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New to Reloading 45 Long Colt

8K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  DougGuy 
#1 ·
Hello All, being new to reloading I am digging way through alot reading. I own a Ruger Vaquero 45 long colt and a Ruger Blackhawk 45 long colt. Is it safe to reload a 300 grain Hornady bullet using IMR 4227 and shoot it in the Vaquero. The Hornady book only shows two loads and the second being maximum load. Just want to be safe ;)
 
#3 ·
Welcome from Australia. Great place to be, you will like it here.
I am just setting up for .45C, good luck with it all.
New Vaquero loads will differ from old Vaquero loads.
 
#10 ·
Sorry for hi-jacking this thread, but how did you get a handgun in Australia?

Friends of mine live on a farm in Yea, Victoria - not far away from Melbourne.
The only got a licence for a .410 shotgun to kill Kakadus and snakes to protect their property and lifes.

Probably you might have an idea how make it possible to convince the local authorities to extend the firearms licence to a handgun.
 
#4 ·
The vaquero can be identified whether new or old by the serial number style. If it has a bk in it it is old style. I Prefer unique to the exclusion of any other powders. I like 9.0 grains with a 300 grain bullet. However this load has a good amount of recoil and is not for everyone. It is definately too much for cowboy shooting.
 
#20 · (Edited)
The vaquero can be identified whether new or old by the serial number style. If it has a bk in it it is old style.
I'm afraid I'll have to take exception to that rule. I have a Vaquero that I purchased new in 1995, which would make it by default an old style, and there are no letters at all in the serial number. In fact, none of the 7 Rugers I've owned over the years have letters in their serial numbers. Do you mean "model number", maybe?

In fact, after looking at the Ruger website, http://www.ruger.com/service/productHistory.html#, and clicking the link for Revolver Instruction Manuals & Product History, and then New Vaquero, the info shown says that New Vaquero's started in 2005 with serial number 510-0001. Just plain-old Vaquero was produced prior to that and all of their serial numbers started with 55, 56, 57, or 58.
 
#6 ·
The Blackhawk can run any published 45 Colt loads such as Hodgdon Ruger Only loads with H110. But stay away from 5 Shot 45 Colt load data that FA runs in their custom 5 shot guns. These are low end 454 loads (50,000psi) If the Vaquero says "New Model Vaquero" on it stay away from the Ruger Only load data.
 
#9 ·
The section of the Hornady book I am looking at has two sections one section says HANDGUN: Ruger Bisley, Blackhawk. the other section says Ruger & T/C Only. This is the section I was looking at the data for the 300 grain load. I am now thinking I should avoid this load in the Vaquero and maybe stay with the load in my Blackhawk...?
 
#22 ·
The section of the Hornady book I am looking at has two sections one section says HANDGUN: Ruger Bisley, Blackhawk. the other section says Ruger & T/C Only. This is the section I was looking at the data for the 300 grain load. I am now thinking I should avoid this load in the Vaquero and maybe stay with the load in my Blackhawk...?
Yes

That is a Blackhawk load

Snake
 
#12 ·
If you have a New Vaquero .45 Colt (serial # xxx-yyyyyy), then AVOID the Ruger Only Load section in your manual like the plague. The Blackhawk in .45 Colt (xx-yyyyy) can use the Ruger Only Load section. If you are new to reloading, I'd avoid the Ruger Only Load section all-together until you are up to speed on loading normal .45 Colt loads. That would be my course of action.

As for are using IMR 4227, it is an excellent powder. Fills the case well, so easy to check powder level. Meters very well.... and good results with it. Always use a magnum primer under it though. I don't have any experience with it with at 300g bullet, but I do like it under a 250g RNFP or 255g SWC. One of my favorite powders. It will leave some unburnt granules down the barrel, but no big deal!
 
#13 ·
I now understand the two sections of the Hornady Handbook allot better. I also own a 1860 HENRY RIFLE 45 long colt rifle and I should probably avoid Ruger Blackhawk loads in the rifle as well.....? You guys have been very helpful in helping this newcomer get some new insight.

Thank You so much
 
#21 ·
I now understand the two sections of the Hornady Handbook allot better. I also own a 1860 HENRY RIFLE 45 long colt rifle and I should probably avoid Ruger Blackhawk loads in the rifle as well.....? You guys have been very helpful in helping this newcomer get some new insight.

Thank You so much

Yes you are correct. The Hornaday manual has the 300 gr in the higher pressure Ruger Only section. The new Vaquero was built on a smaller frame to replicate the size of the old colts for CAS. It is a great little revolver and loaded with some 250or 255 gr cast bullets with 8.0 gr of Unique it will be a joy to shoot. With the Blackhawk let her rip with the 300 gr. What are they bullets you are using because if they are cast I would keep them below the max listed in the Hornaday manual for 300 gr jacketed.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Just to fill in the gaps:

Just to fill in the gaps.

The prior incarnation of the Vaquero used the Blackhawk frame and is as strong as any Blackhawk.

The New Vaquero uses a slightly smaller, lighter frame and is not as strong as the Blackhawks and Vaqueros (now being called "Old Vaqueros").

So, DO NOT USE the higher-powered (so called) "Ruger Only" load data. These data are safe only in very strong guns, like Thompson-Contender, certain (check with the manufacturer) rifles and carbines, Colt Anaconda (I think), arms chambered for the 454 Casull and 460 Smith & Wesson and the like, and, of course, Ruger Blackhawks, including the "Old" Vaquero.

Do not confuse the "New" adjective as applied to the name "Vaquero" with the terminology describing the actions of Ruger revolvers that have ("New Model") a transfer bar (a safety feature that allows safe carry with all chambers loaded) vs Original Ruger revolvers that don't. Or the old models that have been converted to incorporate the transfer bar.

Lost Sheep

Be safe, always, all ways.
 
#17 ·
Might suggest a book called the "ABC's of reloading" for one place to begin..then the Lee loading manual....then the Lyman loading manual...all before you buy one piece of equipment or component...then if possible find a buddy that's an experienced loader or take one of the classes that are offered...loading is a wonderful hobby but it deals with high explosives just a few inches from body parts...and a huge amount of info available (some good and some...especially on the web...that is not so good).
 
#16 ·
Dang nobody answered. Okay, first off, have you done any handloading before? By the "get started" part of your post I will assume not.

First thing would be a reloading manual, like the Speer book. You will need at the very least, a single stage press, a set of dies, a primer tool, a powder measure, some new unprimed brass cases, some primers, some powder, and some bullets.

That is about the bare essentials needed to begin assembling handloads from new components.

You need to read read read read and read some more. Handloading is cool, saves you money (or it USED TO!) lets you build hunting and target loads you can't buy off store shelves, but it is a complex art, and VERY dangerous. There is a lot to it really.

The MOST important thing for YOU to remain conscious of, is that you have two fine Ruger revolvers, but your New Vaquero CANNOT handle the same max loads that the Old Vaquero can handle! It's cylinder is smaller and thinner, it's frame is smaller, and it will not be safe with the "Ruger ONLY" loads that you will find in the reloading books, and also in countless magazine articles and various online sources.

I reloaded and handloaded for years and years and of all the calibers I had my bench set up for, .45 Colt is by far my favorite to handload for, and my favorite to shoot and also to hunt with. There is nothing on the North American continent that the .45 Colt won't do, and that includes target shooting, cowboy action shooting, and taking of any big game or dangerous animal that we are likely to encounter. Even in it's original 1873 black powder loading, it is a more powerful and more effective combat/self defense round than the .45 ACP, .44 Special, and the .38 Special.

Although I based my load development on data contained in the Speer manual, I found a lot of the gun press articles from reputable writers such as John Taffin, Mike Venturino, Phil Spangenberger and others who shared their own favorite loads and data for the .45 Colt to be accurate, safe, and very enjoyable to load and shoot.
 
#18 ·
Don't let Opus scare you :) .... You aren't dealing with high explosives like Nitro glycerin or dynamite or C-4 ... Touch a match to some powder and you'll see what I mean.... Just read up (Like the ABC's above and a manual or two) ! It isn't rocket science to reload (most of us started reloading without help, or classes, or the internet ;) ) , but you do have to give attention to detail. If you are impatient, this hobby isn't for you. Suggest buying a complete kit to get started like an RCBS, Hornady, Lee all make good starter kits. Then as you get experience you can add on to your 'collection' of equipment.
 
#23 ·
Read the thread entitled "Kaboom"...lots of discussion on whether or not it's a double charge or other reloading issue or if it's a gun problem...I have no idea but I've seen many posts on "Kabooms" and if a load causes a gun to fail in any way...it is as much an explosive as nitro, dynamite or C4...just very concentrated...like just enough to take off a finger, blind a person or the rest...No, it's not rocket science....it's probably more dangerous...amateurs with explosives (when compressed)...no "block house", minimum safety equipment, etc...

I love to load and have all my body parts in tact...never had a kaboom (yet) but they do happen and my guess is that 99% of the time it's a loader's issue....not trying to scare anyone off at all...but if someone obviously is new to the loading hobby...I still think read, read, read...take to someone and then see what equipment fits and start accumulating.

Everyone has a thought on the subject and that's what make a horse race.
 
#24 ·
Loading for .45 Colt in the "Ruger ONLY" load data is near impossible to double charge a case, powder would be running all out of the top and you couldn't physically cram a bullet into it then. A lot of those loads are right at compression anyway depending on your bullet length or seating depth.

However.. A "squib" load where there is a small amount of powder and a dangerously high amount of space inside the case can be catastrophic.

If the powder measure didn't throw the correct charge or it was running low on powder or even if static electricity charged the powder and prevented it from flowing into the case freely, this could result in an instantaneous and violent ignition of all the powder in the case at once, instead of the normal burn rate and pressure would skyrocket well beyond the ability of the cylinder to contain the detonation.
 
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