45 Colt shot shells...

[Kaylee]

What's their useful range out of a 5.5" rifled barrel revolver? What kind of spread pattern is there?

Are they suitable for li'l critters like rabbit and smaller fowl and suchlike? I'm wondering if it's worth slipping a few into the cartridge pouch along with the critter loads..

Thanks.

 

[Beatnik]

I only know what I've run into regarding the Taurus Judge, and the reviews I've read were all on the 2.5" barrel version.

I do remember that with such a short barrel, anything over about 15 feet was getting really wide.

A google search should bring up a bunch of reviews on the judge with shot patterns included.

 

[Evil Dog]

I load the Speer 45 cal shot capsules in 45 Colt. Usually have a couple or so on the belt.... within 20 feet or so they work quite well on snakes.

 

[Bearhands]

I have used 45 colt shot shells in a 6" barrel and @ 10-15 ft they're deadly on chipmunks. Beyond that, I'd say it's a crap shoot (pun intended) The Taurus Judge reviews that I have seen, have only been concerned with the 410 chambering. I dont think with the ability to chamber 410's, that you'd be likely to put 45 shot thru it.

 

[MCgunner]

What's their useful range out of a 5.5" rifled barrel revolver? What kind of spread pattern is there?

Are they suitable for li'l critters like rabbit and smaller fowl and suchlike? I'm wondering if it's worth slipping a few into the cartridge pouch along with the critter loads..

Thanks.

ROFL. Shot loads in handguns are for guys that can't shoot well enough to hit a snake with a normal handgun load. If a rabbit is farther than 5 feet, you'll not touch a hair on him. Duck hunting is limited to SHOTGUNS even if you could find a handgun that would work. Even the .45/.410 CONTENDER with 14" choked barrel is limited to about 25 yards effective range. A normal handgun like the Judge is probably limited to more like 10 feet. The Contender's choke tube has straight rifling, also, which stops the rotation of the charge through the rifled barrel.

Besides, unless you can find .45 Colt STEEL shot loads, you'd get fined heavily for not using non-toxic shot on ducks. You got something against shotguns for hunting? For something compact to carry in the field, get yourself a coach gun with interchangeable choke tubes. I have a Spartan side by side 20 gauge that's light, compact, and pretty amazingly effective on dove and teal so far. I shoot #4 3" steel on teal with it and it's good to 40 yards plus. It's only an uncle mike's sling swivel installation away from the perfect all around shotgun for light carry IMHO. Great for woods bumming to serious duck hunting. 20 gauge is a little light for geese, but I also own 12 gauge guns. The little Spartan is fast becoming a favorite shotgun, though. I can break it down and carry it in a backpack, on my motorcycle in the bags locked up, about anywhere and on anything. Neat little gun. And, for bumming in bear country, mine shoots slugs rather well to 50 yards. You can load one barrel for small game and the other with a slug just in case, two guns in one.

Handguns have their uses, shotguns have their uses, rifles have their uses, and I own multiple examples of all three for a reason.

 

[huntershooter]

I limit my range to 10'+ with .45 Colt (or .45 ACP) shotshells. I only use them for snakes at the ranch. Work quite well within this range.

 

[.455_Hunter]

good on snakes....

My company has a large outdoor test facility in West Texas. When working there, I always carry my Uberti Chisholm 5.5" .45 LC loaded with CCI Shotshells. In May, I took out a very large anti-social rattle snake at 5 to 10 feet- one shot, one kill. The shot shells are a good product for their intended purpose, and reduce/eliminate the chance of a shallow angle riccohet from a normal bullet. You don't always have the perfect back stop when engaging a snake.

 

[suemarkp]

The main problem is limited shot capacity (about 150 grains). If you can live with small shot (#9 or #12), they have decent patterns to 10 yards or so. But if you're wanting something larger (#6 or even #7.5), the pattern is rather sparse. I used the 9's in 45 ACP to take out moving moles and mice at 15'. Don't think #9 would take a rabbit.

The Taurus Judge has a long chamber, so you can easily get 200 to 250 grains of shot in that gun (using 410 shells or 444 Marlin brass). The 45 Colt is limited to around 150 grains when using the blue Speer shot capsules. I have many ideas I want to try to improve patterns for the Judge, but I haven't had time to make them yet. Still need to shoot all my "normal" 444 Marlin based shot loads to eastablish a baseline.