10mm IPSC bullet question

[TexasRifleman]

Howdy.

I scored 16 pounds of Unique so I am going to use that powder. I have 10,000 Winchester large primers so I'm gonna use those, and Starline brass in quantity.

So, I'm down to bullet type.

In the past I have used a SWC 180gr but the bullet I was using is no longer available (it's been a few years since I shot IPSC, like 10 or more).

If you had to choose between a 175gr SWC and a 180gr TC cast bullet in a 1911 which would you choose and why?

Reliability in feeding is my main concern of course. One of these likely to be better than the other? I never had problems with a 180gr SWC in the past.

Thanks for any pointers one way or the other. They are priced the same at the source I'm going to use.

 

[wally]

I've shot thousands of the hard cast 180gr TC in .40S&W using 5.2 gains of Unique, any case, any primer, in a wide variety of pistols with zero issues.

The SWC shape I believe was designed specifically to hit the feed path of a 1911 in the same way as ball ammo and to punch nice clean holes in bullseye targets. I have a fair number of pistols in .45ACP that are fine with any JHP I've tried but choke on the .45.ACP SWC bullets. So I've never tried the SWC bullets in anything but .45ACP.

I understand wanting the biggest hole on the target you can get for IPSC scoring so the SWC sounds good. If the scaling works out the same in the 10mm 1911 you should be safe. I'd try a few hundred of the 175gr SWC before I committed to 10000 of them. OTOH I jump on the 180gr TC any time I find a good price.

 

[jfh]

16 lbs of Unique, huh?

but, about that bullet:

When I started reloading 10mm again--three years ago, when I picked up a Kimber--I tried the 180 TCs and found I liked them better.

1. In my Kimber, they eliminated any issues of reliability (v-a-v the bullet); and
2. They are more tolerant of LOA variations--at least, more tolerant than the old Lane 175 SWCs I have.

So, there's a vote for the 180 TCs.

Jim H.

 

[TexasRifleman]

16 lbs of Unique, huh?

Yeah but it's the old style, not the new supposed "clean burning" stuff. I don't think you can use "Unique" and "clean burning" in the same sentence

Hmm, thanks guys. I may get a box of each and try them. I have never used a TC bullet before, wasn't sure what that design was intended for.

 

[jfh]

I suspect the TC design is simply a way to cut down on Customer Service. We all know, after all, that the bullet design is at fault, and the customer never is.

Seriously, I liked them--I'd been away from 10mm for a number of years, and generally not active with my semiautos--and this design showed up, so I tried 'em.

Jim H.

 

[wally]

I don't think you can use "Unique" and "clean burning" in the same sentence

You can in 9mm and .40 S&W for sure! I easily go 1000-1500 rounds without cleaning my pistols. Still kind of sooty in .45ACP though but the residue comes off easily.

Make sure you check your lot numbers against the Unique recall list first if its older stock, I think there is a sticky thread here with the info.

No matter what powder you use, you'll get a lot of smoke from the lube used with cast bullets.