I finally have the money in hand and have some questions on my decision. The entire goal for me wanting to reload is cheaper ammo. Working up loads will be secondary and on down the line. If I figured correctly I can save at least $10 a box.

Because of my goal and limited space, I think I am going to go withthe Lee Classic Loader and all of the other items listed as recomended in the article on this site. I think I am going to order the powder scale as well. About $50 total investment in equipment.

At this point I am just wanting to do 45 LC so that I can shoot more. I like the 250 grain bullets and have shot several plain lead ones with no trouble. On Midways site the cheapest that I found was a Remington round nose. For a little more money I can get a Rainer flat nose in a copper jacket. Which of these would be the best all around for mostly target shooting and hunting whitetail deer?

Which primer is the best for the money? (No Misfires and good ignition)

And last but not least, powder. I am looking for a good all around, can't go wrong with choice to start with. I would like one that would easily push a 250 grain bullit to 850 fps but could also be used to get 900 to 1000 fps after I got comfortable loading. If nothing like that exists, I would pick 900 as my target.

I appoligize if I sound too green. I have a couple of loading manuals but they are a little conservative with their load data and list several powders to be used with one chosen as their recomendation. A pound of powder should load around 2000 rounds (@6 grains) if I did my math correctly, so I just want to pick one that I can learn on at lower pressures and be able to bump it up later on after I have some practice and see how I like it.
I am loading for a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt with a 5 1/2" barrel.

I hope I don't scare anybody. :eek: Please feel free to critique or correct me if I am looking in the wron direction. Thanks for the help.

I don't load the .45 Colt, but it appears from Speer data that you can cover your velocity range with Unique in a Blackhawk. There are 7000 grains in a pound, so the minimum load of 6.0 grains gets you 1166 loads to the pound. Speer tops out at 10.5 grains for 1136 fps, close to what you can get with slower powders. This is Blackhawk only data, not for the Colt SAA. I doubt if you'll have problems with any Large Pistol primer.

I'd suggest any economical bullet for practice, although the .45 Colt shooters here will have a better idea of what's best. Our host has several wide meplat bullets that are better than the economy bullets for deer hunting. You don't need many of them, so don't worry about the slight extra cost.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

Bye
Jack

So, the Unique range is from 6 to 10.5 grains? Will 10.5 grains fit into the case with no trouble? Won't go that high to start, just sisn't know if that was a compressed charge or not. Thanks.

OK, first of all, I got that 10.5 grain load from Speer #11, which was published in 1987. There may be changes and Speer published #14 a year or two ago. Since you're new to reloading, I'd strongly advise you to get Speer #14 or another current manual that has Blackhawk data for the .45 Colt. My other manuals and the Alliant site only have Colt SAA data, which will get you to 800-850 fps. The current Lyman #48 has Contender data, which is another strong gun, and maxs at 10.2 with a 255 grain lead bullet.

Don't trust any internet load unless it's from a powder manufacturer's site, and try to cross reference with another manual.

Will a .45 Colt hold 10.5 grains of Unique? My first thought was that the original .45 Colt load was 40 grains of black powder, and Unique is about half as dense, so it should. It's a little slow this evening, so I checked. A .38 Special case, filled level to the top, no room for a bullet, holds 13.6 grains of Unique, 23.8 grains of FFg black, and 22.0 grains of 2400. You may find 2400 good for top end loads.

In case anyone is wondering, these case full loads are far over maximum and aren't safe to even think about.

Bye
Jack

All due respect to Jack, but Unique burns NASTY! I personally don't use it in my guns. It doesn't meter well, and it's a pain in the butt to clean your guns after shooting it.

Have you looked at Accurate N100, #5, #7, and #9 ? It's about the same price as Unique, but meters better, and is a whole lot cleaner.
As far as the bullets go, I don't have any experience with Rainier. I would load the lead bullets for target, but step up to a premium bullet for hunting. Just my 2 cents.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

Since you are using the Lee Loader, I would use one of the loads from the data that comes with the loader itself. Don't buy a scale because you will not need one if you use the data and dipper that comes with the loader. Pick a hard cast bullet that has a powder charge listed for the exact volume of the dipper. When you want to get the Aniversery Kit, (and believe me, you will), you will get a scale with the kit.

So my suggestion is get your Lee Loader and study the load chart that comes with it, first. Then go out and get a powder and bullet and primer locally. I usually find the best deals on the items at gun shows and there is no special handling charges. If someone is still casting bullets locally, that will be your best value. Bullets, even lead is going up fast.

Ruger71, the Lee Classic Loader will do you a good job.

In spite of what you may hear or read on the net, all brands of primers are reliable. I suspect the stories we get are due to poor seating practice.

I think Unique will be the most versitle powder for you, good for mid-range up to almost full power with no difficulty. As mentioned above, Alliant powders in general do leave a bit of soft ash in the bore but each successive shot removes the preceding stuff so it doesn't accululate. I find it quite easy to swab the ash out with one pass of a wet patch but others may get different results!

I have never understood the "nasty, dirty" rap against Unique. Yes, the old formulation of Unique was -- perhaps -- a bit sootier than other powders. But since the "cleaner" formulation came out years ago, I find it as clean-shooting as anything else, and nothing else comes closer, IMO, to being the ideal powder for "normal" .45 Colt loads in the 800-1000 fps. range.

Unique is versatile, but it burns dirty and leaves unburned flakes behind in lower pressure loads. Its burn cleans up a good bit as the pressures gets higher. Hodgdon Universal is very close to Unique in performance, but it burns cleaner and meters (is measured) more easily, even in a Lee Loader's dipper. You can use your same 6 grain starting load with Universal. Top loads may be as much as 10% lower than for Unique, so you would want to work up to them slowly. The difference in charge weights for these two powders is zero in some chamberings, but not in others. The burn characteristics are just a bit different, so you have to watch for pressure signs closely as you work them up.

Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition, has some load data that might be useful. Using their 250 grain #454190 bullet, which is the common .45 LC shape, an otherwise round nose with a small flat, and seated to 1.600" COL, they list 9.0 grains of Unique as the maximum for a Colt SAA. For the Ruger and T/C, they list 11.5 grains of Unique as maximum. That is a hot load, running almost 1200 fps from a 7.5" Blackhawk, and encroaching on magnum performance territory. No pressure is given, but it would have to be worked up to slowly. QuickLOAD says the powder space behind the bullet is only 65% full, even with that larger load of Unique. Figure as little as 10.5 grains of Universal may match the pressure and velocity, but you'd have to work up and try it.

As the others said, there is no reason to prefer any particular primer from a reliability standpoint. However, I have watched primers go off in the old Lee Loaders (they've improved the design since then). For that reason, I would avoid Federal primers, which are a bit more sensitive than some of the others. CCI is probably least sensitive, but require a little more effort to seat, IME, which may negate the sensitivity advantage. Since you don't know what powder or load you will finally settle on, in your shoes, I think I would get Winchester large pistol primers. These serve for both standard and magnum loads. I have used them for both accurate target loads and magnum loads without any problems. Their sensitivity is a good compromise, and they are just average in seating hardness.

. . . Unique burns NASTY! I personally don't use it in my guns. It doesn't meter well, and it's a pain in the butt to clean your guns after shooting it. . .
For years, Unique has been one of the most popular and consistent powders used with the .45 Colt cartridge. The new, improved Unique burns much cleaner than the old and the tarnish, if any, left on the cases will now tumble clean. I use 8.0 gr. of Unique with the 250 gr. cast RNFP bullet and WLP for plinking in my SA Colt clones and it is a good, accurate load. Yes, it doesn't meter that easily in the powder measure unless TLC is used when operating the operating handle but once the technique has been learned, it will hold to .1 gr. accuracy. If using the Lee dipper, this is not even a problem. Normal cleaning will remove any residue left over from using Unique. I clean after each range session anyway so it's not an issue. There are certainly other powders as Good_Steward mentioned that will perform just as well as Unique and are easier to use but IMO, it's not as bad as some make it out to be and it's extremely versatile in handgun, rifle, and shotgun. Not all powders can make that statement.

I will have to defend my position on this one. The Unique I used was new off the shelf about 2 months ago. I had heard that it burned a lot cleaner than it used to. I loaded 6.8gr of Unique under a 200gr LSW for use in my XD 45. First off, after shooting 100 rounds, and taking it home to clean it, powder residue filled every nook and cranny. It burns nasty, still.


Secondly, it wouldn't meter consistently. Try this at home if you use a powder measure. If it is set to dispense 5gr, dispense into 10-20 different catridges and weigh each one (powder charge) individually. You will be quite surprised at the weight variation. I have done this with all of the powders I have used (this was after my range shooting) and the Unique was consistently off, while my other powders metered where they were supposed to.

If anyone lives in the SE TN area, they are more than welcome to the 3/4 lb I have left of the Unique, as I will not be using it.

If you're shooting LSW (lead semi-wadcutters), most of the residue in your gun is from the bullet lube, not the powder.

Bye
Jack

Same thing no matter what bullet I use, Jack. I thought of that first, and loaded some Hornady XTP's. Same thing. UncleNick, I agree 100% with the Winchester LP primers. Good all around, as well as the CCI.

. . . The entire goal for me wanting to reload is cheaper ammo. . .

. . . Because of my goal and limited space, I think I am going to go with the Lee Classic Loader. . .

. . . I like the 250 grain bullets and have shot several plain lead ones with no trouble. . . Which of these would be the best all around for mostly target shooting and hunting whitetail deer?

Which primer is the best for the money? (No Misfires and good ignition)

. . . I am looking for a good all around, can't go wrong with powder choice to start with. I would like one that would easily push a 250 grain bullit to 850 fps but could also be used to get 900 to 1000 fps after I got comfortable loading. . .
Since you have decided on Lee reloading equipment, would suggest you go with the Lee Anniversary kit. It is an easier tool to reload with offering far more leverage and increased productivity. If you really take to reloading, you will be heading in this direction anyway and the cost is not that much more so why not start here? As all reloaders will attest to, reloading will save you money. In over 40+ years of reloading, I have never had a reloader argue this point. All popular brands of standard LP primers will perform well in the .45 Colt but I am partial to the plated ones only because they prime and decap so easily. I shoot the 250 gr. lead RNFP bullet which I cast myself but have also used commercial lead bullets for years cast by my local caster. My choice of powder is Unique however, other brands will perform as well and may burn cleaner. IMO, getting into reloading will open up a whole new world of shooting to you and give you the most bang for your buck. Best wishes.

I will have to defend my position on this one. . .
It's tricky metering big flakes of powder like Unique. Try only filling the measure hopper a third to half way. Operate the measure handle consistently. If the handle jams against the flakes, rock the handle to and fro slightly rather than cut the flakes until the jam comes free. Do not cut flakes as that will compress the powder around the drum causing inconsistent charges. Do not rap anything on the measure. I get consistent .1 gr. accuracy this way measured on my electronic scale. YMMV.

No need to defend your position as I am not mounting an attack. I believe what you are experiencing. Only wish I was in SE TN so I could pick up what's left of your Unique.;)

For bullets you should check out oregon trail lasercasts. they give pretty good accuracy for a mass produced hard cast lead bullet. They are not as good as beartooth, but they're pretty cheap.

www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0012705213468a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=lasercast&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=lasercast&noImage=0


If you have a sportsmans warehouse, they're cheaper than Cabelas

Hey MK. I have to beg to differ. Handloading has not saved me a dime. I just get to shoot more. The only thing that saves is not to spend. could we just agree that we all would rather return to a barter system and leave this finance thing behind.

Remember " Shoot and shoot more often."

Hey MK. I have to beg to differ. . .
You have a point there Chief. It's all in the interpretation. Now if you take the money that you save by reloading and not buy that new ________ , you'd be ahead e.g. "The only thing that saves is not to spend". Unfortunately I am a person of very weak will power so while I can discuss the hypothetical, the practical is that I spend more but enjoy doing so. So much to buy but so little to buy it with, sigh. ;)

Just a thought, but if you are going to get into reloading, why not get into casting bullets as well? (Unless of course there is nothing to be gained in terms of cost cutting by buying over the counter bullets.)

Ruger71
Here some current load data for you: Granted these loads are safe for SAA guns so they are pretty weak! I'll post some Speer #13 load for you later Ruger only stuff! I second Jacks recommending Unique!! I use it alot for 45 LC loads 9 gr Unique will get you 950-1000 fps under a 250 gr lead bullet! I use these in both 454 SRH and Win 94! I don't find it any dirtier than any thing else! Primers I like CCI but they are getting hard to find around here next is Rems!

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/Index.htm