[gehlsurf]

Hi there, I was looking online at some ammo and was just wondering how high you can go with the grain count on a 45 round in a 3" PD. I know y that your not supposed to use the +P, right? But how high can the grain count go, out better yet, how low is safe as well......
Thanks!

 

[GreenWolf70]

Check out Ranch Dog's carry load. http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/concealed-open-carry/98144-450t-cc-hd.html

I would not go much higher than what Ranch Dog has here. And personally with the 45LC I don't see much reason to go lower than 250. The best quality of a .45LC is its ability to throw heavy lead, so why go light. You are not going to get much velocity out of the short barreled PD, so why bother?

If you are looking for loaded carry ammo, try Speer's 250 grain Gold Dots. At around 950 fps they deliver the omph.

 

[gbusmech]

Remember the idea is to stop your attacker not to shoot through him and the next 4 people behind him....

 

[djw479]

Check out Ranch Dog's carry load. http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/concealed-open-carry/98144-450t-cc-hd.html

I would not go much higher than what Ranch Dog has here. And personally with the 45LC I don't see much reason to go lower than 250. The best quality of a .45LC is its ability to throw heavy lead, so why go light. You are not going to get much velocity out of the short barreled PD, so why bother?

If you are looking for loaded carry ammo, try Speer's 250 grain Gold Dots. At around 950 fps they deliver the omph.

Agree 100%. That Speer 250 is going to seriously "thump" most things it comes in contact with.

Here's mini-article on using it out in a Judge, altho they don't note what note barrel length(or whether S&W or Judge was used) & only approx 700fps.
http://www.shootingillustrated.com/index.php/1448/45-long-colt-250-grain-speer-gold-dot/

 

[gehlsurf]

Wow, those are sweet bullets! I could take on a bull that broke in the house! Just to let you know djw479, they said they used a Smith and a Judge, Smith handled better..... but they said they used the 23 oz Judge, um, so yeah, I would imagine it would be a little harder to handle, haha. Should I use these for target, too? Seems a bit overkill (pun intended), I suppose you should practice in real life sort of situation. Plus the least grain wouldn't allow me to practice long range shots as accurately. Am I right on this?

 

[mingaa]

Are you confusing bullet weight with powder loads!? Sure sounds like it. The box will state bullet weight, commercial manufacturers do not publish their powder loads. Powder weight is not (alone) an indicator of 'performance' - each has unique characteristics.

 

[GreenWolf70]

That 23 ounce Judge really sounds more like the PD. My Judge is SS, 2.5" chambers, 4" barrel and I haven't weighted it, but I know it is a heck of a lot heavier than 23 oz. I have shot a number of 250 grain Cowboy loads and their recoil is a lot less than what those Speers generate.

A good friend of mine has a nickel plated S&W Mountain Gun (4" barrel) and I can tell you it is a lot lighter than my Judge. He runs his own reloads with a 285 grain SWC with gas check that is running just shy of 1,100 fps. He said that is the hottest load he can handle with that pistol. He said the pistol can handle more, but he can't.

Still, I would take Ranch Dog's 290 grain reloads over the Speers without even thinking about it. His reloads are within the SAMMI spec for .45LC and just looking at them in his Taurus 450 snubby, it appears they are pushing the limits of OAL, which is what you want in a Judge. He is telling us he gets 745 fps out of that 450 snubby, so you should do that, or better out of your Judge. Plus, just look at the meplat on that bullet, it hurts just looking at it.

That friend of mine is already going to cast up some 265 grain SWC-GC in .44 for me, Ranch Dog has me thinking I should get some of his 285 grain SWC-GC in .45 and load them up for my Judge too. For those of you who cast, I think that Ranch Dog has molds for that original design of his for sale.

 

[CJS3]

All my 45LC hand loads are 250 grain or more. I've seen SD ammo in the 185-200 grain range for big bucks, but a big hunk of lead (plated or plain) will always knock down the perp, even if not fatally. So I'll just keep "rollin my own".

 

[MOONDAWG]

In light weight framed .45's my "fun & comfort" range stops at 250 grainers. :thumb:

 

[gehlsurf]

Are you confusing bullet weight with powder loads!? Sure sounds like it. The box will state bullet weight, commercial manufacturers do not publish their powder loads. Powder weight is not (alone) an indicator of 'performance' - each has unique characteristics.

I believe I am, haha, the only 45's I've shot were some plinker Blazers for the target range. They said 200 gr JHP, my friend said they were hollow points, and was surprised i practiced with those. The store guy told me they were cheapys, so i thought thry were hollowed just to save cost/metal, haha. I clearly have some learning to do and will do my research.

 

[ShootingTheBull]

If they say "JHP" then yes, they're hollow points. Hollow points aren't normally used for practice or plinking, as -- well, they're kind of wasted on that. They're not hollowed out to save weight, they have a hollow point to facilitate them expanding when shot into living tissue.

 

[charliemike]

I think I am tracking what you are talking about. In a conventional type revolver you have to be aware of the grain weight of the bullet because a heavier bullet means a longer bullet Overall Length. If the OAL of the bullet is longer than the cylinder then the bullet nose will hit the forcing cone of the revolver. For instance, I can't load most 300 grain 44 magnum rounds into my Tracker because of OAL. But the cylinder on the PD is 3", seems like the sky (and recoil tolerance) is the limit. If I am wrong about this I would really like to know. Thanks.

 

[ozzy]

230 grn. target. 200 grn. non target.

 

[GreenWolf70]

CM you are correct about OAL, although with the Judge you are still dealing with relatively low .45LC SAMMI max pressures and not how much recoil you can tolerate. I would love for Taurus to declare that the Judge will handle .45 Auto pressures (+P is 23,000 psi max) like the S&W Governor, not because I want to shoot .45 Auto in my Judge, but because I could confidently load my .45LC ammo up to that level. Handloader magazine has a nice little load of 285 grain Keith style LSWC running just over 1,000 fps that I would love to be able to shoot in my Judge.

If you want a load that stays within SAMMI max pressures, but would be devastating in the PD, look at my earlier post in this thread about Ranch Dog's load for his 450T snubby.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

I don't handload yet, so for SAMMI standard pressure loads in my Colt clones I stick to Remington 250 grain LRN and Federal 200 grain LSWCHP for "working" loads. For plinking I just use any brand Cowboy load.
Now, with my Ruger Blackhawk, the sky's the limit. Right now she's my nightstand gun and is loaded with Corbon +P 200 grain JHP. I'm lusting after some Buffalo Bore ammo, though.

 

[Celticruiser]

The largest commercial load I use (I do not reload my own) is Grizzly's LWFNGC 265 grain (950fps). This thing kicks pretty good in my PD and it's what I like to have when hiking out in the woods. I'm sure I don't see 950fps out of a snub, but I wouldn't want to be in front of that hard cast bullet even at 700! I do wish Taurus would make a judge with 2.5" cylinder with some extra beef around the chambers that would handle +P

 

[ShootingTheBull]

I have seen 950 fps out of a snubnose Public Defender. The Buffalo Bore standard-pressure (NOT +P!!!) load, with a 200-grain JHP, chronographed at a consistent 940-950 fps from my 2" Public Defender.

 

[gehlsurf]

Hold on, so ozzy, you say 200 for defense and 230 for target? Why the heavier for target, of I understand this stuff correctly?

 

[Nicodemus38]

Well with the judges cylinder length, stay within standard saami bullet weights, thats 300 grains max.

 

[GreenWolf70]

Check out Ranch Dog's .45LC carry load for his snubby. "Home cast 290-grain bullet with 19-grains of Lil'Gun for 765 FPS."...and this is out of his .45LC snubby.

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/concealed-open-carry/98144-450t-cc-hd.html

It should be the cat's meow for CC in a snubby.