454 Casull 45 Colt +P loads

[Old Savage]

Well fellas, finally got some brass for the 454 and I would like to load some loads at about the level of 45 Colt +P. I am thinking maybe 1000 to 1100 fps. Most data is full out on this cartridge. I am thinking something in the neighborhood of 20 Gr of 2400 with a jacketed bullet 250 - 300 gr. Has anyone loaded these. Want to use the 454 brass to avoid the chamber ringing that might go with 45 Colt brass.

[J Miller]

Fred,

The Hodgdons #26 manual lists a max load of 19.5grs of 2400 with a 300gr jacketed bullet as being a 30,000 CUP load at about 1300 FPS. This is maxed out Ruger level loads from .45 Colt cases.
I've shot this load from my 7.5" Blackhawk and it's a snappy load for sure.
I think upping it by a half grain in 454 cases would work for what you want.

It also lists a load of range of 19.0 to 21.0grs 2400 with a 250gr bullet.
1149 fps @ 23,200 CUP to 1370fps @29,400 CUP.

There are also quite a few loads for 250gr bullet in the .454 Casull section and they are a bit hotter, but not as hot has the 300gr bullets.

I don't know much about the 454 so take that with a grain of salt, OK.

Joe

[Terry Murbach]

YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE 2400 FOR SUCH AN APPLICATION. YOU NEED TO USE UNIQUE, OR UNIVERSAL [ HERCO ETC ] JUST LIKE YOU WOULD WITH ANY STRAIGHT WALLED PISTOL CARTRIDGE. I WOULD START AT NINE GRAINS AND WORK UP FROM THERE HALF A GRAIN AT A TIME UNTIL YOU HIT THE SWEET SPOT FOR ACCURACY. AND CHRONOGRAPH EVERY LOAD AS YOU SHOOT THEM FOR GROUP SIZE.

[DixieBoy]

OS - I haven't fired much in the way of jacketed bullets from my .45 Colt Blackhawk, but in the range of bullet weights you mention, I have had good results with Unique and Hodgdon's HS - 6.

These are cast lead loads I'm talking about, so if you're wanting to shoot jacketed your pressures are going to be higher. You know that already, but I'd keep it in mind when you're extrapolating.

With 270 to 290 grain cast bullets I get very good results with between 12.0 and 13.0 grains of HS - 6. Those loads are also in the velocity range you're talking about too, in the 1000 - 1100 fps range. In the .45 Colt those are pretty much considered mid-range loads, and they're really very pleasant to shoot.

With Unique, my cast bullet loads with bullets weighing 255 to about 290 grains run from 9.0 to 10.0 grains. I haven't chrony'ed these, but believe they are running in the 900 + to 1050 fps range. These are also really fun to shoot.

I bet that there are more guys shooting mid-range loads in .454 Casull's than who will say so out loud. I owned a Super Redhawk a few years back, and the truth is that full power Casull loads were NOT fun to shoot, even in that huge handful of gun. But the mid-range .45 Colt loads, in my meager Blackhawk are pure pleasure.

Hope you keep us posted on your results. - DixieBoy

[AJMD429]

This is of interest to me also, as I have a Rossi 92 in .454 Casull, and plan to use less-than-maximum loads in it, stiffer than Ruger/Rossi .45 Colt loads, perhaps, but not by all that much. Full-house loads I'd use in it if in bear country, and for whatever reason couldn't tote my .444 Marlin along.

I'd like to come up with a recipe for 405 grain Beartooth bullet at about 1200 fps out of the rifle. I've seen people do that from Rossi 92's in .45 Colt using Lil'Gun (...and I stand well back from them when they shoot them ), but I would think it fine for the .454 Rossi.

I found this online under "Reduced Recoil Loads (handgun) - .454 Casull - Reduced Recoil Loads (Speer Reloading Manual #14) Reloading Data"

• Start 300 Speer UCSP Alliant 2400 22.0gr 1209 fps
  Max 300 Speer UCSP Alliant 2400 24.0gr 1325 fps

For 'light' loads, those seem pretty perky...!

[Terry Murbach]

WE HAVE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS HERE.

[Old Savage]

Terry, my reason for thinking of using 2400 stems from using it in the 44 Spl and the 45-70. I have loaded for a Model 24 S&W that I put about 6,000 rds through with many combinations. One of the trials was with 2400 and a 245 gr bullet in which I loaded in one grain increments from 11.0 to 17.0. On a hunch I also loaded 12.5 grs. That turned out to be the most accurate load I ever tried in the revolver. I have had two Marlin 1895SS rifles. The most accurate load I have tried for them was 25 grs of 2400 and a Speer 400 gr. - the best group there was 7/16" for 3 at 100 yds. The S&W group was 1 7/8" for five at 25 yds. offhand. At 15, 16 and 17 grs there was also a sweet area with groups of 2 3/8", 2 1/2" and 2 3/4" respectively. I am sure they will be no surprise - commonly recommended. So just liking 2400 in general and those couple results led me to look for some similar data. I have quite a bit of American Select which gave some good results in the 44 and I did try many other shotgun powders including the various dots. I see Freedom Arms lists 7.0 of bullseye for about 850 fps.

My goal is just to have reasonable loads power wise in the 454 cases in this fine revolver. It is a 4 3/4".

[AJMD429]

WE HAVE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS HERE.

Huh...?

I am thinking maybe 1000 to 1100 fps. Most data is full out on this cartridge. I am thinking something in the neighborhood of 20 Gr of 2400 with a jacketed bullet 250 - 300 gr. Has anyone loaded these. Want to use the 454 brass to avoid the chamber ringing that might go with 45 Colt brass.

• Start 300 Speer UCSP Alliant 2400 22.0 gr 1209 fps
  Max 300 Speer UCSP Alliant 2400 24.0gr 1325 fps

The loads I found are just a tad 'warmer', but pretty close, and I know Old Savage is talking about a pistol load and me a carbine load, but we're both thinking how to load something in the ".45 Colt +P+" realm using a .454 Casull case; maybe a ".454 Casull -P" . I'm not much of a powder expert, but would probably have looked at 2400 as well, for similar reasons - for me, at least, it has proven a decent powder for reasonably 'warm' .44 Mag and 'Ruger Only' .45 Colt "+P" loads, even though not supposedly great for moderate or light loads in those cartridges. Although we're talking about a 'light' .454 Casull load, since that round operates in the 60k PSI range normally, a 'light' .454 load would be close to a .45 Colt +P or +P+, so it seems like since the cartridge cases are pretty similar in configuration, 2400 could be a good starting point.

There are lots of other powders (like SR-4759 ?) I read of people using when they want reduced loads for rounds like .444 Marlin, but I thought they were looking at way less PSI than Old Savage and I are talking about with the .454 Casull '.45 Colt +P' level loads.

Anyhow, if I really was drifting the thread, I wasn't intending to...

[rusty gunns]

Well fellas, finally got some brass for the 454 and I would like to load some loads at about the level of 45 Colt +P. I am thinking maybe 1000 to 1100 fps. Most data is full out on this cartridge. I am thinking something in the neighborhood of 20 Gr of 2400 with a jacketed bullet 250 - 300 gr. Has anyone loaded these. Want to use the 454 brass to avoid the chamber ringing that might go with 45 Colt brass.

I have the puma 92 in 45/454, and I think it is very important to use the 454 cases when ever you play with 45 +p or higher. I segregate all ammo and write detailed labels as to what they are. But like all things, ... things can happen. I would hate to damage one of my pistols. or me. because I fed a hot round into a pistol that couldn't take it.

Its like 357 vs 38. The longer brass will keep you honest.

Just my thoughts.