45 Long Colt Reloads

[Doc R Domingo]

Suggested loads for 45 Long Colt for Cimarron Schofield? Powder, Bullet weight, and do you use jacketed bullets?

 

Thanks!

 

[Buckshot Bear]

"uh oh" you done gone and wrote "Long Colt". 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

I was watching a video a couple weeks back where a Colt representative actually

referred to the .45 Colt as a .... ".45 Long Colt".

And then he stated that although the "LONG COLT" name wasn't official, it was used to

distinguish between it and other .45 type ammo.

 

So right or wrong, that name apparently has been used a long time by those in the

industry.

 

Just thought I would pass along that 'useless' information.   

Wish I had copied that video to share.

 

..........Widder

 

[Stump Water]

https://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/45_short_colt.htm

 

[Stump Water]

44 minutes ago, Doc R Domingo said:

Suggested loads for 45 Long Colt for Cimarron Schofield? Powder, Bullet weight, and do you use jacketed bullets?

 

Thanks!

 

 

5 gr. Red Dot.

 

160-200

 

Not for CAS.

[Scarlett]

No jacketed or plated bullets for SASS/CAS. 

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

[Idaho Gunslinger]

I'm shooting 5.5 gr of Promo (sold in bulk Red Dot) behind a 180gr powder coated bullet from Cheycast with Federal LPP. It's my rifle load but I can run it in my SAA clones just fine. They are going 890fps from my 18.5" rifle. Probably going 700-750 fps from my 5.5" clones. 

 

I developed this load in 20 degree weather since we shoot matches year round and I needed something that would be reliable in sub-zero temps. It probably runs a little hotter in the 90+ summer but I don't notice. 

 

I can add that I am shooting new Starline brass and I get a fair amount of blowback with this load. I plan to try annealing my brass to see if this helps. 

 

For what it's worth I am shooting Cowboy 45 Special rounds in my SAA's with 130 gr Barnstormer bullets. 4.0gr of Promo powder at 600 fps. I've shot stages alternating the 45 cowboy and 45 colt loads in the cylinder and I didn't notice while shooting. The difference in recoil was only noticeable to me if I was actually paying attention to it. 

[Sam Sackett]

4.5 grains of Red Dot / Promo with a 200 to 250 grain bullet. Nice load but don’t know the speed. 
 

Sam Sackett 

[Jailhouse Jim, SASS #13104]

35grs by volume of real FFG under a 200 JP Big Lube.

[watab kid]

2 hours ago, Stump Water said:

 

5 gr. Red Dot.

 

160-200

 

Not for CAS.

this , RNFP bullets have worked best for me 

[DeaconKC]

200 grain rnfp under 7.5 grains of Unique runs really well in my Schofields.

[Ned Lander]

I would love to try some Unique but you can't find it anywhere for sale.  I heard that they might discontinue it.  Just a rumor.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

1 hour ago, DeaconKC said:

200 grain rnfp under 7.5 grains of Unique runs really well in my Schofields.

 

I load using the same components but put the powder under the bullet. 

[Cholla]

22 minutes ago, Ned Lander said:

I would love to try some Unique but you can't find it anywhere for sale.  I heard that they might discontinue it.  Just a rumor.

You must be in the wrong state. Sportsman's Warehouse and CAL Ranch stores both have it here in Arizona. I can't imagine them stopping production on a powder that has been a favorite since 1899.

[Sam Sackett]

Unique has been unobtaium here in PA for a long while. 
 

Sam Sackett 

[DeaconKC]

1 hour ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

 

I load using the same components but put the powder under the bullet. 

I was hired for my looks.....

that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

[Griff]

6 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

I was watching a video a couple weeks back where a Colt representative actually

referred to the .45 Colt as a .... ".45 Long Colt".

And then he stated that although the "LONG COLT" name wasn't official, it was used to

distinguish between it and other .45 type ammo.

 

So right or wrong, that name apparently has been used a long time by those in the

industry.

 

Just thought I would pass along that 'useless' information.   

Wish I had copied that video to share.

 

..........Widder

Proves that even supposedly well-informed folks can be wrong.  Because doing something out of habit, doesn't excuse it if it's a bad habit.  Since the 45 Colt Government is no longer available and hasn't since the 1930s, why refer to the original by an artificial name?  

[DeaconKC]

Alrighty then. Since the 9mm has so many names and there are at least 5 cartridges I can think of off the top of my head, I expect all the pedants here to start referring to the 9mm Parabellum by it's CORRECT, original name. Not 9mm, 9 NATO, etc. since there is also the 9mm Largo, 9mm Kurtz, 9mm Lefaucheaux,  9mm Zerstorer, 9mm Ultra, 9mm Pinfire, etc...

PS, forgot the 9mm Makarov...

[Grass Range]

I use Unique in my Long Colt

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

Since gun and ammo manufacturers have been using both 45 Colt and 45 Long Colt for a long time that issue is way down the list of being any concern to me. Certainly nothing to thump your chest about because, by gosh, you refuse to call it anything but 45 Colt. Big deal.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

As an aside or just additional minutia:  The 45 "Government" cartridge was created by/for the military when there was a problem of ammunition interchangeability between the 45 Schofield and 45 Colt.  The Colt cylinder at the time would not accept 45 Schofield cartridges and 45 Colt was too long for Schofield cylinders.  Ergo, came the 45 "Government" which could be chambered in either.

 

There is not and never has been a 45 "Long Colt."  Ignorance runs rife even in those whom are suppose to "know things."

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

I use 5.5 grains of Trail Boss behind a 200 grain bullet.

Of course good luck finding Trail Boss these days.  Or Red Dot, which also is a good powder, but I've not used it for a long time.  Saving what little I have left for shotgun.

As far as .45 Colt or .45 Long Colt goes, (or 9mm Luger) I kinda look at it the same way I do the whole silencer argument.  From a legal standpoint, there is no such thing as a suppressor.  The word never appears in the text of NFA '34, but silencer is found in that law many times, and that is what the it regulates.  So silencer is the correct term, and suppressor is a made up one that has no meaning as far as the law goes.  But, people know what you mean when they use the term, so I really don't worry about it all that much anymore.

Now if I could just find reproduction dummy silencers for my Nagant revolvers.  That'd be fun!

Actually, I get more bent out of shape when people refer to horse mounted soldiers with the name of a certain hill outside of Jerusalem.

[Rye Miles #13621]

200 gr bullet with 5.2 grs of Titegroup or Clays

[Idaho Gunslinger]

4 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

I use 5.5 grains of Trail Boss behind a 200 grain bullet.

Of course good luck finding Trail Boss these days.  Or Red Dot, which also is a good powder, but I've not used it for a long time.  Saving what little I have left for shotgun.

As far as .45 Colt or .45 Long Colt goes, (or 9mm Luger) I kinda look at it the same way I do the whole silencer argument.  From a legal standpoint, there is no such thing as a suppressor.  The word never appears in the text of NFA '34, but silencer is found in that law many times, and that is what the it regulates.  So silencer is the correct term, and suppressor is a made up one that has no meaning as far as the law goes.  But, people know what you mean when they use the term, so I really don't worry about it all that much anymore.

Now if I could just find reproduction dummy silencers for my Nagant revolvers.  That'd be fun!

Actually, I get more bent out of shape when people refer to horse mounted soldiers with the name of a certain hill outside of Jerusalem.

I thought you were going to mention how everyone calls magazines: "clips"!

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

32 minutes ago, Idaho Gunslinger said:

I thought you were going to mention how everyone calls magazines: "clips"!

 

Well, it woulda fit. 

I suppose, in a way, a magazine is clipped into place.  Or is it?  I don't know anymore.

[Leroy Luck]

6gr of titegroup under a 180gr bullet 

[Turquoise Bill, SASS #39118]

Here is the data from Hodgdon Cowboy Action Data book.

 

 

Hodgdon Cowboy Loads.pdf

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

They warn about not loading below yhe minimum. Also years ago they had information that depending on barrel length the velocity could be well below what's listed. They didn't have it prominently displayed or highlighted. You had to read the whole thing to run across it.

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

On 11/12/2023 at 2:49 PM, Buckshot Bear said:

"uh oh" you done gone and wrote "Long Colt". 

The legend Elmer Kieth used the term Long Colt in his book Six Guns.  Were he still alive I would not want to argue with him or get in a shooting match either.

[Trailrider #896]

The shorter cartridge shown in the article referenced by Stump Water, would appear to be what we call, ".45 Schofield", which would be the .45 Revolver Ball cartridge, issued for use in the Schofield and .45 Colt's Revolver, by the cavalry.

[Buckshot Bear]

20 hours ago, Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655 said:

The legend Elmer Kieth used the term Long Colt in his book Six Guns.  Were he still alive I would not want to argue with him or get in a shooting match either.

 

 

There's a helluva' lot of cowboys on the Wire that would. 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

19 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

 

 

There's a helluva' lot of cowboys on the Wire that would. 

Oh yeah...he's like a...god.

 

Wait, didn't he blow up one of his guns with his handloads???

 

Nooooo...not a god...

 

Phantom

["Big Boston"]

I have a Navy Arms Schofield chambered in 45 LC and I prefer a 250 gr bullet as they seem to shoot to the sights whereas a lighter bullet does not. 

 

Availability of powder is a factor, and I'm seeing a bit of 700x trickling in so I'll probably load that. But the powder doesn't seem to all that critical. In the burning rate between Bullseye and Unique somewhere around 5 grains you'll get about 700 fps. In addition the rather square (height/diameter being equal) makes most of the powders position neutral (within reason anyways), and the primer is less important than with some other calibers. 5.5 grains of TB with a 250 is a good load, but TB doesn't work as well with a lighter bullet. 

 

I have firearms in 45 LC and in 45 S&W. I'd like to find a 45 S&W load that would work good in either chambering, but although I'm close, I'm still not satisfied. 

 

I don't shoot anything but cast, and really don't see the need to shoot jacketed in a 45 Colt as the velocities are low. If leading is an issue for a non CAS application,  a gas checked bullet will work nicely. I loaded up some in both 45 S&W and 45 Colt cases and they shoot so clean it's scary. The bullet I used for this experiment was a 452480 Lyman. Note: I do not use this for shooting cowboy and in a 45 Colt case they are too long for a rifle, strictly for long Ruger cylinders. 

 

I was having some issues and went the Manson Throat Reamer route, that changed the equation, and I need to fine tune my load a bit. I also practiced on my other 45s first, reamed the Schofield last.

 

BB

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

17 minutes ago, "Big Boston" said:

I don't shoot anything but cast, and really don't see the need to. If leading is an issue,  a gas checked bullet will work nicely. I loaded up some in a 45 S&W case and they shoot so clean it's scary. My bullet is a 452480 Lyman. 

 

Quote

REVOLVER AND RIFLE AMMUNITION  

- May not be jacketed, semi-jacketed, hollow point, plated, or gas checked.  It must be all lead.

   Moly-Disulfide, polymer coated bullets, or equivalents are acceptable.

SHB p.26