Accuracy Load in Uberti 1866 45LC

[Patrick Henry Brown]

Looking at shooting some NRA Cowboy Pistol Caliber Lever Silhouette matches, and am hoping to use my Uberti 1866 since I already own it. Unlike CAS, the targets will be up to 100 meters. I've never bothered developing an accuracy load in 45LC for it, because the most we ever shoot in CAS is 45 yards or so. Right now, I have a bunch of 45LC loaded with 6.0 grains of Trail Boss behind a 200 gr. RNFP. Shoots great, but dirty in the 1866, though is really loaded for my 1875 Remingtons. I'm thinking I need to go to 250 or 255 grain RNFP. Should I stick with the Trail Boss (read where one guy is loading 6.5 gr. behind the Lee 255 gr. RNFP), or go with something else, like Unique, Bullseye, 5744?

[Camille Eonich]

The best thing that I can tell you is Google this "loading the 45 colt for accuracy" without the quotes and read a little.  It's going to take a little more playing around with than a high powered round because the data just isn't there but you're goal is to get the most consistent load that shoots straight in your particular gun and then adjust your elevation and windage accordingly.

When working up a load for a high powered rifle I generally start with a generic reloading manual that covers as many powders as possible and take the three loads from that with the lowest standard deviation.  Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't and what works in one gun doesn't necessarily work in another.  I went through probably 20 different loads before I found something that my .25-06 really liked.


I can tell you this though if you build a little more pressure in your load it will shoot cleaner.  You can do this by either loading a heavier round or by crimping better or a combination of both.  The final stage in my 650 has a lee factory crimp die in it which produces the prettiest tightest roll crimp you have ever seen.   Some powders are just dirtier than others though and I really don't have any experience with Trail Boss.

[wildman1]

The most accurate load in both of my '92's is 20g's of 2f with a 250g bullet. That is out to 150yds. That load is also LESS than what I shoot for CAS. This is both according to handloads.com and quite a bit of range time. WM