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Ruger super Redhawk and a Bisley blackhawk. If you wanted to use only one powder in both these calibers what would you choose, for powerful loads with heavy bullets for 45 Colt and 454 Casull? Thanks

W296/H110 for the heavy loads. Remember, though, these powders are not meant to be downloaded. If you want to shoot light loads, you need a faster powder.

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Doug

No doubt that WW296 or H110 is the choice if you want to drive them both full out all the time. There are powders that can potentially give you more in a specific application of bullet weight, but those are the best general option.

If you think you may want to download on occasion though, AA#9 is a good choice. Almost top level, easy to load, and can be simmered down to a degree if you want to back off the throttle once in a while.

Other options are HS7, Blue Dot, 2400, and 4227 but you will start giving up something in top end performance with those.

I also use HS-6, Herco,and Power pistol but 4227 is my favorite. I never load any max loads though as I don't hunt and paper is easy to kill. I have killed a bunch with Trail Boss even.

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Talk low, talk slow, don't talk too much.

Ramshots enforcer is fast becoming one of my favorite powders in the .45 colt with 340gr bullets

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cowboy up cupcake

H110.

If you want to back off a little from max but still have something more powerful than "mid-level", I'd recommend AA #9.

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Livin' the dream...
NRA Life Member

I use Hodgdon's Lil'gun for all my "Magnum" loads. I'm very happy with it.

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--Joseph
I love my revolvers, because I hate chasing brass.

Somewhere in Georgia, Jimmy Carter is ecstatic. You can see him strolling along melodiously muttering, "I'm number two!"

Well, I just ran a test with it for standard loads and medium loads with (250-255g bullets) and I would not recommend it at all. Stick with AA#5, Unique, IMR 4227, 2400, etc. for 'downloading'. Here is my results using this powder: AA#9 and .45 Colt .

I don't load hot (no Elephants or Dinos around here). But I have 'heard' no complaints with H110/296. It would be my choice I think if I needed it .... FWIW

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A clinger. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns! Ruger SA .45 Colt (Sometimes improperly referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC) - Don't leave home without it. Oh, a SA .44Spec is acceptable too....

Thank you everyone for your advise. I greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

Rclark,

I agree with you if you are using bullets in that weight range and standard pressure loads, or perhaps even those approaching 20-22Kpsi range. There are many and better powder options to use for standard weight bullets and pressures. But most of those don't easily fit the Heavy and Hot criteria either.

Since the OPs criteria of one powder specified "heavy bullets and powerful loads" (which I must assume to mean starting somewhere at RCBS45-270-SAA and up and higher tier pressures over 22Kpsi), AA#9 is a decent performer. You can't turn it into a standard pressure powder with light bullets, that's for sure. But it doesn't necessarily need to be an all out there powder either, especially if you want heavy loads as well as "moderately heavy" loads. WW296/H110 are a little more limited in that capacity. I'm perfectly happy pushing a 282gr RCBS45-270-SAA at 1000fps. It takes care of most things that need taken care of. Accuracy and consistency is excellent, easy to do with AA#9. However, if I want to push things a little more, say with a 300grJHP, AA#9 is there. I shot lots of it. That having been said, I find that there really isn't an awful lot of need to do that any longer. The 270-SAA is easy to shoot and at 1000fps, both accurate and impressive terminally. It is fortunate that most of us have a lot of different powders to choose from, and do so because as experienced handloaders, most of us are incurable load tinkerers anyway!

Rclark,

I was thinking more of 454 and AA #9 than 45 Colt, because as we found in the other thread, it may not be great using standard weight bullets in 45 Colt.

However, I still want to try it with the heavy weights in 45 Colt.

24 grains under a 300 grain bullet shoots very well in my FA Casull, though. That load does 1450-ish fps.

My hesitation with testing AA#9 with heavy Colt loads is that there doesn't seem to be much data past Accurate's very conservative 25k psi loads listed in their online manual. I feel like that is under where the powder really needs to be to get the best efficiency for the caliber, but I'm not sure I want to go exploring the limit without some more knowledgeable folks going there first!

Anyone wanna run some Quickload data for AA#9 and 300+ gr bullets in 45 Colt? Specifically, what's the predicted charge weight at which you generate 30k psi?

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Livin' the dream...
NRA Life Member

Green Dot for reduced 45 Colt, H110 for magnum. With the 45 Colt being chambered in so many platforms it's hard to just pick one. Obviously H110 isn't safe in a SAA and Green Dot is lethargic in a 5-shot 45 Colt or 454.

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-Lee

"Building carpal tunnel one round at a time"

Somehow I posted again when just adding to above post the following URL.... Oh well, Just some more info :

Heavy .45 Colt Loads

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A clinger. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns! Ruger SA .45 Colt (Sometimes improperly referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC) - Don't leave home without it. Oh, a SA .44Spec is acceptable too....

Great information. Thank you

If you are going to load the 45colt to 'ruger only' pressures you could use H-110, Lil gun, or H4227 for both. Follow the data guidelines.

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

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Proud union member 30+ years. ICWUC/UFCW
Single-actions, Double-actions, Lever-actions and Assorted Ruger Firearms.