how much power needed for 45 colt

[coalman]

i have a ruger blackhawk bisley in 45 colt. i reload for it and have loads from low on chart to hogdgon 's ruger only loads. i load hornady 250 grain xtp , sierra's 240 grain sportmaster and rightnow till i'm out of them shooters choice 255 grain hard cast swc.i use blue dot , universal and h110 powders. question is do i need all that power that the h110 and xtp bullets put out.recoil is stout but with the bisley grip not bad. i also shoot same loads out of 20 inch carbine. i was reading that original 45 colt load was 250 to 260 grain lead over 40 grains of black powder which clocked out to around 1000 fps. if that is the case so i'm thinking that a 255 grain hard cast swc over 10 or 11 grains of universal should all i need for hunting with either the pistol or carbine. any thoughts or points will be appreciated
thanks dale

[harold63]

i have a ruger blackhawk bisley in 45 colt. i reload for it and have loads from low on chart to hogdgon 's ruger only loads. i load hornady 250 grain xtp , sierra's 240 grain sportmaster and rightnow till i'm out of them shooters choice 255 grain hard cast swc.i use blue dot , universal and h110 powders. question is do i need all that power that the h110 and xtp bullets put out.recoil is stout but with the bisley grip not bad. i also shoot same loads out of 20 inch carbine. i was reading that original 45 colt load was 250 to 260 grain lead over 40 grains of black powder which clocked out to around 1000 fps. if that is the case so i'm thinking that a 255 grain hard cast swc over 10 or 11 grains of universal should all i need for hunting with either the pistol or carbine. any thoughts or points will be appreciated
thanks dale

Depending on what bullet and powder you are using, a tick under 6 grains to 6.5 to 7, even, would be sufficient, but it is really up to you. If you are doing any kind of trick shooting, then right in the neighborhood of 6 I think would be ideal. The loads you are talking about should be very sufficient for anything PA has to offer, but I don't know what the Sasquatch population is like, there. I can tell you that a strong .45 LC will take anything in FL with the right shot, but as you say, recoil can be a little stout. If you are in doubt, maybe consider a .44 mag. At the same time, though, a .44 mag with an 11 grain charge and a 240 gr is not a soft round, so to answer your original question, I think you should be fine.

[mrnyman]

It all depends on what the gun will be used for.

[tonyfac]

you will get more replys and help if you posted in the reloading section. just a thought.

[knight0334]

250-255gr slugs at 1000fps is plenty to kill a deer or even a black bear. Your concern would be range.

A .38spl will kill a deer graveyard dead just like a 30-06 - but your range will be limited. Same with a 45Colt.. At those bullet weights you gave, and at 1000fps MV, I wouldn't go beyond 75yds unless you are Dead Eye McGraw who can clip the wings of a gnat with your Bisley.


Remember too, if you're getting 1000fps out of your revolver - you're likely to be getting a substantial boost in velocity out of a rifle. Barrel lengths of 18-22 inches start seeing velocity loses because of a lack of pressure to counter the friction of the bullet going down the bore of a rifle.

My 16" Winny 94 Trapper gets 300-600fps more velocity than my 5.5" Vaquero depending on the load.

[PAS&W]

i have a ruger blackhawk bisley in 45 colt. i reload for it and have loads from low on chart to hogdgon 's ruger only loads. i load hornady 250 grain xtp , sierra's 240 grain sportmaster and rightnow till i'm out of them shooters choice 255 grain hard cast swc.i use blue dot , universal and h110 powders. question is do i need all that power that the h110 and xtp bullets put out.recoil is stout but with the bisley grip not bad. i also shoot same loads out of 20 inch carbine. i was reading that original 45 colt load was 250 to 260 grain lead over 40 grains of black powder which clocked out to around 1000 fps. if that is the case so i'm thinking that a 255 grain hard cast swc over 10 or 11 grains of universal should all i need for hunting with either the pistol or carbine. any thoughts or points will be appreciated
thanks dale

I think a 255 at 1000 would be fine for PA whitetails if you can hit them
solid in the lungs and don't stretch the range past 25- 30 yards.

[98Redline]

Even with the conventional 45 colt loading your limit will not be the bullet or the energy but the range.

A 255 gr .45 caliber bullet @ 1000fps will have enough energy for a clean kill out past 100 yards.