.45 Colt defense loads

B

Brutus

New member
Just out of curiosity what manufactures make good home defense loads for the .45Colt? I would be shooting them out of a 625 mountain gun so no Ruger only offerings if you please. Currently use this gun as a hunting/ out in the woods sidearm and I load it up with 9gr. of Unique under a .265gr. Cast performance WFN gas check bullet which I use sparingly so as not to loosen up my 625. Normal target loads are .250gr. SWC with 8.0gr of Unique.
Wouldn't want to use hand loads for self defense, hence my question.
 
for defense against human attackers I wouldn't have a problem with any of the conventional factory defense loads. depending on where you are (in the woods) those same loads would do just as good as most anything else you hand load.
 
I don't know if anybody makes the old standard 255 at 850 ammo any more, it seems there are only three types, overloaded "Ruger Only", Buffalo Bore alleged SAAMI spec but higher velocity, and reduced "Cowboy loads."
 
Thanks for the replies. Went on the Buffalo bore website but it seems to me a 255gr. bullet at 1000 for lead and 1100 for jacketed is a +P load and not standard pressure as they advertise. :eek:
 
The best one's that I know of are WW Silvertips. They are 225 gr loaded to an advertised velocity of 920 fps.

Georgia Arms has some 200 gr JHP loaded to 1100 fps.

Also, take a look at Underwood Ammo. The have everything from mild to wild in 45 Colt. I saw they have a 250 gr XTP round at 850 fps. This would be an excellent SD round.

Everything else seems to be either Cowboy loads or for Ruger only.
 
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I use and suggest the Speer gold dot 250grn GDHP, I use them in the same gun and my 25 and they work great. They are refered to as a flying ash tray:D
 
They are refered to as a flying ash tray
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No they are not. The old 200gr bullets were called the "flying ashtray".

Do a google search. The flying ashtray hasn't been around for a long time.
 
I miss those flying ashtrays...

They wouldn't be my first choice, but even the cowboy action loads in .45 Colt will be pretty formidable fight-stoppers, plus more controllable than the factory stuff. Recall that the .442 Webley cartridge, used in the R.I.C. Bulldog revolvers launched a 200 grain projectile at @ 700 f/s, and wasn't sneezed at as a fight-stopper.

I would think ANY load approximating the 255gr. @ 860 f/s ballistics would be more than adequate, even with the passe lead round-nosed projectile. If the same ballistics can be had with a projectile of better configuration, then so much the better.

And I remember the Speer LAWMAN .45 ACP ammo, loaded with the 200 grain "flying ashtray". I wish I had a case of that ammo, now.
 
I use 45C Winchester Silvertips in my Taurus M450 Titanium snobby I carry. Have to use a quality and crimped bullet in a light weapon or it will pull the bullet. .
 
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Would also suggest the Speer 250 gdhp. They are loaded light, and maybe be close to POI of your usual loads.

If you try lighter bullets, your poi may likely change.

While not the flying ashtray of old, they actually have much deeper hp.
 
I think the Win. silvertips seem to shoot real good out of most pistols, low recoil and great accuracy. Did Federal stop making there 225gr. hollow point ?
 
Wouldn't want to use hand loads for self defense, hence my question.
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:confused:

That's exactly what I would want. You can pick the powder, bullet, primer....

Mine PD loads are topped with a 200gr gold dot. They'er pretty accurate out of my current carry pistol. I have used 185gr XTPs too. If you want factory, Hornady CD .45 colt is good. My wife carries the CD 9mm in her CCW.
Speer also has a 920ish factory gold dot PD load.
 
Thanks for all the replies. The reason I wouldn't use hand loads is because I don't want to be the first guy found guilty of making super duper bullets that caused a criminal insufferable pain and suffering. Strange isn't it, I make the best load I can imagine for defense against toothy critters but only because they only have teeth and claws, no lawyers.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about using handloads for self defense, the way I see it is that even if it was a warmer handload it's still not a 12ga, which you theoretically could have used. You could have always used something more powerful than a handgun so claiming that X load was more powerful than it should have been I don't think holds water.

I've grown to like Longshot in the .45 Colt, I have some handloads shooting a 250gr Gold Dot to around 1200-1250 fps from a short barreled Blackhawk.

If you must use factory, maybe Buffalo Bore has a few non +P loads in JHP form, or Underwood haven't checked.
 
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=7

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=95

Any of the loads listed on these pages will be safe for your S&W. They are pretty darn close to max loads safe for your S&W.

While hollowpoints are nice, don't overlook the 225gr hardcast wadcutter listed on one of those pages. The wadcutter design allows for maximum tissue damage and being hardcast the round will break through bone and not deform like regular soft lead.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=269


If you want a hollowpoint this load uses Speer Gold Dot's for the bullet.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=46

For standard pressure .45 Colt loads its tough to beat a 200gr round at 1,100fps.
 
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Hell, the original factory load before all these current boutique SD loads emerged, was a fight stopper with great penetration. It served the Army well from the Indian Wars through the Spanish American War and was only replaced when the Army decided they needed an automatic.

Its 250+ grain, semi-pointed lead bullet at over 800 fps is nothing to sneeze at. Through my Ruger New Vaquero, Lyman's 454190, a clone of the original Remington and Winchester loadings, will cut ragged holes at 15 yds from a rest and keep 'em all in less than 2" at 25 yds. I'm getting 850 fps with 8.0 grains of Unique and Winchester caps, pretty much the standard load for the old war horse.

It's a .45 already, and any additional expansion is a mute point. Plan on the penetration though, it may be a factor in your defensive use.

Best Regards, Rod
 
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