Ammo for a Ruger Montado in .45 Colt

[Peteslambo]

Can anyone be of help out there? I purchased a Ruger Montado in 45 colt and my gun store that I purchased from told me the gun can fire +P ammo which Ruger tells me it cannot. Does anyone have experience out there firing anything other than cowboy loads in this new vaquero style Montado? I have no problem target shooting with cowboy loads but I would like to use the gun as a hunting back up putting something hotter through it on occasion.

Is this frame that weak on the Montado that it can't handle anything other than cowboy loads. I am told that it is 10% smaller than the Vaquero and should be able to handle hotter loads of higher pressures but this is just other opinions without knowing which way to go.

 

[rjwinz]

Post deleted.

 

[dougader]

If by saying +P, the salesman meant 30,000 - 32,000 psi loads then he is dead wrong. I have a 45 Colt Montado that has been customized by Alan Harton. I would never shoot loads like that in this medium frame revolver.

Ruger sells the convertible type guns with an extra 45 auto cylinder and says +P 45 auto ammo is ok. By extension, people like Brian Pearce of Handloader magazine have said that means 45 Colt can also be loaded to that level. I frankly see no reason why I would need to do even that.

I basically stick to the max loads in the manuals that I have, like Speer 14, Sierra 5th, Hornady 9th, Lyman 49th, etc. A 250-265 bullet traveling at about 1,000 fps is no slouch.

I have a 44 Special, the aforementioned 45 Colt... if I need more power than that then I'll go up in caliber to the 480 Ruger. These medium frame Rugers are a lot of fun and I see no reason to stretch their capabilities while shortening their useful lives.