.41 Colt hollow base bullet accuracy with smokeless?

[41 Colt]

Who has shot the .41 Colt hollow base bullet with smokeless? I have heard it isn't very accurate because smokeless doesn't puff up the hollow base.

I tried some today with 4.2 grains of Unique and 4.4 grains. The 4.2 grains shot about aswell as heeled bullets I have tried, but the 4.4 grains gave me my best group to date with my Colt DA. The bullets I am using are my own cast with a Rapine 386185 hollow base mold using pure lead and home made lube.

 

[dingus]

I have i used 5 Grs of Unique seemed to bump up the bullets i had.
Elmer Keith recomends 5 grs of unique to but i dont know if thats a good idea in a colt thunder.
In a SAA colt its fine or a 1892 colt.


I never had alot of good luck getting great accuracy outa my 41 lc guns.
but a fellow in the Quenell area of B.C did great loading the 41 LCs he bought off me.
Dam if i can remember his CGN handle tho. He was getting 2 inch groups at 25 yds.

 

[Canuck44]

I have i used 5 Grs of Unique seemed to bump up the bullets i had.
Elmer Keith recomends 5 grs of unique to but i dont know if thats a good idea in a colt thunder.
In a SAA colt its fine or a 1892 colt.


I never had alot of good luck getting great accuracy outa my 41 lc guns.
but a fellow in the Quenell area of B.C did great loading the 41 LCs he bought off me.
Dam if i can remember his CGN handle tho. He was getting 2 inch groups at 25 yds.

Outatanding!

I have my great grand dads old .41 Long Colt. I make cases out of .38spl brass. Gun isn't particularly accurate with the hollow point or outside lubed bullets I cast. I have the three old Lyman molds. The lighter bullet was originally for the .41 Short Colt but works in the .41 LC as well.

I have had fair sucess using Bullseye powder. I haven't shot the gun in over a year but maybe if the weather warms I'll drag the old girl out for some plinking.

Take Care

Bob

 

[Bittermansbro]

I have i used 5 Grs of Unique seemed to bump up the bullets i had.
Elmer Keith recomends 5 grs of unique to but i dont know if thats a good idea in a colt thunder.
In a SAA colt its fine or a 1892 colt.


I never had alot of good luck getting great accuracy outa my 41 lc guns.
but a fellow in the Quenell area of B.C did great loading the 41 LCs he bought off me.
Dam if i can remember his CGN handle tho. He was getting 2 inch groups at 25 yds.

Same here in regards to the 5gr of unique, took it out of a 50's Lyman reloading manual. Shot it out of a 1908 Colt Army Special. Seemed very stout, but probably because it needed to to push that HB out. I cut down the load .5 gr just because I got worried about the old horse.

 

[JBD]

I shoot mine with tightgroup and clays. If you are using wheelweights you need to stop up the pressure a bit to get a good bore seal. I prefer shooting pure lead bullets at lower pressure for my antique revolver.

 

[sportee]

I was getting 3" groups at 25 yards off hand with HB bullets.

...i'll have to look at the load I was using...can't remember if that was the 4227, Pyro P, or...

BTW, that was a 6" barrel too.

 

[41 Colt]

I also noticed my FPS was faster with the hollow base over the heeled base by about 60FPS for an average of 684FPS. I take it that would be due to the weight, these new bullets are 182 grains verses 210 or so.

 

[Win 38-55]

Unique, Titegroup, Bullseye, and Trail Boss all have a significantly higher pressure spike for the same velocity, than black powder, so they will all bump up your hollow base bullet (if you are shooting at the same velocity as BP). I'm a little too cautious to use those powders at full velocity with antiques. Blue Dot and 2400 give approximately the same pressure spike as BP for the same velocity, so you should be able to bump up your bullet just as well as BP with those powders if you load to the same velocity as BP. I'm assuming you are using pure lead, or close to it. A hard cast, hollow base bullet does not make sense; it defeats the purpose of the hollow base.

If you cast your own, pick out the stick on lead wheel weights, as they tend to be pure lead or close to it. Use that lead for your pistol bullets.

 

[41 Colt]

Yup, pure lead I purchased from a metal distributor. I am also staying below BP velocities, which are about 750FPS for the original .41LC.

 

[Win 38-55]

If you are staying below BP velocities, you might have to use a faster burning smokeless powder than Blue Dot or 2400. At lower velocities, Unique or Trail Boss should work well.