45 Colt load with Speer Gold Dot bullets?

[41mag]

Any one know of a good recipe to get the 250 gr up to about 1000 fps or about the same power factor with the 300 gr bullet? For deer.

I need to develop a hunting load that will be shot from a wheel chair by a young handicap person.

I have 12" of barrel and gun strength is not an issue (X-frame Smith). Could even use 454 or 460 brass if you have a good light load for them. Scratch the 460, no dies.

These are bullets I have on hand.

We are using the big gun as part of the recoil management. 250 gr cowboy loads are real soft but only about 730 fps. Below is a video link that shows the recoil of a 250 gr bullet at 1400 fps. I have yet to show this to the young hunter to be to see what he thinks. I think about 1000 fps might be better for him and should work fine at the close distance it will be used.

thanks for any good info.

Dial up beware

http://www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=...&CID=213528

41mag

edit cause I can't spell

Edited August 22, 2008 by 41mag

[20nickels]

Speer #4484 250gr .45 Colt Gold Dot over 6.1gr Titegroup is about 800 fps. This round does not need much velocity to open up as the sides are thin walled. This is 2nd hand data, not mine.

I have no experience with the x-frame, but if you have longer brass it is my opinion that the closer you start out to the rifling the better off you are.

[JD45]

Nearly every load I use for the .45 Colt now is for cast bullets, but I did try alot of jacketed bullets in the past. I have a Blackhawk that only seems to group well at maximum velocities with cast bullets. Medium throttle loads don't shoot so well. A friend gave me some of his hand-cast 250gr. SWC bullets and I tried a near max. load out of the Hodgdon #26 manual(Ruger only loads). The powder was HS-6. It will shoot 4.5" groups at 50yds. all day long with irons(4 5/8" barrel). No other load will come close, except for heavy bullets with H110.

Try to find a load listed for HS-6 close to 1000fps and you'll get some bonus velocity out of your 12" barrel. It seems like a good powder for sub-max. loads. For your needs the 250 grainer should work fine.

[fltbed]

In my 45 Colts, 4227, 2400, and Blue Dot all worked well for me with 250 gr. bullets at 1000 f.p.s.

4227: 18-20 gr.

2400: 16-18 gr.

Blue Dot: 13-14 gr.

YMMV

I have also read posts that HS6, HS7, and Power pistol also work good for this application, but I have no personal experience with any of them.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[HSMITH]

Power Pistol is clean and will make 1000 easily.

[41mag]

Thanks everyone for the info.

Staying with powders on hand I tried 18grs of 2400 and got a velocity of 1038. Looks like its going to be an accurate load as well. The first few shots from the bench with the red dot sight grouped around 4" at a hundred yds.

41mag

[JRWJr]

Wish to use Red Dot to load 250gn Speer Gold Dots anyone do this.?? :)

[JRWJr]

Would like to come up with a 45 COLT load using 250gn GOLD DOT bullets (RED DOT?) shooting in a 51/2" REDHAWK?? Any Advice here? Cannot locate any information anywhere as of ye?? THANKS

[Joe4d]

My advice is to buy a couple manuals, or even check out the powder companies free info. For that matter Hornady has a downloadable version you can swipe at.
Forums are good for fine tuning loads, comparing minor things between powders, or loading generally outside spec ammo for one reason or another.  They SHOULD NOT be a primary source.

[JRWJr]

Thats just the problem I have ALL manuals needed but not the information needed. Perhaps there is such information available. 

[Farmer]

I think Red Dot is a bit too fast for a 250 grain bullet personally. You could make it work but it most likely not perform well. Alliant does show a 240g lswc load at 905 FPS but there you go, it’s 10 grains less bullet and also lead. Must be a reason. 

[Joe4d]

Speer manual has it. 5.5" colt SAA,,  6.1-6.6 grs of reddot under a 260 gr jacketed hollow point. 755 to810 fps