Freedom Arms Model 97 .45 Colt - HOGS

[hunterwarrior]

Given the short OAL of the .45 Colt cartridge in the FA 97, what is best hard cast bullet weight in a LBT WFN bullet that one should expect to get full penetration with on a good size feral hog? I am guessing something around 260 gr would do it?

What velocity can be expected out of a model 97 using a 260 gr bullet?

Anyone try Vihtavuori powders in their .45 Colt model 97s?

I welcome your thoughts and experiences.  HW

[MarkH]

Cast Performance makes a good 265 gr WFN gaschecked bullet.  Montana Bullet Works makes a good 300 gr WFN gaschecked or plainbase bullet.  I use more of the 300 gr.  It is a little too long to seat in the 97, crimped in the groove, but I just make sure I have plenty of neck tension and seat it a little deeper, to an OAL of just slightly more than 1.60".  For powder, I have generally used 4227, but am still experimenting ...

Velocity will depend on the powder and the barrel length.  I've gotten up to 1350 fps with a book load and a 250 grain jacketed bullet and a 7.5" barrel.  I am increasingly satisfied with 1100 fps.

[hunterwarrior]

I forgot. Mine is a 5 1/2" barrel.

[Lloyd Smale]

I dont like wfns and prefer a swc or an lfn but that is just personal preference and the wfn will work. Any load that pushes a 250 grain or heavier bulllet at a 1000 fps or better will blow through any hog. Ive killed a couple with 44 specials shooting 240s at 900 and never found them lacking.

[doghawg]

 Lloyd...

 You've got a lot of experience and when you say you don't like WFN's I want to know why not. Is it because of accuracy?

[fowler]

I will help Lloyd out here. Yes it tend to be harder for a light WFN to shoot as well as a good Keith bullet. I have a pile of 260gr WNFGC bullets that in my Ruger 45 colts don't so much group poorly as they more pattern in a IC choke pattern (think 6 to 10" groups at 50 yards out of good guns)! My 300gr WFNGC bullet shoots really well but I think the added length makes them stabilize better, on a good day I can hold 3" groups at 50 with these bullets from a sitting Keith position. My personal favorite bullet is the 335 LFNGC run at 1050fps, but I have had great success with it from 850 to 1300fps.

It seems the most accurate bullet design is the LFN followed by the Keith then a distant 3rd is the WFN in lighter weights. I tend to shoot heavier bullets so I pretty much get serious with 300gr and above. I have a few buddies that have had very good results with the RCBS 270-SAA  bullet crimped over the front shoulder, in WW lead it runs about 285gr and is a excellent bullet for all around shooting in 45 colts if you don't want to go too heavy.

[paul105]

I have a 4 1/4" M97 .45 Colt.  I basically shoot two loads from my gun.   My everyday plinking, woods bumming, and general fun load is the 270gr SAA (actually weighs a little over 280gr) that fowler mentioned above.  My load is 7.8 gr of HP38, mixed brass, Win LP primers, and crimped over the front drive band.  This load runs a little over 900 fps (actual chrono) in my gun.

The other load is the RCBS 300gr SWCGC (actual weight 315gr).  I load it to a little over 1,100 fps (again actual chrono) using H4227, H110 or Lil'Gun.  I've settled on H110.  I also  crimp this bullet over the front drive band.  You can crimp this bullet in the crimp grove, but the meplat is right at the end of the cyl face, allowing nor margin for potential crimp jump.  You have to be real careful with charge weights when using heavier loads and reduced case capacities (when crimping over the front drive band).   With a little tweaking, you can get these two loads to hit very close to the same point of impact.

I don't shoot very many of the 300gr Loads.  There are times when I do want the extra power when packing the .45.  Most of the time when more power is required then the .454 or .475 get the nod.

I get both of the above bullets from Montana Bullet Works.

Paul

[TommyD]

I also use Montana Bullet Works when I don't cast my own. The LBT 260 grain long flat nose gas check bullet is the most accurate 45 Colt bullet I have tried in its weight class. Better than the WFN and LOTS better than a number of commercial cast and the Keith style bullets like the Lyman 452424. All over the paper at 50 yards, while the 260 LFN will stay in the 3 inch black at 50 yards all day long.

The only down side with the mold that Montana Bullet Works uses is that the nose length is a little long for one of my revolvers. But even crimping it forward of the crimp groove doesn't seem to hurt the accuracy as far as I can tell. Accuracy is good in my FA83 and my Super Redhawk .454 using 45 colt brass.

If you need a WFN go with the 300 grain pushed with either Lil'Gun or H110 to about 1200 fps.

 I am having Veral Smith make me up a mold with a shorter nose to crimp length for the 260 LFN. I intend to shoot a lot of those. I haven't hunted with it yet, but I will try it. The meplat is at least as wide as found on many Keith style bullets, and people have had much success hunting with those bullets over the years.

Tom

I have a 4 1/4" M97 .45 Colt.  I basically shoot two loads from my gun.   My everyday plinking, woods bumming, and general fun load is the 270gr SAA (actually weighs a little over 280gr) that fowler mentioned above.  My load is 7.8 gr of HP38, mixed brass, Win LP primers, and crimped over the front drive band.  This load runs a little over 900 fps (actual chrono) in my gun.

The other load is the RCBS 300gr SWCGC (actual weight 315gr).  I load it to a little over 1,100 fps (again actual chrono) using H4227, H110 or Lil'Gun.  I've settled on H110.  I also  crimp this bullet over the front drive band.  You can crimp this bullet in the crimp grove, but the meplat is right at the end of the cyl face, allowing nor margin for potential crimp jump.  You have to be real careful with charge weights when using heavier loads and reduced case capacities (when crimping over the front drive band).   With a little tweaking, you can get these two loads to hit very close to the same point of impact.

I don't shoot very many of the 300gr Loads.  There are times when I do want the extra power when packing the .45.  Most of the time when more power is required then the .454 or .475 get the nod.

I get both of the above bullets from Montana Bullet Works.

Paul