one of us
| I currently load and shoot over a dozen .45 Colt revolvers. They are Cimarron, Colt, S&W, and Ruger.
Bullets should be fitted to the individual revolver's chamber mouths (as previously noted).
If the chamber mouths are off-size or uneven, accuracy will suffer. Take the time to have yours measured and all corrected to be the same and of an appropriate diameter. Rugers run very small--too small. My older Cimarron runs 0.458" and I have a custom mold for it.
Size your bullets the least amount possible. Well, you gotta lube and short of Lee Tumble Lube, you gotta run them through a lubrisizer to do that or pan lube. Sizing destroys accuracy. Even if you have to buy some custom moulds from somebody like NEI or Hoch, cast your bullets as near to the size you need as possible.
At normal .45 Colt velocities, better bullet fit will keep you from leading better than hard bullets. The .45 Colt can shoot bullets as soft as 1:20 Tin:Lead at normal velocities. Harden up your bullets for higher velocities and for better game penetration at those velocities.
The single all-around best powder for normal velocity and pressure loads with cast bullets is Unique. It shoots in darn near everything. It is a little dirty, but so what. Other powders are fine and I shoot several others, including H110/296 in hot Ruger loads. Blue Dot is fine, but meters funny in a powder measure, so I don't use it. Universal Clays works fine. 4227 is OK, too.
Bullet style is not such a big deal as far as shooting is concerned. The old original bullet shoots as accurately as anything. Even the old black powder bullet with the hollow base shoots well, if it is the right size. Semi-wadcutters can get you good accuracy, goot game performance, and good target hole-cutting for scoring a target. Your round nose designs will feed better in a lever gun, if you shoot both. You will need to lube with Alox/Beeswax if you shoot a rifle with the loads. Alox/Beeswax typically improves lubrication and accuracy in a rifle. It should be used sparingly in a revolver because it can over-lubricate and cost you accuracy in a revolver. It stinks, too, and is best used outdoors. I like it in the right application. I use special black powder lube for my black powder loads.
Black powder loads are a rip. Lots of boom, lots of stink, goo, gum, etc., lots of fun. Black powder typically shoots well and can be loaded quite hot at standard velocities.
I really enjoy that caliber, even though it is not the only one that I shoot. Have fun, be safe. |