.
I take a lot of deer with it in TN Here's another pic..
[/img]
I've got a bunch of family around Judsonia/Blad Knob. My brother in law runs the nursing home across from Mark Martin Ford in Batesville.SmokeEater2 wrote:JerryB wrote:I don't think you will have any trouble with standard .45 Colt loads.I have used the 255gr.semi-wadcutter with Unique and it will make you a good load.
SmokeEater2 where are you at in North Arkansas?
JerryB, I'm in Mountain Home.
Small World
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I've been shooting a 300-gr GC (Lee Mould, I believe, Lyman #2 Alloy) over 24 gr of H110 and a Win LPP. Not sure of the velocity, but it shoots three shots inside a 3" orange dot at 100 yards through my Rossi carbine or my 24" rifle. I also carry a .45 Ruger Bisley-Vaquero but load a .45 454424 over 9.0 gr of Universal clays. It is a tad easier to shoot out of the handgun.
I took a nice ten-point with the Keith bullet on the last day of deer season. Hit halfway between the shoulder and the base of the skull, wiped out 3" of vertibrae.
The Keith bullet shoots quite nicely out of the rifles, but I've noticed some leading after 4-5 shots. I'm gonna try the 265 GC version once I get past the x-mas money crunch.
I took a nice ten-point with the Keith bullet on the last day of deer season. Hit halfway between the shoulder and the base of the skull, wiped out 3" of vertibrae.
The Keith bullet shoots quite nicely out of the rifles, but I've noticed some leading after 4-5 shots. I'm gonna try the 265 GC version once I get past the x-mas money crunch.