Hey Guys ___Just curios about the factory Colt 45 loadings (Winchester ,Federal etc.),what are they(weight and fps) and are they adequate as a black bear(200-400 lbs.) defense load(penetration wise) if push comes to shove(strictly emergency use only when camping in area where its legal to carry) .I don’t reload yet. So what do you think?____ THANKS BAYRUNNER

I wouldn't use them for that. With a good bullet they would possibly be somewhat effective, but the swaged lead bullet isn't the way to go when you are trying to get penetration with low velocity. Be a good people popper(defense situation), but I wouldn't shoot a bear with it.

Here is some information I gleaned from Cor-bon's site Please read ALL the information as this ammo is not for all .45 Colt's!!


Home | Shop Online | News | Price List | Contact COR®BON


45 COLT +P


CorBon has given the 45 COLT cartridge hunting loads worthy of the designation: +P. These are true high performance loads with the attached +P as an additional caution. In the appropriate modern hunting pistol, our .45 COLT +P lods give near 44 Magnum performance with markedly less recoil.

This is NOT plinking ammo, this load should only be used in those guns that have the steel to handle the power. Guns in .45 COLT that are built on heavy duty frames, such as the Ruger, Freedom Arms, Colt Anaconda, and Thompson-Center Contender will handle this load with authority. This load is NOT intended for handguns such as older Smith & Wesson, Colt Single Action Army, or the Colt clones imported single action revolvers. Common ense needs to prevail! THIS IS NOT COWBOY AMMO!
45 Colt +P 265gr Bonded Core Hollow Point
Range 0 50 100 125 150 175 200 yards
Velocity 1350 1225 1126 1085 1051 1021 993 fps
Energy 1073 883.5 745.8 693.5 649.7 612.5 580.4 ft/lb
Path -0.50 2.65 0.00 -3.82 -9.48 -17.09 -26.76 in
45 Colt +P 300gr Jacketed Soft Point
Range 0 50 100 125 150 175 200 yards
Velocity 1300 1197 1114 1080 1050 1022 1001 fps
Energy 1126 954.5 826.7 776.5 733.6 696.4 663.9 <="" td="">
Path -0.50 2.78 0.00 -3.96 -9.77 -17.54 -27.37 in
45 Colt +P 335gr Hard Cast
Range 0 50 100 125 150 175 200 yards
Velocity 1050 985 933 911 890 851 fps
Energy 820.3 721.9 648.1 617.0 588.9 563.0 539.0 ft/lb
Path -0.50 4.22 0.00 -5.78 -14.17 -25.29 -39.25 in

Hey Guys ___Just curios about the factory Colt 45 loadings (Winchester ,Federal etc.),what are they(weight and fps) and are they adequate as a black bear(200-400 lbs.) defense load(penetration wise) if push comes to shove(strictly emergency use only when camping in area where its legal to carry) .I don’t reload yet. So what do you think?____ THANKS BAYRUNNER

I wouldn't hesitate to use the factory 45LC in the situation you asked about. Too many people want to push the LC to 44 Mag specs and it's not a 44 Mag. The 45LC is a power house by itself and can stand alone. I carry mine as a back-up sidearm whenever hunting big game. Factory loads are not Grizzly fodder by any stretch, but I'd use it on anything else out there. The 30-06 isn't Grizzly worthy either, but for most anything else, it'll work if needed.

My question would be if you don't already own a gun why not buy a 44 mag? You can purchase cowboy ammo for it that equals light 45 colt loads and use full bore 44 mag loads for bear protection. If you reload, and you can for a reasonalble cost, it opens up worlds of shooting options for you.

I've been shooting the old 44 mag for a lot of years. My hunting partner shoots a Ruger 45 colt and loads it up to 44 mag levels and it is unpleasent to shoot. I'm not sure he's doing the gun any good, but he likes the bang.

If your shopping for a single action handgun Ruger makes it both in 45 colt and 44 magnum. It would seem silly to me to buy the 45 when you can have a 44 for exactly the same cost. Oh get the stainless one.

All the revolvers I shoot are double action. I've had a few single action guns in 41 mag, 44 mag and 45 colt and they shoot just as well, but the double actions that now inhabit my safe are easier to load and unload. They hardly ever get fired double action, just are more handy to use with the swing out cylinder. Even my little six shot Rossi is much handier than the old Ruger bearcat I started out with. bought that gun for $39, sure wished I had kept it with the prices they sell for now.

You might want to check out the forums at sixgunner.com. the 45LC is where most of those guys start, some going much bigger than that. Some of them wander between here and there, but they have all sorts of answers for you on power as it relates to the 45LC.

Good luck

My question would be if you don't already own a gun why not buy a 44 mag? You can purchase cowboy ammo for it that equals light 45 colt loads and use full bore 44 mag loads for bear protection. If you reload, and you can for a reasonalble cost, it opens up worlds of shooting options for you.

I agree with you. I too shoot a 44Mag in a Ruger SRH and love it and given the choice for bear, there's no contest. The 44 will give loads of power over the 45LC. My LC that I carry is a Taurus Titanium and there's just no contest for all day comfort. Again I say, the 45LC is a good gun, but it's no 44Mag, but it's still a mess of power in it's own right.

Your average .45 Colt factory ammunition, the kind that is suitable to shoot in ALL .45 Colt revolvers has a tiny bit more power a .45 Auto pistol. Not my idea of good bear medicine. There are all kinds of heavy loads for strong guns, but if you want real power from a .45 LC it's a handloading only proposition, unless you like to pay horrendous dollar amounts for your ammo.

I shoot the .45 Colt in a Ruger Bisley and load it from mild to wild, it's a good cartridge. Don't let anyone tell you the standard factory loads are what you want to be shooting bears with...high end stuff like Cor-Bon...sure that will work if it's safe in your gun. The velocity is low and the bullets are the wrong type for good reliable penetration in the standard factory loads. There are much better things to use.

What make/model of revolver are you shooting?

My question would be if you don't already own a gun why not buy a 44 mag? You can purchase cowboy ammo for it that equals light 45 colt loads and use full bore 44 mag loads for bear protection. If you reload, and you can for a reasonalble cost, it opens up worlds of shooting options for you.I agree with Bob, since you are going to be in bear country, you might as well have an appropriate bear gun. The .45 Colt in a Colt SA or clone might be a great man stopper but it gets marginal when it comes to bears. Of course if you handload and have a Ruger, that might be a different story.

I have to beg the differ with you 44mag fans. What exactly makes the 44magnum?, apart from the fact it holds more powder than the 44special? Has anyone compared cases? 44mag vs. 45long colt? How about powder capacities. Bullet weight over 300grains the 45colt begins to leave the 44mag behind with less pressures mind you. You cannot compare you're highpressure loads without looking at the versatile handguns in the 45colt, there is the Bowen handguns, BFR, SuperREDHAWK, RedHAWK, FreedomARMS etc...... I think Clint Eastwood went out some 35yrs or so back :p In bullet weights under 300grains they seem to be about equal but take heed after 300grains on up. Aside bigger bullets have always made bigger holes! Alot of people overate the 44mag and underate the 45colt-they have not done their homework. This thread is as old as time just about but the 45colt with the right loads and the man behind makes the gun-bear or no bear, just the bear facts.

I agree with you. I too shoot a 44Mag in a Ruger SRH and love it and given the choice for bear, there's no contest. The 44 will give loads of power over the 45LC. My LC that I carry is a Taurus Titanium and there's just no contest for all day comfort. Again I say, the 45LC is a good gun, but it's no 44Mag, but it's still a mess of power in it's own right.

I started hunting with a S&W 44 mag with a 6.5 inch bbl. Shot a lot of game and then went to steel targets. The Smith finaly after two bbls and sets of innerds got retired. Now shoot a 7.5 Super Redhawk with an aimpoint 5000.

I wanted a gun that was as easy to carry as my little Rossi 4 inch 22 or my old Smith 19 with a little more power. I ended up with a Taurus tracker 4 inch ported stainless revolver. It's as easy to carry as any I've had and got enough power for most anything.

If i'm hunting I use the SRH, fishing and just out in the woods the tracker. Both are loaded with Kieth style hardcast, the 44 with a 250 grain gas check the 41 with a 210 Lee tumble lube without a gas check.

I used to carry nothing but the little 22, but were getting more wolves, bears and big cats here in this part of Idaho now and I just feel better with a little more power.

This is the Ruger and my little Rossi. My son carries a 5.5 inch 44 Redhawk. He didn't like his 7.5 inch Redhawk and I got him the 5.5 incher for his birthday a couple of years ago and he carries it on a hip holster. The Big Super Redhawk gets a scoped shoulder holster.

What's the difference between a 45 colt and a 45 long colt anyway.

According to my research a 44 mag can make any weight bullet out run a 45 colt bullet of the same weight :confused: That's why they call it a MAGNUM. It can take the PRESSURE.

Remember : force is equal to mass times velocity. Or how dead you realy want to make something depends on how much you had to empty out of your pants AFTER you pulled the trigger.

What's the difference between a 45 colt and a 45 long colt anyway.

According to my research a 44 mag can make any weight bullet out run a 45 colt bullet of the same weight :confused: That's why they call it a MAGNUM. It can take the PRESSURE.

Remember : force is equal to mass times velocity. Or how dead you realy want to make something depends on how much you had to empty out of your pants AFTER you pulled the trigger.

The term "magnum" has nothing to do with pressure levels, it refers to case capacity. It would imply that for every magnum there is a cartridge of lesser capacity, which isn't always the case. The term originated with wine containers, where a magnum holds about 1.5 times the liquid of a "standard" bottle of wine. Magnum is a marketing term.

The difference between the 45 colt and the 45 long colt is only in the name.
I have read that the term "long colt" came about shortly after the invention of the 45acp.
I cannot vouch for the statements validity.


I have owned several 45's chambered in Sam Colts cartridge over the years. The Rugers are the way to go if you handload, and want to step up the velocities of your rounds. But that has surely been stated above many times.

I now posses the Smith Mountain gun in 45colt. This handy little N frame is barreled in a pencil 4 inch, and points like an extention of your hand. I Called Smith's Tech department and asked about handloads and pressures and such in relation to the Mountain gun. Smiths anwser to me was that the cylinder, frame and barrel would most certainly hold up to "hot" loads, but the tech doubted if the internals could withstand it. He went on to say that they have been asked this numerous times, and to keep things safe, keep speeds at a cap of 1000fps. to me that means I can drive a 285 or 300 grainer to 1000fps.....I truly believe that it would make a critter take notice.

Do a search for "mountain gun"; as DOK and I, along with Coldfingers and a few others had a lengthy thread about the Mountain gun and hot loads.
Chris~

I will have to agree with grizz106, I am not down playing the 44mag I also own one in a pistol, and a 1894 marlin in 44. But I own two 45LC rugers. For a test, load two mid range rounds 1-44mag, 1-45lc same weight bullet, same powder charge. Fire them in similar guns, and see which one has less recoil but the same power. There are some interesting articles on John Linebaughs website on the old underpowered 45lc that are worthy of reading. The 45lc is not the antique that some people think. Our deer season starts monday. I will be using a 44mag. 1894 marlin,but on my hip will be a 4 5/8" 45lc ruger w/260gr cast over 13gr HS6

The difference between the 45 colt and the 45 long colt is only in the name.
I have read that the term "long colt" came about shortly after the invention of the 45acp.
I cannot vouch for the statements validity.I believe the term "long" Colt snuck in when the Army started purchasing S&W Schofield revolvers. They were .45 caliber but shorter in length and larger in rim diameter than the .45 Colt. The Colt SAs could fire either cartridge however the .45 Schofield cartridges could not be loaded side-by-side in the Colt cylinder. The Schofields could not fire the .45 Colt due to its longer case length. The .45 Colt began to be referred to as the "long" Colt to differentiate the two so now the name stuck. The correct designation is .45 Colt which is what appears on the headstamp however, the box label may, in some cases, state .45 Long Colt. :p

The Long Colt story is a little more complicated than that. The Schofield cartridge has a wide rim for the star extractor, but the Long Colt has a very narrow rim since it isn't needed with the pushrod extractor of the Colt Single Action Army. The Schofield rim is too wide for the chamber spacing of the Colt, which reduces it to a three shooter. The Long Colt was too long for the Schofield cylinder, so the Short Colt was developed, with a slightly wider rim and the Schofield length. It's also known as the .45 Colt Government. Elmer Keith wrote about it in his book "Sixguns", but noted that it was out of production by his time.

Bye
Jack

Interesting to note that today's clones of the Schofield revolver have a larger cylinder and frame opening to accomodate the .45 Colt cartridge. Wonder why that wasn't done during the initial production run? Also, .45 Schofield brass is available from Starline and I believe loaded cartridges are availble from Blackhills for those who insist on being authentic to the era. So there you have it recoil junky, the true story of the .45 Colt aka, .45 "Long" Colt.

:owell Like I said....couldn't vouch for the validity...

Believe it or not I think I remember reading that in guns and ammo at my dentist's office...but then again, it's guns and ammo...fluff magazine...


Gettin back to the subject at hand bayrunnerrunner;

how's about trying a few different factory loadings thru a chrony, that'll at least help ya determine the velocities from your gun.
Which gun did you say you were launching from????:confused:

Have a couple of those old S&W lenght rounds...are marked .45 C. Gov'm. others are marked .45 S&W. Intresting that the ones I have that are marked S&W have small size primers.

HAve a couple of the long length .45cartidges...one of whish is also stamped .45 C. Gov'm. Same headstamp as the short length round.

While never stamped "long" or "short", there was at least a time when there were two rounds, one of the longer length and one of the shorter length, both marked with the same headstamp. Seems logical that a person standing there in 1880 would have to ask for the "long Colt" or the "short Colt" to differentiate between two identially headstamped rounds.

-------
Have a lone 38/40 round that is marked .38 C.L.M.R. Took awhile for me to figure out that one, but finally did: Colt Lighting Magazine Rifle. Haven't a clue if there is some internal differnece or not, but it does carry the odd extra small sized primer that was a bit smaller than today's small rifle primer (was it the "O" sized primer..that sounds right, but memory is fickle).

Hey Guys ___Just curios about the factory Colt 45 loadings (Winchester ,Federal etc.),what are they(weight and fps) and are they adequate as a black bear(200-400 lbs.) defense load(penetration wise) if push comes to shove(strictly emergency use only when camping in area where its legal to carry) .I don’t reload yet. So what do you think?____ THANKS BAYRUNNER
BAYRUNNER, do a "search" and type in 45LC vs 44MAG and you can see how intense this thread went. Meaning we divulged ourselves to a very extent in our verses. Nothing wrong with the 44mag-it is a thoroughbred in its own right but too the 45LC is an ole classic with a new twist. Magnum-should call it the 45Colt Magnum and that should settle any and all debates on the abilities of this wonderful caliber. :D Black bear can easily be killed with a cartridge with proper bullet weight and velocities of 950fps on up. Just a question of how close you want to be - up close and personal? Is the only way to go. If you become profecient with your handgun there is no reason in the world you cannot harvest a black bear either or defend yourself from an attack.

GMJ and grizz,
I believe the initial question concerned factory loads, where I think the 44 mag has an advantage, especially with economical loadings. I don't think anyone would doubt that the two can be handloaded to near equal performance in appropriate guns.

Just for reference on the Short Colt.

1/ Sixguns by Keith, page 285.

2/ Shooting Times, November 1997, Mike Venturino's "The Shootist" column, page 14, subtitled 'According to Mike, those who have referred to it as the .45 "Long" Colt were correct; there really was a .45 "Short" Colt!'.

3/ Cartridges of the World, 9th Edition, page 306.

4/ My cartridge collection. Mine's a REM-UMC over 45 COLT, with a large primer with a U stamp. Rim diameter is irregular, .507"-.509". Winchester made them too.

Bye
Jack

GMJ and grizz,
I believe the initial question concerned factory loads, where I think the 44 mag has an advantage, especially with economical loadings. I don't think anyone would doubt that the two can be handloaded to near equal performance in appropriate guns.
Jayhawker, thanks for the note. As I mentioned the standard loads for the 45 Colt are in that same arena of velocity of 950 fps average---or so. I really am an admirer of the 45Colt (long) and seen where the thread was veering off and so stated as such-thanks. I too have considered the Smith 25-5 in the 45colt chambering but question, the Quality of cylinder throats- I am pretty confident that a bullet of 260-280grain of nominal velocities would do fine as mentioned. I have not owned one yet or the Taurus either but suspect "hot" loads would break them guns apart, rightly so. But the over the counter manufactured bullets would do this gent just fine if proper bullet selection was made--obviously not the +P version ammo. Economical loads for hunting or protection should never be used in any case. My .02

Factory load Remington with 255gr lead SWC run about 850fps and pack a **** of a whallop. Great penetration thanks in part to the weight and putting one or two into the boiler room of anything will definitely not make it happy. I would definitely not think twice about plugging a bear with these loads at self defense range since the pentration is going to be the factor. No problem with getting the bullets to vitals on a chest shot which is what would be encounter in defense of self mode or on a broadside which would be defense of someone else. One to the spine or under the jaw to the head is going to drop near any animal walking the earth.

I have a New model stainless blackhawk w/ 4-5/8" barrel. I got 300gr XTP's to come out of it at 1350 fps using a compressed load but pushing the pressure limits to the max. While these were somewhat impressive they still lacked the expansion I was looking for but defnitely had the penetration. I ended up settling for a smokeless load throwing a 260gr cast RFN bullet (20:1 alloy) at 1370 fps that is accurate, penetrates and expands quite well.

Lately I've switched to blackpowder loads using the 260 gr cast bullet made with 30:1 alloy. Chrono went down before I could get speeds on these but performance is not far behind the smokeless load.

Heavy loads hammer guns and unless you're shooting a gun designed for the punishment like a contender or bolt action, I would not shoot hot loads on a regular basis. You definitely need to test whatever loads you are going to use in your gun. I had a few 45 colts in the past prior to the Ruger and every one of them suffered problems without exceeding normal low pressure loadings. Not a single hint of trouble with the Ruger even after feeding over 200 heavy loads on top of the numerous rounds of normal pressure & blackpowder loadings.

Quite some time ago an article appeared in one of the gun/outdoor rags about a guide who carried a .44 mag and put siz rounds into the head of a charging brown bear only to have them slide up over the skull and do no lethal damage. Don't know if it was the same rag or not but shortly after this story ran, another one ran about a guy who came face to face with a grizzly after stopping along a road to releive himself. Bear was only a 3-4 feet away and he pulled his .380 auto he carried with FMJ RN's and popped 3 or 4 into the chest before the bear slapped the gun away and knocked the guy down. As the fellow hit the ground expecting to die, the bear collapsed ontop of him nearly dead. I recall he got cut up a bit but still ended up the winner. I think we can all agree the .380 is a far cry from the .44 or .45 and hardballers are the lest impressive SD bullet choice but the combination can work.

Just for reference on the Short Colt. JackJack, I really have to hand it to you for your list of impressive references. Great research!

markkw,
remind me not to be standing anywhere within "schrapnel range" when you're shooting loads that get a chronographed 1550fps with a 300gr jacketed bullet out of a 4 5/8" barrel 45 Colt. Never a good idea to load any 45 Colt to 50,000 CUP, which is what you would have to do in order to achieve that velocity. That would be in a cylinder with quite a bit less thickness than a .44 Mag loaded to pressures 20% higher.

Jack:

Thought the wide rimmed versions were for the 1909 Army DA...could well be wrong about aht, will try to research it. Know that the .45SW version in hand have the same rim dimentions as the .45 "long" versions, but I certainly don't have one of each make.

Hey Guys ___Just curios about the factory Colt 45 loadings (Winchester ,Federal etc.),what are they(weight and fps) and are they adequate as a black bear(200-400 lbs.) defense load(penetration wise) if push comes to shove(strictly emergency use only when camping in area where its legal to carry) .I don’t reload yet. So what do you think?____ THANKS BAYRUNNER

Which gun? That's the $64,000 question..... in a Ruger (NOT the new small-framed Vaquaros), you have the full-snort loadings from Cor-Bon, Buffalo Bore, and probably others.

In a Smith, .... eh ..... not sure I'd use those. Not often, anyway!

My loads for Rugers toss 300 grain bullets at around 1200-1300fps, depending on barrel length. If that won't do the job, I guess the bear wins.....

Anyway, if common, off-the-shelf ammo is the limiting factor, the .44 mag wins, hands down.

I've only got 2 .45 S&W Schofield's in the collection. One's a PETERS headstamp with an irregular rim, going .510"-.512". The other is not stamped, but the dimensions and bullet shape are correct for a .45 S&W. It's got a copper case with a cannelure .125" above the rim, indicating inside priming rather than rimfire. Rim diameter is a uniform .515". I suspect it's much older than 1909.

Cartridges of the World gives .522" as the maximum rim diameter of the S&W. The four D.C.Co .45 Long Colts I have have .502"-.505" rims.

Bye
Jack

kciH, Typo, should have read 1350 not 1550 fps, I'll edit the other post (1550 was obtained in the rifle not the revolver). Still running max pressure but not enough to deform the primer. Load was built with the help of a Dupont powder tech using a powder not normally identified with handgun cartridge use. Very heavy load nonetheless and not one I'd ever give out.

The 260gr cast loads don't hammer me or the gun and I wouldn't hesitate to poke holes in anything that needed it with them.

Believe you. Was a write up on the Colt 1909 and proablems with the thin rims of .45colt cases slipping under the extracto...and the issue of wider rimmed ammo to cure it. But those would have the normal dated Military headstamp (like FA 2 - 10) as they were arsnel loaded. Will find that article as I cannot remember with 100% certainty if it was the "long" or the "short" case.

But as I remember the chronology, from the .38LC in the Phillipines...to some emergency issue Colt SAA's...to the Colt 1909 (which is where they found the rim problem when using the issued rounds for the Colt SAA)...to the 1911.

Couldn't have been much of that ammo made...wasn't that long before .45ACP was the issued round and those big New Services wre being make as 1917's.

If you want a .45 that makes a big bang why not just buy a .454 cassul? load the Colt into it for light loads and the .454 will make short work of almost anything you want to shoot with it.

Yes "magnum" does mean more case capaciy BUT if you look closely at the capacities of a 44 spcl and a 44 magnum there's not a whole lot of difference as related to volume. But when you look at case constuction it's a whole nother ball game. Magnum cases have way heavier shoulders than specials.

And I was refering to bullets of the same weight loaded to maximum velocities according to data from the same reloading manual.

I don't think I'd run too many of my "Sven" loads thru a S&W or a Colt. I'll stick with my Redhawk.

I just have one thing to note about the two cartridges
44 magnum= .429"
45 lc= .452"

i believe that the case length for both is the same.

we can say then that for the same pressure, the 45lc would have more power. as there are currently revolvers that can take the pressure (modern cases can too) we can say the the .45 lc is actually a MORE powerful cartridge then the .44 magnum. however it is not typically loaded to those levels due to the existence of weak older revolvers. so to answer the original question, if you can find ammo that is loaded up, which it does exist, .45 lc will work for bear just fine (hey, if 41mag and 44mag work, then 45 should do it better)

I just have one thing to note about the two cartridges
44 magnum= .429"
45 lc= .452"

i believe that the case length for both is the same.

we can say then that for the same pressure, the 45lc would have more power. as there are currently revolvers that can take the pressure (modern cases can too) we can say the the .45 lc is actually a MORE powerful cartridge then the .44 magnum. however it is not typically loaded to those levels due to the existence of weak older revolvers. so to answer the original question, if you can find ammo that is loaded up, which it does exist, .45 lc will work for bear just fine (hey, if 41mag and 44mag work, then 45 should do it better)

Everyone has their favorites, All these cartridges loaded with good cast bullets over 1200/1300 fps will kill black bear well. If your going to get into the bigger is better argument nothing beats the new Smith's 500.

If your your going to buy a gun chambered for 45 Colt then like one of the fella's said get a gun chambered for the 454 Casul. You can shoot the mild 45 Colts in it and the Casul for bear protection.

Of course theres always the arguments for twin Ma Duce's mounted on top of the SUV. Those 650/750 grainers will do the job.

I've never shot a bear with a 45 Colt Revolver, but bunches with the 44 mag and a few with the 41 and I can't tell the differences at pistol ranges. I doubt you would be able to tell the difference either.

Get the one that turns your crank the best and practice with it. Don't get one that won't push any bullet less than a thousand fps. Keep ranges short enough that you can hit well and don't expect it to knock down Browns and Grizzleys, get a rifle.

These Redhawks work good. The 7.5 incher with the aimpoint red dot is good to a hundred yards for hunting. The 5.5 inch Redhawk is packable on your hip and good to 50 yards with my squinty eyes. got a new 4 inch stainless 4 inch 41 mag Taurus Tracker that is lighter so gets packed more now. You could put my buddies 45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk with the 4 5/8 inch right beside these and not feel undergunned in any bear country in the lower 48 your in. He does tend to load it a bit hot, but really likes the bang it makes.

The topic of 44 magnum vs 45 Colt was thrashed out very thoroughly a few years ago, right here. The general consensus was, that a 44 mag, loaded to 40,000 psi, (cup?), and a 45 Colt, loaded to 30,000, provide identical performance. The 30,000 psi loads are for Contenders, Ruger Bisleys, Blackhawks, (not the new, small Vaqueros), Redhawks, and other strong, modern designs. The high-pressure loads in the loading manuals, and from such companies as Corbon and Buffalo Bore, are all in the same pressure range. Theoretically, when shooting the same bullet at the same velocity, the 44 penetrates a little more, and the 45 cuts a little wider swath, but there is no practical difference. The 45 does hold an advantage, in that it better handles bullet weights above 320 grains.

Darrel

I think that till Ruger comes out with a set of reloading intructions for their wheelguns I'll stick with "Nancy" loads in the 45 and use "Sven" loads in the 44 MAGNUM :D

Argue argue argue over which is the .44 mag or the .45LC. I'm a .44 mag user myself but if you want to use The.45LC go ahead It's a good cartidge. Just get a gun that can handle the Hot loads (RUGER Redhawk or SuperBlackhawk). It's the hot loads (CORBON or BUFFALO BORE)you'll want to be using in BEAR COUNTRY.