Favorite 45 ACP loads

What kind of loads are you after and what powders do you have?

4.1-4.2gr VV N310 with the 200gr XTP is a good load for me for 25 yard target shooting

5.0 GR Bullseye and a 200 GR H&G #68 SWC.

5.5gr W231 under any 230gr bullet works very well for me.

I’ve settled on 4.8 gr of Bullseye with Berry’s fmj bullets. My most enjoyable round to reload.

For 185gr LSWC, 4.1 gr WST gives you 750 fps. Shoots 2" groups at 50 yrds when I built my BE gun in 2003. 4.2 gr WST for 200gr LSWC gives 780 fps.

My target load is 4 grains of Clays with a 200 grain swc. It would also work well with your 180 and 185 grain bullets. If it's too light for reliable cycling, you could bump it up to 4.5 grains.

With 230 grain bullets of any kind, I like 7 grains of BE86. That's a full power load, just shy of +p.

185gr Acme swc works well in my 3" 1911. I seat it at 1.245~1.247" and use 5.4gr of W231. Function is 100% and accurate out to 25 yards (minute of beer/soda can).

I've also used 6.0gr VV-N320 at 6.0gr with the 185gr swc. Same OAL, same results, seems to leave the gun a bit cleaner.

chris

Jonny2guns said:

So I have these two 1911s and was going through my reloading notes and realized I haven't worked up loads for them. Does anyone have any favorite loads, for a starting point, I always double check with several of my manuals? Projectiles on hand:
100 Hornady 200gr xtp
500 Brazo 180gr swc
100 Meister 185gr swc View attachment 1118786

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5.0gr of Red Dot.

It’s hard not to find a good load there…

my favorite for those weights is, oddly enough, Unique. Plenty of data for that.

With 200grn bullets, WST is another favorite, and I’ve also used W231 and W244 with reasonable results, as well as really good results with RedDot. Although I don’t load 185’s anymore, those powders would work well there, too.

Hey, 2guns, nice two guns!

200 grain xtp
6.7 grains Hogdon Universal
950 fps

Jonny2guns said:

...... which projectile.....the suspense is killing me.....;p

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Any and all of those mentioned above up to a 230gr FMJ-RN. Red Dot is faster than Unique, slower than Bullseye and low density enough to fill a .45ACP case sufficiently for a good burn. I have never come across a bullet or pistol that would not run - and shoot as accurately as any other - with a 5.0gr load of Red Dot.

4.6/4.7 grs. HP38/WW231 under a 185 or 200 SWC is a soft shooting target load.

GeoDudeFlorida said:

Any and all of those mentioned above up to a 230gr FMJ-RN. Red Dot is faster than Unique, slower than Bullseye and low density enough to fill a .45ACP case sufficiently for a good burn. I have never come across a bullet or pistol that would not run - and shoot as accurately as any other - with a 5.0gr load of Red Dot.

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RedDot was a surprise for me. I bought it on a whim, and found out it was a really good .38, .45ACP, .45 Colt powder. I’ve since used all mine up, but if I was out of other options, I wouldn’t hesitate to grab a can.

230gr wasn't an option, but since others have thrown it in, I'll play.

4.7gr of W231 with a 230gr FMJ is a nice, easy shooting load in my 3" 1911. I won't say it's accurate, but it's minute of bad guy at 25 yards and is shootable all day long. It functions in my gun 100% for about 250~300 rounds. Once the gun gets dirty, it just doesn't have the "oomph" to cycle the slide.

chris

5.0 Bullseye
5.1 W231
Both with a 230gr. Work fine for me but I'm only shooting them in a Glock 21SF. for target/training loads.

9.5 grains of Blue Dot under a 185 grain bullet, fired through a 1940's vintage Ithaca-made M-1911 that I inherited from my Grandfather.

4.8 gr WST, 200gr coated truncated cone

3.9gr CLAYS 230gr

accurate
affordable yield
clean burning
low flash
makes "Major" PF for gun games

4.7 WST Black Bullets International 200g SWC.
COL 1.240 using a Dillon seating die w/ custom stem and a Lyman M die expander. ~0.50% case gage failure rate. One hole 15yd groups offhand CZ97 B.
.

So you’ve never shot them except with factory ammo? I mean, “they don’t get out as much as they should” means you have shot them.