45 Colt powder question.

[billybob44]

Bill you lucky dog. I think the people at Indiana gun club are sick of me calling and asking if they have any 2400! I found some one here and am now feeling good with 8 pounds in my powder closet.

Yeah 'D' I know what you mean..IGC charged me the same as Powdervalley + HazMat + shipping, on a carry out jug, but I DID want it..

I think that IGC's prices across the board have went up...Bill.

 

[djones]

Yeah 'D' I know what you mean..IGC charged me the same as Powdervalley + HazMat + shipping, on a carry out jug, but I DID want it..

I think that IGC's prices across the board have went up...Bill.

well that is bad news. IGC used to be the place to buy powder, primers and wads.

 

[kludge]

2400 is my go to powder for 45 Colt+P. I can't run the top load in my Rossi 92... The chamber is far too generous and it ruins the brass. Don't quote me, do your own research, but I think I stopped at like 17.5-18 grains to not punish my brass so bad.

 

[kludge]

On a side note...I had been using the XTP Mag. because it was the only XTP I could find before deer season. After examining the wound path it confirmed my concerns that I didn't have the velocity to make the Mag's expand. I have found some regular XTP's, packed some rounds up and headed to the range with the same load and die set up as the Mag's. (Same weight bullet and same size

yup the standard XTP is the way to go for the colt, even in a rifle. They also make excellent muzzleloader bullets with sabots.

 

[Mgderf]

With all the talk on this thread about 2400 I decided to look for some at the Lafayette show this past weekend.
Low and behold, I got a deal.

I found a pound for $10!
It was just one single, PAPER can with metal top and bottom.
The label reads Hercules 2400 and it's unopened.

Being a new reloader, I hadn't tried 2400 yet.
That will change soon.

 

[oldpink]

There are several good choices for going from mild, to medium, to medium hot, with Unique being one of the best of those.
To safely go beyond what Unique will get you, you'll need to use 4227, AA#9, 2400, H110, or a select few other slow-burning handgun category powders.
You're correct about H110 requiring near max charges and magnum primers, but it's just about impossible to find any other powder that can perform quite to the level that it will.
The deer load that I used for my third deer was stoked with a max charge of H110 behind the 225 grain Hornady FTX, launching that bullet at 1833 FPS out of the 20" barrel of my Marlin 1894 .45 Colt.
Your Rossi should be at least as strong as the Marlin and able to handle loads in that category with no problem.

 

[oldpink]

yup the standard XTP is the way to go for the colt, even in a rifle. They also make excellent muzzleloader bullets with sabots.

The only bullet that I've used for the three deer that I've taken with my .45 Colt Marlin is the Hornady FTX, but the XTP seems to get universal praise.
I would suspect that an even better option, especially for bigger game, would be the Swift A-Frame 265 grain, specifically because of its partition construction.
They cost quite a bit more, though.

 

[kludge]

They also have a higher BC than the FTX... Despite the hype.

 

[oldpink]

They also have a higher BC than the FTX... Despite the hype.

Confirmation:
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: .452 45 CAL :: 45 Cal .452 225 gr FTX® (45 Colt)
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: .452 45 CAL :: 45 Cal .452 250 gr HP XTP®

It's only 0.001 higher, but you're right.
I suspect that the FTX will still shoot a bit flatter because it can be launched a bit faster, though.
I've cleanly taken three deer with the FTX, the first two with the bullet moving along at 1650 fps, and the third with it moving along at 1833 fps.
Between the two, I'd definitely go with the XTP for black bear or larger game because of its extra mass and controlled expansion.
The 265 grain Swift A-Frame looks even more promising for bigger stuff, especially for the likes of big elk or moose.
For Grizzly, the choice is obvious: 300 grain hard cast SWC or RNFP moving along as fast as possible!
Either the FTX or the XTP will work well for deer, as long as the hunter does his part, though.

 

[Broom_jm]

The FTX bullet type offers more significant increases in BC, as the diameter gets smaller. The 30-caliber FTX bullets have considerably higher BC than their flat-nosed counterparts, whereas the larger diameter bullets are all pretty close to round, anyway...not much of an advantage putting the flex-tip on a .452" bullet.

 

[foxmustang]

H110 and the XTP MAG shoot awesome out of my Rossi M92 in 454. Blew clean thru a hog, in thru the chest thru the heart and lung and exited between the ribs. The XTP MAG offer tougher bullet rated for 454 velocities but are a little softer shooting in 45 colt brass on top of H110.

 

[kludge]

Confirmation:
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: .452 45 CAL :: 45 Cal .452 225 gr FTX® (45 Colt)
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: .452 45 CAL :: 45 Cal .452 250 gr HP XTP®

It's only 0.001 higher, but you're right.

hmmm... That's intersting. When that bullet came out I remember researching it and I remember it being a much more substantial difference. Either it's my age or they changed the numbers.

I may may do some looking into my ancient posts cuz I remember talking about this before.

 

[kludge]

Ok, found it. It was comparing the 240 XTP-MAG with the 200gr FTX for the Casull/S&W .460.

 

[bobjones223]

Found some 2400 at the 1,500!!!!....time to get back to work on the 45 Colt...

 

[jimbo-indy]

Used 2400 for hot 45 Colt loads back in the mid '70s in a 3 screw Ruger. Worked great under a 255 gn. hardcast Keith type SWC. Had to tighten screws after a few cylinders. Massive muzzle flash. Massive overload so I won't list load. I was young and stupid then.