45ACP: One powder for practice & carry?

[glockadict]

VV N310 for 45. It is very clean, scary consistant, and has a low flash. Everything you want in a powder if you are going to carry your own reloads. It's a bit pricey, so practice is going to cost more.

 

[callgood]

I load Gold Dots in a number of calibers, including .45ACP (230 grain). From talking with the Speer tech guys, I found that Gold Dots are engineered to work (expand) within a "window". Too slow- incomplete or no expansion. Too fast and they don't retain total weight.

Since he is loading for carry-self defensive purposes mkeBob might want to consider buying a chronograph to guarantee performance. It's really the only way to guarantee he's "in the zone."

 

[wrangler5]

Ditto callgood's advice. I carry factory Speer Gold Dot or Hornady XTP loads, and reload Gold Dot or XTP rounds for practice. With my (cheap) Chrony chronograph I can pretty much duplicate factory performance in my reloads, can practice a bunch with a clear (financial) conscience, and over the course of a year or two save the price of the chrono to boot. Without a chrono you really are flying blind - my loads almost never equal what the reloading manuals predict for velocity, usually they're below predictions but occasionally above. Either way you get valuable info from a chrono.

 

[Trisha]

VV N340

It's been my primary .45acp powder for something on the order of a decade.

I won't post my reload specs as I have developed the charge/OAL with a few different bullets for my needs here at above 9,000ft. I can't begin to guess what would be the results for sea level, but recommend the powder with complete confidence and great satisfaction.

Albeit a bit more muzzle flash & recoil than mil-spec ball the way I load it up. . .



{There was some interest in the .44mag load I brought to use in the Desert Eagle at the Ashcraft's Saturday - it's lovely powder inasmuch as it's very clean, and easy to use in a micrometer-adjusted powder measure}

 

[MCgunner]

I carry handloads. Heck IIRC, in NJ you can't carry hollow points!

I quit worrying about carrying handloads a after posting the question on this board and getting a lot of responses like CZ57s.

 

[TonyT]

Bullseye, WST or W-231 should do the job.

 

[P97]

I have used Unique for many years.

 

[Hazzard]

I also use Unique. I like w231, but unique meters better for me.