BB .45 Colt

[5shot]

This BB is going deer hunting this year but probably not with cast bullets. It'll regularly shoot 1" to 1 1/2" with jacketed bullets at 50 yards as in the group under the lever but does 3" to 4" patterns" with cast bullets. This target is pretty cluttered up because the range was busy and I didn't want to hang new paper. Shooting was done with just a front rest which would similate shooting from a deer stand. The bore slugs at .4505" which should be perfect for the .452" sizing diameter I've been feeding it. I've done a lot of casting and load developement in the last few decades but this one thus far has me stumped. It's been fed powder coated and conventional lubed, faster and slower powders, softer and harder alloys, plain based and gas checked bullets. These same loads shoot really well out of my sweetened up Ruger Bisley.

But in the meantime, I'm going to put my casting ego on the shelf and go hunting in November with a jacketed load. This load only clocked at 1228 fps average so it'll get bumped up to around 1400 or so which should be plenty of horsepower for the 50 to 75 yard shooting that the cedar swamp shots will be.

I certainly can't call Henry and complain there's something wrong with the rifle. It'll shoot 50 yard golf ball sized groups with several different jacketed loads. Also, if I tell them it's never seen a factory load... BTW...the rear sight is not touching the scope. Cellphone picture.

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[Vaquero]

Looks like that should get it done.
The 45 colt is a favorite of mine, I have two rifles, neither is a Henry though.
Both shoot cast or jacketed pretty accurate.
I mostly shoot cast through mine, but did test some 250 gr xtp's last year. Mind ya neither is scoped. Top pic is the Rossi and the second is a Marlin Cowboy. These were shot at 50 yds. The circle is about 2".

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[DsGrouse]

I feel your pain. I've had similar issues. The biggest thing that helped my cast bullet groups was a gas check. I am loading for subsonic for the most part (suppressed big boy x). I experienced more leading than I thought I should have. The only thing I could contribute it to is gas blow by. I'm thinking the .450 bore lets too much gas by in the barrel. I might be thinking about this incorrectly, but the gas checks do seem to help with overall group size.

Cast performance 265grn kieth,
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1988117280?pid=919778
and 300grn bullets are perfect.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1988111807?pid=111807

I've also had very good groups from Matts
285grn CG cone
https://www.mattsbullets.com/285-Grain- ... p_154.html
300grn swc gc
https://www.mattsbullets.com/305-Grain- ... p_155.html
315grn rfngc
https://www.mattsbullets.com/315-Grain- ... p_156.html

[fortyshooter]

I shoot mostly cast out of my older tube loader carbine and plated or XTP type bullets out of my X model and both shoot well for what I do.
A 325 cast bullet at around 1000 FPS should take any deer within 100 yds.

[Rifletom]

5shot, looks like the jacketed loads deliver for this season. Work on the cast later on. In my Henry BB steel, I'm loading 8.0-8.2gr Unique under a 250gr coated rnfp, either by Missouri or T & B bullets. This load works well in my rifle. I don't believe I've ever tried any jacketed bullete in any of my .45 Colts. Perhaps sometime. Good luck this season!

[5shot]

Vaquero. Good shooting! I couldn't match your 50 yard groups with irons and I'm not so good with peep sights either. A good reddot will cut those Homesteader groups in half. Maybe when I was a mere youth in my 50's or 60"s but being halfway through decade number 7 doesn't sharpen those irons at all. Surprisingly, I can still do okay with irons on a 1911 though.

I have a cap that says..."The older I get the better I was." That about sums it up.

Forty. My .44 Mag X Model shoots cast loads very well. There are eight Henry centerfires in the safe and seven of them shoot cast bullets very well. I have a couple of buddies that are going to take a peak up the chute of this .45 Colt with a bore scope. One is a machinist and the other a Benchrest shooter with a few national match victories to his credit. Both build their own rifles etc. and if there is a fly in the soup they'll spot it.

DsGrouse. The only gas checked mold I have that will cycle in the Henry is the 300 gr. Lee and I haven't done any 'sperimentin' with it yet. 17 grains of 2400 drives it at 1287 fps Ave. from the Henry. That bullet would hit like a truck but it's gotta be able to group around 2" at 50 yards before I'd hunt with it.

Rifletom. I think that's a good plan...Hunt with jacketed and get scientific after this season.

[Vaquero]

5shot, thanks for the kind words, sir. I'm in my mid 60s and can sure relate to your cap.
Speaking of 44's and the lee mold, this was about a month ago. Shooting a bit high but not too shabby.

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RP

[DsGrouse]

here is a nice vid on the 45 colt/454c loads
https://youtu.be/HvQmcWy4lOM?si=bLLGRjXrzpfI38ys

[garyseven]

I have had no better luck with lead of any weight or with any powder. I had better results with Hornady XTP at max loads but I am to frugal to spend that much for a pistol bullet.
And sadly factory ammo has gone sky high so experimenting withit is getting to pricey.

[5shot]

I have had no better luck with lead of any weight or with any powder. I had better results with Hornady XTP at max loads but I am to frugal to spend that much for a pistol bullet.
And sadly factory ammo has gone sky high so experimenting withit is getting to pricey.

This project is probably on hold until after deer season but I can make one observation. Powder coated bullets given a little boot in the backside appear to be giving much better accuracy than any conventional lubed cast bullets traveling at "cowpoke" speeds. The last range session with powder coated 255 gr. Lee over 8.8 gr. of Unique (1089 fps ave) were actually pretty good while shooting offhand at the 50 yard plates.