.45 Colt target load

[LonesomePigeon]

I am looking for a .45 Colt target load for paper punching at 25 and 50 yards.

I am using the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook which gives a suggested starting charge of 7.5 grains of Unique with the 200 grain Lee 452-200 cast bullet. Is this "suggested starting charge" a minimum charge or can one go lower?

[Froogal]

I think the LEE manual gives 8.2 grains of Unique as the minimum with a 200 grain lead bullet. I personally use 8.5 grains of Unique for shooting steel targets.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I am looking for a .45 Colt target load for paper punching at 25 and 50 yards.

I am using the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook which gives a suggested starting charge of 7.5 grains of Unique with the 200 grain Lee 452-200 cast bullet. Is this "suggested starting charge" a minimum charge or can one go lower?

"Never decrease this charge as an increase in pressure could be encountered." - This is the last sentence in the Starting Load paragraph on page 122 of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook-Third Edition.

Slim

[Drydock]

In this application, I would use Red Dot per the manual. 

[Niederlander]

Yep.  At starting loads recoil is pretty much negligible, and it's accurate.

[Virgil Lantey]

I don't shoot SASS and I don't load mouse loads. If you want to load to velocities that match the original BP load take a look at the loading data for Hodgdon CFE Pistol. It will easily get you the velocity at below SAAMI pressure, and I've found it to be very accurate.

[6MT]

This is my accuracy load with a 250gr full copper plated bullet.

Uberti 1873 rifle
                    .45LC: 250gr Campro FCP/TC
                     TiteGroup 6.2gr
                     Various brass, LP magnum primers
                     COAL measurement: 1.5930" (heavy crimp)

Very accurate load. Around an moa at 100yards. I haven't measured the speed, but I estimate just under 1000fps with this rifle's 20" barrel.

[Professor Marvel]

I am looking for a .45 Colt target load for paper punching at 25 and 50 yards.

I am using the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook which gives a suggested starting charge of 7.5 grains of Unique with the 200 grain Lee 452-200 cast bullet. Is this "suggested starting charge" a minimum charge or can one go lower?

Firstly, I advise everyone to review the Wall of Text posted here

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=55347.0

As all of my old martial arts instructors said, even black belts benefit by periodically reviewing basics!

My second edition Lee manual, printed 2013, shows a minimum or starting load of 8.4 gr Unique with a 200 grain cast bullet.

My 49th edition of the Lyman Reloading Handbook , 9th priniting january 2014 shows a minimum or starting load of 8.6 gr Unique with a 200 gr cast leD bullet for 918 fps and 8700 cup.

Way back, the hogden manual number 26 listed

For the 200 grn bullet they list following

unique 8.0 838 fps 11,600 cup to 9.0 883 fps

Howver, as stated in the Wall of Text, powder formulas changed slightly over the years, and the Hogden manual is considered ancient.

Do not reduce thie starting or minimum charge of Unique, since the cavernous case can cause pressures to rise unexpectedly.

If lighter loads are required, a more fluffy, slower powder is recommended.

I find the starting loads for .45 Colt to be mild and pleasant, as nicce as the old "softball" loads
For target .45 acp.

If one is loading for extreme frugalitiy, one can use the much smaller .45 cowboy cases and load down to
A minimum of 4.8 gr unique for similar pressure and velocity, this will "almost" double the number of rounds one can get from a bottle of powder. If one is cheap frugal....


From the manufacturer, they recommend only one load

https://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/powderlist.aspx?type=1&powderid=3&cartridge=36


45 Colt   200 gr Speer LSWC   Unique   9.5gr 1,061 fps


We had some discussion back here
https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=53144.0

Hope this helps
Prof mumbles

[Coffinmaker]

  Pigeon 

My suggestion may or may not help.  I have two favorite "Target Loads."  If one absolutely "must" shoot that fad Heathen Smokeless stuff, I liked 4.5Gr TightGroup with a 130Gr "Barnstormer" bullet.

Preference of course, is that same 130Gr Barnstormer bullet with 14Gr 3f APP topped with C0W to the bullet base.

Both are quite pleasant.

Play Safe Out There

[Trailrider]

Be CAREFUL about reducing the load of Unique below the recommended minimums shown! And be SURE to use a FIRM ROLL CRIMP OF THE CASE MOUTH INTO A CRIMP GROOVE IN THE BULLET!  Premature shot start can result if the bullet releases from the case before the powder is burning stabilly. It takes 5,000-8,000psi (NOT CUP) to get stable burning. If the powder ignites but doesn't fully "get going" and the bullet is pushed into the forcing cone, it could stop, resulting in the powder taking off before the bullet can start moving again! Pressures can increase to the extent that the case ruptures (especially if the chambers are overly generous in diameter), and the resulting flame can act like a cutting torch on the chamber walls! The result will be a destroyed revolver!
I know you specified using Unique for light loads. If you have access to something a bit faster, like W231/HP38 (same powder, different label), or even Bullseye, you might be better served.

[LonesomePigeon]

It has been quite a while since I posted this thread. I appreciate all the advice. I think I have made some progress so now I have something to post.

The intention of this thread was not really to find a super light load but rather to find an accurate load. My thinking was that a lighter load might be more accurate but in this case that was probably faulty reasoning. Now I think my main problem was my bullet alloy. Actually, not the alloy per se, but that I was casting at too high of temps and ruining my alloy. Over on the castboolits forum I learned a bunch from this thread: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?63550-Gold-and-purple-and-blue-Oh-My!&highlight=Lead+blue+interference

I cannot explain everything in that thread, it's an epic that you will just have to read yourself if you want to learn what it says. Suffice it to say I made I new batch of tin/lead alloy and this time I was careful not to get it too hot. I used 1/4 pound of tin to 5 pounds of pure lead. I meant to make 1:20 but, correct me if I'm wrong, I think I actually made 1:40. Anyway it seems to have worked. Here is my load and target shot off a sandbag rest at 25 yards.

Colt Single Action Army .45 Colt 5 1/2" barrel
Lee 452-200 mold as cast, unsized.
Approximately 1:40 tin:lead
Lamb tallow and beeswax lube
Random mix of brass
CCI Large Pistol Primer No. 300
6.1 grains of Trail Boss



PS- One more thing I forgot to mention. I have tried multiple Trail Boss loads before this. I tried 5.6, 6.0 and 6.5 and the results were nowhere near this good. That is why I am fairly convinced the problem was my alloy and getting it too hot.

[LonesomePigeon]

PSS - That is 6 shots total. 5 shots touching and 1 separate. The separate one was probably my fault for changing my sight picture or changing my grip as I was rather hurried. The range was closing in 5 minutes.

[Bunk]

the moral, I think, is get a couple of loading manuals and READ them, compare them,  and follow instructions. The people that make them  have pressure guns, chronographs, and technicians that know what they are doing. 
Joey Baggadonuts loading data is garbage.
There are some dandy one caliber specific booklets that compile different powder and bullet makers data.
Can't think of the name but I have seen them at Cabela's and other sources.
Worth using.
Play safe out there
Bunk