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Rossi Circuit Judge .45 Long Colt Reloads

6K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Gvnam 
#1 · (Edited)
Due to the gun being so new, there really aren't too many reloads out yet for the Rossi Circuit Judge. I myself was having trouble finding reloading data on the gun and really didn't want to pay $1.00+ a round! So I went about finding a load that wasn't +P but just about and safe to fire out of the firearm. I am hoping to hunt with the reloads mentioned below so the loads are about as high as I will go without chronographing them. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE IN RELOADING, FOLLOW THE DATA GIVEN! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INCREASE POWDER CHARGES WITHOUT THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE AND EQUIPMENT TO DO SO!

Powder being use: Unique
Bullets being used: Hornady 230 grain Jacketed Hollow Point

Using a sierra reloading manual from the '80's I used the data from the book for the powder I had most of on hand- Unique.

Hornady 230 gr. JHP reloaded with 11.5 grains of Unique going about 1,200 FPS out of an 8" barrel

I used an equation given in the book that is supposed to give you the correct FPS and found it was supposed to be going at around 1,600 FPS. How accurate that is I am not sure. I do not have a chronograph and don't know of anyone that I could have borrowed from.
I was getting about a 2" group at 50 yards free handing it. I was just shooting the firearm for fun and teaching my girlfriend how to shoot so this is not an official report. I will post one later on.

The load mentioned above should be safe to use! The rounds were all shot out of 2 different Rossi Circuit Judges. My brothers and mine. Again, these aren't official reloads- meaning they were not actually chronographed and they were not tested by anybody else besides myself and my brother. I plan on hitting up the range this spring to get accuracy tests. Again, I do not have a chronograph so I have no idea how fast these rounds are going.

I am planning knocking it up a notch and using 12 grains of HS-6 for the Hornady 230 grain Jacketed Hollow Points.

Any questions, comments or anything of the sort are welcome!

Good luck and have fun reloading! :38: :machinegun:
 
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#3 ·
The Rainiers are no loaded to Jacketed data. They are reloaded to my own data. I don't have any data on on HS-6, jacketed or lead, so reloaded to what I was comfortable to. After cleaning out the gun from each set of reloads I noticed that the plated bullets really do not have a negative effect on the barrel as in leading. And as seen on Rainier Ballistics website, it says you may start reloading using old Jacketed bullet data but you are supposed to reload starting at the lowest charge for that data. So by using 11.5 grains of HS-6 shooting out Rainier Plated Hollow Points I should be fine. I am comfortable shooting using said load
 
#4 ·
I've been reloading the .45 Colt since 1972 for Colt SAA and first model Ruger Vaquero when they arrived on the scene. I don't know how the Rossi cylinder stacks up strength-wise to the original Vaquero, which uses a New Model Blackhawk cylinder, so the strength of the Rossi is an unknown to me.

Your mindset of being focused on "velocity" & estimated velocities, recoil or " felt kick" and barrel leading is astonishing. You actually consider these phenomemon and occurrences as "data points" in your experiment?

It seems evident you have either never read or heard about the importance of "pressures" or you cavalierly just press ahead, choosing to ignore the safety considerations that are observed by mature reloaders.

Do your girl-friend a favor and eliminate her presence from you and the Rossi as you pursue this activity. It's the decent and prudent thing to do.

Look on the cartridge head at the stamping. It says .45 Colt. There never has been a .45 "long" Colt.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Look on the cartridge head at the stamping. It says .45 Colt. There never has been a .45 "long" Colt.

Yes, you are right...

But "long Colt" has been used...for some time...some say as a precaution per referencing
from the acp...

I have heard this many times argued...:lol: and came to the conclusion that "both" sides
are right...:thumbsup: Kinda reminds me of the oft occasions somebody gets onto somebody
about clip vs magazine etc...I understand..but just let em go...as I have been where when
buddies hollered for a clip...all knew what was meant....etc...etc..



But .."technically"....The designation ".45 Long Colt", sometimes abbreviated as ".45 LC", originated among military personnel to prevent confusion with the shorter-cased .45 Schofield which was also used in .45 Colt SAA revolvers by the US military. It has become a popular, yet improper, name for the cartridge.

Besides....if Colt wants to say it...why can't he..?

regards,

1shot


 
#6 ·
We, at Rainier Ballistics, recommend using lead bullet load data when loading our bullets. There is no need for adjustment when using lead bullet load data. Our bullets are jacketed using an electroplating process and are softer than traditionally jacketed bullets; hence the recommendation to use lead bullet load data.
If you only have access to traditionally jacketed load data, we recommend a starting powder charge directly between the listed minimum and maximum load, and you may use published load data found in reputable reloading manuals.
A slight roll or taper crimp may be used with our bullets;
Overcrimping plated bullets may result in decreased accuracy, and fragmentation of copper plating.



11.6GR HS-6 is OVER-LOADED based on load data for 200, 225, 250 gr lead projectiles, in the Hodgdon, Lyman, and Hornady books I referenced. It is mid to high in the jacketed data.

What load guide did you reference? Oh thats right, you made it up. therefore you shouldnt argue with someone who is qutoing DATA to keep YOU safe. Ignorance causes injury.
 
#7 ·
What books were referenced? It says "Traditionally Jacketed Load Data". If looking at the velocity of other rounds, 11.5 grains of HS-6 is low in velocity compared to 11.5 grains of Unique. There was no HS-6 data for .45 Long Colt. The gun handles it quite well. There was no gumming in the barrel, accuracy was just as good as the Jacketed. Yes, I said I was shooting on the edge of +P. I had worked my way up to that on powder charges. I had already tested lower powder charges and have stopped where I feel most comfortable. I plan on ordering a chronograph shortly so I can get official data.

And SteveJet- I had no fear in shooting the rounds from the gun. I knew it would handle the rounds. The Unique data I got straight out of the manual. And as I stated, the HS-6 doesn't burn at the pressures Unique does.
 
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