I would like to know if anyone has any real data on velocity, penetration and pressure between the 45 Colt loaded to a high but not stressful pressure and the 454 Casull. I have read that the Colt is the better round when loaded to it's potential and actually has some benefits over the Casull. Lets hear from some that have been there and done that! I prefer hard cast heavy bullets. Thanks, Swede96.

It sounds like a bunch of myth when people tell me the 45 Colt is a much lower pressure round than the 454 Casull. It is just a matter of personal preference to pick between these two 45-caliber cartridges. If you are a hand loader then you should be able to load either cartridge to any pressure level you want. If you were after the absolute maximum power then the 454 Casull would be the way to go. Good luck. Cheers! Ming

I own 3 45s and at this time dont have a .454 but have had one and have shot alot of them. I love the .45 colt its my favorite cartrige but its no .454 The .454 can be loaded to substatialy higher velocities unless your talking 5 shot custom guns then there pretty close but the edge still goes to the .454

45 Colt vs. 454 Casull has been a question asked by shooters for a hundred years. Well maybe 20 years. I still have the first article on a 454 Casull I read, it was in Shooting Times by C. Reese. I still get a tickle reading the old stories were the 44Mag boys are trying to convince everyone there is no difference between our cartage and theres. Well after 20 years of drooling over the Casull and loading the 45Colt I think I can answer this question. I now have three 45 Colt revolvers and have one 454, this is my second revolver in the 454 caliber. I also have had a number of 45 Colt revolvers over the past few years. I come to the conclusion that "now" is the time to buy a 45 revolver. There even better than they ever have been, there stronger and the manufactures now seem to know how to build a Colt revolver. I have chronograph both 454 and 45 using Max loads and have shoot a couple of deer with both. I can get 1400fps with a 250 XTP in the 45 and 1700fps with the 454 a difference of 300fps not much really. I get 1300fps with a 325 swc cast in the 45 and 1600fps in the 454 with the same bullet. I use H110 almost exclusively. Primers are always Federal LPMag. I shoot 45 in a Ruger RedHawk 7.5 in barrel, and a 6 in. Raging Bull. The bull is showing good promise. I believe if you want to shot heavy loads in the 45 use the RedHawk if you can find one built to good specification. I also have a Bisley Ruger it shots well and handles heavy loads well, but its so much lighter it recoils heaver the Redhawk or the Bull. My 454 is a 8in Raging Bull, it's built very tight, tighter than a SRH and shoots better to boot. Every deer I have shot with either gun falls like a wet rag. I never had to track a deer at all, and both have had 100% penetration. I or you need to shoot something on the order of Moose to find which one kills better. If you ever find out let me know. If you just want 454 go buy one and have fun, I think its more gun than most of us need but than again need is not the same a want. You will never a lose any sleep for choosing the 45. It still has the same attributes that made it famous. Accuracy, large caliber bullet, large case capacity and it deadly on anything you want to use it on. My humble opinion is, buy the 45 in a good strong and heavy gun and load to 30Kpsi limit, before you buy get a dial caliper and feeler gages and find a 45 built to the correct specifications. Pay attention to barrel gap and chamber throats and cylinder thickness. This is why I said chose the Redhawk it got the largest cylinder dimensions of any revolver.

[ 07-08-2002, 15:59: Message edited by: Colonel ]

Swede96,

To be very simple there is 3-4 kind of .45 Colt

1) old .45 Colt revolver using black powder in a cartridge very low pressure and velocity

2) modern .45 Colt (biult after 1973) like Ruger Vaquero can be load like a .44 Mag (regarding velocity)

3) custom .45 Colt 5 shots with a high working pressure but based on smal frame revolver

4) custom .45 Colt 5 shots with a high working pressure but based on a large frame revolver

You can only compare the 4th with the .454 Casull regarding velocity very close.

In all case the .45 Colt will work with a lower pressure than a .454 Casull.

I have 2 .454 Casull and my buddy has a .45 Colt Vaquero. I like all the three.

regarding bullet with a good penetration the LBT 310-360 gr are great and work for both calibers.

Unique is an excellent powder for 454 lites.

Well, shooting a lighter load in a big gun once for a while is a lot of fun. However, it does not nessesary mean that it will be used strictly for lighter load shooting.

By the way, if there is a beautiful girl that likes me, then I would rather be eating her than kissing her. Cheers! Ming

Colonel, ever kiss that pretty girl, and then get the crap scared out of you? I have, several times! I'll take easy, and let the good times roll.

I offer 11 grain of Unique under Hornady 250 grain XTP, or the 300 grain XTP. Doesn't seem to matter, both shoot well out of my 7 1/2 FA.

Using 255 grain keith style SWC, 2400 works real well at 16.5 grains, and I just bumped myself up to 18.5 grains- over the Ruger limit, but way below the usual printed Casull "minimums." It's a big boom at an indoor range, and you can't kill a deer more deader.

Why load down? Well, I'm training to be a big bore he-man... someday...

Pete

Colonel,

my main purpose (IHMSA) with this in competition is to maintain exact POA at ranges from 50-200yds (or meters). I don't have to change my sights between rounds, I just load with the correct ammo and forget about it.

My primary all-around hunting loads are 325gr loaded conservatively for the caliber. around 1200fps is the window I try to achieve with these. They seem to group well with a scope, if I do my part.

If you are still upset by this, you have every right to be I guess, so I won't mention my 10mm squirrel loads