Over the past 40 years that I have been loading rifle and pistol ammunition, I have always and continue to follow reloading manuals and proven data from others. Notice the plural, I look at several different manuals and other sources and compare the charge levels of the powder for bullets similar to what I want to load. I then select a starting level and work up to the desired level for the purpose of the load, all within the parameters of the loading data and pressure signs. Since I rarely try to hot rod a cartridge beyond its normal use, with a few exceptions, I have never had a problem. Exceptions pertain to older cartridges in modern steel pistols such as 45 Colt in Ruger SA’s.

When I got interested in Cowboy Action Shooting a few years ago, I was faced with the choice of using the normal loads in 45 Colt and 44 Magnum in my Ruger SA’s or going with something less. I experimented with several powders in my inventory and found several light loads that allowed faster recovery but accuracy was sometimes a problem. Then I experimented with powder positioning at the time of firing and found some wide fluctuations in velocity.

Over the years I have read about and sometime used fillers in light loads to keep the powder back at the primer. I was never satisfied with this arrangement, much less the additional reloading step. I decided to find a load that was less position sensitive. Since the trees on my place do not grow dollar bills, I was also looking for something economical. So I embarked on the quest to find the lowest powder charge that would take up the most space in the 45 Colt and 44 Magnum and give me the desired velocity and accuracy.

I could not find any information on the relative density, or put another way, the relative bulk of powders for a given powder charge. The Lee powder dipper information gives some idea of the relative bulk of powders but involves different size dippers. If you have been reloading for very long with different powders you have learned some of this in order to set your powder measure. Unsatisfied with what I could find, I decided to develop my own data for the powders that I use. I decided to include my rifle powders as well.

The relative bulk was determined in relationship to WW-231 for pistols and H-335 for rifles since these are the powders I have been using the most over the years. I used an RCBS Uniflow powder measure and threw 20 charges of each powder to compare the weight of those charges against the weight of WW-231 or H-335. I then divided the weight of the control powder into the weight of the other powder to give me a percentage. The table below is the result:

** The control powders

I used the table to determine that Winchester powders 452 and Super Target would take up the most space in the large cases of the 45 Colt and 44 Magnum. After some testing, I settled on a charge of 5.0 gr of WST in either case. Under a 230 gr bullet in 45 Colt, this yields 715 fps and under a 205 gr bullet in 44 Magnum, this yields 795 fps. Both loads will shoot one hole groups to point of aim at 15 yards from the bench. In my hands during a match, well, that’s another story but I know its me, not the gun or ammunition.

Hope the above will be of help to the readers. If your powders are not included above, then you can make up your own table just like I did.