45 Colt Load a really weird one

[Burrhead]

OK this is something I had to try and well I think it may actually end up with an application I can use it for. To start I have an old Speer reloading manual (No. 11) and I have been reading through some of the older manuals and came across a "Gallery Load" for the 45 Colt. They listed load is a .454 diameter round ball over a fast burning powder some listed are 700X, Red Dot, W231. Well I don't have any of these on hand but I do have some Trail Boss. So last week end before I went to the range I put 6 of these together and took the Ruger Black Hawk along to give them a try at 7 yards while I practiced with my carry gun. Anyway at that range they clustered in about a 2.5 inch group. So today I put 50 of them together and I hope to try them again at 7 and 15 yards and see what I get. This could easily be an excellent "Wabbit" load and I think it will be quite enough that the Boss would never hear Bugs Bunny get whacked! This would mean I could take a few of the critters right in the yard and keep my skin!
The current load is 7 grains of Trail Boss a 141 grain ball .454" diameter with a large pistol primer. Heck even the kiddies could shoot this one as it has absolutely no recoil. Using the Trail Boss as a propellant really is a safe thing if you ask me as no way will I ever get it hot enough to cause a leading problem. When I try this next I will post up targets if they are worth it and some pictures of the loaded round.

[SamStafford]

Good to learn this Burrhead.

[Dragunov sniper 777]

i love trail boss , i use it a lot ..

[Junk Yard Dog]

.454, not .457? That's surprising as my Ruger Old Army uses a .457, .457 being the .45LC bullet diameter. Maybe they don't thumb press into the case easy enough. I have a ton of red dot, and an unlimited supply of .454 balls, I will have to try this load in the ROA's conversion cylinder. Enjoy the bunny stew

[desdem12]

I think my BPs call for .454 and i use .452 in reloads for the blackhawk

[Burrhead]

If you check into the 45 Colt Single Action Army I believe before WWII she was a .454 bore and after they tightened that up to .452 as my Ruger is and she was built in 1976. But with a round ball I have no problem with the .454 ball and accuracy should be pretty good. The old Speer No. 11 list Red Dot as a powder 3.2 grain charge JYD. But I am using Trail Boss and the 7 grain load gives no real recoil with the ball that weights only 141 grains. Another think the balls are dipped lubed out of the box. A buddy of mine has a mould and I may try this with some of his bullets after I lube them with the Lee lube for get what they call the stuff. I hope to ge tho the range to try these at 7 and 15 yards this week-end. I also have some 100 grain .313 diameter 32 caliber pistol bullets to try in a Mosin if I get a chance to load some of them up. I'd like to try these at 30 yards and see what I get with them as well.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I got a bunch of that red dot powder when I bought the reloading gear back in '08, it's 30 or more years old but still fine, I need to find something constructive to do with it. Got a bunch of Unique also, and of course the Bullseye I use for the .38 special. I must have 30 pounds or more of powder from that lot, probably more, and I used enough of the bullseye to make over 4000 .38's. Alox I think that lube is called, it would be nice to have a plinker load for the ROA, and I found eight more unopened boxes of Hornady .454 ball that I got when I bought various used 1858 Remington's.

[entropy]

If you check into the 45 Colt Single Action Army I believe before WWII she was a .454 bore and after they tightened that up to .452 as my Ruger is and she was built in 1976. But with a round ball I have no problem with the .454 ball and accuracy should be pretty good. The old Speer No. 11 list Red Dot as a powder 3.2 grain charge JYD. But I am using Trail Boss and the 7 grain load gives no real recoil with the ball that weights only 141 grains. Another think the balls are dipped lubed out of the box. A buddy of mine has a mould and I may try this with some of his bullets after I lube them with the Lee lube for get what they call the stuff. I hope to ge tho the range to try these at 7 and 15 yards this week-end. I also have some 100 grain .313 diameter 32 caliber pistol bullets to try in a Mosin if I get a chance to load some of them up. I'd like to try these at 30 yards and see what I get with them as well.

I used to load up a 'bunny popper' load for the .30-30 using the .310 balls for my 1849 Baby Dragoon, I used Red Dot, but can't remember the charge, it was 30 years ago! It was handy for popping bunny while out deer hunting, or those dang red squirrels, and the odd grouse. Fairly quiet, no recoil, accurate to at least 20 yards, the max range I tested them at, and usually about where I shot said critters from.

[Dragunov sniper 777]

If you check into the 45 Colt Single Action Army I believe before WWII she was a .454 bore and after they tightened that up to .452 as my Ruger is and she was built in 1976. But with a round ball I have no problem with the .454 ball and accuracy should be pretty good. The old Speer No. 11 list Red Dot as a powder 3.2 grain charge JYD. But I am using Trail Boss and the 7 grain load gives no real recoil with the ball that weights only 141 grains. Another think the balls are dipped lubed out of the box. A buddy of mine has a mould and I may try this with some of his bullets after I lube them with the Lee lube for get what they call the stuff. I hope to ge tho the range to try these at 7 and 15 yards this week-end. I also have some 100 grain .313 diameter 32 caliber pistol bullets to try in a Mosin if I get a chance to load some of them up. I'd like to try these at 30 yards and see what I get with them as well.

the last time i ordered , i got some .313 120 gr 32/20 cowboy bullets , i loaded them up over 15.5 gr's of trail boss , the accuracy was great , even better than with the jacketed .310 hornady 7.62x39 bullet , i only fired about 10 cause i am out of trail boss AGAIN LOL , there was no leading and just seated the bullet in the case to the bottom of the lube ring , i suspect the the little blunt bullet was bumped into the rifling when chambering a round , it was no problem hitting my turkey head target at 50 yards with the sights set to 500 m on my M44 carbine , it feels like you are firing a 22mag .

[Burrhead]

Well guys I got on the hand gun range today and shot 50 of these ball loads with 7 grains of Trail Boss. To say they shot well is an under statement! I had no leading issues at all and at 7 yards they shot into a nice tight group. I got one of those splatter zombie targets and shot this at 15 yards with both the round ball load in the Black Hawk and my Ruger Security Six. That old Ruger 45 shot those things just as good at 15 yards. Next time I get out I'll try them at 30 yards from a rest and see how they do.
So if you want a low recoil load for a 45 Long Colt try this it's fun and accurate to shoot. I also wen tho the rifle range and shot my Varmint Rifle a Ruger M77 22-250. I should have kept the target as she was shooting under and inch and my partner Drew sot the rifle for the first time today and he shot a 3/4" three shot group with it he was very impressed with the weapon. Ruger sure knows how to put a gun together. Next time out I'll have to take my 22 Hornet along and shoot it as well. A great time with great weather and my Buddy and I was out for over four hours.
Burrhead

[Dragunov sniper 777]

Well guys I got on the hand gun range today and shot 50 of these ball loads with 7 grains of Trail Boss. To say they shot well is an under statement! I had no leading issues at all and at 7 yards they shot into a nice tight group. I got one of those splatter zombie targets and shot this at 15 yards with both the round ball load in the Black Hawk and my Ruger Security Six. That old Ruger 45 shot those things just as good at 15 yards. Next time I get out I'll try them at 30 yards from a rest and see how they do.
So if you want a low recoil load for a 45 Long Colt try this it's fun and accurate to shoot. I also wen tho the rifle range and shot my Varmint Rifle a Ruger M77 22-250. I should have kept the target as she was shooting under and inch and my partner Drew sot the rifle for the first time today and he shot a 3/4" three shot group with it he was very impressed with the weapon. Ruger sure knows how to put a gun together. Next time out I'll have to take my 22 Hornet along and shoot it as well. A great time with great weather and my Buddy and I was out for over four hours.
Burrhead

i find all my trail boss loads are very accurate... glad you had a nice time , sure has been good weather for shooting ...

[desdem12]

[bunkysdad]

.454, not .457? That's surprising as my Ruger Old Army uses a .457, .457 being the .45LC bullet diameter. Maybe they don't thumb press into the case easy enough. I have a ton of red dot, and an unlimited supply of .454 balls, I will have to try this load in the ROA's conversion cylinder. Enjoy the bunny stew

All of these are close, I seem to remember that jacketed bullets for the 45lc are .452 so the .454 round balls makes sense. The .457 seems to be special for the Old Army. I don't think I have seen another revolver that takes a .457.
Burrhead, do you have a Old Army? It just seems fitting that the Burr should have a Old Army. It is a perfect partner for the 45lc Blackhawk. They go together like peas and carrots!

[Junk Yard Dog]

The Uberti Cap&Ball 1873 uses the .457 ball, this is the same revolver as their Cattleman .45 colt 1873 cartridge revolver, they just converted the hammer and cylinder to C&B.

[Burrhead]

.454, not .457? That's surprising as my Ruger Old Army uses a .457, .457 being the .45LC bullet diameter. Maybe they don't thumb press into the case easy enough. I have a ton of red dot, and an unlimited supply of .454 balls, I will have to try this load in the ROA's conversion cylinder. Enjoy the bunny stew

All of these are close, I seem to remember that jacketed bullets for the 45lc are .452 so the .454 round balls makes sense. The .457 seems to be special for the Old Army. I don't think I have seen another revolver that takes a .457.
Burrhead, do you have a Old Army? It just seems fitting that the Burr should have a Old Army. It is a perfect partner for the 45lc Blackhawk. They go together like peas and carrots!

Not at this time Bunky. I did have a 1858 brass Frame I believe they called it a Buffalo Had like a 10 inch barrel on it but that was a while back. I've looked at a few all steel ones in resent years but have yet to take the plunge. I have to agree that they would go together nicely though.

[bunkysdad]

I have looked at the New Remington 1858 Buffalo, but only on the computer, but it looks like a cool and fun gun, but before I buy one I need to have a Standard length first (7.5"). They also have the short, 5.5" I think, that look cool. I think they are the sherriff model? I bet Jim has one of all of the above. I am really interested in trying some of those round ball loads. How deep do you press the bullet? I am thinking about half way? Maybe a slight crimp around the center line of the ball? By the way Rob, are you thinking about SOG, and Graf & Sons?