45 colt accuracy sucks

45 redhawk 4 inch barrel. Barrel slugged at .451-2. Chambers unified at .452. Bullet is 454 plus minus. 8 of Unique shoots like open cylinder from 25 yards sandbag rested. Sized in Lyman 450 using Red Roster or Lyman Yellow. Starline brass Remington primers. Everyone likes 8 of Unique. I am open to suggestions.

Well, I'll ask the obvious first question. Has anybody else fired it with the same results?

YES

I've had horrible luck with those old loads. I just can't seem to ever make them work.

335 grain bullet over 21.5 gr. WW-296; runs at 1200 fps and shoots great!

JMHO,

flatgate

What group size are you getting?
Maybe try .452 bullets?

That is one gun on my short list.

Hope it works out.

I use .452 and it shoots well. The .454 was used in the old days with the guns made then.

I would drop down to .452 bullets and give that a try that and some guns just like jacketed bullets better than lead. Just how it goes sometimes. You might want to check the bore and rifling on the barrel maybe even slug it.

I would do what jronald said and I have a redhawk in 45 with a 7.5" tube and it likes the 300gr lee with 9.5 gr of unique if you have any ? pm me

can't pick Load A and expect that to be the one. Not every gun has the same tastes for what it's fed. Try diff loads...weights, bullets, powder, primers...all are variables that effect the performance.

I use .452 250 grain bullets and 8.5 grains of Unique, accurate in every gun I have shot it through.

David LaPell":pea8vog3 said:

I use .452 250 grain bullets and 8.5 grains of Unique, accurate in every gun I have shot it through.

Click to expand...

8.5 grs of Unique under the .452 bullets, both 250 gr LRNFP and the 255 gr SWC is very accurate in my guns

Have you been shooting bare lead? The barrel could be leading up of you are pushing naked boolits too fast. Also try .452" jacketed slugs.

My revolvers like their lead coated with Liquid Alox.

I had a 5-1/2" Redhawk in 45 Colt that just wouldn't shoot lead worth a darn. Jacketed bullets shot where you pointed, but lead was all over the place.

The Bisley, on the other hand, shoots very well with most anything I put through it.

Tried 452 bullets. Tried XPT 250 Hornady. Tried gas checked wad cutters. Tried Titegroup. Still get 5" by 5" groups. Could be needs faster loads and/or heaver bullets. Now buddy's seven and half 44 mag with stiff loads using the same alloy from which I cast my Lyman groups under 3" from the same sandbag support I use. So many powders, so many bullets. . . Now trying the same bullet with 8 or 231

I found my accuracy tightened up a lot when I hit 8.5 grains and above on Unique with 250 grain bullets in 45 Colt.

How did you measure the throats and the grove diameter?
>Pin gauge?
>Slug them then measure the slugs with a micrometer?
>Calipers?

Did you check the forcing cone?
How about the chamber to barrel alignment?

If you and others have tried that many bullets and loads and it will not shoot better than 5" then something could well be wrong with that gun.

Were it mine I'd:
A: Slug and meaure the throats. If they are less than .4525" I'd have them reamed out.

B: Check the forcing cone after a thorough cleaning to remove all lead. I'll bet it's rough with tool marks and possibly not cut right.

C: Check the chamber to barrel alignment with a proper range rod like the one Iowegan used to sell.
( Not sure where you'd find one though. )

Something isn't right with this gun. I have several revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt and I do not have to resort to heavy bullet magnum level loads to get them to shoot good.

Joe

I seem to call that the .454 has a different rate of rifling twist than a normal .45. Therefore, the .454 requires a bit higher velocity for good accuracy. Wonder if you have a .454 rifled barrel on the .45? Just a thought.... Still 5x5 groups seem a bit on the large side.

As a side note, I recall Taffin had one six-shooter that would not shoot decent groups unless loaded with IMR 4227.....

Found this on another site (Lloyd Smale wrote it): If i had to pick the powder that has done the best for accuracy in the 45 colt with bullets 255-320 it would be 4227 hands down. It is a little dirtier then some but i could care less if it shoots small groups. AA9 would run a close second. I dont use lilgun at all any more. It is a finiky powder when you get up to max loads and goes from no pressure signs to pounding out brass with a 1/2 grain increase. It also is about the worst powder when it comes to throat errosion. Taffin said it and i have to agree. A gun that wont shoot 20 grains of 4227 with 255 well wont shoot good with that bullet with any powder charge.

Is this a new gun with a standard factory trigger pull? Poor trigger letoff makes any gun tough to shoot accurately.

I doubt that the 8 unique is the problem.... As was suggested above try a top end load and see if the gun likes heavy duty.

Ward

Have you ever shot factory ammo in that gun with same results? You mentioned 250gr Hornadys, but not if they were reloads or factory loads.

Are you shooting double action?

Also, how does it shoot from a different positon? Try standing and shooting two hand, one hand, etc. Just something different. Make sure the gun isn't touching the table or bag.

Its nice to have a vise to really bring in a group in my opinion. That takes
out a LOT of human error.
How many different people have shot this gun?

Your groups are 5"x5", your friends 44 is under 3". Thats good, but is it good enough at 25yds from a sandbag? Thats not meant as a slam.
I guess Im just asking what is your "target(pun)" grouping size you are shooting for.

When I had poor accuracy like you mention(from open sights) it was typically from pressure spikes, bullet size, or leaded barrel, or all three.

Best of luck with it, don't get sick.
My 686 took me a long time to dial in.

Dan