45 Colt for deer hunting rifle load

[crazynewts]

Looking for tips on reloading the 45 colt for a Henry rifle to go deer hunting. I have loaded but not fired for the 451 XTP Hornady and the 452 Hornady interlock but when I get the bullet down to the maximum length it seems that the bullet is down in the brass past where the bullet starts to taper off and I did not know if this was safe or not if you have a loan or a bullet specific that you are using I would appreciate any information

[Harter]

I would load those as long as they will reliably cycle . Unfortunately in a lever gun you need to crimp or have a canlure at the bullet base of the bullet . Longer lowers pressure. As long as you're getting the desired velocity you're good to go .
I run 9.5 Unique under 250-265 gr cast SWC and RNFP in the pistol and back them off to 8.5 for the carbine . Both sets deliver 1050 fps MV . With live game , hogs , either will exit 24" broad side to 50 yd and are known to exit 3' up to 25 yd and break multiple ribs doing so . I don't know that a hog is tougher than a deer but a 165# hog has about 1.5-2" of cartilage shields around the shoulders that a deer doesn't have . Calm animals just dropped in a heap w/in a body length of the hit . That one that was on a full run all juiced up and panicked took about 200 yd to go down . Both lungs had big holes with damaged major arteries .

[crazynewts]

So you decrease the powder For the car being under watch you shoot in the pistol I was looking in the Hornady reloading Brock and when they were talking about shooting the 45 colt in 1894 or the TC contender it had them raising the power powder level up and I just wanted to be sure if that would be safe

[Harter]

You get velocity gains for the sealed chamber and barrel length . My issue was one of the load going super sonic and and destabilizing when they crossed back down to subsonic about 80 yd . I had to keep them subsonic . I had a 1-32" twist .

[JeffreyDeGraff]

Looking for tips on reloading the 45 colt for a Henry rifle to go deer hunting. I have loaded but not fired for the 451 XTP Hornady and the 452 Hornady interlock but when I get the bullet down to the maximum length it seems that the bullet is down in the brass past where the bullet starts to taper off and I did not know if this was safe or not if you have a loan or a bullet specific that you are using I would appreciate any information

Isn’t the .452 interlock a pointed bullet? If it’s the bullet I’m thinking of then I would not load it for 45colt rifle or revolver. Using cast bullets, like Harter described, is an excellent way to go. If you want to use jacketed, use something specifically designed for the 45colt such as the Hornady .452 250gr XTP. Stay away from the XTP MAG bullets which were designed for the 454 and 460 velocities. I believe Speer and Sierra make bullets that will work fine in the 45colt also.


JTD