Berry's 185 Grain Hollow Base Roundnose Bullets

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Wis-Harpo

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I have 4 boxes of these Berry's 185 Gr HBRN bullets. I sold my S&W M&P Compact in 45 ACP, and it loved these bullets. I bought a Remington 1911 R1 Carry model, and I tried 3 different loads, it didn't like any of them. I was loading Win 231, the same as for my M&P. Terrible "patterns" not groups. I also have Titegroup, Longshot, IMR Green ( for my 12 gauge reloading), and Trail Boss powder on hand. My 1911 shoots factory and hand loaded 230 Gr. RN very well. The 200 Gr Berry's SWC shoot very well also. But the 185 HBRN is a no go so far. I think I loaded 5.6, 5.8, and 6.0 grains of Win 231 at 1.235 OAL, with Fed LP primers. Has anyone found a good load for these bullets. If it includes a different powder, I will try anything.
 
I have been reloading those same bullets with WST @ 5.1 gr. with the OAL of 1.250" for some time. That load has done well out of a Kimber Pro Carry.

Edit: Clays is another powder that supposedly good for that bullet. Maybe try Competition?
 
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Another vote for WST.

You may be pushing them a little too hard for those guns (Even though they shot well in the one you no longer have), dunno, but I have always used them at fairly leisurely velocities for a plinker load.

kcofohio said:
those same bullets with WST @ 5.1 gr. with the OAL of 1.250" for some time
Click to expand...
I was at 4.9 @ 1.160-1.265 OAL.
 
WST gets my vote. I haven't loaded any 185 gr. plated bullets but I have loaded 1000's of 200 gr. plated bullets and WST is the best that I have tried. I also load down. Easier on me my gun and is very accurate.
 
I have shot Bunch of the Berrys 185 Gr SWC with N310 and WST with good results as well. Some guns can be finicky with SWCs though, and the 185 gr HBRN will feed in anything.
 
Wis-Harpo said:
I have 4 boxes of these Berry's 185 Gr HBRN bullets. I sold my S&W M&P Compact in 45 ACP, and it loved these bullets. I bought a Remington 1911 R1 Carry model, and I tried 3 different loads, it didn't like any of them. I was loading Win 231, the same as for my M&P. Terrible "patterns" not groups. I also have Titegroup, Longshot, IMR Green ( for my 12 gauge reloading), and Trail Boss powder on hand. My 1911 shoots factory and hand loaded 230 Gr. RN very well. The 200 Gr Berry's SWC shoot very well also. But the 185 HBRN is a no go so far. I think I loaded 5.6, 5.8, and 6.0 grains of Win 231 at 1.235 OAL, with Fed LP primers. Has anyone found a good load for these bullets. If it includes a different powder, I will try anything.
Click to expand...
Just in case anyone missed this link at Berry's;
https://www.berrysmfg.com/pub/files/GeezerLoadMarkwell.pdf

This article is quite interesting for anyone wanting an accurate and soft load in 45 Auto. :)
So, here’s the scoop on the Geezer Load. Using mixed cases, with Winchester large pistol primers, and Berry’ 185gr. HBRN bullet, a charge of 4.3-4.4 grains of Hodgdon’s Clays gives a velocity 758fps. The fin-ished rounds are loaded to an OAL of 1.250” and are crimped to .468”. The load is as close to 100% reliable as it can be in my full size 1911 Government model pistols when they are run with 16lb. recoil springs. POA/POI with fixed sight guns is pretty much the same as with hard ball or a 200gr.SWC equivalent load-ing out to 20 yards. The load is certainly minute of IDPA or bad guy. And, the recoil is SOFT! Bumping the powder charge up to 5.2 or 5.4 will get you close to the 165,000 power factor with not too much of an increase the recoil impulse. If making major is your goal you know what you are doing, I assume.
Click to expand...
 
I've got some 185gr Berry's solid base Flat Point loaded up with AA#2 that I'm still waiting to get out and try. The initial 10 were pretty nice.
 
Walkalong said:
I have shot Bunch of the Berrys 185 Gr SWC with N310 and WST with good results as well. Some guns can be finicky with SWCs though, and the 185 gr HBRN will feed in anything.
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I agree, as I almost swore off SWCs in 45 auto. Until I learned the proper depth and crimp of the case mouth for my gun.
 
kcofohio said:
I agree, as I almost swore off SWCs in 45 auto. Until I learned the proper depth and crimp of the case mouth for my gun.
Click to expand...
Can you give details or direct me to a thread? I'm having some issues with 200 Lee LSWC in my guns. it's the weird one with multiple grooves and a short cone.
 
1KPerDay said:
Can you give details or direct me to a thread? I'm having some issues with 200 Lee LSWC in my guns. it's the weird one with multiple grooves and a short cone.
Click to expand...
Either Walkalong or bds has posted with some good pictures about setting the seating. I haven't located those posts yet.

What I found with mine, is to seat the bullet until only about 1/32" of the bullets bearing surface (someone used their thumbnail as a thickness gage) is above the case mouth. I taper crimp until I get between .469"-.471" at the case mouth. That worked with both Berry's 200? gr. SWC and MBCs 185 gr. IDP #3.

You may have to segregate cases by wall thickness and case OAL.

Hope that helps. :)
 
Precision 200 Gr coated SWC loaded beween 1.260 to 1.265 OAL runs in my 1911s.
Loads # 196 & # 197 .45 ACP @ 65%.JPG

Hornady encapsulated 200 gr SWC @ 1.260 +/- runs in my 1911s.
1.5 to 4.5 Grs W231 & .45 ACP Test Rounds Pic 1.JPG


Berrys 185 Gr SWC (Far right) @ 1.190 +/- OAL runs in my 1911s. (Precision 200 Gr SWC pictured again)
6 45 Reloads - 3.JPG


My CZ 97 is a bit finicky with SWCs, they say the new ones run them fine. I had an XD .45 for awhile and it ran 90/95% with SWCs.

The Berrys 200 Gr HP (Third from right @ 1.200 feeds in anything and shoots well.)
 
kcofohio said:
Just in case anyone missed this link at Berry's;
https://www.berrysmfg.com/pub/files/GeezerLoadMarkwell.pdf

This article is quite interesting for anyone wanting an accurate and soft load in 45 Auto. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting the link. I have seen some good accuracy in 200gr bullets in 45acp, but probably need to try out some 185gr bullets also. Here is another link to an article about a very accurate load in 45acp using a 185gr bullet.

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2016/4/07/usmc-match-45-load/
 
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vaalpens said:
Thnaks for posting the link. I have seen some good accuracy in 200gr bullets in 45acp, but probably need to try out some 185gr bullets also. Here is another link to an article about a very accurate load in 45acp using a 185gr bullet.

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2016/4/07/usmc-match-45-load/
Click to expand...
Very interesting article. Looks to be a lot of investigation into those USMC loads. I have loaded those Nosler 185 gr. bullets. I thought they did good. I used Silhouette, not sure of the cartridge OAL. Of course I couldn't hold a candle to those well disciplined marksmen! :)
 
I have been using Silhouette in most of my 45acp loads though I have just started testing AA#2 especially with the light 185gr plated bullets.
 
kcofohio said:
Either Walkalong or bds has posted with some good pictures about setting the seating. I haven't located those posts yet.

What I found with mine, is to seat the bullet until only about 1/32" of the bullets bearing surface (someone used their thumbnail as a thickness gage) is above the case mouth. I taper crimp until I get between .469"-.471" at the case mouth. That worked with both Berry's 200? gr. SWC and MBCs 185 gr. IDP #3.

You may have to segregate cases by wall thickness and case OAL.

Hope that helps. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks. That's what I'm doing but still having some issues. I guess these bullets are difficult.
 
kcofohio said:
1KPerDay said:
I'm having some issues with 200 Lee LSWC in my guns. it's the weird one with multiple grooves and a short cone.
Click to expand...
Either Walkalong or bds has posted with some good pictures about setting the seating. I haven't located those posts yet.

What I found with mine, is to seat the bullet until only about 1/32" of the bullets bearing surface (someone used their thumbnail as a thickness gage) is above the case mouth. I taper crimp until I get between .469"-.471" at the case mouth.
Click to expand...
+1.

Lee 200 gr SWC tumble lube groove bullet has shorter flatter nose that needs to be loaded shorter.

Below left is Lee 200 gr SWC TL loaded to 1.180" OAL next to MBC 200 gr SWC (IDP #1) on the right loaded to 1.250" OAL using .471" taper crimp.

Even for my Sig 1911 with tighter chamber and no leade, they will plunk and feed reliably from factory and Chip McCormick 8 round magazines. (NOTE: 1.250" with MBC 200 gr SWC is the absolute max OAL for my Sig 1911 barrel with no leade which will load the round with bottom of rim flush with barrel hood and I often use 1.245" to give me some buffer for fouling build up. 1.250" in other barrels with longer leade will work fine).

index.php
 

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failures to feed in P220, RIA 1911, DW 1911. Had a FTE also but that was probably a bad rim or weird case or something. First I've ever had.

Definitely feels "ka-chunky" when dropping the slide on a loaded mag.
 
bds said:
+1.

Lee 200 gr SWC tumble lube groove bullet has shorter flatter nose that needs to be loaded shorter.

Below left is Lee 200 gr SWC TL loaded to 1.180" OAL next to MBC 200 gr SWC (IDP #1) on the right loaded to 1.250" OAL using .471" taper crimp.

Even for my Sig 1911 with tighter chamber and no leade, they will plunk and feed reliably from factory and Chip McCormick 8 round magazines. (NOTE: 1.250" with MBC 200 gr SWC is the absolute max OAL for my Sig 1911 barrel with no leade which will load the round with bottom of rim flush with barrel hood and I often use 1.245" to give me some buffer for fouling build up. 1.250" in other barrels with longer leade will work fine).

index.php
Click to expand...
Mine look just like that, loaded to 1.17-1.18". crimp is .470-.471. Using ACT, Chip McCromick 8 round, Colt 8 rounders (which I'm pretty sure are CMC), DW, Check mate "hybrid" 8 rounders with dimpled followers, and Metalform with rounded followers.
 
vaalpens said:
Thanks for posting the link. I have seen some good accuracy in 200gr bullets in 45acp, but probably need to try out some 185gr bullets also. Here is another link to an article about a very accurate load in 45acp using a 185gr bullet.

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2016/4/07/usmc-match-45-load/
Click to expand...
Load # 144 from July 2008

Zeros though, not Noslers. 4.1 from the article is light, 4.6 was giving me right at 800 FPS from a 6" revolver and a 5" 1911. Not a light shoot all day target load, but still very accurate. Still not heavy recoil at 4.6 by any means.
.45 ACP Load # 144 - 185 Gr Zero 4.6 Grs N310.jpg
 
1KPerDay said:
failures to feed in P220, RIA 1911, DW 1911.
Click to expand...
Does regular 200 gr SWC feed reliably? Regular SWC profile replicates fairly close to contact points of 230 gr RN during feeding at around 1.250" OAL. With Lee's 200 gr SWC TL nose profile with shorter flatter nose, shorter OAL is needed. Maybe try slightly longer around 1.190" if rounds will plunk in your barrels?

1KPerDay said:
Definitely feels "ka-chunky" when dropping the slide on a loaded mag.
Click to expand...
I would suggest you take the longest OAL that will plunk in RIA 1911 (Max OAL) and incrementally decrease the OAL (say by .005") to see if the rounds will feed in RIA 1911. If you can get the rounds to feed in RIA, then try them in your other pistols in the order of shorter leade.

If you can't get Lee 200 gr SWC TL to feed at any length in your pistol, you may have to switch to different SWC profile mold.

To not hijack the thread any further, you may elect to start a new thread, for OP's sake.
 
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