Author Topic: Unique powder and the .45 Colt  (Read 3328 times)

Offline Gundogblue

  • Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 22
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« on: March 23, 2021, 07:07:07 PM »
I have a Heritage Bigbore .45, and I really love that gun. I normally shoot the starting load of Trailboss powder behind a 250 grn RNFP boolit, but I get “ blowback” carbon on the cases, so I thought I’d try some unique powder, and try to emulate factory velocity.
I cast my own boolits the .45 Colt is cast from the Lyman mould .454190, a 250 grn RNFP boolit. In my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook the staring load for that boolit is 6.0 grns of Unique at 595 fps, and the Max load is 9 grns of Unique at 875 fps. lm thinking 8 grns of Unique should probably get me somewhere close to factory velocity, they don’t list the pressure for those loads, but do ya’ll think 8 grns of Unique is OK to use in that gum?
Thanks ,
Paul

Offline Drydock

  • MA1 USN ret. GAF #19, Colonel, Chief of Staff. BC, CC, SoM. SASS 1248 Life
  • American Plainsmen Society
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 4831
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 18
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2021, 07:26:32 PM »
8 to 8.5 grains Unique is an all time classic load in the 45 Colt.
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Ranch 13

  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 1841
    • Historic Shooting.com
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 8
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2021, 09:52:37 PM »
 I have one gun that likes 9 grains of unique and another that likes 8. Best bet is to start and 7 and work up 1/2 grain increments until the target tells you it's a good place to stop.
Eat more beef the west wasn't won on a salad.

Advertising

  • Guest
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #3 on: Today at 09:05:15 AM »

Offline Froogal

  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 402
  • NCOWS #: 3882
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 572
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2021, 08:10:36 AM »
8.5 grains of Unique under a 200 grain RNFP is what I settled on. Been shooting that recipe for about 4 years now. I'm going to try black powder loads this year, but I will have the Unique loads with me, just in case.

Offline olskool

  • Very Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 67
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2021, 06:12:25 PM »
since around 1992 i have been using 20gr. of H4227 with a mag primer and with a 250gr. cast boolit. i learned about this load from hank Williams JR. lately i started using 8.5 gr. of unique some. it shoots good but no better than my 4227 load.
beware of the man who has only one gun, he probably knows how to use it.....

Offline Coffinmaker

  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 7605
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 125
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2021, 11:12:54 AM »

 :)  BLUE,

It's not going to matter a whole lot what/which powder you use.  Your going to get an amount of Blow-By.  There will be a difference in the amount of residue deposited on the cases though.  Some powders simply have a more dirty burn.  For handguns, it's not a really big concern.

Offline Coffinmaker

  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 7605
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 125
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2021, 11:23:52 AM »

I Forgot  :o

Should have mentioned, I don't particularly care for Uni-Que.  Never really liked the stuff.  My "Go-To" was TightGroup, which was before I became educated.  TightGroup also sooted up the cases pretty good.  I didn't much care though, just dump the cases in the tumbler and they cleaned right up.

Stay Safe Out There

Offline Trailrider

  • CAS-L Ghost Rider
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 2366
    • Gunfighter Zone
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Unique powder and the .45 Colt
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2021, 12:24:26 PM »
A few other factors affect blowby in .45 LC. Many of the guns chambered for that cartridge have pretty-much oversized chambers. Second, the thickness of the case walls do vary from manufacturer-to-manufacturer, and so does the hardness of the case. If you are curious enough, measure the water capacity of different brands of brass after one firing.  The greater the case capacity, the chances are the walls are thinner, as the outside dimension are pretty standard. The amount of blowby may only occur partially down the case. It is more important (annoying) in rifles, when the case doesn't expand enough, quick enough to allow the powder gas to escape the action. 8.0gr. Unique under a 250 gr cast bullet is pretty much the "standard".  You might also try W231/HP38, which is faster-burning, and may expand the case more quickly, albeit it doesn't take up as much room in the case.
Stay well and safe, Pards!
Ride to the sound of the guns, but watch out for bushwhackers! Godspeed to all in harm's way in the defense of Freedom! God Bless America!

Your obedient servant,
Trailrider,
Bvt. Lt. Col. Commanding,
Southern District
Dept. of the Platte, GAF

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk

© 1995 - 2023 CAScity.com