Need Reloading Advice for .45 Colt

[Just06]

I have a Ruger Vaquero .45 and i'm absolutly in love with it. It shoots good and draws smooth from my gunfighter holster.

But as everyone knows .45 colt ammo is extremley high. Some places over $50.00.

So i thought I'd get smart and reload my once fired brass. My dad has a Lee progressive reloader and i have bought the dies for it already. All im really confused with is the powder and what kind of bullet to put in it.

If you could fill me in on the grain of powder and meaby where would be the best place to buy bullets that would be awesome.

Any information is much apprieciated.

[NMHunter]

I have a Ruger Vaquero .45 and i'm absolutly in love with it. It shoots good and draws smooth from my gunfighter holster.

But as everyone knows .45 colt ammo is extremley high. Some places over $50.00.

So i thought I'd get smart and reload my once fired brass. My dad has a Lee progressive reloader and i have bought the dies for it already. All im really confused with is the powder and what kind of bullet to put in it.

If you could fill me in on the grain of powder and meaby where would be the best place to buy bullets that would be awesome.

Any information is much apprieciated.

Reloading data: http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

There is a lot of data out there but be careful to only get it from manufacturers of components, equipment, etc., or from places that have pressure testing ability. Uncle Fud's data that has blown up five guns or from some off-the-wall website, is NOT good data. I have my own loads but they are all developed from manufacturers' data and held within their minimums and below their maximums for my guns. Part of the fun is finding what shoots best in your gun! Just to get started I'd use the minimum load data from a manufacturer and go no higher than the middle if you're going for CAS shooting. If you're looking for a defense or hunting load then I try to stay below the listed maximum. Sometimes you will get to your gun's maximum long before the published maximum. Keep track of your loads in a diary or journal so you can repeat the goods ones and avoid repeating the not so good or bad ones.

Great bullets are available on line from: Home

You can also order from Graf & Sons. There are other cast bullet makers out there who are very good and you can find them in the Cowboy Chronicles, NRA publications and Reloading Magazine as well as other shooting publications. There are any number of regional casters, too, and I don't know all of them. The regional ones seem to be in business for a few months or years and then disappear just when I'm ready to reorder.

I have been casting most of my bullets for 40 years now. It is a fun hobby itself but takes another investment in good equipment. Lee has some good starter tools.

Good shooting

[jtg452]

Go here.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

It lists bullet weights from 160gr to 300gr on the standard pressure .45 Colt page with about a dozen different powders. There's a separate page for the hot rod "Ruger Only" hunting stuff. Just keep those out of Colts or Colt clones because they are NOT designed to shoot that high a pressure load in the .45 Colt.

FYI-- If you have a new model Vaquero (it's built on a slightly smaller frame than the original), it's NOT rated for the hot 'Ruger Only' loads.

Personally, I keep with 230gr or higher bullet weights with a mid range or higher powder charge just to keep the powder residue down (800-850fps or there abouts). The .45 Colt case is a BIG pistol case and the walls are thicker than you think. If you go to a light bullet or a low powder charge, you end up with sooted up cases because the brass doesn't expand fully and the gasses blow back in the chamber. Getting rid of all of it is real hard but you can get it down to a little residue around the case mouth pretty easily. Blowback isn't that big a deal in wheelguns but in carbines, it ends up blowing back into your face and THAT'S a little bit distracting.

I also suggest you get a either a bulky powder like Trail Boss or a powder that has a rather large powder charge. I've loaded .45 Colt with fast burning powders like Bullseye and those itty bitty 5 and 6 gr powder charges make it REALLY easy to double or triple charge a case if you aren't absolutely focused and paying close attention. It only takes one mistake like that to get your nickname changed to 'Stumpy'.

Another big thing about reloading .45 Colt is the crimp. You want a firm roll crimp. Heavier the crimp, the longer the brass has to fully expand in the chamber.

Lastly, I very strongly urge that you GET A RELOADING MANUAL or 2 (or 10-the more the merrier). For the money, Lyman's Cast Bullet Manual is the best bang for the buck and I'd suggest either Speer or one of the powder manufacturers as a secondary source as well. There's always some new information you can find in the different manuals and I always cross reference between at least 2 of them when I'm doing load development. That way, I can double check for typos (and I've found some in every manual I own) before I start pouring powder.

[dsen]

I have a Ruger Vaquero .45 and i'm absolutly in love with it. It shoots good and draws smooth from my gunfighter holster.

But as everyone knows .45 colt ammo is extremley high. Some places over $50.00.

So i thought I'd get smart and reload my once fired brass. My dad has a Lee progressive reloader and i have bought the dies for it already. All im really confused with is the powder and what kind of bullet to put in it.

If you could fill me in on the grain of powder and meaby where would be the best place to buy bullets that would be awesome.

Any information is much apprieciated.

You cant go wrong with the latest Lee and Speer manuals. The Lee will give you data related specifically to the Lee press you are going to use if you use their auto disc powder measure and I like the Speer manual because they actually test-fire the data they publish.

As for bullets, I shoot Mastercast Home Page and am very satisfied with their product.


Good Luck!

[Just06]

Thank you all for your help. One more question, What about Green dot and Blue dot and powders like that. Are they reliable and if so which one do i use.

[Red Hat]

You can use either Green Dot or Blue Dot. I have data on both. Green Dot is more economical of the two since Blue Dot takes a lot more powder to get the same velocities. On the other hand Blue Dot will give you the highest velocity of the two. If you are wanting Cowboy rounds I recommend IMR-Trail Boss. A 200 gr cast bullet with 4 gr of Trail Boss will give you a nice shooting round at about 800 fps.

[Sheldon]

Depends on what you are doing and want to do but my favorite load involves Unique, 230 grain LRN and just a tad (.1) over the starting load.... that load is good for 50 yards and a great plinking round.

[Bighouse Doc]

My 45 LC use a Laser-Cast 250gr RNFP.

My nominal velocity is around 800 fps.

-Doc