Finally loaded 45 Colt for the first time. I have a Blackhawk, so I wanted to try the Blackhawk only loads. I used 17 gns of 2400 behind a 230gn hardcast lead round-nose. I was using CCI 300 primers. The first shot seemed like the powder didn't burn at all and the primer tossed the bullet out about 20 feet. The rest of the 50 I loaded shot well, but velocities were around 750 fps, and I had lots of what looked like unburned powder in my hands after unloading the empty cases. My manual says I should be getting around 1100 fps. I crimped very lightly. Could this be the cause?

Contaminated powder...

750 fps is really slow. My records show a load of 18gr. 2400 and a 250gr. hard lead bullet averaging 1164fps.I also switched to H110 because of incomplete burns.

[ 01-27-2003, 02:41: Message edited by: waxman ]

I was using a just-opened recently purchased batch of 2400.

This particular load seems to be fine. I suspect that you did not have enough neck tension to hold the bullet tightly. I have seen a 45 Colt sizing die that did not size the case tight enough for a .451/.452 projectile. 2400 is one of my favorite powders and it should work just fine for the 45 Colt. Please note that crimping is not enough to hold the bullet tightly so neck tension is the key for this. Good luck.

I also shoot a Ruger Black Hawk in 45LC. Be sure to raise barrel almost straight up before you shoot. With larger cartridge volume space the powder will lay along the lower side, so when the primer flashes it can flash over the top of the powder. Raising the barrel will cause more of the podwer to the primer end of the shell so more powder can be burned.

Magnum primers!!!

I don't have data that shows the difference with magnum primers. Is there a rule-of-thumb for reducing max loads when magnum primers are used?

I am thinking undersized bullets/light crimp & std. primers may have helped cause this. I shoot my 4 5/8" BH w/ 16.5gr under a 300grLFP & get just under 1000fps.

ALL OF THE ABOVE...... BE SURE TO CHECK BULLET DIAMETER....

CHECK EVERY THING...

296 or unique...
j

Take the neck expanding/ case flaring stem of your reloading die set out and chuck the top most portion, that part that's at the other end from the case, into a power drill.
Lock the power drill into a vice or some other means of holding the power drill in place and keeping the drill stable.
While the drill is turning use a fine grade of emory cloth to polish the neck expanding portion of the stem, but not the flaring portion of the stem. Reduce the diameter a small amount and finish with crocus cloth to a mirror shine.
This will give the case a very tight grip on the body of the bullet.
Doing this you will see a slight flaring in the case body where the bullet base is when the bullet is seated.
With all of my 45 Colts, two S&Ws, 1 Ruger, 1 Colt Anacona, 1 Rossi 92, I've found that bullets sized to .454 give consistant ignition with this trick.
I use this same trick with all of my straight walled revolver rounds.
Jim

two other things to consider are bad primmers and if there was bullet lube left on the base of the bullet and that contaminated the powder.