Handloading for the .45/.410 CJ
Posted: 29 Sep 2018 18:23
Couldn't decide if this post should go here or the ammo section. So I went with the CJ area.
Tried out my little Lee Classic Kit for the .45 Colt today. I was supervised by someone with much more experience than I have, but even then it was (as they say) a learning experience.
I used 9.6 gr of Accurate No.5 powder, Winchester WLP primers, Hornady 250gr FTX's, and got some new Winchester brass. I won't rehash all the pain (like playing 52 pick-up with the primer after opening the box), but in the end we got a few rounds made. That mix gave the exact same reading as factory Hornady 225gr FTX's. I'd share what that was, but before I could write it down someone pressed the wrong button and cleared the memory. I *think* it was 352 m/s, or roughly 1154 ft/s. As I said, we had some operator issues with the chrono.
In the end, it looks like a good option. The kit works well now that I've figured out its quirks. The Hornady manual lists 10.2 (IIRC, too lazy to look) as the max load. I may goose it up to 9.8 next time and see how that shoots.
Tried out my little Lee Classic Kit for the .45 Colt today. I was supervised by someone with much more experience than I have, but even then it was (as they say) a learning experience.
I used 9.6 gr of Accurate No.5 powder, Winchester WLP primers, Hornady 250gr FTX's, and got some new Winchester brass. I won't rehash all the pain (like playing 52 pick-up with the primer after opening the box), but in the end we got a few rounds made. That mix gave the exact same reading as factory Hornady 225gr FTX's. I'd share what that was, but before I could write it down someone pressed the wrong button and cleared the memory. I *think* it was 352 m/s, or roughly 1154 ft/s. As I said, we had some operator issues with the chrono.
In the end, it looks like a good option. The kit works well now that I've figured out its quirks. The Hornady manual lists 10.2 (IIRC, too lazy to look) as the max load. I may goose it up to 9.8 next time and see how that shoots.