Marlin cowboy 45 colt 1997 vintage model ?

harrympope

Active Member
I use carbide dies and just deal with the case loss. Maybe I could switch to steel dies and lube cases but I don’t know if I really need to change things now.

I do have a steel die I made that barely sizes cases but ever few loads the cases need a trip thru the carbide die to easily fit the chambers on my Mod 25.

I could never size a case and they would feed fine in my Marlin and Ruger,they eat anything!
I minimally size most of my cases except for my semi autos.those I fl size.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
RCBS T/S sizers are a mixed bag. The 32 SWL carbo die sizes a perfect .3365" finish, and the 38/357 carbo does a few tenths over .379". Perfect there, too. 44 Mag, 45 ACP, and 45 Colt carbos are too much of a good thing, though the 45 Colt carbo does a decent finish diameter on 45 ACP brass (.469"). Coke bottled revolver brass will not do.
 

Edward R Southgate

Component Hoarder Extraordiniare
I have one of the Cowboy LTD 24" rifles . Not sure the vintage or twist ( 1-38" I think ) but it is a JM . It will shoot clover leaf's all day long with most any load I have ever fed it . Any 250-270gr SWC with a stiff dose of Tite Group , Unique, Herco , or Red Dot will give excellent results in my rifle . I have dies by Lee, Redding , RCBS and Ideal 310 and a Tru Line set . Carbide or steel has never been an issue that I have noticed . I started with the steel 310 dies and a stamp pad with STP and changed to carbide when they got popular but other than not needing to lube each case I can't see a difference . My cases last as long now as they did 50 years ago .

Here's pictures. I know they kinda suck but I'm not a picture guy anyway . :rofl:
 

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harrympope

Active Member
I have one of the Cowboy LTD 24" rifles . Not sure the vintage or twist ( 1-38" I think ) but it is a JM . It will shoot clover leaf's all day long with most any load I have ever fed it . Any 250-270gr SWC with a stiff dose of Tite Group , Unique, Herco , or Red Dot will give excellent results in my rifle . I have dies by Lee, Redding , RCBS and Ideal 310 and a Tru Line set . Carbide or steel has never been an issue that I have noticed . I started with the steel 310 dies and a stamp pad with STP and changed to carbide when they got popular but other than not needing to lube each case I can't see a difference . My cases last as long now as they did 50 years ago .

Here's pictures. I know they kinda suck but I'm not a picture guy anyway . :rofl:
I just loaded 50 up with 8g unique and the 454190 sized .454.ive shot that load for years with good luck.i also just bought an rcbs 230g cowboy mold I'm curious to try out
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Mine gets fed a 300 rnfp with 10.5 gr of #105 surplus powder- similar to AA5. Shoots too well to mess with anything else.

It shoots well with a healthy charge of H110 and a 265 wfn but I stopped shooting that load when I got myMarlin 45-70.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
I have one of the very 1st Cowboy's made.. Have never understood the kevetching about bore diameter. Mine measures .452 and has a bit more throat then I expected.
The chamber is a tiny bit oversized when compared to My Colt SAA or old Vaquero's. But no worse then a Uberti 1866 from 1992.
I use the Lee #452-230-TC and manage to keep all shots in minute of tennis ball at 50yrds. Good enough for steel plates and tin cans.
 

harrympope

Active Member
I took my load out today with 8g unique and the 454190 at .454. At 50 yd I was getting groups that were 2-1/2 to 3" and I was a bit sad. Then I remembered I had some factory black hills cowboy loads in the box somebody had given me. They clustered into an inch so. apparently my load was not that good!
I think I just need to size the bullets a little smaller to .452.even though it chambered easily they may just be a little too big and shaving in the throat. I ended the range session by shooting the last 30 off hand I will get in there and see what the throat looks like.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I get fantastic accuracy with Lee #452-230-TC sized .452 over 5.0grs of Clays.
I have that mould, may need to give it a try. I shot up all of my Clays but I bet TG or BE would work well too.
 

harrympope

Active Member
I have that mould, may need to give it a try. I shot up all of my Clays but I bet TG or BE would work well too.
I'm thinking of running the same basic pressure with bullseye. I have quite a bit of it (but no clays)and I do have that mold.
 

Ian

Notorious member
I have that mould, may need to give it a try. I shot up all of my Clays but I bet TG or BE would work well too.

How in hell did you manage to shoot up all your Clays? I have like 20-something pounds of it and even after making a concerted effort to use some of it up I don't think I got through more than two pounds.

Before machining that .450"/250-grain cherry for making a dedicated powder-coat bullet a couple weeks ago I had been seriously eyeballing that 5-gallon bucket of powder-coated TL452-230TCs that feed all my .45 ACP firearms.

I may have to try this load myself.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I used up 8 pounds. Some in shotgun, why I bought it years ago. The rest was 4 gr at a time under a 200 swc in 45 ACP. Lots of rounds. Lots. And lots.
 
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Ian

Notorious member
I didn't realize you loaded shotshells. I had a 4-pounder and then my FIL died and left me two full eights and a partial from his sporting clays pet load. It likes to bridge in the Lee disc measures so I switched to Titegroup for most all my "fast" pistol powder needs.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I shot a little, very little, trap years and years ago. As in pre Y2K ago. The 1911 was a good way to shoot up the remaining 3-4 pounds.

My Dillon seemed to feed it well enough? No worse than any other flake powder. It is pretty damn fast burning but for 45 ACP it worked well.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
I've used that Clay's load since shortly after Hodgdon introduced it back in 1992, I believe.
I switched from 700X to Clay's for 12ga target loads, it worked out the same and one less powder to keep on hand.
 
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