Favorite 45ACP handloads

5.0grns Bullseye behind a 230grn. FMJ is the old standby that replicates the government load. 800-850fps from a 5" barrel. Great economical paper puncher.

I've been working up 200grn .45ACP loads for my 4" Kimbers recently... using none of those powders... But, given you are working up SD loads... likely PowerPistol, Universal, CFE Pistol, and maybe AA#7 are your Huckleberrys...

Power pistol is very loud and flashy if it matters to you.

I've used CFE pistol with 230gr bullets. II tworks well, but can be flashy. It was one of my go-to powders awhile back when I placed versatility for a powder as the most important aspect when selecting a powder. Now however, I use WST for 45acp.

As 1KPerDay stated power pistol IS loud. It reads as a performance powder. It works very well, but it is the loudest of all the powders I use.

Good Luck.

CH

kerreckt said:

5.0grns Bullseye behind a 230grn. FMJ is the old standby that replicates the government load. 800-850fps from a 5" barrel. Great economical paper puncher.

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Me too! (I don't post load data but it's OK to agree with a good post!). I have 3, 45 ACP guns and my "Just in Case" handloads which number around 2k, work quite well in all three. While I reload other bullets, powders, etc., my main "just shooting" ammo is the JIC load...

200gr RNFP cast from a Lee mold and a 225gr RN cast from a Lyman mold both seated over Ramshot Silhouette and shooting out of a Tanfoglio Witness full size and a XD Mod 2.. These loads are also what are loaded on my nightstand. May not be the fastest or the most expansive but at 15' I believe they will put a hurt on and still stay within the confines of my house.

Since you have W231, 5.0 grs and 230 grainers will do you right

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I go back and forth between 4.7 or 5gr of HP38 (W231)
4.7 is softer 5 is maybe a hair more accurate.

2 loads I like are:
1. 230gr. Lee TC over 4.5-5gr. Bullseye
2. 190gr. Lee SWC or 200gr. Lee H&G #68 SWC clone over 5gr. Bullseye.

I keep it simple. I use 5 gr of Unique with 185 gr, 200 gr, and 230 gr cast bullets.

Lee 200 grain PC'd RNFP, 5 gr w231 have been a winner in my S&W E1911.

I love that gun

Zero/Hornady XTP 185gr JHP with 4.1grs of Vihtavuori N310.

OR...

200gr LSWC with 3.8 - 4.0 of Bullseye

These are 5.5gr Unique under 230gr Lee TC cast.
Accurate but pretty mild.

My main 45 ACP load is 5.0 grains 700-X with a 230 grain RN bullet. It does not matter whether the bullet is cast, plated or jacketed.

I've been loading the combination for close to 40 years.

I know 700-X is not on the OP's list and many folks do not like the way 700-X meters..

My alternate, back upload is with Accurate #5.

I've used Unique, W231/HP38, and Bullseye at various times over the years and would go back to them if my primary powders were not available.

5gr of 231 for 230gr RN and 200gr SWC
4.6gr of tightgroup under 230gr coated RN

cfullgraf said:

My main 45 ACP load is 5.0 grains 700-X with a 230 grain RN bullet. It does not matter whether the bullet is cast, plated or jacketed.

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You beat me to the punch on that load.
700X meters 'okay' for me on a 550.

JT

I load mostly 4.5 grains of bulleye (light target load) with a 200 grain cast SWC and 7.0 grains of Unique (full power load) with the same bullet. 5.0 grains of Bullseye with a plated 200 grain RNFP shoots well too.

Up until recently all I have ever loaded in 45 ACP was 230gr RN plated and FMJ. I recently acquired 500 of the 185gr Hornady Zmax bullets. The price was about what I was paying junk plated bullets locally. I did a workup using titegroup since these will mostly be used for range plinking on paper, steel and clays.

I've had good luck with titegroup for plinking. I use factory sd loads for when I'm carrying. If a 9mm bullet has to expand to the size of a 45 round to supposedly work I figure the 230gr RN should be fine in pinch.

The hornaday XTP bullets have worked very well in all of my pistols no matter what I used to load them.

Walkalong said:

Since you have W231, 5.0 grs and 230 grainers will do you right

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Mine as well

After nearly 45 years shooting 6 grains of Unique under 230 grain FMJ, I may actually have to try other things this season.....like whatever I can uh......find? but I'm not quite there yet. Been plenty accurate and hard hitting for me.....guess some might consider that a rut. I'm a "if it ain't broke don't screw around with it" sort of guy.

Walkalong said:

Fortunately, 700X shoots better than it meters

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Just like Unique then.....flake powder.....a joy to meter.....not. But also a joy to shoot. The redeeming quality is that Unique is not that sensitive to exact metering. I've never been able to tell the difference between metering it through the Uniflow, with it's variances or weighing each load.......so guess what I do?

So is 700X as forgiving?