How do you feel about Longshot for 45 acp?

It works for Full power loads,
There is a reason it's nicknamed Loudshot.
I had better results with CFE-P if I wanted stout .45s but since you have it I would load some up.
If your just getting it for .45 I would try what you have first before buying more unless the sale was really good.

Heh, I have a spreader load with Longshot for excessively tightly choked 20 gauges. When I shot some last week it sounded like a 10 gauge.

Longshot is loud, it's loud and oh yeah, it's loud. Longshot was developed as a 410 Shotshell powder and it's on the slow side. It's really not a good choice for a low pressure low velocity cartridge like the 45 Auto. There are literally dozens of powders that work well with the 45 Auto but IMO Longshot isn't one of them.

I use W231/HP-38 but powders ranging from Bullseye, AA#2 and Red Dot to AA#5 and AutoComp will work well. Keep the Longshot for shot shells and magnum handgun loads.

Ive used it in very heavy .45 SUPER loads, and it excels there. It probably dosent do great at regular pressure loads.

With the comp, and heavy loading i got a "Holy $&17!" from a bystander, who quickly scooted away. He was wearing double hearing protection.

I do not have a good feeling about it in the 45 ACP

I have 8lbs of it. It is great for 9, 40, 357, 10 mm. It's to slow for the 45 acp unless you are looking for super duper +P loads or something.

Yes, you can use it but there are better faster powders.

Longshot is loud, it's loud and oh yeah, it's loud.

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I would go ahead and try some in the .45 for fun
Let your .45 be as loud as it can be.

460Shooter said:

I guess the reason I bought it to begin with was the velocities listed for a relatively low charge weight.

I carry 1000 fps +p loads in my XDs, so I was wanting to work up a fast load for my practice ammo for that gun. I want practice ammo to be somewhat on par with the ammo I'm carrying so recoil feels similar to if I actually need to use my gun.

Sounds like theirs better options though.

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Yeah id agree. I was running 230s out my comped and sprung xd at 1250. My load work ups started around 980 and ended just under 1300. I found it pretty dirty untill i was past 1050, and very little difference in blast upto around 1200....its fregging blasty.

I liked hs-6 for regular full power to +p loads, and 231for low-regular power loads

I like Longshot for my upper end 45 loads, but as others have said there are probably better choices. I mainly use it because I love it for pretty much every pistol caliber 9mm and up that I load with good results.

CFE-P and Silhouette are 2 powders I have used for stout loads using Nosler's 185 gr. JHP. I just can't see using Longshot in the 45 Auto.
Otherwise, I just putter along with WST and some 231.

It will never hurt to at least try. I just tried a starting load using Longshot, but I'm not sure if I am going to work up a load for it or not.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...bigness-of-it-all.831433/page-6#post-10757672

460Shooter said:

I would like to load these warm enough to break 900 fps with 230 gr FMJs. I'm not really looking to hotrod anything. Just a relatively warm load.

So a faster burning power is a better way to go?

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No a faster powder is not necassarly the way to go for higher velocity loads. If you want over 800 fps then yes LongShot would be OK.

Just go to the Hodgdon website. Plug in 230 gr bullet and then click powders like Tite group Hp 38 Long Shot. CFE pistol, Auto Comp etc. You will see the differences in TESTED velocity. Of course you gun will vary.

Then look at the burn rate chart.

The faster powders are better for "normal" target shooting

The standard Gi load for ever was a 4.8 of Unique for 800 something fps.

What MANUALS do you have??

Walkalong said:

No, medium powders are the way to go, and a 230 @ 900 is doable within pressure limits.

A 230 @ 1250 is not doable within SAMMI pressure limits, and even if it was, would beat up a 1911 (IMHO). Dunno about other .45 ACP designs.

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This is correct. I should have mentioned along with my initial post that my gun was specifically set up to run loads at that pressure velocity. I would not try that in ANY stock .45 acp, or even un modified .45 Super pistol.
My post was only to illustrate, that while long shot will work, it dosent offer any advantages untill your beyond standard, and probably +p loads.

As a note I ran 50 or so rounds of .45 Super ammo thru my XD with just the 20Lb spring and it was pretty sedate.

For a 230 @ 900fps Longshot will work with a max load & 17.2K pressure wise . IMHO better choices would be RS Silhouette , AA#5 , N-350 or 340 & another loud one Power Pistol . Keep yer OAL out there @ 1.250 - 1.260 . I'd go with Silhouette or good old # 5 . Nothing against VV powders other than price . I'd use the Longshot before I'd use Power Pistol . PP builds pressure near the top not what you want in 45acp & it spits flames .

If you looking for 900 fps with a 230gr bullet AA#5 is a good choice. There are a few other suggestions above I have no doubt will work well, I just have not tried them.

I'm thinking the fairly new W572 will do a good job too.

Longshot works best in 40 S&W, 10mm or similar pressure cartridge. It is not optimum for 45ACP. AA5 loaded up to near maximum will give very good results in 45ACP - good velocity and accurate.

460Shooter said:

I guess the reason I bought it to begin with was the velocities listed for a relatively low charge weight.

I carry 1000 fps +p loads in my XDs, so I was wanting to work up a fast load for my practice ammo for that gun. I want practice ammo to be somewhat on par with the ammo I'm carrying so recoil feels similar to if I actually need to use my gun.

Sounds like theirs better options though.

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i'm currently working up a +p+ load for my glock 30 using longshot and power pistol. the only load the longshot is working in is using a 265 grain swc bullet. longshot in the 230 grain round nose and 200 gn xtp loads is too slow and erratic (large extreme spreads). power pistol is working well for these two loads. i currently have a load worked up using power pistol in the 265 gn load and expect that to also be better than the longshot load.

luck,

murf