200 gr. Cast swc with unique

[jcerillo70]

Hey guys,
Double check me on my recipe im working up, let me know what you guys use or think

200gr Missouri bullets CAST SWC

WINCHESTER LARGE PISTOL PRIMERS

1.245-1250 OAL
-----------

10 rounds of each for a 5'' 1911

-5.4 gr
-5.6 gr.
-5.8 gr.
-6.0 gr.
-6.2(may be hot?) but i see people going up to 7gr's????

 

[rcmodel]

If it's a single grease groove design?
6.0 Start to 7.5 MAX is your safe working range.
6.0 will give you about 700 FPS.

Less then 6.0 probably won't burn clean, and may not cycle some guns.
I'd probably start and end with 6.5 grains.

If light target loads are what you are after?
A faster powder like Bullseye or W231 might work better for ya then reduced loads of Unique.

rc

 

[jcerillo70]

If it's a single grease groove design?
6.0 Start to 7.5 MAX is your safe working range.
6.0 will give you about 700 FPS.

It is a single grooved grease design.
Shooting out of a 5'' 1911

i read somewhere that the standard load was 6.0 grs of unique with the 200gr swc then somewhere that best results were achieved at 5.6 grs. But since your going above that, i should try something like 6.3-6.5

 

[kfox]

I have one gun (PT 1911) that likes 200 swc at 7.4 grains of Unique very well. Very accurate and clean shooting. For the 230 grain lead softballs I run 6.0 gr.

 

[jcerillo70]

I just find it odd that my lee reloading Manuel calls for a min & max of 5.1gr of unique fOr the 200gr lead bullet. And other sources are way below or way above

 

[Steve C]

Your load range selection is fine. If you are using the target 12 BNH bullets than I'd use no more than 5.0 to 5.5grs of Unique. For the harder cast 'major power" 18 BNH bullets then up to 7 grs is within most data.

Lead bullets shoot faster than jacketed with the same load and the subsequent hammering on the gun from recoil and slide speed will be greater. Check how far your cases are being thrown to get an idea of how heavy the load is. The .45 it operates at too low a pressure to see any pressure signs via primers until you are WAY beyond maximum.

 

[jcerillo70]

Yes they're the missorri brinell 18 for major power factor.

Made a few batches

5.4 gr
5.6 gr
5.6 gr w/ light crimp
6.6 gr

Oal 1.245-1.250

Now to try which works best. I'll give an update tomorrow

 

[rcmodel]

I just find it odd that my lee reloading Manuel calls for a min & max of 5.1gr of unique fOr the 200gr lead bullet

I find it odd that the Lee manual never mentions what kind of bullets they are talking about!

And Lee data is only copied from the powder & bullet manufactures data. 5.1 MAX was what Alliant published when the Lee manual went to print the first time.
Lee has no ballistic testing lab of thier own.

Alliant told you to reduce 10% for the starting load, but Lee didn't tell you that either.

There is a major differance between a 200 grain soft-swaged lead bullet, and a Lyman #2 alloy cast bullet.

The new ATK/Alliant/Speer manual says 5.8 is MAX with a Speer 200 grain lead bullet.
But Speer only makes soft-swaged lead bullets, not cast bullets.

rc

 

[jcerillo70]

Thanks RC!!! Your the man

do you find the best accuracy at the 6.5gr of unique?

 

[wittzo]

I've had pretty good luck with 6.0 grains of Unique under my 200 grain cast bullets. I tried it with a Springfield Armory GI model first and a few more friends tried it with their pistols for cheap plinking on steel: a Kimber, a Taurus, and a Ruger SR1911. All had good accuracy and reliability. From the bench, the reloads were just as accurate as factory loads.