45 Colt rifle, for hunting.

[southernman]

I've not long ago, bought a Chippa takedown in 45 colt, really enjoying this little rifle, fun to shoot, carries well.
Who uses a 45 colt to hunt with, and what bullet weight would you recommend. I am think the heavy's are the way to go 260-300gr.
I have loaded up sum 250 gr XTP with 20gr Winchester 296, for 1250 fps, I think a rifle can run a bit hotter that that, this is on the low end.
The four manuals I have are all over the show on loads, for strong action colt, 25% spread between Hornardy/Speer/ Nosler/ Serria
So any advise for a hunting load,? what speed a good place to be for a given weight,

 

[John Y Cannuck]

I can't help you on the loads for the Chiappa 92 in 45, but I have taken both deer and black bear with the 44-40, so your 45 Colt should work well. Hopefully you hunt places where ranges are short, all my kills were under 50 yards although I know it will work at 100 if the shot placement is right.
I found that for my original '92 Winchester, I could load it pretty heavy, but accuracy suffered badly when I did. My load ended up being just above the high end black powder loads.
Also, that first deer I took, was when I was still working up loads, and fell to a 900fps load at the tremendous range of maybe ten feet. Bang flop, bullet exited, lungs/heart.

 

[Boomer686]

I have the M92 in .454 Casul. As such I load my .45LC very hot as it is nowhere near the pressure the .454C produces.
As mentioned if your .45LC is loaded to "standard" then make sure to limit your range. I'd even go so far to say 75m max to ensure good velocity & expansion for the .45LC
Undoubtedly game has been taken at longer rangers but ethics and caution are important too.

 

[Curly1]

I cast wheel weights into a flat nose 255 gr projectile over 7 gr of 231 with great effect in my M92. (PS/ same load is great in a revolver)

 

[Ardent]

It’s the hard way of doing things compared to a real rifle, but so is bow hunting and that is likely a large part of my future in hunting. Challenges can be enjoyable. I’ve taken black bear with similar rounds ballistically, and while underwhelming they undeniably killed bears. Though a .243 will do it more impressively for similar or less perceived recoil, and with much more reach. But again... can’t always do things the easy way.

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Here be good stuff on the 45 Colt.
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm

When loaded with 320-360 gr hardcast boolits of good design and pushed out at 14-1600 fps, there ain't any land critter that can't cleanly be taken with a steady shot inside 80 yds or so.
JD Jones of SSK fame designed beauty .44 & .45 cast boolits that have proven themselves many times on African heavies and Alaskan whoppers as well. And this all be from handguns, mostly revolvers back in the 70's & 80's. NEI made the molds for SSK and though they've closed shop, molds can still be had with a bit of searching. Another option is to get the specs from these and get Mountain Molds to make ye one.

JD's boolit is a weight forward design with a bore riding band ahead of the crimp at the rear of the nose base. This feature works very well to center the boolit in the bore when going through the forcing cone in wheel guns. Ideal fer lever rifles as well and is a very accurate boolit design to boot. Below be the .44 version that has gone through both shoulders of trophy moose, grizz, buff & cape buff loaded to 1500 fps and shot mostly inside of 60 yds.


Accurate Molds makes a decent 380 gr fer boolit casters as well.



OP, ye need not worry about hefty projectiles at reasonable velocities in your Chiappa. The key is to keep pressures nicely within the design strengths of both the
rifle & the brass ye load with. Hot loading ain't needed with good, proven loads.

 

[Gatehouse]

I use 300gr XTP with Lil Gun for about 1600 FPS in my Mdl 94 Trapper. I use a close to maximum load using Hodgdon's 'Strong Revolver" data.

 

[357Maximum]

I've had great success with a hard cast 240 gr out of a 44 Mag from Marlin or Ruger carbines on bear and moose .

Find your max for your rifle a good hardcast bullet will really penetrate . Pick your shot.

357