Hotter loads for a rossi M92 in 45LC?

I wish I could find a ranch-hand in 454 Casull.

You might change your mind after one round of full powered handloads, but who am I to say.

You could handload a .45 colt version to very serious levels already, if so inclined.

Here's a very good article on heavy loaded .45 colt in lever guns by Paco Kelly.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm

A handloaded .45 colt is going to significantly exceed common .454 factory loads anyways, unless you can somehow get hold of some "hot" factory ammo like Buffalo Bore stuff. Don't expect "real" .454 performance from commonly available Winchester factory ammo, for example. I bought one box of it myself, and found it was basically a joke compared to full powered handloads.
 
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Isn't there an issue with .45 Colt case strength in some brands if loaded to .44 mag pressures?

Only with really old balloon-head cases that haven't been made since at least the 1950s. Solid head brass in .45 Colt is as good as that of any other similar calibre.
 
Ranch Dog (yes the boolit mold guy) has some pretty good info on 45C in the Rossi. His (and mine) preferred load is a 300gr WFN over 24.5gr of Hodgdon Lil'Gun. It's a real little thumper. I use the Lee C452-300-RF as I can no longer find a Ranch Dog mold since he closed up shop. I also have a Lyman 290gr mold made for the 454 Casull that I have cast up a handful from but have yet to try any. Supposed to be very accurate and sized to .452 with a gas check it weighs in at 304gr. It's kind of a truncated cone with a fairly large meplat and should do well for hunting if I find it better for 150yd shots than the Lee which is almost a wadcutter it's meplat is so large lol. While the receiver of the 45 Colt Rossi will handle significantly higher pressure than the above load, the steel crescent butt plate on your shoulder may disagree as will the magazine tube, which will back out under heavy recoil. The tube on the 454 Casull rifles is threaded in and the butt stock is cut flat and has a fairly substantial factory rubber recoil pad. There is also some debate / rumors that the recievers on the 454 Casull models have special heat treating to withstand the +62,000psi Casull pressures.
 
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