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Reloading -Same load for Rifle and Revolver


Jed Cooper

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New to the sport and just searching for some information. I’ve done some reloading in the past and want to start again for some cowboy loads. I used the search but didn’t find quite what I’m looking for. 
 

Do most of you use the same load for both rifle and revolver?

 

I was contemplating using Trail Boss and the published load data shows a load for 45 colt for pistol loads but in the rifle data section it doesn’t show 45 colt. 
 

I’m going to be buying some brass, bullets, powder and some dies and was just researching what I should get. 
 

Thanks in advance for any input

 

Jed

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I run the same amount of Clays or Clay dot for my cas rifle and pistol but use a heavier .45lc bullet [225-250gr] for my Marlin 94 as it doesn’t like 200 gr that I use in my cas .45lc revolvers. I use nickel brass for my revolvers and brass brass for my rifles just so I don’t confuse them as they look the same. Coincidentally I also use the same 200 gr bullets for my 1911s. Welcome to cas. It’s a great shooting sport, you get to buy a lot of toys and it’s full of wonderful folks.

 

EE544E5E-F986-457A-A5A0-D75EA21320F4.jpeg

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Work up a load for your pistols first. They should perform as good or better in the rifle due to better combustion. Rifles are not so load sensitive as pistols. Seat bullets to crimp in the crimp groove.

Welcome to the madness ....

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I shoot trail boss in my .45's. pistol & rifle. I use 5 gr. with a 200gr bullet. 

5.0 to 5.5 with a 200 grain RNFP is very popular. Great loading.

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Yes, rifle and pistol are the same.

 

Keeping it even simpler, I use the SAME powder in rifle, pistol and shotgun.

 

Green Dot. 125 gr TCFP with 3 grains. Around 740 fps

 

Going on 4 years, no issues.

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I use the same wart  hog load of Holy black both revolvers and carbine. That has worked well for me.  ;)

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Not to side track but any advantage to 200 vs 250 grain bullet ? I just happen to buy a couple boxes of cowboy loads that they had at the store and they were 250 grain rnfp

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JC, lever action rifles can be finicky about the bullet profile and Over All Cartridge Length they feed reliably.  Buy bullet sample packs for trial before you buy thousands and test until you find a combination your rifle likes.  Avoid semi-wadcutters.  Plastic coated bullets are becoming popular.   The raced-tuned firearms we shoot prefer Federal primers.  Once-fired 45 Colt brass is not readily available so buy new cases.  Starline is a good source.  I sometimes use the same loads for my revolvers and rifle - just depends on what I am shooting at a given match.

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Not to side track but any advantage to 200 vs 250 grain bullet ? I just happen to buy a couple boxes of cowboy loads that they had at the store and they were 250 grain rnfp

 

I used to shoot a Marlin and in that I liked a 250 gr to cut down on blowback in my eyes. Blowback doesn't bother me in my 73 & 66 so I just shoot 200gr. 250 gr should help keep the gun cleaner but in the end if you shoot .45's you're gonna get good at cleaning guns.

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When I was reloading commercially, I loaded pistol rounds to a given velocity (730'/sec) and they were set to a length that worked well in rifles.

 

This velocity gave the best average accuracy in several different revolves with different barrel lengths.

Sort of One Size fits all method.

 

I also did a lot of custom loading per customer data.

 

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When starting out you have a lot going on.  Keep it simple for now.

Personally, I use C45S cases with 160gr bullets for pistol and 45Colt cases and 200gr for rifle.

I like a hot load for rifle and an easy handling load for pistols.  But, I have the time and the inclination.

 

For starting out I'd load a 200gr for pistol with a load that's accurate and easy to handle.  The rifle will kick it up to a greater muzzle velocity.  Keep life simple for now.

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I used to use 250 gr bullets but my bullet supplier only has 200 gr now so that's what I use.

The 250 grainers worked great, the 200 gr are fine with 5.2 TB for both pistols and rifle. No probs.

Ruger old model Vaqueros, Remington 1875s, Rem 1858 Kirst conversions, Rossi 92 and Marlin 94 CB. Works fine in all.

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As noted, some rifles are picky about bullet weight and/or profile. If you have one of those, find what works in that, the pistol is more accommodating. I use Schofield cases for pistols and Colt cases for the rifle. I've used 180 up to 240 gr. bullets.

.38 Special is different for me and load the same for pistol or rifle.

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Not to side track but any advantage to 200 vs 250 grain bullet ? I just happen to buy a couple boxes of cowboy loads that they had at the store and they were 250 grain rnfp

 

200 grain will have less recoil.

250 grain will have less blowback.

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Keep it simple, and the simple answer is; rifle targets are only slightly further in distance than pistol targets. Any cartridge recipe will perform better in the rifle vs the pistol making up some or all of the distance change. 

 

If you load mouse fart cartridges, you may reconsider if your match uses knock down rifle targets. But any normal loading should work fine in both guns.

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Do most of you use the same load for both rifle and revolver?

 

I do.  I like it simple.  When I shoot cow boy I use a 250gr lead bullet and a full case of Black Powder in my .45 Colt and .45 Schofield.  For .38WCF I use a 180gr lead bullet and a full case of Black Powder.

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No need to have two loads, but in an effort to minimize muzzle flip and to enable staying on target I plan to try 45CS in my pistols. One thing I am currently doing is shooting up ammo in the rifle that I found too heavy a load for the pistols. You can also shoot up excess bullets in the rifle, when you switch to some other bullet introduced first to the pistols.

 

I have only shot two matches with my JM Marlin 1894 Cowboy Competition, and the bullets I am using run perfectly. They are truncated cone 255 gr from Penn Bullets. Unless I find I have to conserve them for the rifle I will use the same bullets for pistols until set up for 45CS 160 gr in the pistols.

One trick I am using is marking my loading strips so the forward 10 are rifle, which I always load first.

 

For now I have tested the minimum load of Trailboss and it works fine. My bullets are rated as 255 but actually weigh 265, so the minimum charge for 255 is stronger with 265. In testing that load I also shot some 200 gr I had and noted the reduced felt recoil with the lighter bullet. My guns are regulated to 250 gr POI, so I will probably leave the sights alone and stay with 255.

As a Cattle Baron I only worry about being competitive in my age-based category, being safe, and about trying not to come in last or embarrass myself. Joining the race gun crowd is not my interest, but its fun to watch them shoot that fast.

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I use TB and the same charge (5.3gr)and bullets (255gr for rifles ('66 and a '73) and pistols (NMV).

Saves a lot of fiddling around and at the distances we shoot, it's not an issue.

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I use TB and the same charge (5.3gr)and bullets (255gr for rifles ('66 and a '73) and pistols (NMV).

Saves a lot of fiddling around and at the distances we shoot, it's not an issue.

Also with 255gr bullets, at 5.2gr TB I was getting too much pistol barrel flip to stay on target with 5 1/2" barrels. It costs time when that happens, and rushing a shot, fighting recoil, can cause a miss, essentially just point and shoot after the first shot, no good sight picture. I tested 4.9 and then the minimum of 4.5, both shooting okay, so I am using up the heavier loads in the Marlin.

 

I still plan to try 45CS in the pistols and stay with 45 Colt in the rifle.

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When I was shooting 45 colt... I was loading 5.2 grains of trail boss with a 250 grain bullet. For 200 grain bullets I loaded 5.8 grains of trail boss. I used both in rifle and revolver. Now for wild bunch I am loading a 250 grain rnfp bullet over 5.6 grains of trailboss

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Seeing I'm a Worthog Shooter  .

Speed is not my game .

I load the same load for both .

200gr Lee bullet and full load APP.

And for Smokeless I use Unique .

Unique is not the best for everything.  But you can load everything with Unique. 

Rooster 

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Seeing I'm a Worthog Shooter  .

Speed is not my game .

I load the same load for both .

200gr Lee bullet and full load APP.

And for Smokeless I use Unique .

Unique is not the best for everything.  But you can load everything with Unique. 

Rooster 

 

How can you call yourself a Warthog? I mean you're using APP, the lowest recoil BP sub there is; c'mon man. And don't even get me started on those puny little 200 grain bullets...

:P:P:P:P:P:P

 

 

 

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How can you call yourself a Warthog? I mean you're using APP, the lowest recoil BP sub there is; c'mon man. And don't even get me started on those puny little 200 grain bullets...

:P:P:P:P:P:P

 

 

 

IMG_20180303_151035_748.thumb.jpg.33676764e3bca82fa78922a5521dafad.jpg

That's a  handfull with Open Top Colts .:D

But

:huh: That sounds like my speaking to a 38 shooter .

Now I feel like a bully  :P:P:P:P

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Not to side track but any advantage to 200 vs 250 grain bullet ? I just happen to buy a couple boxes of cowboy loads that they had at the store and they were 250 grain rnfp

If you're shooting a '73 or a '66 you'll want to check the overall length of those factory rounds.  While SAAMI sez the 45Colt can be up to 1.600" in length, my newest Uberti rifles don't like 'em over 1.585".  Pistols, no problemo.

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