AA #5 vs AA #7

I use Bullseye, W-231 Accurate #2 and #5, and VV n340 for 45 acp, I will at some point do some more testing with Power Pistol, True Blue and Be-86.
One good thing about the powder shortage is I have found some new powders that work very well.

ar-newbie said:

Accurate No. 5 has been my powder of choice for .45 acp for about 8 years so far. Always works great. I get right around 7,000 rounds from an 8 lb bottle of it. No flash either

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+1, but about 12 years. It is kinda dirty, but not horrible.

ATLDave said:

My understanding is that it was actually designed/developed as a powder for hot 9mm SMG rounds. But it became popular as a reloading powder in .38 super in compensated USPSA/IPSC race guns, in part because it is slow enough to reach high velocities, and because it produces a large volume of gas to run a compensator well. Neither one of those traits recommends it for .45 ACP!

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Didn't say it was.

I started using #5 about 11 years ago as a alternative to Unique for 45 acp, 44 spl and 38 spl since then I have found that VV n340 and True Blue work well in this realm.

I gotta go with the Accurate #2 guys. It’s my favorite powder for general plinking 45 ACP loads.

#7 is great for heavy 45 loads.

Walkalong said:

AA #2 is great for plinking/target loads in .45 ACP. AA #5 is great for full power .45 loads. I have never used AA #7 in .45 ACP. It is a bit slow for the application and uses a good bit more powder for virtually no more velocity.

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I agree, unlike the 9mm and 40 S&W the 45 Auto is a low pressure round comparatively and better served by AA#5 than AA#7 IMO. Just a note, I'm told AA#5 was developed around the 45 Auto, so.....

Have started trying AA-7 for 45 acp plus p 230 gn loads, which is actually listed in their manual. Appears to be working very well, minimal flash and clean burning from 5 incher. it is touchy on powder charges in the heavy 45 acp loads.

It works very well for heavier 9mm, 40 s&W, and midrange 357 mag loads. It can leave burned granules behind, but leaves bore clean.

it did not do well in the target loads tried.