[prsmoke27]

I recently started reloading, and after much research and reading articles from John Linebaugh and Papa Elmer I have decided to load a 265 gr. Keith bullet for my Ruger Blackhawk with a 4 5/8" barrel and my Winchester M94 Trapper with an 18" barrel. Both are chambered in 45 Colt. My problem is I don't have any reloading data for this bullet. I have looked all over the internet, e-mailed powder manufacturers and companies such as Lyman, but nobody has anything they're willing to share. I'm using Green Dot and WSF powders right now, but I'm not afraid to change if necessary. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[Rocky Raab]

First, a warm welcome. As one of our much-missed members used to say, "Rules are simple: Be nice and join in."

Cast bullet data is pretty forgiving. If you can find data for a bullet within about 10 grains of yours and follow the usual rule about starting low, you should have no problem.

Lyman's 3rd Cast Bullet Handbook (there is to be a 4th very soon now) shows data for a 255 cast bullet with Red Dot. Now your bullet is a smidge heavier, but Green Dot is a smidge slower, so those two might pretty much cancel out. I'd feel no qualms if I were starting it at 6.0 grains and working carefully up to about 8.0. As a guide, a classic and great load with bullets like that is 6.5 RedDot for about 800 fps.

 

[m141a]

send me a PM, I will give you my data for a place to start for Marshall's Beartooth bullet. it's a 265 Keith. I have loadings for Colt peacemaker & clones/ S&W pistols under 1000fps, as well as hot stuff that will also work in your trapper. i use them in mine.

 

[jmortimer]

Unique and the .45 Colt are like bread and butter. Your bullet with 8 to 9 grains of Unique is perfect.

 

[tacklebury]

Unique and the .45 Colt are like bread and butter. Your bullet with 8 to 9 grains of Unique is perfect.

+1 I love 9 gr. Unique under my 255gr. Cast SWC. I use mainly 200 gr. RNFP with 6 gr. Unique for plinking. I have gone up to the Linbaugh level loads, but find that in my usage, it's just too much. I mainly use 300 gr. Hornady XTP Magnums with Linbaugh's appropriate amount of H110 for power loads. I have found myself going with the cast more and more often though. My hunting level load in my NMB is 11gr. Unique. 8)

 

[arkypete]

If you want an every day, pleasant load 8.5 to 9.5 grains of Unique will do the job. For more enthusiasic load I've found 20 grains of H110 and a 300 grain, works well in my Colt Anaconda 6 inch and Rossi 92 20 some odd inch.
These are all cast bullets, I've not used a jacketed bullet since some time in the late 70s.
Enjoy the 45 Colt as I have for the past 30 years

Jim

 

[CowboyGunNut]

I started handloading the .45 colt when I was a teenager. My dad only loaded shot shells at the time and exclusively used Green Dot. Since that's what I had available, it's what I used. I believe I used 7 grains under 230 and 255 grain bullets and it worked just fine.

 

[Marshal Kane]

Unique and the .45 Colt are like bread and butter. Your bullet with 8 to 9 grains of Unique is perfect.

+2 here. At 8 gr. Unique with a 255 gr. cast RNFP, makes an excellent target/plinker load and at 9 gr. good for SD.

 

[scott0116]

I tried several powders for the 255 grn cast bullet in 45 colt and ended up right back where i started... 8gr unique.

 

[prsmoke27]

Thank you all

Thanks to everyone for the friendly replies! I never thought I would receive such great information. I'm heading to Montana at the end of October to hunt some mulies and I'm thinking about loading a Cast Performance, 335 gr., lead wide long nose bullet. Does anyone recommend this over the 265 gr. Keith? If so, what's a good starting powder?

 

[m141a]

The biggest I have loaded for the Winchester trapper is the Beartooth 300gr. It is a brute, that'll kill all it's aimed upon.

here's the specs

I load the Beartooth 265 for my smith mountain gun;
8.0 gr. of Hodgdon Universal clays over a mag pistol primer.

 

[jmortimer]

How about loading Beartooth Bullets - the best hard cast bullets - The site owner has everything you need - the 265 grain Keith would work just fine - dead is dead - I really like the looks of the Bear Tooth 300 grain WFN or if you insist the 330 grain WFN. Don't overlook the 280 grain WFN which is a good choice for your lever action. Hopefully Mike G will weigh-in here as he has a Blackhawk and knows his stuff using it for hunting game. Anything you use will shoot through on a broadside and end to end otherwise. You are on the right track.

 

[m141a]

The Beartooth 300grain gets 20.0 grains of Hodgdon H110 for the mountain gun, for speeds just under 1000fps.
Also can be loaded for the blackhawk;
Mines a 4 5/8" model. I've found that 22.5 grains of H110 is the best load in this bullet weight for this gun, but I have never played with other brands of powders. Both loads work in the trapper too.

 

[MikeG]

A 300gr. cast bullet with go through a bison. You don't need 335s, but if you want them, then have fun. Frankly for deer any common .45 cal cast bullet should work. Go with what's accurate, has a decent flat nose, and is manageable in terms of recoil.

Good luck

 

[prsmoke27]

Thank you so much for the information, again. I finally have a starting point for my reloads. You all have been such a great help. I'll let you know how they turn out. If anyone finds themself in Louisiana, let me know, I'll clear some range time!