Buffalo Bore 45 Colt +P 225gr Barnes XPB – Tremendous Heavy Hitter

Description

The Buffalo Bore 45 Colt +P 225gr Barnes XPB is what happens when a cartridge designed in 1872 is loaded in a gun built in this century. A 225 grain solid copper bullet at 1500 fps produces roughly 1124 ft-lbs, which is 44 Magnum performance and then some. Read the firearm restriction before you order: this is for guns built to handle +P 45 Colt, and not for the small frame New Model Vaquero. Twenty rounds per box, item 3G/20.

• Buffalo Bore 45 Colt +P 225gr Barnes XPB Overview
• 45 Colt +P Hunting Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 225 Grain XPB Copper Bullet Hunts Well
• Specifications
• Safety Notes For This Lead Free 45 Long Colt Load

Buffalo Bore 45 Colt +P 225gr Barnes XPB Overview

The bullet is a Barnes XPB, machined from solid copper with a deep hollow nose and no lead core. It expands into copper petals and retains essentially all of its weight, so a 225 grain bullet penetrates the way a much heavier lead bullet would while still opening reliably.

The 45 Colt case is large and thick walled, and modern revolvers chambered for it are built far stronger than the black powder guns it was designed around. That headroom is what Buffalo Bore is using here. The cartridge is not doing anything unusual, the guns simply got much stronger.

Buffalo Bore lists the Buffalo Bore 45 Colt +P 225gr Barnes XPB as safe in large frame Rugers, the Colt Anaconda, Dan Wesson revolvers and modern lever action rifles. They specifically exclude the small frame New Model Vaquero. Check your own model against their guidance before you buy.

45 Colt +P Hunting Ammo Ballistics

The published real gun figures are worth reading. A 5.25 inch Freedom Arms Model 97 gives 1533 fps, a 5.5 inch pre 2005 large frame Ruger Vaquero gives 1505, and a 20 inch Marlin 1894 Cowboy gives 1855 fps.

That rifle number is remarkable. 1855 fps with a 225 grain copper bullet works out to about 1718 ft-lbs, which turns a lever action 45 Colt into a legitimate short to medium range deer and elk rifle rather than a cowboy action toy.

Out of a revolver the nominal 1500 fps produces roughly 1124 ft-lbs. For comparison, a standard 240 grain 44 Magnum factory load at 1350 fps makes about 970 ft-lbs, and a heavy loaded one gets to around 1200. This 45 Colt +P hunting ammo sits comfortably in that upper company, with a wider bullet.

Why The 225 Grain XPB Copper Bullet Hunts Well

Copper is the reason a 225 grain bullet belongs in a hunting load at all. Conventional wisdom in 45 Colt says use a heavy bullet, 250 to 300 grains, because a lead bullet needs mass to penetrate after it deforms. A solid copper bullet does not deform the same way.

A 225 grain XPB copper bullet opens into four petals and holds nearly all of its weight, so it keeps driving after expansion. The result is a bullet that shoots flatter than a 300 grain load, recoils less, and still reaches the vitals from an awkward angle.

That makes it a genuinely versatile 45 Colt +P hunting ammo choice. Whitetail at revolver distances, hogs, black bear, and out of a lever gun it has the energy for elk inside sensible ranges. Barnes designed the XPB to expand across a wide velocity window, which matters when the same load is used at 1500 fps from a handgun and 1855 from a rifle.

There is a lead free angle as well. Non toxic requirements are spreading across public land and a few states, and a lead free 45 Long Colt load lets you comply without dropping to reduced power ammunition.

Specifications

Safety Notes For This Lead Free 45 Long Colt Load

Check your gun against Buffalo Bore’s list before anything else. This is +P 45 Colt, which is a long way above the standard pressure the cartridge is normally loaded to. Large frame Rugers, the Colt Anaconda, Dan Wesson revolvers and modern lever actions are named as suitable. The small frame New Model Vaquero is specifically excluded, and a single action clone or a vintage Colt is not a candidate at all.

If you are not certain which frame your Ruger is, find out before you shoot it. The difference between the large frame and the small frame New Model Vaquero is not obvious at a glance and it is the whole question here.

Expect serious recoil in a revolver. Heavy 45 Colt revolver ammunition at this level is not a pleasant afternoon of plinking, and most people sight in, confirm, and then leave it for hunting. Out of a lever gun it is far more comfortable.

Confirm your zero with this exact load. A 225 grain XPB copper bullet at 1500 fps shoots noticeably flatter than the 250 and 255 grain loads most 45 Colt sights were regulated around, so expect a different point of impact and find it on paper.

Heavy 45 Colt Revolver Ammunition Availability

This heavy 45 Colt revolver ammunition is in stock and ready to ship from MAG5 Firearms, a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Ammunition orders ship to most states, and local customers are welcome to pick up in the shop. If you need case quantities or a standard pressure 45 Colt load instead, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. For a hard hitting revolver load in a smaller calibre, compare the heavy 357 Mag 125gr XPB or the 44 Special 255gr hard cast SWC, or browse our full ammunition selection.