What does everyone load for .45 Colt with a RCBS 270 gr. cast? I used 4227 in the past but was thinknig of switching to Unique since I have a ton of it.

9.0 grains Unique?

I've been loading 8.5 gr. Unique.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

What do get for velocity with 8.5 gr. I want a load I can shoot comfortably but also hunt deer with a little. I do have hunting loads loaded up but want a milder daily/woods bumming load.

John tiffin has a lot of loads for .45colt. I thought 9gr of unique was good for host over 900 fps and that is what he got as well. In fact it appears that this load is about as good as you can get. 4227 actually does a little bit better though.

Assuming this is for traditional guns. In a lever gun or big frame ruler you can step the loads up a lot using powders like 296 but you get into really impressive muzzle blast with those.

Go to sixguns.com, look for "tests", and then find .45colt.

. . . but I use 10gr of Unique in a Ruger Blackhawk and the same in a Rossi Puma 92 carbine.

I would not use this much Unique in an older design or in a small frame Ruger (new Vaquero).

I have had zero problems with this load. It does about 980fps from a 4 5/8" revolver and about 1200 from the 20" carbine.

Bob

I have used 9 but since my only 45 Colt I have left is a Ruger Montado on the small 357 frame I've been using 8.5. I haven't chronographed it but I would be real surprised if it wasn't running somewhere between 850-900 fps with the common barrel length guns. The Montado is 3 3/4" so I'm not sure how much it affects it but it's a lot less than it wolud affect a smaller caliber like 357.

Forgot one of the most important details.

or any other big-framed Ruger, I'd start that bullet over 13 grains of HS6. That has been sort of a magic charge for me and it has worked wonderfully with every 250-255 grain 45 Colt bullet I've tried it over, always getting around 1050 fps from a 5 1/2" old Vaquero. Accuracy has been all this shooter could use, sandbagged or not.

I understand the Unique thing. I'm the same way about my go-to pistol powder, W231. I am a minimalist reloader for sure but HS6 is great for the kind of loads you're talking about.

I have shot thousands of rounds loaded with 8.5grs of Unique.

I have loaded this bullet over 20/4227 for a long time.

Unique is a good powder for the 45 Colt. I load the 260 Keith bullets over 8.5/Unique. I have tried 9 but the primers are a little flatter than I like.

This load has plenty of smack to it. I have a Ruger Flatop 45, a Ruger BH and a Colt New Service in 45 Colt. I want a load I can put up in bulk and use in any pistol in the fleet.

I think it is between 850 and 900 but I can't find my notes at the moment. Don't know why, I think my wife moved the file. Never-the-less, that's what I think.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

I was guessing around 900 FPS. I think I will try 9.0 grains. My powder measure is set there from loading .44's so I will give it a shot.