Unique for me, behind a cast bullet just gets it done. I've loaded it in 38's. 357's, 44 mag, 45 Colt, 45 acp, 500 S&W and 45-70. Have put it behind jacketed bullets in 300 Blk and 308. My load for many years now in my 45 Colt is the same as yours. 9.0 gr Unique behind a 250 gr cast.
If you decide to try 2400, I get 1" groups at 25 yards using my non-customized Ruger with 17 grains. My bullet is a 300 grain hard cast SWFP, looks like your 250 grain, with no gas check. I've taken 2 buck deer with it. Hey, thanks for the great video. Very informative. Oh, those 1" groups are from the bench using sandbags front and rear.
Good looking gun. I have not loaded .45 Colt in a long time, but when I did, Unique and 2400 were my go to powders. Unique was interesting in that if you multiplied the charge weight by 100 you got a good estimate of the velocity. Eight grains gives about 800 feet per second etc. I used 2400 for heavy loads. In my 4 5/8ths inch revolver it shot very well. The powder I would like to try for .45 Colt is Trail Boss. It bulks up nicely in cartridge cases and makes a double charge extremely unlikely. In .38 Special it burns very clean with 158 grain SWCs.
For bench shooting at 25 yards I recommend using a 2"x2" black square or maybe just a bit larger, something that looks about the same width at the front sight. I also recommend raising your rest up a little bit so you don't have to bend over so much to see the sights. You could just try putting those bags on a box or some bricks about 3" to 4" high.
Can't find Unique, see it talked about in forums and old magazines/books all the time for the classic pistol cartridges. Seems like you're on the right track!
Might look at PowerPistol as well. 10 grains with a 270saa bullet hits 1k and is still in the old pressure range. You start messing with Keith loads get a good grip 😂
Some nice testing! Hard to pick one of those loads based on the accuracy. I would think resting the barrel would help with consistency. Love that revolver man, it's sure a beauty!
I have made several comments on a few videos you’ve made. The Base Mountain base pins for one. Please disregard grammar errors as I often watch and respond from a phone. Nice Chronograph! I’m a 72 year old retired trucker that started reloading in 1969 just two years before hitting the Army. You are making decent videos. The comment I made on measuring the tightest three shots of 5 are from guys like Massad Ayoob, John Taffin, Roy Huntington, Tank Hoover and others. You are doing right by using a smaller target. Aim small, shoot small. Everyone finds what works best but in the long haul, I’ve used Winchester primers. They work for both std and mag loads. Good Shooting, Jack…..
I appreciate the kind words, and advice! In today’s time I’ve just been using what primers I can fine which are normally CCI and Federal. I do the best I can, in the hopes of 1) learning someone 2) hoping someone else learns something even if it’s from my mistakes or otherwise. The only way to get better or master something as I see it , is to keep shooting! Thanks again!
So, sorry I see you do have a good chronograph. On the Belt Mountain base pins, I prefer the Elmer Keith #5 hourglass style. With the lock screw you’ll never jump a base pin. A stainless one would look good with the trigger and grip frame as well.
I've been shooting since a boy in the late 50's and the 45 Colt was what I learned with. Over the years, I've got the best results with 8.5gr of Unique with my cast bullets in the 250gr range. Lately, I've had exceptional results with 6.2gr of Titegroup with the same bullet weight. And take it from an old loader with six decades of experience. Go easy on the 2400 loads! Keith always pushed his loads too much in my opinion. Your Ruger is strong, however, the 45 Colt cases are not. If you're going to use 2400, use the published starting loads and work up from there. Do not, I repeat, do not start out with a near maximum load in this cartridge. It's not a magnum cartridge, and trying to get magnum type performance from it can be viewed as risky!
Appreciate the comment and advice! I have some Titegroup, and will give that a try and see how my Ruger likes it. I’ve already worked up and shot some 2400, based on some writings I read by John Taffin on Keith’s loads. I’ve pulled a John Linebaugh and tried a H110 load. Even though I know 45 Colt can be loaded hotter than 44 magnum, with less case pressure, if I can keep what I’m doing in the 1000-1100 range in a handgun I’m satisfied. I might push them a tad hotter in a rifle.
@@j_c_hunt Well sir, the primary concern is the thinness of the case itself. Years of loading this round has taught me that the 45 Colt cartridge is fragile as it reaches 19k plus pressure. Your Ruger will take the pressure but it's the cartridge that takes a beating. Two or three super hot loads will fatigue that thin brass and will fail to withstand the pressure. Was a professional gunsmith for 30 years and I learned much in that time. Just be careful with the loads. 😏
@anangryranger yes sir! That was the problems Elmer ran into. So far I’ve been using all Starline brass, and what few “hot” loads I’ve done, I’ve kept that brass separate. The 1000-1100 fps range stuff I’ve loaded, I haven’t noticed any issues in the Starline stuff. But I’m being as careful as a man can, who’ll keeping stuff separated and in check. Thank you for the advice! All is appreciated
45 colt will suck you in and you'll be hooked. You have been talking about your shooting rest I've heard snd been taught to just rest your wrists on the brase usually a rolled up towel. Rest any part of the gun can change your group poa when you start shooting with out a rest. Don't t ask how i know
I’ve been hooked and a lover of 45 Colt for awhile. The newest addiction to reloading it has taken full force! I’ve been experimenting with different ways to see accuracy. I’ve tried the method you describe with good grouping, sometimes not. I’ve got one more way I’m gonna try that rests the frame just in front of the trigger guard. I realize some days I shoot great, some days I suck. How it goes, but regardless I’m having the most fun a man can have! Appreciate the comment and the view!
Bigun, you are so right about POI changing due to gun rests vs. not I was lucky with my 4 5/8 Blackhawk. POI is unchanged from sandbags to off hand or using the side of a tree. However. I put my left palm on the rear sandbags.
I actually use Hodgdon Universal in place of Unique. It has the same burn rate as Unique but meters better and is more available. I load a lot of .45 Colt, but lately I’ve really been enjoying the old Lyman 454190 at 750-1000 fps with a variety of powders.
How available has it been? I had to get this unique from a fellow who had it before it disappeared. Alliant finally got some 2400 back out. Powders have been hit or miss to find seems like. Appreciate the advice!
@@j_c_hunt I can usually get it at retailers or gun shows here in NE OH. Alliant powders have been tough here since 2020 and I’ve been using Enforcer and A9 in place of 2400.
I haven't seen Unique anywhere. Thought i heard they stopped making it. Serious question, do you need a gas check at those speeds? Trying to learn this stuff. Ive read that you might need a gas check when you get around 1300 fps but i really don't know. What's your thoughts on that?
Alliant powder hasn’t had much around lately, but for some reason release stuff here and there. The Unique I’m using is from a bunch I bought from a guy who was had it on hand, and had gotten out of reloading for now. As for Gas Checks, your correct that they are used for higher pressure and speed cartridges to help prevent leading. It’s one of those things, it’s what I had more of on hand, so it’s what I used. I don’t imagine it matters much if it’s there or not at lower speeds. Thanks for the view and question, and good luck in your reloading journey. It’s addictive, or has been so for to me!
@@j_c_hunt thanks for answering. I always wondered if it was ok or affected the round in some way if you used a gas check when it wasn't needed. By the way that frame is badass! Digging this channel
@brickhammerSS thank you for the kind words! I just do my best, the best way I can. I personally don’t see any reason that the gas check will affect anything, anymore than a regular jacketed bullet will. If you’re just getting into hand loading, a chrono is the way to help you learn to be a better hand loader, and help you figure out what works great and what just works. I’m no expert, as I learn something everyday, but I try to share it all so maybe someone else can get something from it also. Thanks for the support!
I’m about to do some testing this summer but at this point, at least theoretically (for 45 colt. I have done tests with 357), I have come to believe that the notion that unique is the best, most ideal powder for 45 colt is less due to the facts and more due to how forcefully old timers have pushed it to new shooters on forums. You can’t ask for a best powder without seeing it brought up immediately, for every caliber and every purpose. They basically act like it’s foolish to look at other powders. I bought into this and loaded only with unique until now, because I came away with a handful of half empty powders in a deal and I figured I’d try some loads with them. I would say the best thing unique has going for it is it has good case fill. It’s not very clean, it doesn’t meter well, and it’s outrageously expensive these days (I’m trying to move away from alliant all together because of their prices and availability). I believe burn rate matters a lot more than type of powder. Yes, unique will load light loads and mildly heavy loads, but at one end you’re sacrificing efficiency and at the other you’re sacrificing performance. If you want light loads, a fast burning powder will get you there with less grains than unique. It will also do a better job of sealing the chamber and burning cleaner because it will make these low velocities at higher (but safe) pressure than unique will. If you want standard velocity loads, same thing. A fast powder will get you original spec velocities with less grains than unique and still be at safe pressure. They used to factory load 45 colt with bullseye, a much faster powder than unique, but they switched for fear of double charges. This is a valid reason to use unique if you’re really concerned about it. For when you want to load for your rifle or Blackhawk, unique will max out pressures before you get the velocity you could have gotten with a slower burning powder. Every powder does have an area it will work best at though. It’s just a question of -do you shoot so much in that specific area that you are willing to chose a powder that will be less than ideal in other areas.
@Almost_Made_It I’ve since made a video on other powders I’ve used. AAC#5, W231, and 2400(when I can find it) have provided good results. I have some others I want to look into when I can acquire it. Unique is one of those powders, it is unique because you can load everything from shotguns, handguns, and even some rifle cartridges with it. What’s funny to me, is as popular as it is, and like you say as much as older folks use and recommend it, it’s hardly found these days anymore. And when it is found it’s high priced compared to others. Appreciate the comment!
