reloading advice needed.

[chaindrive]

I've been reloading the .45 colt cartridge for my Uberti 1860 rifle.

I carefully worked my way up to this load:

250 gr. Nosler JHP bullet.
8.0 gr. Unique powder.
CCI 300 L/P primer.
Starline brass.
1.60" C.O.A.L.

6500' elevation, 75* F temp.

this works out to 1032 fps. at the muzzle (24.5" bbl) using a LABRADAR chronograph.

how would you guys rate this load?
light, medium or hot?

keeping in mind that this rifle has a brass receiver.
any chance of "receiver stretch" (heard about this condition somewhere ) using this load?

thanks.

[Coffinmaker]

Actually without an actual reloading Manuel to find the actual pressure level, hard to judge.  Must remember, a Brass rifle was designed for BP, not smokeless.  However, Uberti rifles are proofed for smokeless.  Yet, the pressure spike from smokeless is on a completely different curve. 

I can only speculate.  With your choice of bullet (The Henry was intended for cast lead) and resulting velocity, I'd personally call it at the upper end of Medium.  Just short of "hot."

Oh, the "proof" round is made up with a lead bullet and who know what powder.  The rifle is intended to be safe with any SAMMI spec ammo for 45 Colt.

You pays yer money and takes yer chances.  Your call.

Coffinmaker

[Professor Marvel]

Greetings My Good Chaindrive

I went to my loading manuals, and closest I could find was a similar 250 Jacketed bullet. Max loads were about 9.0 gr Uniique,
so you should be safe. Howver, like Coffin I actually prefer the pure lead bullets in that weight as their terminal performance is extremely consistant and reliable !

BTW we had a long discussion over here http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=28699.0
about the actual alloy content used (it is common brass ) and longevity.

Basically standard SAAMI pressures, blah blah ... but here is a snip so you can skip all our chat if you like:

snip---------------------------------------------------
Steel Horse Bailey
Re: Alloy Content of Uberti Brass Frames
Howdy!

Driftwood, thanks for posting.  This is very interesting.

This part of my post is for good Professor Marvel & anyone seriously concerned about the longevity ... and strength ... of their "brass" framed Uberti rifles.  I read the following in a gun review back around 1998-'99.  I was considering adding a Henry or an 1866 to my armory, but was concerned about the "brass" frames.

The reviewer quoted a SASS champ who at that time used an 1866 in 45 Colt.  This was before the gamer mentality set in and the shooter used ONLY factory 45 Colt full-power rounds.  I'm sorry that I don't remember WHO he was, or what brand of bullets, but I'll relay what he said in the article.  At that time, he had fired over 100,000 rounds 'thru his '66 ... and had NO stretching issues.

I figured that was good enough for me!  By the way, I settled on an 1866 which probably has 10-12,000 rounds fired 'thru it.  Before I went to (nearly) all BP, I fired only full bang 45 Colt rounds, loaded to the maximum safe level as found in several loading books.  Since I went to BP, I shoot 37-39 grs charges.  (I fill them to 1/8"-1/16" of 3F Goex from the top, then a .030" wad and 250 gr BigLube tm seated on top.  Just so I know how much 3F is in each round, I weigh the charge.  In other words, they are loaded volumetrically, then weighed for informational purposes.) 

I am a proud and un-repentant Warthog.  I took these rounds deer hunting last fall ... but I didn't even SEE a deer.  I'm confident that barring bad shot placement, Buckie would have succumbed to this round ... with NO problem.

Regards -

SHB
endsnip---------------------------------------------------

so,

[chaindrive]

thank you gentlemen!

the 8.0 gr. load will be as high as I go.

I might add that the fired brass looks perfectly normal, no cratered, flattened or backed out primers.

I have all the loading manuals and researched them but not much was to be found regarding jacketed 250 gr. bullets using the powder I have available (I have two kegs of Unique to burn up). there is no information that I could find pertaining specifically to the Henry 1860 as far as safe hand loads are concerned.

jacketed bullets are what I want to use, as is smokeless powder - not being a purist.  

I will use this load also for my Uberti Cattleman.

when I have the results for that I will get back to you fine folks.

[Professor Marvel]

My Good Chaindrive -

I too was interested in thedifference in pressure data betwixt Lead and Jacketed. Since my little grey grey cells werre not all firing properly, I checked on the web and finally found this from Hogdens, for the .45 ACP:

In each case , the same weight bullet, and the same amount of powder.
From Hodgdons Annual manual

45acp 200 gr
lead; 8.2 gr HS-6 860 fps @14400 PSI
jacketed; 8.2 gr HS-6 868 fps @14000 PSI

Notice:  jacketed is 400 PSI less and velocity is 8 fps more

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
45acp 230 gr
jacketed; 8.0 gr HS-6 790 fps @ 14400 CUP
lead; 8.0 gr HS-6 859 fps @ 16600 CUP

Notice: jacketed is 2,200 CUP less pressure
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jacketed; 5.4 gr Universal 751 fps @13300 CUP
lead; 5.4 gr Universal 857 fps @16800 CUP

Notice: jacketed is 3,500 CUP less pressure
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jacketed; 4.8 gr Titegroup 818 fps @16700 CUP
lead; 4.8 gr Titegroup 855 fps @17000 CUP

Notice: jacketed is 300 CUP less pressure
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In these loads lead gives higher psi and velocity than jacketed.
Add to this data, the opinions of published reloading experts who actually write the manuals, One can make the generalization that
           " lead bullets will develop higher pressures than jacketed bullets, all other things being equal. "

but once again I must fall back on my Trademarked reply

            It Depends

and you are following all the "golden rules".

yhs
prof marvel

[Coffinmaker]

  VORZICHT !!! 

NECROMANCY ALARM - NECROMANCY ALARM - Crash Dive!!  Dive Dive Dive Dive!!

Rig for Silent Running.  Nah.  Onliest indicator I have seen in past years, Lustrum, of differing alloys has been the propensity for Frames and Side Plates to stain different amounts of various colours whilst acquiring "Patina."  This differentiation has manifested itself to the greatest extent on the 1866 Replicants.  Not so much the 1860 Henry.  Burma Shave

[Bunk]

how fast it goes is interesting but WHERE it goes is important. A bullet traveling at warp three but won't hit a Peter Built tractor and trailer at any distance is worthless.
"Fast is fine Accuracy is final" Clint Smith
IMHO
Bunk