What's your .45LC load for the O/T

[Anvil Dave]

What is your .45LC load for the open top, black powder of course? I reload my .45's w/ 31grs. of #2 b/p with a 250gr. Big Lube for my peacemakers and '66. The open tops can handle this load, right?

[Anvil Dave]

mmmmmmmmmmm,well Seth, maybe I should use .38 Special, because I have a ton of .38 Special brass that been sitting in my shelfs for years, even small pistol primers. I didn't buy my open tops yet. Still thinking.

[Adirondack Jack]

Just had this conversation the other day.  Feller has a pair of open top .45 conversions and was wondering about loads.  I figure the colt frame will be happier with 200 grainers and maybe 16 to 18 grains of BP in the short cases than 30+.  I know my wallet would be happier.

[Dick Dastardly]

AJ is to reserved to say it, but he sells exactly the right brass, Cowboy 45 Special, for your loading situation.  I'll add that the lil EPP-UG Big Lube™ bullets, they emulate round balls, are just the ticket.  They weigh in at 150 grains.  I shoot them in my ROAs with Kirst Konverter cylinders.  Love 'em.

DD-DLoS

[Anvil Dave]

Hey AJ............you sell Cowboy 45 Special? How much of a different to a .45 Scofield? And I guess I can use the same Cowboy RCBS dies. Can you emule me some infor.?

[Cuts Crooked]

Hey AJ............you sell Cowboy 45 Special? How much of a different to a .45 Scofield? And I guess I can use the same Cowboy RCBS dies. Can you emule me some infor.?

Click on his banner, Pard! It'll git ya the info yer wantin! 

[Adirondack Jack]

Hey AJ............you sell Cowboy 45 Special? How much of a different to a .45 Scofield? And I guess I can use the same Cowboy RCBS dies. Can you emule me some infor.?

Howdy Anvil Dave,

If ya compare the .45 Colt, Schofield, and Cowboy .45 Special, looking at the case capacity of each under the bullet, the Schofield reduces the case capacity by about 20 to 25%, and the Cowboy .45 Special reduces the case capacity under the bullet by 40 to 50%, depending on how deep the bullet seats.

In other words, when loaded with BP, the Cowboy .45 Special ends up with somewhere around 16 to 18 grains, where the Schofield would be in the high twenties, and the Colt case over 30 grains.

Like the man said, the banner on this post (or rotating in and out on top of the page) sends ya to the website.

A seasoned shooter in northern NY who owns a Bond Derringer uses the EPP UG 150 bullets and my cases to make "orthopedic" loads he can shoot without pain.  Others use similar loads to run FAST with their .45s, using smokeless or BP.  All the while, the guns get a lot less abuse than they do with the big thumper loads.

[Dr. Bob]

But they don't make as much smoke and nose!!

[Adirondack Jack]

But they don't make as much smoke and nose!!

Ya might be surprized