Yep, in a blackhawk it right up there with the 44mag. Still slower than the 44mag by almost 100fps in most wieghts, but they are loading them with same powders as 44mag. For some reason, hodgedon does recommend hot loads past 240gr. Not really sure why. The brass has simular capacities to the 44 mag so I don't understand the huge differences and the cylinders are just as strong. If you want hot loads like 24.6gr of H110, I would stick with the proven trusted round of the 44mag. Alot of data out there. Also, if you reload, you can get the 44mag tamed down with some unique powder, around 9gr.
Hog! Check out a Speer loading manual. They have a special section for 45Colt loads to be used in the Ruger's and the Contender's.These are much hotter loads for these. I wouldn't recommend shooting them in anything but the Ruger or Contender.The correct name for that cartridge is 45 Colt not 45 Long Colt.
Ruger Redhawk
..... A Proud NRA Life Member since 1977 .....Ruger Redhawk
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Ruger-Redhawk, our quest is never over is it? One day in the distant future we may be able to come on this board and not see 45 LC or a magazine referred to as a clip. Maybe I could die happy then.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Try Hodgdon's Lil'Gun powder, use a good crimp and you can surpass the 44mag.
I have done it with up to 300grain bullets using Hodgdon load data.
I like to refer to it as the 45 colt also but there really was 45 short colt in the late 1880's and 1890's. I saw a box in some ones collection. Unfortunately it wasn't my collection.
There used to be long's and short's in quite alot of chamberings.
You can load the .45 Colt up close to .454 Casull velocity, but you have to have a strong gun like the Ruger or T/C. I also believe you can load 'em up for the newer lever guns.
I, too wish those darn amunition companies would properly label their own boxes with my preferred name for all cartridges. And, those rascally retailers really should scribble out the word "clip" on those packages. Maybe, the Postal Service can go through every catalog and black out these offensive words so as not to raise my ire.
I handload for the .45 Colt.. in a Ruger Blackhawk with a 7 1/2" barrel. The stoutest loads I have loaded pushed a 325gr LBT style bullet at about 1250fps. I also tried the 365gr bullet at about 1150fps, but I preferred the 325. These loads will let you know you have pulled the trigger! I was a bit concerned about pressures, but the fired cases dropped out of the cylinder when tapped with the ejector rod. These are some serious loads, and I think they are superior to anything the .44 mag does. It comes close, but I think the extra .025" of diameter makes up for any slight velocity deficiencies the .45 might have.
"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana
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&quot;Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.&quot; Santayana
The offical name is "45 Colt", but I have seen old boxes with "45 Long Colt" written on them. It's my understanding the "Long" came from the frontier days. S&W had been give a contract by the U.S. Army to provide Shofield revolvers. When the Army found that the S&W's cylinders couldn't handle full length 45 Colt rounds, they started loading both "short" and "long" loads. The term "45 Long Colt" has continued to hang on.
aunsaber, what load of lilgun are you using. Hodgdon, neither Sierra's tech support thinks you can surpass a 44Mag using 300gr bullets. I load both, but don't have the gun for these stout 45 loads, but do load for friends. We have not been able to surpass the 44mag loads. I can get 1300fps in my 44mag using Max H110 19gr but its starts to really cave in my primers. I have never been able to get those velocities out of a 45LC with a 300grain bullet with any powder.
Big country,
Li'l Gun gives more speed with less presure( I know it doesn't make sense.) I used to use H110 and have now switched to Li'L Gun in all my handgun hunting loads.
I have gotten 1318 fps with 20.2 grains and a LBT gas checked bullet
in a Bisley BlkHawk 7.5" barrel, .003" cylinder gap. I would like to get a barrel for my Encore just to see how much the cylinder gap makes on this load. Of course the shortest Encore barrel I can get is 10" and custom made, so that won't really tell me much.
All my friends that handgun hunt use 44mags. And on the same Chronogragh they won't beat my 45. Two of the 44's have 8 3/8" barrels.
Also the first 454's used a Tri-plex load in a 45colt case.
45 long Colt
