Since Lady Beth was working open-to-close at B&B Pet Stop yesterday I decided to keep the van and drive over to the rifle range for a bit and burn some powder. My eldest, Clancy wanted to shoot a bit too, so she tagged along.
Right away we knew we had problems. Not bugs this time, but rather the wind. It was dead out of the East and speeding along at 10 to 15 knots at times. We posted a cardboard backed target, set up the chronograph and got busy.
Clancy took up the old .22 caliber Marlin 39A her grandpa bought in 1952 and proceeded to shoot some fine shots. Her tally at long range was pretty fine as well – despite the wind. I sincerely hope she takes up shooting as a sport. The girl has real promise as a competative shootist. Very shortly the cardboard backing failed in the face of such a strong wind. The particular stand I used only holds the target backing at the bottom. Plans are in the works for a full-framed PVC target stand with a weighted base.
NOTE: Loads listed below are safe in my guns with the listed components, but may not be in yours! Use common sense when reloading and reduce all loads by 10% and work up slowly! Use your reloading manual and an accurate scale. I’m not responsible for damage or injury if you blow your gun or yourself to the moon.
I decided that I’d work on accuracy later and would simply chronogragh a few .45 Colt loads using both the Winchester Trapper and the Ruger New Vaquero. One of the loads was a Hornady .454 soft swaged RNFP over 5.8 grains of the new Trail Boss powder. I have to say that I was impressed. The powder seemed to burn cleanly and completely. The average velocity of the 255 grain bullet was 825 ft/sec out of the 16 inch carbine barrel and 679 ft/sec from the Ruger’s 4.6 inch barrel.
For those that might care, I only use CCI primers, (These were the standard large pistol, not magnum.), and Starline brass, (nickel plated for the “carry” ammo.). Recoil was soft even for the .45 Colt and while not fired at an “offical” target, the gongs 50 yards down range were ringing with amazing regularity. This should be a fine low-energy smokeless Cowboy action load. Oh yeah, no leading problems in either gun! Seems Hornady’s lube works as advertised.
Next I opened the top on a box of 250 grain Speer Gold Dot hollowpoints in Starline nickel-plated cases and my usual CCI Lg. Pistol primers. The charge was 7.8 grains of Unique per Speer’s recommendation. From the carbine this load ran along at an average of 1079 ft/sec, generating about 647 ft/lbs of energy. Out of the revolver I got a rather nice 943 ft/sec and calculated 494 ft/lbs of energy. This is plenty of velocity to open up the big “flying ashtray” hollowpoint slug. Again, no formal target – yet. Nevertheless, the handy gongs rang out loud at 50 yards. This will be my carry ammo for the Ruger. Up to this point I’ve carried the factory-loaded 225 grain Winchester Silver-Tip. While very accurate in group size, it shoots low. My Ruger seems to like heavier bullets.
I also ran a few rounds loaded with Beartooth’s 280 grain WFN-GC bullets over various amounts of Accurate #5 powder through the Trapper. The loads ranged from 9.4 to 10.2 grains in .2 grain increments. I’ve not yet completed the calculations, but it appears that this bullet/powder combo is capable of moving that big slug out of the 16 inch carbine barrel at around 1050 ft/sec. That ain’t bad in anyone’s book! Should push that massive flat point end-to-end through a heavy tusker hog. I’ve not fired these loads in the Ruger yet either. I’m saving that for when my shooting gloves arrive as I expect there will be much recoil from that 4.6 inch barreled revolver!
Until the next Range Day,
Omar, out! 
