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My wife and I are both going to get revolvers in .45 Colt. Factory ammo is so expensive, I want to handload for them. My plan is to 'reload on a shoestring' so I want to use the Lee Dipper set I already own instead of buying a mechanical measure. Can anyone share some of their favorite loads for .45 colt using these dippers?
We absolutely need to know which guns you are going to buy.
The 45 Colt is a delicate caliber as the age and the strength of your specific gun will matter a lot.
I regularly read threads where the questions clearly specify these points but where some answers totally ignore them, so by not giving us these details you put yourself at risk.
kg
and are you going to use cast or jacketed
do you want easy? mag type loads?
Buy/beg or borrow a balance scale, they're accurate and really don't cost all that much.
Get a good reloading manual too.
What type of powder are you going to reload with, smokeless or Black Powder? If smokeless what brand[s]? Bullets heavy 250 grs and up, light, 160 grs and up to 250grs.? Are you reloading for target, "cowboy" S.A.S.S. C.A.S.; hunting, self/home defense?
There are a plethoria of questions that need to be answered before answers can be given
To directly answer your question(s). You cannot load with "just" the dippers. As referenced above you need to be able to weigh each and every powder charge.
You always need a scale to double check the charges with the dippers, and though many have chosen to to use them anyway, it is not a safe parctice. Think of it as inexpensive life insurance. It is possible to grab the wrong dipper or to misread the charge table. it only makes good sense to have a way to double check.
With consistant technique, dippers are as accurate as any mechanical measure and they do not get out of adjustment from screws loosening in use. I have never bothered to weigh more than the first couple of charges to assure myself I'm doing it consistantly. I honestly think weighing each and every charge is a bit too much to expect, especially if you choose a midrange charge. (I don't do that with a mechanical measure, even for precision rifle loads, but I do check weigh every twenty or so rounds in case something does loosen up. There's nothing to loosen up on a dipper.) I might be more inclined to if they were max or near max loads, though.
I'd start with Unique as I always keep a big jug on hand, and have had good results with it in 45Colt in the past. I do not load the cartridge currently.
Here's the dipper volume(cc)/charge weight(gr) numbers for Unique. Charge ranges for 240gr run from 8.7 - 11.5, and for 300gr from 8.3 - 10.5gr. That gives you only one possible load (1.0cc for 9.2gr) as lesser combos add up to less than minimum charges, but it is near the middle of the charge range and safe in modern American-made revolvers. (Often you can combine dippersful of different sizes to get a wider range of possible charges, but like this time, it is not always possible with handgun cartridges.)
0.3 - 2.7
0.5 - 4.6
0.7 - 6.4
1.0 - 9.2
1.3 - 11.9
Larger dippers will drop overmax charges, so I did not list them.
For antique, replica, or foreign-made revolvers, charges for 185gr run 9.0 - 12.0gr, and for 240gr 7.7 - 9.2gr, so you get two possible loads for each weight bullet.