45 Colt Handloads - A Rolling Update

 In my quest to look for a .45 Colt handload that I can use for target shooting with my Pietta 1873 SA with a 4 3/4 inch barrel, I would like to keep track of what I come up with. All of the loads are trying to stay within or close to the 14,000 PSI standard given that this revolver is a SAA clone and is not expected to survive loads that one would put through a Ruger Blackhawk or Winchester 92. A Ruger Blackhawk or a Rossi R92 are not in my possession so if you are wondering why I don't use that, that's why. The Pietta is what I have for now so that's what we're starting with. 

The project starts with gauging the chamber throats of the Pietta for uniformity. A lack of uniformity will negatively impact accuracy as each chamber being different may widen the group. I've heard of some guns shooting 5 inch groups being reduced to 1 inch groups with corrections to the chamber throats.  I ordered three pin gauges starting at 0.451 to 0.453 inch to test the Pietta's chamber throats. We're looking for 0.4525 inch for cast bullets meaning the 0.452 pin should pass but the 0.453 pin should not. That's exactly what ended up being the case. A pleasant surprise from an inexpensive revolver. Now that the gun checks out, let's look at the loads.

The Pietta 1873 SA in .45 Colt, AKA the Cabela's Special.

As usual, if you try to duplicate these loads, that's on you and I am NOT responsible for your actions. 

I am using data found here.

https://hodgdonreloading.com/rldc/

Update Index:

I will start putting a shorter update list here so you can see how things are progressing.

2024 Updates: Winchester WinClean 244 added to powders list. Also a baby was born.

2025 FEB Update: Pietta barrel slugged with muzzleloader bullet and found to be around .450 or .451. Corrected charge data for 244 added along with GT Bullets delivered and loaded into cases with both HS-6 and 244 for testing.

2025 MAR Update: The Hornady XTP bullets have been added to the test list as options intended specifically for deer hunting. This is starting to turn into bullet and powder testing and less about just powders. Imagine that.

2026 FEB: The XTPs have been pushed to .45 ACP after having a conversation about the SAA. .45 Colt reloading is on hold until I can sort out the Pietta SAA's point of impact issue.

Updates Detailed:

I'm starting with GT Bullet's 225 grain cast lead semi wad cutters sized to .452 inch but I will also try to tinker with the Laser Cast 200 gr .452 RNFP I have for target. They have a 15 BHN which is too hard for use in hunting at these velocities. I will only use them for target shooting. I've ordered 200 of the bullets are waiting for them to be cast, shipped and delivered. There is currently a 21 week backorder so it will be a while before I can get started.

Unlike the .357 Magnum post, I will be focusing on powder selection instead of trying a bunch of different bullets (2025 update: That turned out to not be true). I'll be starting with HS-6 because I have close to 2 lbs of it at this time but if I can't get a satisfactory load from it, then I will move on to other powders. I am very interested in CFE Pistol as the Hodgdon reloading data shows the highest velocities. I have some alternative powders I would like to look at in the future depending on local availability such as Universal, 2400 or Unique. Universal actually has the highest velocity data according to the Hodgdon website but I can't get it easily without online ordering. I don't want to pay HAZMAT fees if I don't have to.

Update Feb 2024: The below data is specific to keeping the chamber pressures below 14,000 PSI. However, there is speculation that the newer SAA clones can handle as much as 23,000 PSI. I'm not trying to Elmer Keith my gun but there's only one way to know. Well, two or more actually, but I don't have QuickLoad. That's $155 software package that gives you probable pressure curves. There are other calculators but PMAX doesn't have HS-6.

Update 2 Feb 2024: Looking at the math, the 225 grain bullets I ordered are likely to show up around June. I ordered a bullet mold from MP Molds. It's a 4 cavity hollow point version of the H&G #68 mold from a long time ago. Apparently, that mold was great for target loads which fits right in line with what I'm trying to do here. It's also a hollow point mold so I can use it for other things latter on. These are 185 grain bullets according to the site but we'll need to see what weight they actually cast at. I'm seeing some data that says the bullets will drop out closer to 195 grain. I'll start adding this bullet to the list when I have loading data. Apparently, Hodgdon only has 1 load for 185 grain bullets for .45 Colt and that's using Accurate Number 5. I can get #5 from Bas Pro if needed. I'll have to check my Lyman book for more but what I am able to find in forums has that this bullet will do nicely for what I have in mind. That bullet should also work for my .45 ACP guns as needed. Seems like a good choice. Looking further, Hodgdon does have a load for a 180 grain bullet using CFE Pistol which just reinforces the notion I should get a bottle. I pulled several points of data for the 180 grain bullet and each are noted as such.

Update 3 FEB 2024: I loaded up some 200 grain cast using both HS-6 and Triple Seven. I wanted to see if 777 was usable in this instance. It turns out to have done pretty well with the 200 grain. I also now have a 185 grain mold from MP Molds to make hollow points. During the testing, the Pietta show very low. I don't know that I could file enough front sight to fix how low the drop is at 25 yards. I need to do more testing but I didn't hit the paper target once when shooting over the chronograph and aiming directly at the paper IDPA target. A different firearm is likely needed. The data collected is below.

Update 4 JUL 2024: The GT Bullets 225 grain hollow points are in. I also have a bottle of WinClean 244. Instead of Titegroup (for now) I will be testing with the Winchester 244.

Update AUG 2024: After spending some time thinking about it, I wanted to see about using .45 Colt for hunting from a revolver. I know I can get enough velocity from a rifle but from a revolver, what sort of velocity would I need to load something such as a 250 gr XTP and be able to hit a deer at 100 yards and still get that bullet to expand. A video I watched had an XTP hitting water jugs around 1188 fps at the target and getting great expansion. I don't know if those XTP bullets will still expand at 1000 fps but let's pretend that they do. After fiddling around with a ballistic calculator, I would need the cartridge to push that XTP at a minimum velocity of 1220 fps. Mr Joey Hunt reports the Lyman Reloader book has  26.5 gr of H110 could do 1400 from a Ruger Blackhawk but from the 5.5 inch barrel I had been interested in only got around 1150 fps. I have ordered a book of my own to see what the range would be and if I can get to 1220 fps. I do have a bottle of H110. That's likely going to be a tall order with lots of recoil. It's got me thinking about .41 Magnum again.

Update FEB 2025: I slugged the barrel of the Pietta SAA with some Hornady muzzleloader round balls. While my micrometer isn't high dollar, I did get around .450. I have seen where there are .45 ACP/.45 Colt versions of my gun and I wonder if they just use the same barrel. I'll be sizing my cast bullets to .452 until I think I should otherwise change. I also updated the WinClean 244 load as I realized the bullets used in the RLDC data are very different. Adjusted to closer to the 230 grain cast. The double ended wadcutter has much more friction as the bearing surface is the entire length of the bullet increasing pressure. The cast bullets I am using have much smaller bearing surfaces. The end point for the 225 gr DEWC was 7.2 for 244 where the heavier LSWC ends at 7.7 grains with the same pressure. It didn't make sense until I realized what was going on with the bullet styles. Once I figured that out, I switched the data over to the higher charge weights. Thankfully, I hadn't loaded anything just yet and only did case prep. The data for HS-6 and WinClean 244 has been adjusted. That said, the end data just doesn't exist for the 225 gr bullet and powders I'm using so I'm having to extrapolate from existing data. Thankfully, 230 grains is heavier than 225 grains so I have so safety buffer.

Update March 2025: After finding out the Pietta's bore is in the .4505/.451 diameter range common to .45 ACP, I started thinking about additional bullet options. The Hornady XTP bullets for 45 ACP are loaded into a Hornady Custom brand offering that Lucky Gunner tested as working well in the mid 900 range. It got me interested in finding load data for .45 Colt and those bullets or at least close to it. The Hodgdon RLDC didn't have anything so I started doing comparative research. .45 Colt is has maybe 40% more case capacity than 45 ACP. I don't know if the 45 ACP +P loads at 19000 PSI are running around the 14000 PSI max for 45 Colt but I did end up finding a recipe for HS-6 and 200 grain JHPs. It took some digging but I have data at 11.7 grains to 13.0 grains of HS-6 for a 200 grain .451 XTP. The claimed velocity is 1111 fps from a 7.25 inch test barrel under 14000 PSI. My 4.75 inch SAA clone should be just fine with the max charge. It might even exceed the 1000 fps desire I have. I ran the numbers through a calculator at 20 yard zero at 1050 fps and found that the bullet should be moving around 924 fps at 100 yards. I suspect this would make for a great deer hunting load and I want to try it sometime. This data came from Shooter's Reference. There wasn't any load data for the 230 grain XTP but I still want that arbitrary 1000 fps for some reason. I'm just stuck on that as being useable. Bullets have been ordered.

On a side note, I would love to see how these would do in a rifle, velocity-wise. They may do amazing.

Found load data for WinClean 244 7.3 to 8.5 grains for 1079 fps

200 grain data from 1895 Gunner

https://1895gunner.com/loaddata/45%20colt%20200gr%20hdy%20xtp.html

225 grain data from 1895 Gunner

https://1895gunner.com/loaddata/45%20colt%20225gr%20hdy%20ftx.html

Life update for March 2025: I'm being lazy on loading the 225 grain GT bullets and getting out. With the baby and a new work schedule, I no longer have the free days like I used to. I still plan on making and testing, I just need to motivate to actually load the 50 cases I have prepped. They will get the 225 gr GT bullets.

March Update #2: 225 grain cast HP from GT Bullets are loaded up with HS-6 and Win244 for testing. I just need to get out there and shoot. The Hornady XTP 200 gr bullets are en-route but USPS is being weird about the routing. After finding additional load data sources, the options start to open up for higher velocity loads using the 185 grain bullets. While I was intending to use cast 185 grain, it's possible to find load data for jacketed bullets for 244. As usual, I will continue to do research. 180 grain LRNFP 6.8 grains to 9.1 grains. HS-6 probably won't like the lower weight bullets.

March Update #3: HS-6 and 244 data for the 225 grain GT Bullets cast HP is now up. I'm also adding data for the 200 gr XTP for 244. The HS-6 data is showing in excess of 1100 fps from a 7 inch barrel which is very interesting but seeing how things went with 244, I'm very interested to see how the two will stack up to each other. I expect I will get my 1000 fps velocity with the HS-6 but I can't wait to see what the 244 will produce. I will put together another 50 round test string with the XTPs.

February 2026 Update: I've been busy with family and work stuff and just haven't had or made time to do anything lately. I did have a conversation with folks more knowledgeable than I and the result was shelving the 200 grain XTP idea for .45 Colt and go with a heavier bullet for the SAA. The XTPs will now go to my 1911 for developing a hunting load for it.

Triple Seven (777)

Triple Seven is a black powder substitute and needs to be treated like BP. Be extra careful. 

200 grain RNFP from Oregon Trail (Target Only) - I have a bunch of these from before

Staring data: 35 grains by volume

Ending Data: 40 grains by volume (this is not a full case load and has mild compression)

Observed Velocities:

35 grain - 946 FPS Avg - ES 34 FPS

40 grain - 999 FPR Avg - ES 21 FPS (There was one reading that was much lower than the rest so I tossed it)

Shot Groups: No group data at this time as I didn't have enough loads to test velocity and accuracy. The Pietta's point of impact is very low and very left even from a rested position. 

Notes: The Triple Seven loads with these bullets were fun. They were very smoky and the plume as entertaining. The 40 grain by volume load was very close to the 1000 FPS I'm looking for and I would bet that a 185 grain bullet would hit that. I don't know how these would do for hunting but I know how to find out.

WinClean 244

While I was looking for alternatives for Unique for bunnyfart/light loads, the burn chart had Universal and Winchester or WinClean 244. I didn't see Universal around but did find 244 at Bass Pro. I got a bottle on the way back from our 4th of July vacation. It was originally intended for the 105 grain 38 Special subsonic rounds for my Marlin CST but there are all the common pistol calibers including magnums. I figured I would try it out in .45 Colt to see if the SAA would fair any better. 

225 grain LSWC HP from GT Bullets (Sized .452)

The load data I selected from the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center for a cast 225 bullet turns out to be for a double ended wadcutter cast bullet. The cast 230 grain bullet actually uses a higher charge weight which isn't surprising given how much lead is in contact with the barrel in the DEWC bullet. I'll be adjusting the load data upwards on the high end. I'm hoping to get around 1000 fps from my 4 inch barrel with a near-max load. I didn't start at the low end on this one. The original values are 6.0 grain at 849 fps up to 7.7 grains at 1044 fps 13500 PSI). I suspect I could run another tenth with these 225 grain bullets being that they are just a little bit lighter and still be within the safe pressure range. I also think that the cylinder could likely handle higher pressure than the 14000 PSI level. I suspect that based on the options for 45 ACP cylinders. 

Adjusted Data - 6.0 grains 7.7 grains (849 to 1044 fps from a 7.5 inch barrel)

Observed Velocities:

7.5 grains - Avg - 874 FPS - ES - 16

7.6 grains - Avg - 867 FPS - ES - 18

7.7 grains - Avg - 897 FPS - ES - 22

Notes: I was pretty impressed with how the 244 did. I had hoped that I would get close to 1000 fps with the 225 gr bullets but I didn't.

200 grain Hornady XTP JHP - (on hold until further notice) I want these for deer hunting. With the success of the 200 grain cast, I will just go straight to the heavier loads starting at 12.6 grains and working up to 13.0 gains.

Staring Data: 7.3 grains (839 FPS)

Ending Data: 8.5 grains (1091 FPS)

Observed Velocities:

8.1 gr - 

8.3 gr - 

8.5 gr - 

Notes: 

185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)

Staring data: 6.8 grains (914 fps)

Ending Data: 9.1 grains (9.1 fps)

Velocities:

Shot Groups:

HS-6

200 grain RNFP from Oregon Trail (Target Only) - I have a bunch of these from before

I bypassed the lowest starting level and went straight to 12.0 grains and making 5 rounds each level for testing. I increased grain weight by .2 grains for each group.

Staring Data: 11.7 grains 

Ending Data: 13.0 grains

Velocities:

12.0 gr - 905 FPS Avg - ES 30 FPS

12.2 gr - 927 FPS Avg - ES 142 FPS

12.4 gr - 942 FPS Avg - ES 61 FPS

12.6 gr - 952 FPS Avg - ES 57 FPS

12.8 gr - 1002 FPS Avg - ES 43 FPS

13.0 gr - 1007 FPS Avg - ES 80 FPS

Shot Groups: No group data at this time as I didn't have enough loads to test velocity and accuracy.

Notes: Some of extreme spreads where okay and others not so great. I have heard that HS-6 prefers a near max load and that 12.8 did pretty okay. I may stick with that one. I'd like to see how the 185 grain cast loads do but this gives me hope for the Hornady XTP's.

225 grain LSWC

This data was also updated as I had the wrong bullet data. See the 2025 updates for details about the 230 grain LSWC vs 225 DEWC. I ended up loading only two batches of 10 rounds each of 10.7 and 10.8 grains based on data sourced.

Observed Velocities:

10.7 gr - Avg - 814 FPS - ES - 78 FPS

10.8 gr - Avg - 838 FPS - ES 40 FPS

Notes: I was pretty disappointed with this situation. It's probably a combination of things like differences in bullet design with the original load data along with using the powder wrong. I didn't really think I would get 1000 fps with HS-6 and this bullet but I would have liked to see in the 950 range.

200 grain Hornady XTP JHP - (on hold until further notice) I want these for deer hunting. With the success of the 200 grain cast, I will just go straight to the heavier loads starting at 12.8 grains and 13.0 gains. That will give me similar testing results to how things went with the Win 244 225 grain loads.

Staring Data: 11.7 grains 

Ending Data: 13.0 grains

Observed Velocities:

12.8 gr - 

13.0 gr - 

Notes:

185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112

All the data I have for this is from forums and most everyone is using Unique. I'm having to extrapolate data from my Lyman book and from Hodgdon's website. The Lyman book's data for a 200 grain bullet is 11.2 grains of HS-6. The book tends to step down in powder charge dropping to 10.5 grains for max charge with a 250 grain bullet. I suspect that operating in the same charge range with the lighter bullet than the 200 grain load will work. I will start with the Lyman Cast Handbook data for a 200 grain bullet and end with the Hodgdon data. I suspect that those 13 grain charges are going to be pretty fast moving. I'm currently looking for 1000 fps from the 4 5/8 inch barrel.

Staring data: 11.2 grains 

Ending Data: 13.0 grains

Observed Velocities:

Future Powders Section

This section is for powders I am interested in but haven't purchased or loaded anything with yet.

CFE Pistol

CFE Pistol is highly interesting as the Hodgdon website shows the highest velocities for .45 Colt with a 225 grain. Not that we are using it. I also found load data for .38 Special and 105 gr bullets meaning I can load subsonic plinking loads for the Marlin 1894 but I think this would specialize for 45 Colt.

225 grain LSWC

Staring data: 6.4 grains 

Ending Data: 8.0 grains 

Velocities:

Shot Groups:

185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)

Staring data: 8.5 grains 

Ending Data: 10.2 grains

Velocities:

Shot Groups:

Titegroup

225 grain LSWC

Staring data: 4.4 grains 

Ending Data: 6.0 grains 

Velocities:

Shot Groups:

185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)

Staring data: 6.0 grains 

Ending Data: 6.9 grains

Velocities:

Shot Groups:

HP-38

225 grain LSWC

Starting Data: 5.1 grains 

Ending Data: 6.9 grains 

Velocities:

Shot Groups:

185 grain Cast from an MP Molds #10112 (Data is for a 180 grain)

Staring data: 6.0 grains 

Ending Data: 8.2 grains

Velocities:

Shot Groups:

SHOT Show 2026 Armchair Edition - My Recap of the Most Interesting

After pouring over lots of videos to see what fun goodies have been shown at SHOT Show 2026, I have compiled what I think are the most interesting of the bunch. To be fair, I don't think 2026 was as exciting as 2025 but the most notable player to watch is Henry. I want to see what they've done to the H001 but they didn't have complete coverage that I could see. I was hoping for an exhaustive list since they said they have dozens of new SKUs. We shall see.

Smith and Wesson + Lipsey's 

Lipsey's is continuing their trend of working with S&W to release special products. This year's addition is the return of the Night Guard series with. The two options are both L-frame revolvers with 3 inch barrels. One is a 7 shot 357 with the other being a 5 shot 44 Special. They use a scandium frame with cylinder gap shield to protect from flame cutting the stop strap. 

There is also a 5.7x28 version of the FPC rifle now.

Henry

Henry is continuing to add new versions of their centerfire rifles to have the "Gucci" guns. The Supreme now has a version with a carbon fiber barrel.

They are also updating their .22 rimfire rifle list with a bunch of stuff but no-one has offered a complete list yet. The highlights are threaded barrels for many of the rimfires and the wood stocked carbines. Expect an X version of the H001 or H01 as they are now calling it.

I'm not so sure about what I saw but it looked like maybe the Big Boy Revolver was getting better rear sights. I have not been able to confirm this yet.

Update: Confirmed. The new models are called the Deadeye and have an adjustable rear sight with a ramped, fiber optic front! I have some ideas for one of these including using it for Steel Challenge. 

Ruger

The Gunsite Scout had been discontinued to make way for the American based Scout. The original GSR was based on the M77 and resulted in an expensive rifle. The new Scout is based on the American platform and thus less expensive. 

The 10/22 is getting a little update with the changes being more "quality of life" sort of thing. There is now a small port in the rear of the receiver to allow for easier cleaning of the barrel after you remove the action from the stock. Also, the bolt release has been changed to remove the silly lift-and-pull maneuver needed. They call it a match bolt release. Finally, the stock was updated as seems to be a little more aesthetically modern.

The American Gen II that dropped last year has a few versions that are pretty cool but the most interesting outside of the new Scout is the Patrol SBR in .338 ARC. I'll cover that further down.

They did breakout a pair of versions they are calling Protector and Provider which are their standard wood stock carbines and rifles. The carbines are coming with threaded barrels but the Provider doesn't which is sad. 

Franklin Armory

Released versions of their F-22 rifle which is just a 10/22 copy. What makes it special is that they now have a integrally suppressed versions with a Angstadt Arms Vanquish barrel. If someone was wanting an integrally suppressed .22, this could be a good option. I am interested mostly in the SBR version and can come with a binary trigger.

Midwest Industries - Revolving Carbines are Back

MI has a odd new product called the Bounty Hunter series of stocks and braces. These are intended for use on revolvers. You replace the grip panels with the included units and can attach a metal brace or stock to the bottom of the grip. Make Revolving Carbines Great Again I guess? 

Third Echelon 

I've never heard of Third Echelon (but I keep thinking Fifth Echelon from Splinter Cell) but apparently they have made a suppressor for derringers. Like the tip up, double barrel sort. They look pretty neat.

Tippmann Ordinance

I didn't know this but the same folks that made the 98 Custom paintball gun is the same crew that came up with the 9mm Gatlin gun but different companies. I really liked my 98. Well, now they have a .22 LR version of the Gatlin Gun. Also, they've come up with what they call the Pirate Pistol. It's a pump action .380 thing and it looks like fun.

Short Barrel All the Things

Many companies are starting to offer factory Short Barrel Rifles. That's a big deal because it saves you money and time. For most people trying to acquire an SBR, you are pretty much going to a file a Form 1 and spend money on engraving. By purchasing a pre-made SBR, you are only filing a Form 4. 

The star of the show for me is the American Gen 2 Patrol. I have been considering a subsonic hunting rifle build for a while which is what the Black Collar Arms build is for. Mine is based on the Remington 700 with a .223 bolt face for .300 BLK but I've been closely watching .338 ARC for a bit now. Ruger has released a bolt action in .338 ARC with a 12.5" barrel and it could make for a great tool if I were to trim the barrel back down further. I don't have any plans for one at the moment but we'll see.

Ruger is also offering 2 10/22 SBR's and the PC Charger as an SBR. 

Mossberg is staying on the trend (technically they never left) and are offering short barrel shotguns with an 11 inch 590 and a 14 inch 990.

Summary

SHOT Show 2026 doesn't seem to be as crazy as last years. Again, I'll be keeping my eye on Henry to see what they are doing with all the new H001 SKU's to see if they've got anything great. IWA 2026 will be next at the end of February. IWA is the European version of SHOT and I can tell you right now that Walther's new RS3 straight pull, bullpup hunting rifle is very interesting. This is their first hunting rifle and it looks good.

Armchair SHOT Show Week 2026 - A Week Away

We're one week away from one of my favorite industry weeks in the firearm world; SHOT Show. As usual, I will be paying very close attention to the coverage work of others and see what looks most interesting! Yes, other people's work because I can't go as I am not in the firearms industry. Maybe someday I could qualify under Press credentials but that's not really applicable.

If you aren't familiar, I've been watching what new products are announced at SHOT Show for many years now but since 2023, I've been compiling a list of what I consider to be the most interesting things I saw. 

2023, 2024 and 2025 were good for lever actions and traditional-esque products being announced. I'm pretty sure that 2025 was the year of the lever gun. The top one's being Marlin filling out the line up and Smith and Wesson making more marketable revolvers like the No Locks and Mountain Guns. I really wish they had released the 617 Mountain Gun because I would have liked that more than the Model 17 I got myself for Christmas a while back. 

So far, 2026 is shaping up to be even more interesting with Henry pushing further into the SPD lineup. They started with the HUSH then released the CRUSR and now have a PREDATOR which is based on their Supreme which was announced last year. All of them are very interesting.

Late 2025, Smith and Wesson added the 30-30 and 360 Buckhammer options to the 1854 which is huge for me because that means S&W beat Marlin to the threaded barrel, wood stock and blued steel game. This has been a running annoyance for me since SHOT 2023 because of the .30-30 build I have been pining about for several years now. In fact, had Marlin done a Guide Gun in .30-30 back in 2023, I would have had my rifle.

Sadly, they're both about 2 years late to this as the play money has dried up.

Little Farm Update - 2025 Recap

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 2025 was not particularly productive. Apparently, having a child takes up a lot of your time. Who knew? Joking aside, some stuff got done despite everything changing due to new baby and a new work schedule. Below is what we got done on the Little Farm.

Equipment

The Massey was/is having an overheating issue which could have been it just didn't have coolant but could be related to something else. I was still able to mow the property enough to keep the main sections clean. I would like to sort that issue out here in 2026 to put it to bed completely. 

I also think the hydraulics need work. They really struggle with the 4 ft brush hog after a while. It could be a heat thing. Maybe it's time for replacement fluids but that's a pretty expensive thing to do. I do have a filter that I had intended to put on.

Replacing the pump looks like it would end up being a bit of work. I will put that off until I need to do it.

As for the 4Runner, it broke down several times in 2025 so we sold it. The replacement vehicle is better for family stuff but I don't want to use it like I did the 4Runner. In the interim, the original family-mobile is my runner but it's not a farm vehicle at all. Too car like. As a result, I am currently without a farm truck and it'll be that way for a while.

Planting

Earlier in the year, we did plant 6 fruit trees to start our orchard. Two of each kind, we planted apples, peaches and pears. All of them came from a local nursery. So far, the pears seemed to do the best. The apples have been okay seemingly but the peaches were interesting. 

What I did not know about peaches is that they will try to grow fruit at a young age. As a result, they will basically kill themselves putting out fruit. If you want a healthy tree, you need to prune that fruit so the tree doesn't expend all of it's energy into the fruit when it should be putting that into roots.

We learned that not long after planting them so I made a point to trim back.

Watering them was tricky. We don't have irrigation yet so I ended up using a trash pump to move water from the pond. About 3 times a week, I would make the drive out and make sure that each tree got about 5 gallons of water.

I did that run for about 3 weeks. 

Sadly, the peach trees didn't seem to take the transfer well. The leaves turned red within several months and I have concerns that at least one will not survive. An apple tree might also not make it either but we shall see how things are looking here in a few months.

We also ran an experiment with wild flowers. A few years ago, we had forestry mulched around 1.5 acres or so and I had been working to keep that space clear. I spread around a mix of wild flower seed from a small bag. We only got about 5 rows in one of the halves. Basically about 1/3 of the space was covered in seed. I was able to water them in while watering the trees and those rows took nicely.

I am hoping that we can complete the process to convert the rest of the southern half of that clearing to wild flowers.

Things That Didn't Go

The Georgia Forestry Commission sells saplings for a variety of trees. We had hoped that in May or June or so that the Thuja Giants they had on their website previously would be available again for 2025. We were going to order around 200+ and plant them around the border of the property to act as privacy fencing from the neighborhood. Once planted, I was planning on running a T-post and wire fence.

Sadly, the trees did not go on sale as they did not appear to be available for 2025 and probably not for 2026 either. The result of that is no fence was installed.

The Big Garden is supposed to be where we host a series of raised beds for all of the market produce we want to grow. We have the space mostly opened up and even started putting down black plastic to kill off the grass where the first beds were to go.

Unfortunately, the beds never got built which meant asparagus crowns had not been planted.

The house project got started great with a wonderful floor plan sorted and purchased but we are struggling to figure out how to build it. So far, we're holding on to the original plan but everything is so expensive that even the "barndominium" metal shell housing is getting expensive. With build loans looking around 6.25%, it's pretty steep at the moment.

We're looking into alternative options to see what we can do to get out there but it looks like we'll be in Suburbia for a while longer.

Deer season was also a bust despite having been positioned very successfully. A hardware malfunction resulted in not harvesting a good doe. Some corrective action has been taken and will be tested for the 2026-2027 deer season.

Summary

For the most part, that's it. We've already start planning for 2026 on what projects we would like to pursue. Most of it is playing catch up on some of the long term projects as well as administrative things.

In passing, we're still working on having a second baby. We attempted an embryo transfer in November but it was not successful. That's been hard to deal with and demoralizing. We have faith in the Heavenly Father's plan for us and our family and are very grateful to not just have our first kid but that we can even do any of this in the first place. Our next attempt is coming up soon and the protocol for the medications is even more intensive. 

My First Buck - God Served Me Some Humble Pie in the Best Way Possible

 The only way that I can claim that I was prepared for Saturday, November 1st was to say that I was correctly dressed in warm clothes. I can't lay claim to anything else. Not the location, not the rifle or even the skills involved. I was completely reliant on the pre-season skills, hardware and the preparation efforts of others that invited me to hunt what I can only describe as the perfect location for whitetail deer. 

I generally like to consider myself as reasonably prepared for whatever adventure might come my way especially since I am considered the resident gun-guy. I have exclusively only hunted woods, swamps and wetlands to date and never needed to take a shot beyond 100 yards that I know of. This was different and I was not prepared. I was not prepared to hunt a powerline. 

I guess I could say the other claim I could make was to say that I needed help and that I will do what someone else suggested. I forced myself to sit back and have my guide pick my spot and to borrow a rifle for this hunt. The space was a high voltage powerline right of way that you can see for literal miles in one direction from my spot. The distances that I would be shooting were no more than 200 yards but the tone of the conversation lead me to leave my Winchester 94 in .30-30. Not long range by any imagination. I had been handed an older Savage 110 in .270 Winchester with an older Nikon 3-9x scope.

Heading In

We were walking in as the sun was creeping up so we were a little behind but that's fine as my party had my two nieces with us. I managed to climb the surprisingly steep hill and get into my tower a little after legal shooting time. In fact, it was just enough light out to see three deer near the edge of my shooting space. I attempted to use the rifle's scope to get a better look but the fog and made things a little difficult. At the time, I couldn't make out any racks. I couldn't really make out more than just silhouette. The small pack worked their way out of the opening shortly after spotting them. I spent the next 30 minutes making sure the lenses were clean and that I fully understood the rifle. I studied the space where I saw the deer and attempted to estimate the distance. I figured the area I was expecting to see deer would be around 120 to 180 yards away. That would be the case for both the right side of my stand and the left side. Both would be downward shots, something I had forgotten to take into account while I was there. 

A singular deer did come up out of the woods not long after the first ones cleared out but I opted not to do anything about it. It was after that point I remembered that I actually had a scope and could dial up the magnification to have better positive identification. I suppose I have been using red dots a little too long.

By 8:45 AM, nothing else had shown up and a part of my party was about to head in as they were getting cold. I had even texted them back at 8:57 that I didn't expect anything else would show up. Then I put my phone down and saw a critter. 

I pulled the rifle up and adjusted the magnification up to 9x for positive identification. There was a rack and it's a around 6 to 8 points. I committed to it. I got into a stable position and tried to calm myself. I waited for a better broadside shot. It took a little watching and I did try to observe and remember the immediate location details. What tree branches where hanging where and what the ground looked like. Any easily identifiable markers. I got a quartering broadside so I attempted to put the shot behind the front leg.

I watched as the buck take off left down the hill and into the woods. I knew we were in for a tracking session. I responded back to my party with a laugh-emoji to highlight my impatience. I really need to work on the Fruits of Spirit. They were about 300 yards to my left in a blind. We were able to see the blaze orange of each other.

I took a few moments to cool myself and work my way out of the tripod seat, making my way over to where I thought the buck had been. 

I had to make a few passes over a 25 yard area of scanning before locating a blood trail. It was pretty poorly how much blood. In fact, it took both my eyes and my 8 year old niece's to establish the start of a good trail. The worst part is that the blood trail stopped around 10 feet away. My father-in-law worked his way into the woods downhill to see if we could find anything. I chose to stay higher up and see if I could work the track and pick up the blood trail. My niece chose to be much more spirited about pushing forward compared to my conservative approach. I let her have at it. 

My father-in-law went back to get my brother-in-law since he's a better tracker and a vehicle to recover the animal if we could find it. Both my niece and I worked on following tracks that looked promising leading to a hill. By the time I had worked my way up the smaller hill, she had already made her way into a bottom with a meandering creek. Around the same time she shouts "I think I found it," I find a major blood trail. I had asked her to confirm which she was able to do so successfully. I bailed on the blood trail and found that she was indeed correct. She had been caviler on her tracking and it had paid off well. Color me impressed.

I took a look at my score and didn't find and exit wound. The entrance wasn't big nor obvious other than what looked like disturbance of the fir. The entrance had been behind the leg as planned but I suspect that I misread how much of a broadside I was given as the bullet looks to have entered at a much shallower angle. It had entered a little too far back behind the leg and likely transited the stomach. I didn't complete an autopsy. We found the Nosler bullet just in front of the right rear leg on the opposite side just inside the hide.

A devastating hit to be sure but I should have shot in front of the leg and not behind.

My buck did turn out to be an 8 point and I am very grateful for both the experience and blessing.

Lesson's Learned and Reflection

My hunt was essentially a re-visit of everything that's worth going over for what you need to do to be a good hunter. Patience, practice, staying humble, breath control, keeping calm and solid pre-season work. Also, gear, having good, reliable gear is very helpful. Just being a gun-nerd isn't enough to be a good hunter.

I suspect this bullet was a Nosler Ballistic Tip

I'm not a fan of the phrase "bring enough gun" because you just don't need a big cartridge to get an exit wound in a broadside shot. I got a pass through with my .357 Mag rifle at 99 yards. What this hunt taught me is that you can think you're doing the right thing and still get it wrong or that things happen. Having a larger caliber can help with that situation. However, even in this case, the .270 didn't exit. This shouldn't be a velocity issue either as I estimate that this shot was around 160 yards which isn't very far inside the .270's window. Simply put, I may have needed to go much larger to have been able to get an exit in this case. Or I should have taken a better shot. 

I am very grateful for the Lord my God's blessing and for my niece.