SWC-HP in .45 Colt?

[Guy de Loimbard]

Does anyone know of a place that sells SWC-HP for .45 Colt? Recently I've read how that bullet was quite the showstopper in .38 special, before the advent of JHP ammo. To me it seems like if it wasn't scaled down to make the .38 caliber bullet in the first place, somebody would have scaled it up to try in the larget calibers. Currently I load 255 gr. SWC (hard-cast) for target loads, at around 1100 FPS. I think that a soft SWC-HP doing about the same velocity would make for a heck of a load in case you actually had to use it. So my question is am I going to need to get into casting to do this, or do any of the smaller manufacturers not carried by Grafs or Midway make these bullets?

 

[Sunray]

"...a soft SWC-HP..." As in a cast bullet? No point to a cast HP. HP's need velocity to expand properly. You can't get it with a cast bullet. Any cast bullet out of a .45 Colt will make a criminal lose interest in a hurry.
1100 fps is a very hot load with a 255 grain cast bullet. My old Lyman book shows 1011fps as a max load velocity with Unique. Over max with any powder for a handgun. 1100fps is a .45 Colt Carbine load with Accurate No. 9 powder.

 

[PotatoJudge]

There are a lot of guys over at castboolits.com messing with this kind of stuff. That's probably a better place to get an answer based on personal experience and experimentation. If you're shooting a Ruger SA, 1100 fps with 255grn is a mild load. If I was going to the trouble to modify a mold for HP it'd probably be in the 300grn range. Should the petals break off there will be a slug of sufficient weight to do the job.

Most handgun hunters find that a cast bullet of the proper hardness and velocity will expand/deform sufficiently to make the trouble of casting a HP not worth the trouble.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The shoulder of the SWC bullet does all the work. IMO there's really no reason to use a SWC/HP bullet when a SWC will do just fine. Remember, you have a .452" diameter bullet with a shoulder to cut anything it plows through even without any expansion at all. That bullet at ~1100 fps will do a lot of damage.

 

[loadedround]

I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but Speer makes a 250 gr GDHP(jacketed bullet p/n 4484). They also offer a similar HP bullet in 200 gr(p/n 4478). Good shooting!

 

[fearless leader]

I never thought I needed a hollow point in 45 Colt. Most goblins fired on with that cartidge are usually impressed. Sierra used to make a 240 gr. JHP.

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

Sorry, I should've clarified that I'm shooting these from a Ruger NM Blackhawk. I've shot heavier (250gr. XTP at 1350) but those are a bit more than I like.

I knew lead is soft, but guess I never realized it was that soft it would expand just by striking something after being driven hard enough, HP or not.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Oh ya, and that wad cutter bullet design is going to do -just- that, -cut- a hole (that won't close up), not just punch through pushing stuff aside as it goes. 45 colt chucking big pieces of lead at 1000fps or so is really nasty.

 

[marsofold]

Most commercial lead SWCs are cast hard if only for shipping reasons. They will not deform at nominal velocities, they'll punch straight through flesh. If you choose to cast your own hollowpoints with 100% pure lead, you can most certainly get them to reliably expand up to .70 caliber as low as 850 feet/second. Much above that velocity they will lead your barrel. While a 45 SWC is definitely a man-stopper, I can see why you'd prefer a hollowpoint. Hollowpoint .45 moulds are commercially available.

 

[Sport45]

Roze Distribution sells the bullet you're looking for.

185gr LSWCHP

 

[ArchAngelCD]

A 185gr bullet is awfully light in a .45 Colt...

 

[Sport45]

Yeah, but he wanted to know if anyone sold a .45 SWCHP bullet and that is the only one I know of. (I thought about these once for 1911's but never bought any to try.) My Redhawk is fed only 250-260gr SWC bullets and they suit me fine.

 

[Quoheleth]

Check Missouri Bullets - Brad has a nice 200 gr LSWC (might have to check in the .45ACP category) that he casts a bit softer (12 BHN) or harder (18 BHN, IIRC) depending on what you want it to do. Gentle paper punching, use the #12. Steel plates, maybe use the 18.

I use his 185 grain out of my 1911s. They eat 'em like Twinkies - fast & furious.

Great bullets, great price, great service. And, mention you're a THR member, you get 5% off your order! (search & you'll find his thread under reloading)

Q