.45 Blackhawk and BTB 265 WFN G/C

rifter · #1 08-17-2012, 11:30 AM

I finally got a really nice day (bright, clear, 70 deg.) to hit the range, and my chronograph cooperated. I've been trying to get data on the 265 WFN g/c from Beartooth, as well as the 265 Keith style plain base from Beartooth.

The 265 WFN is sized at .453, the 265 Keith at .454. Throats in my Blackhawk are .4535, so I was also wanting to find out how they worked size wise. The bore measures .453. Chrono was a Shooting Chrony F1 Master. All three loads used the same 13 gr. charge of Blue Dot powder, and CCI LP primers. Brass was Starline for the WFN and XTP, and Remington for the Keith.

First up was the Keith plain base bullet. Its a traditional SWC with a single large lube groove and a crimp groove with a well defined full diameter shoulder. I ran several 5 rd strings with similar velocities for each one. The last set was:

1005, 963.7, 1044, 987.1, 1138. ES = 174.2 SD = 68.53

Next was the 265 WFN g/c. This bullet has a basic RN profile clipped to a wide meplat, two lube grooves, crimp groove, and a gas check. Here's numbers for this one:

1062.21, 1059.23, 1062.58, 1070.47, 1062.67 ES = 11.24 SD = 4.12

I also ran several strings with the Hornady 250 gr. XTP HP at .452. Velocities were about 950 to 1000 fps.

I'm planning to use this pistol for deer hunting this year, so velocity is just as important as accuracy so that I meet the minimum state requirements on muzzle energy. The 250 gr. XTP is just a tad on the slow side. Accuracy was OK, but nothing to shout about, and I don't really want to push this bullet any harder because it is a touch undersize for my bore.

One thing that was abundantly clear was that velocities with the XTP and the Keith were somewhat erratic. The XTP is a bit undersize, while the Keith is a bit oversize for the cylinder throats. The .454 diameter of the Keith would've been ideal for the barrel, but whatever advantage that would've given me was lost by the swaging effect of the .453 throats. That played hob with overall accuracy as well.

The WFN, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for the cylinder and the bore. Accuracy was outstanding, making it very easy to hit a torso sized steel plate at 100 yds. Even near misses were still within the kill radius of fat midwest whitetails.

So, the 265 WFN g/c is my choice. Recoil is very manageable, accuracy is excellent, and energy is sufficient to meet legal requirements. With a little luck, this load will put some venison in the freezer in a few months.