45 Colt

[no second shot]

Was donw at the local shop today and they have a 45 colt in stock that has been sitting there for some time...I think I can get a pretty good deal on it  

I was actually in there looking for a 7mm-08 but when the guy brought out the 45 I "LIKED IT"

My question's are:

• whats recoil like with this gun- i see it has a brass butt plate and i am a sissy when it comes to recoil
• what is the effective range of this cartridge?

Thanks,
No second shot

[Mike in Virginia]

Never shot one, but I want one bad.  I can't imagine that the recoil is punishing.  I've been shooting heavy .45 Colt loads in a Ruger Blackhawk, and the recoil is plenty managable.  I think the effective range would be as much as .44 magnum rifle, and more than enough to take deer at a hundred yards.  My next gun will be the BC .45.  All it needs is betters sights.

[S.E.Ak]

With good hotter ammo it should do fine to a hundred yards. It can also be rechambered to 454 or 460 for extra power if you want it. Recoild it not bad in the 45colt and may be less than the 7mm08

[no second shot]

All i can find for info is pistol load data, but i figured it could be to bad of recoil...

I really like the idea of having one of these for packing in the bush for deer...i hunt a lot with a muzzleloader but its a real pain to clean and I dont like leaving it with a charge in it when its in the gun cabinet    Also its nice to have an open site rifle handy, feels more like hunting than shooting to me 

it points well and is nice and light...now I just have to decide between the Steven's in 7mm-08, Handi in 7mm-08 or the 45 Handi...cripes

I realize it probably doesnt have huge knock down power but how would it do on Elk sized critters at close range?


No Second Shot

[gcrank1]

Do the math, .45 cal. hole in the kill zone=?
A man's got to know his (range) limitations.

[yukondog]

If you can shoot a MZ you can shoot the 45 just fine, get it.

[gomerdog]

A man's got to know his (range) limitations.

Clint Eastwood in Pale Rider....right? 

[243dave]

I have a 45colt trapper.  I've killed a total of 5 deer with it so I'm no expert but I have a good idea of its capabilities.  I load the trapper with 300gr xtp mags on top of lots of H-110.  I don't have a chrony but 1600fps is a safe bet out of the 16" barrel.  The gun kicks like a light single shot 20 gauge so if you load hot (like I do) a slip on recoil pad would be a good idea with a brass butt-plate.  With my trapper scoped my range limit is 150yds but with the factory irons (which leaves a lot to be desired) its more like 75yds.  The rifle has the accuracy past 200yds but not the trajectory(150yds is max for my loads).  As for the power of a stoutly loaded 45colt rifle it may surprise you, I know it did me.  When I tested the 300gr xtp mags against a 300 win mag(loaded with 180gr corelokts) in phonebooks it out-penetrated it.  And the 180gr corelokts out of a 300 magnum are not to shabby in the penetration department.  I know for a fact my 45colt loaded with the 300gr xtp mag will penetrate end to end on whitetail leaving a nice exit wound. Someday I'll start loading up some heavy cast bullets but until then the 300gr hornady xtp mag will do fine.  Just be careful of the jacketed bullets designed for a 45colt pistol they will expand too much limiting penetration, I know the regular 300gr xtps do at the velocities I shoot(1600fps), find ones designed for the 454 like the xtp mags, they are reliable at all angles.  The 45colt stoutly loaded out of a strong rifle will give you 454 pistol ballistics but in a easier to aim package.  If you do a lot of woods hunting the 45 colt in a rifle is hard to beat.   Dave                

[dpe.ahoy]

With hot handloads that metal butt plate will leave some marks on yer shoulder.  If hunting with a heavy coat you will be fine.  For lots of pleasure shooting or from the bench, a pad on the shoulder or swap out another butt stock with pad mounted will take the sting out of it.  They tend to slap the shoulder pretty good with my loads, 300 to 315 gr bullets on top of max loads of LilGun or H-110.  DP

[dangerranger]

 I have a marlin 94 with a 20" barrel, out of that gun the recoil is less than a 3030.  handis are a lighter gun tho. I am not recoil sensitive tho.

[Doublebass73]

I'm a recoil sissy myself so I can tell you that the 45 Colt has next to nothing for recoil. I love this little carbine. With standard pressure loads it kicks like a .22 long rifle. I loaded some 250 grain XTP's over a max charge of Unique from the Ruger-T/C section of the Lyman reloading manual and all it had for recoil was some muzzle jump but no hurt on the shoulder at all. You will be very happy with the 45 Colt if you don't like recoil. My 20 gauge Pardner kicks a lot more than my 45 Colt.

[243dave]

Here is a good read on the 45 colt if you have never seen it.  Some of these loads are meant for a 92 lever-action and loaded to 50,000cups.  Just keep in mind loads like these should be only used with the SB2 frame.   Dave    http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm

[gcrank1]

FWIW, I had one of the old H&R Shikari's in 44mag. I loaded up the oft repaeated 'Keith load' and shot quite a few. They were snappy, and recoil with the flat buttplate wasnt too bad. One day the hammer just disintegrated. (were these investment cast or sintered metal, or what? and are they still made the same way?) Now, I could say that since I was shooting stiff loads that caused it. Or could it be the thing just decided to give out? Assumptions are too easy to make, and way too easy to make incorrectly.
BTW, I wish I still had that rifle, so the experience didnt put me off.
My Rem (Spanish copy) with a buttplate similar to the BC, in 44mag was a punishing kicker even with moderate loads. Similar barrel length to the BC, weight and chambering. It went down the road too with no regrets. With field clothes on the BC may not be bad, but I expect I would need a pad (thats just me).

[quickdtoo]

FWIW, I had one of the old H&R Shikari's in 44mag. I loaded up the oft repaeated 'Keith load' and shot quite a few. They were snappy, and recoil with the flat buttplate wasnt too bad. One day the hammer just disintegrated. (were these investment cast or sintered metal, or what? and are they still made the same way?)

The old hammers I've worked with were softer than current hammers and could be drilled and tapped without annealing, modern hammers can't.  Mic McPherson's trick of lightening the trigger pull on old H&Rs works well, but it's not a good idea for modern rifles, there has been more than one member that broke the sear notch off the hammer doing it, I'd say the Shikari hammer was just a defective. I discussed this with him by email, he had never worked on a modern H&R tho, so he agreed they likely have changed the heat treating on them.

Tim

[cwlongshot]

My question's are:

• whats recoil like with this gun- i see it has a brass butt plate and i am a sissy when it comes to recoil
• what is the effective range of this cartridge?

Thanks,
No second shot

Recoil is a thought and touchy subject.. Someone here once said "recoil is in the shoulder of the beholder" and this is so right!!! 

Effective range for what? Shooting what load?

With a std factory load for shooting on paper, 100yards is OK, but likely better at closer ranges. For game, Deer sized game should be really close, say 30-40 yards but small game is a better target.

Step up to the +P loads and think of it was a 44mag.

Move up to the top full house loads and it surpassed the 44mag and is entirely suited for any game on this continent with in a hundred yards or so. With practice, on thin skinned game you can extend that range somewhat.

It will never be a long range proposition as the SD of the bullets is to near a ball, just will not carry velocities and energy levels too much farther than this.

CW

[geezer56]

With the heavy bullets and max loads, the 45 will recoil a bit.  With a 230 gr RN lead bullet, and a mid range load of titegroup, it recoils about like a 22 mag.  It can be turned from a pussycat into a dragon pretty easily.  I like the heavier stuff, but my 120 lb 14 yr old like the lightweights.  He'll shoot 50 at a sitting and never complain, and he's pretty recoil shy.  I have 2 of the 45 LC rifles.  One is a standard unit with the factory sights and the pretty stocks.  The other is a scope sighted frankenrifle, on a SB-2 frame with beat up old set of Monte Carlo pallet wood stocks.  It is a shooting fool, the other one is fun, but with my 59 yr old astigmatic eyes, it isn't the most accurate one out there. 

[no second shot]

Thanks for all the info guys...still not sure what i am going to do but at least I have some info on what the cartridge is capable of.

No second shot

[DCmauser]

About that 45LC versus 7mm-08 recoil, in same rifle these might be in proportion to bullet muzzle energy (ME)?

45LC factory hand gun loads       ~0400 ft-lbs;
45LC +P magnum factory loads    ~1100 ft-lbs;
7mm-08 Remington factory loads  ~2400-2500 ft-lbs.

About range comparisons, that would be in proportion to energy retained at 100 yds, (amongst other details).

[243dave]

DC, the ME numbers show the 45colt +p kicking less than a 223.  Of course it isn't so.  IMO you can't compare a rifle and pistol cartridge in any regards.  A slow pistol cartridge is a hard push while a fast rifle cartridge is a sharp slap.  Velocity is the difference.  The same case can be made with killing power,  ME is not a good indicator when comparing fast rifle cartridges and big slow pistol cartridges.  If it was the 22-250 would be better at killing big game than a 45-70.   Dave

[gcrank1]

The Muzzle Energy figures are not indicative of the Foot Pounds of Recoil, although they are interrelated.
Someone recently posted a list of recoil ft.lb. (50? cartridges in a Handi) and I cant think of where it is, but Im sure someone here can.

[petemi]

I'm shooting 250 gr. XTPs with insignificant recoil.  If you're worried about recoil out of a .45LC, what's gonna happen when ya shoot a big gun??  Lordie, it's a PISTOL caliber and you're shooting it out of a seven pound rifle.   Come on, y'all can't be that whimpy.  I could shoot mine til I was broke....woudln't take long.

Pete

[guns-o-fun]

I shoot +P 300 grain loads from mine and the recoil is mild at most.