Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

45 LC gallery loads? Update: 5/28/20


Recommended Posts

After a month of testing, here are my results...

 

Full loads of Black Powder have lots of flame and thunder, but hurt like hell. 
 

Reduced loads of Black Powder with corn meal filler are fun to shoot with smoke and thunder, but blowback binds things up pretty quickly.
 

I settled on Trailboss under a .454 round ball in a 45LC case. Fun to shoot. Easy on the hand. No binding. 
 

Thank you all for your thoughts and advice.
 

<end of update>  
 

I have a Bond derringer that is fun to shoot but which can hurt after a while.

 

I’m looking for some easy shooting gallery loads.

 

Any thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cut down some brass to Cowboy Special length and load it with a round ball  over Trailboss. Better yet real BP. The boom and flames will bring a smile to your face.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

My first knee jerk thought is some modified "Primer Only" cases and rubber bullets.

 

My next suggestion would be about 4Gr Tightgroup, 130Gr Barnstormer bullet and a Cowboy 45 Special case.

 

Next up would be the above but with a 452 round Ball crimped into the C45S case.

 

Just pull the trigger and yell BANG??

 

Sadelia Dave beat me to the draw except I didn't think of APP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3.5 gr. Trailboss, 160 grn RNFP bullet in a Cowboy .45 Spl case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use cowboy special cases with 3.5 grains of trail boss and a 200 grain bullet. Nice mild load.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Prof. Fuller Bullspit said:

Press cases into those cakes of paraffin wax and shoot them with just a primer.  You can drill out the primer hole a bit so you don’t have problems with the primers backing out. But you must make sure you segregate those cases and never use them with powder.

Backed out primers are only a problem with revolvers.  Should not be needed with the Bond. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Go to the Cowboy Fast Draw Association website & buy CFD cases & bullets.  The cases have primer pockets for 209 primers & the bullets are a plastic cup filled with wax.  At 7 yards the bullets punch holes in 3/8' plywood.   https://www.cowboyfastdraw.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/11/2020 at 11:18 AM, J.D. Daily said:

Go to the Cowboy Fast Draw Association website & buy CFD cases & bullets.  The cases have primer pockets for 209 primers & the bullets are a plastic cup filled with wax.  At 7 yards the bullets punch holes in 3/8' plywood.   https://www.cowboyfastdraw.com/

 

Great idea. I've got 50 of those cases and a bag of wax bullets stashed away from a failed attempt at fast draw. Anybody who wants some, I'll send 10 cases and a handful of bullets if you want to pay the postage.  The bullets will last through repeated firings with the right combination of paper targets with a cardboard and newspaper backstop. It will free up some space on the bench for some other crap I don't need. 

 

Send me a PM if you want some.  These are all gone now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We persist in referencing Trailboss with 45 CS but I don't believe there is justification for that powder in a case that short. Also Hodgdon does not support use of Trailboss in 45 ACP load data as a reference. I think this is where I would revert to Titegroup or W231/HP38, which shot well in my test loads. I had no problem viewing the powder charges before placing a bullet for seating. I was also able to use a powder that was competitively priced.

 

If using 45 Colt brass, there may be more choices, but for this small pistol I think I would use a very light-for-caliber bullet, whatever was supported by formalized load data.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

We persist in referencing Trailboss with 45 CS but I don't believe there is justification for that powder in a case that short. Also Hodgdon does not support use of Trailboss in 45 ACP load data as a reference. I think this is where I would revert to Titegroup or W231/HP38, which shot well in my test loads. I had no problem viewing the powder charges before placing a bullet for seating. I was also able to use a powder that was competitively priced.

 

If using 45 Colt brass, there may be more choices, but for this small pistol I think I would use a very light-for-caliber bullet, whatever was supported by formalized load data.

 

There is no Trailboss data for 45 ACP simply because it is not energetic enough to cycle the action.

 

Hodgdon publishes a formula for how to develop min and max loads for ANY cartridge. You can fine it here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I shoot 45 Colts in a Bond Derringer at one of my club's side matches, and load a 200 grain LRNFP over 4.6 grains of Trail Boss.  Easy and fun to shoot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

There is no Trailboss data for 45 ACP simply because it is not energetic enough to cycle the action.

 

Hodgdon publishes a formula for how to develop min and max loads for ANY cartridge. You can fine it here.

Hodgdon's formula is easier to apply in the length of a 45 Colt case. I am going to guess that there is room enough in a 45 ACP case to use enough Trailboss to get a load that would cycle and shoot just fine, but why would you? I guess I will try it to satisfy my skepticism. There still seems no justification for picking Trailboss for 45CS, unless maybe wanting to deal with fewer powders. I use Trailboss extensively but only where I find some basis in formal data.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/11/2020 at 6:31 AM, Prof. Fuller Bullspit said:

Press cases into those cakes of paraffin wax and shoot them with just a primer.  You can drill out the primer hole a bit so you don’t have problems with the primers backing out. But you must make sure you segregate those cases and never use them with powder.

I have an oddball question.  Are these loads legal for a derringer side match?  Page 27 of the Shooter's Handbook states requirements for revolver, rifle and shotgun ammunition.  These firearms clearly require lead projectiles but there are no stated requirements for derringers on that page.  Page 31 states requirements for derringers.  .22 mag ammo is prohibited but the page is silent regarding wax projectiles.  Is there a ruling by the ROC that wax projectiles are illegal for derringers?  (I have a 38 Special that I would only fired lead projectiles from in a SASS match.  My question is purely academic.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/12/2020 at 9:46 AM, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

:rolleyes:  Ha!!  I don't like Trail Boss for anything :wacko:  Nanny Nanny Poo Poo

Sorry to hijack the thread, but that there's funny!!! :D 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.