45 Colt powder suggestions

[Mikej]

Looks like you're using a 200 or 250RNFP.

Titegroup, Clays, W231/HP-38 in that order. Skip trailboss, it's a waste of time and money, it's expensive and you only get 14oz per jar (that's all that fits). I really have yet to see any circumstances where trailboss does anything better than any of the other powders out there, dealing with cowboy ammo for so many years, I've seen and been asked to use tons of the stuff and I've come away with a pretty sincere distaste for it. For a 200gr, RNFP, go with about 5-5.5gr of Titegroup, it's a pretty mild load and has always performed well, Clays is about the same, but with the higher case volume it doesn't always burn as clean as TG does, again, you're in the 5-5.5 grs range. W231 is a bit hotter, but you're going to need to be in the 6-6.5gr range to get decent performance.

It's worth noting, none of these are going to fill the case to your 55% mark, but they are all safe ranges and have a long history in the production of factory ammo in this caliber.

As usual, these are all mousefart rounds the SASS shooters like. if you want something with a bit more punch you should be looking to HS-6 or Bluedot. Unique is going to really be too slow to work well unless you're shooting it in a rifle. Oddly, I use Unique to load 45-70 on occasion. Works quite well actually, probably better than it would in .45 Colt.

I would defer to the advice of Mr. @AMProducts ! Always appreciate your input. I only brought up TrailBoss because I had wanted to try it in .44 special to get a fuller case and full clean burn. I haven't seen Trailboss on shelves locally for three, or more, years, though I haven't really looked for it for some time.

 

[9x23w]

I have been using 12 grs Blue Dot w/ a 300 gr coated cast bullet. No problems, but definitely above cowboy levels. Still way under what u can do in a Blackhawk.

 

[saxon]

i use H110 and 4227 for heavy loads
trailboss , red , green, blue dot and tightgroup for liter loads

 

[Vern Steffler]

I've used 700X, Unique, and Trail Boss for SASS shooting and coon hunting in a Colt SAA, Ruger Vaquero, and Rossi 92 chambered for 454 Casull.
The only powder I've found in 45LC that fills anywhere near 55% is the Trail Boss. For a mouse fart SASS load the case is about your 55% fill. But the hunting loads are basically filled until 230gr bullet seats against powder. Burns cleaner than Unique and 700X also.
It meters great through automatic powder measure but there is some external leakage in a Lee measure (just leaves flakes on your press)
The TrailBoss has been really hard to find the last couple years, but is now showing up fairly regularly at least up here in Canada. I've picked up 12 lb pretty easily in the last few months at various retailers.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I use Hodgdon's H110 for the .45 Colt and the .44 Mag. High velocity, good fill density, good accuracy, can't double shot powder.[

 

[AMProducts]

I would defer to the advice of Mr. @AMProducts ! Always appreciate your input. I only brought up TrailBoss because I had wanted to try it in .44 special to get a fuller case and full clean burn. I haven't seen Trailboss on shelves locally for three, or more, years, though I haven't really looked for it for some time.

For the most part, because .44-40 and .45colt have almost identical case volume and bullet weight, and when you're on the lighter edge of the powder scale, you can use the same load data between them. Titegroup has always been one of the cleanest performers I've seen in pistols, it's quick burning and generates good pressure to burn completely.

Clays is probably my go-to for .45ACP, it's always been a good performing powder that's clean burning. However in the smaller cartridges 9mm/40 you can't get enough in there for it to work well, TG or HS-6 become the go-tos.

 

[oremike]

I load for my wife's 44-40 Rossi rifle with a 200 gr RN sized to .428 with Universal. Accurate and fun to shoot, she loves it. My Ruger 45 Colt I load mean.

 

[jrd541280]

For me, blackhawk 7.5" only, 12gr. Bluedot, 250gr. Lasercast rnfp. 1230fps. Cci 300 starting the fire. Badass load, 14gr. Bluedot, 225gr. Hornady ftx at 1400fps. Again cascade cartridge for kindling. When I do my justice to that fine ruger handgun, no 1" orange dot is safe to 100yds.

 

[Mikej]

Titegroup has always been one of the cleanest performers I've seen in pistols, it's quick burning and generates good pressure to burn completely.

Clays is probably my go-to for .45ACP, it's always been a good performing powder that's clean burning. However in the smaller cartridges 9mm/40 you can't get enough in there for it to work well, TG or HS-6 become the go-tos.

Titegroup is the first powder I tried, because it had data for the most loads. I've since come to like and use hp38/w231 for .45acp and .38 special. They have a little more range to work with, burn clean and measure nicely. I did use a pound of Bullseye because that's all that was available at the time, it didn't measure so great though. I also use HS-6 in 9mm and .40. In my short experience it is the ideal powder for 9 and .40 because of range of loads, burns clean and measure like a dream.

 

[Cheezit]

Titegroup for light bullets-light loads. H110 for heavier bullets-higher velocity.

 

[PaulB47]

Titegroup also works for defense loads. I use 10.0gr with a 180gr XTP in .44 mag. IIRC that gives about 1350fps, and little flash/blast out of my 5" Smith 629. I avoid any problems with double charges by seating a bullet immediately after charging each case. I use Lil'Gun for the heavy bullet loads.

My only .45 Colt gun is gone.

 

[AMProducts]

Titegroup is the first powder I tried, because it had data for the most loads. I've since come to like and use hp38/w231 for .45acp and .38 special. They have a little more range to work with, burn clean and measure nicely. I did use a pound of Bullseye because that's all that was available at the time, it didn't measure so great though. I also use HS-6 in 9mm and .40. In my short experience it is the ideal powder for 9 and .40 because of range of loads, burns clean and measure like a dream.

TG is a great "all around" powder for pistols. HS-6 leans towards the magnum end, one of the customers I load for uses HS-6 for his defensive ammunition line, it has good charge density, burns clean and develops good velocity without excessive overpressure. However it's charge weight is higher than competitors such as TG or HP-38/231, I typically use HP/231 for 9mm plinking ammo because in canisters it's the cheapest powder out there, and usually gives good performance for this use. TG is my secondary powder, with HS-6 being reserved for higher end loads due to cost.

 

[41mag]

I shot a couple tons of the much maligned Trail Boss because it met my needs exceptionally well in the Cowboy Action game.

I had carpal tunnel syndrome so bad for years from work, that I had a choice of *not* shooting or picking something that was pleasant to my wrists.

I preferred it in 45LC and 200 gr FNL cast at around 700 fps.

It gives way over 'half full case' due to the design....it's a tiny 'cheerio' shaped flat bit of powder conjured up just for the cowboy game, from what I've been told. Clean burning. Almost as much fun as the Holy Black, but no where near the mess.

Didn't care for it in the 38 or 44 cases. Especially didn't care for it in 45-70 either.

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

I shot a couple tons of the much maligned Trail Boss because it met my needs exceptionally well in the Cowboy Action game.

I had carpal tunnel syndrome so bad for years from work, that I had a choice of *not* shooting or picking something that was pleasant to my wrists.

I preferred it in 45LC and 200 gr FNL cast at around 700 fps.

It gives way over 'half full case' due to the design....it's a tiny 'cheerio' shaped flat bit of powder conjured up just for the cowboy game, from what I've been told. Clean burning. Almost as much fun as the Holy Black, but no where near the mess.

Didn't care for it in the 38 or 44 cases. Especially didn't care for it in 45-70 either.

Not to hijack the tread but what did you not like about Trail Boss in 38? I am in a similar physical situation as you and am thinking of reloading 38 with Trail Boss. For my cartridge conversion 38 & 45 I load mild BP loads but would not use it in my S&W & Taurus 38 revolvers.

 

[41mag]

"what did you not like about Trail Boss in 38?"
This is a highly subjective area, & don't intend to make assertions based on my own tenuous grasp of ballistic reality.

I've got a fairly narrow 'window of satisfaction'; there is a small range between 'too much' and 'too little' leaves me adrift.

The 200 grain FRN 45 slug provided a very pleasurable tactile feedback that was joyously and predictably related to my POA/POI in the SAA cowboy guns. I felt ~I~ was affecting where the boolit hit the target.

While many in the posse DID use 38/Trail Boss, I just never had adequate on-target results with any recipe. Usually I simply felt lucky that I actually ~had~ hit the target at all. I could work hard from a bench rest & produce adequate paper targets, but standing rapid free-hand on steel just didn't work for ~me~ well enough to continue the load.

I tired a variety of modern DA revolvers that reinforced my enigma; the round worked well enough objectively but was not satisfying no matter what I used when shooting it. YMMV.

This is in a variety of SA 38 cowboy guns. I did enjoy using it in a brass frame 1866 lever carbine that was relatively heavy & felt more like a 22 recoil regardless of recipe.

In detailed search for 50 yard 45-70 loads from a Marlin, I actually had ~keyholing~ occur several loads from 300-405 gr RNFP cast.

 

[AMProducts]

Not to hijack the tread but what did you not like about Trail Boss in 38? I am in a similar physical situation as you and am thinking of reloading 38 with Trail Boss. For my cartridge conversion 38 & 45 I load mild BP loads but would not use it in my S&W & Taurus 38 revolvers.

Try 2.5-3.0grs of HP-38 with a 130 RN-FP-BB cast bullet. You should be in the 600-800FPS range depending on barrel length.

 

[tac]

I've only used one lb of trailboss and was hand weighing the charges for some cast bullet loads in rifle cases so it metered just fine for me.
From the Hodgdon site:
Trail Boss was designed specifically for low velocity lead bullets suitable for Cowboy Action shooting. It is primarily a pistol powder but has some application in rifles. It is based on a whole new technology that allows very high loading density, good flow through powder measures, stability in severe temperature variation, and, most importantly, additional safety to the handloader.

Don't forget it's also kinda cute and fluffy.

tac

 

[Certaindeaf]

.I just never had adequate on-target results with any recipe. Usually I simply felt lucky that I actually ~had~ hit the target at all..

Twailboss.. teehee! fek

 

[41mag]

re; 'certaindeaf'....that too was part of the problem...with the required ear protection the sound on target the 38 special made it was really difficult to hear....and there was virtually ~no~ movement of the steel targets with my low end 38 load.

 

[oremike]

Today I was looking through the Accurate Arms load magazine and saw a load I needed to try because, well I'm bored and have all the stuff on hand. 7.0 grs of AA#2 behind a T&B 255gr SWC. I was impressed it's a standard load not a Ruger load and should be about 850-900 fps. I put 18 rounds in a group about the size of a Kennedy half dollar from 10 paces. I have deep checkered wood grips on my Bisley and they can sting a bit with full house loads. So no sting and very accurate, guess I'll be making more of those. I'll bet they kill paper and pop cans just as dead as the stump pullers with out all the drama.