Hunting with a 45 Long Colt

The last deer I shot could have been shot with a 45 Long Colt at the 20 yards I got it at but I used a 270 because I could have just as easily seen one at 300.
 
Are there really no .45 colt loads that are hot from the factory? Even with liability warnings?

Nice to see a few guys know something about loading a 45 Colt.

100 yard deer gun, loaded properly, no problem. No cowboy action loads...


That a cowboy marlin? Beautiful. NOt a big 45 colt guy but lemme know if you ever want to part with it.
 
Are there really no .45 colt loads that are hot from the factory? Even with liability warnings?

There are a bunch of Factory offerings for the 45 Colt. All you gotta do is look.

I find it funny that the original loads for the 45 Colt were meant to stop a horse from a handgun, and now all the sudden it is useless being used in a rifle to stop a deer.
 
I reload both .44 mag and .45 colt, and I certainly do not limit my .45 colt handloads to 70% of .44 mag.

Not sure why a guy would.

If you have two identical rifles (Say Rossi 92's) and you have two bags of new brass (Say Winchester), there's not reason at all that they could not both be loaded to the same pressure. And modern Model 92's can handle lots. Think .454 Casull at 65 000 psi. So why a fellow would have to stop loading his .45 Colt at say 28 000 psi is a mystery to me....

The reason it is suggested to limit pressures to a max of 80% of the. 44 magnum load is the fact that the wall thickness of 45 Colt chamber is approx 80% of the wall thickness of the same gun chambered in 44mag.

That info was originally from Linebough's articles in the late 80s and early 90s. One of the articles was on his website as recently as 5 years ago.

http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm

Just as an aside, there were destructive tests done about 10-15 years ago which demonstrated that the M.1892 action is the (conventional) lever action able to handle the most pressure...even better than the Marlin 336 series...which rather surprised a lot of people.
 
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The reason it is suggested to limit pressures to a max of 80% of the. 44 magnum load is the fact that the wall thickness of 45 Colt chamber is approx 80% of the wall thickness of the same gun chambered in 44mag.

That info was originally from Linebough's articles in the late 80s and early 90s. One of the articles was on his website as recently as 5 years ago.

http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm

Just as an aside, there were destructive tests done about 10-15 years ago which demonstrated that the M.1892 action is the (conventional) lever action able to handle the most pressure...even better than the Marlin 336 series...which rather surprised a lot of people.

Yes, I am familiar with the 1892 action being stronger than the 1894 or the 336's. You a re right that it is not common knowledge, however.
 
I'll tell you one fact about using a Winchester Model 94 in 44 magnum.

One can more readily utilize heavier bullets (300 gr cast) with more powder room. Because the rifle length action can handle a longer loaded cartridge then that would fit in most revolvers and a Model 92 type rifle.
This is lost on the cowboy action shooters, but it's a nicer option for the big game hunter.

just info
 
There is no load what so ever that will make the 45 colt a 100 yd deer cartridge .

Oh, I disagree. What makes the .44 Magnum OK at that range with a 240 @ 1600 or so, but a .45 LC with a 255 at the same speed or greater (both easily achievable with 16-20" rifles) is incapable? I've dumped pigs at 90+ yards with my Ruger Bisley running a 270 gr SWC over enough Universal to generate 1000 FPS and a deer is no tougher and quite a bit bigger.

No offense, but I think you're smoking rope...
 
Oh, I disagree. What makes the .44 Magnum OK at that range with a 240 @ 1600 or so, but a .45 LC with a 255 at the same speed or greater (both easily achievable with 16-20" rifles) is incapable? I've dumped pigs at 90+ yards with my Ruger Bisley running a 270 gr SWC over enough Universal to generate 1000 FPS and a deer is no tougher and quite a bit bigger.

No offense, but I think you're smoking rope...

100 yards -yes ,the ballistic curve past 125 is horrible. its not that the 45 LC cant be hot loaded its that the brass thickness is not there. you are passsing the safety point.Insipient case head separation is not a joke with a bolt action -its down right scary with a lever.
 
100 yards -yes ,the ballistic curve past 125 is horrible. its not that the 45 LC cant be hot loaded its that the brass thickness is not there. you are passsing the safety point.Insipient case head separation is not a joke with a bolt action -its down right scary with a lever.


.45 Colt brass is just as strong as 44 Magnum, what is at issue is the variable dimensions of the chambers out there as well as throat diameters which allow too much case stretch. With proper support the Colt can be loaded just as efficiently as the .44...
 
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