Beartooth 300gr & 325gr in Freedom Arms 97?

[new_guy]

It looks like Beartooth has 2 "heavy" bullets available for the short, Freedom Arms 97, 45 Colt cylinder.

One is 300gr, the other is a 325 with 2 crimp grooves.

Anyone have any 45 Colt loading experience with these in the 97?

300


325

[MarkH]

I load a bullet very similar to the 300 gr for the .45 97 ......... generally with IMR4227 powder.

[Graybeard]

You like recoil more than me if you use those in your FA97 but yes I've used basically those two in mine and DO NOT like the recoil they produce. The heavy is basically just the Lyman 452651 and I have a couple of double cavity moulds that drop it and I do love it for the .454 Casull and have used it in my FA97 but even with my lighter loads the recoil is more than I prefer in a single action. I use 2400 to load it as that powder is very forgiving of light loads even lighter than the books recommend. To take the recoil I must load both bullets a bit below the book recommended loads. I can take massive doses of recoil in double action guns but not nearly so much so in single actions.

The 300 appears to be basically the standard Keith bullet with a gas check added. The RCBS 270 SAA will do all you need done from the .45 in the FA97 with less recoil. The gas checks are not really needed at the velocity I can take from my FA97 but is helpful when I push them to 1550 fps from the Casull.

[Boxhead]

"The RCBS 270 SAA will do all you need done from the .45 in the FA97 with less recoil."

Not easy. I have to trim my brass to 1.245" to shoot a properly crimped 270 gr SAA in my M97.