.45 185-grain

[Havok7416]

Has anyone had any stability problems with 185-grain .45 projectiles?

I recently received a box from a friend who couldn't use them and immediately noticed how short they were. They seem almost square in profile.

I'm just curious and bored, no real crisis here.

 

[altitude_19]

No, but stability can just as easily be a fault of the barrel as it can the projectile. All he can conclusively say is they don't work well in his gun at whatever load he tried.

 

[stu1ritter]

I have shot LSWC 185 gr in .45ACP now for about 40 years at both 25 and 50 yard lines at Bullseye matches. Never any sort of a problem. From the way you describe them, have you weighed them to make sure they are indeed 185 gr?
Stu

 

[Havok7416]

Altitude, my friend never actually used them but I didn't make that clear. We tried various combinations of length but could not get the rounds to chamber at all in my friend's Rock Island. When we switched to 230 grain, the rounds slid right in. Very odd to say the least. I figured these might have stability problems because they are so short. In the end, it doesn't matter to me as they will all be expended into targets at the range and I do not intend to buy any 185s in the future.

Stu1ritter, the bullets are Xtreme and are indeed 185-grain. When I say they are square I mean that they appear to be almost as tall as they are wide. They do have a taper to them that ends in a flat point.

 

[ATLDave]

I have had very good luck with 185 Nosler JPHs, FWIW.

 

[stu1ritter]

Stu1ritter, the bullets are Xtreme and are indeed 185-grain. When I say they are square I mean that they appear to be almost as tall as they are wide. They do have a taper to them that ends in a flat point.

Sounds like the H&G 68 mold form Semi Wad Cutter. Interesting that they won't feed in your friends Rock Island, as they sure feed and shoot very well in my Rock Island Target. Perhaps the ramp profile is different. I would look for a reason other than the bullet itself that the rounds aren't feeding as so many folks use that bullet form in 1911's while target shooting.
Stu

 

[Walkalong]

I haven't shot those, but I shoot the Berrys 185 Gr SWC with good accuracy from a couple of different guns. Some guns may not feed them well, but the weight is not a problem whether it is a SWC or "HP" design.

They'll stabilize just fine.

 

[Blue68f100]

I shoot 1000's of the Berry 185gr RNHB. The HB gives it the same profile as the 230gr which is nice I don't have to adj my seating die. One of my gun likes a shorter OAL so all get the short length. Only time I have a problem with accuracy is if I push them too fast.

 

[Havok7416]

Thanks for all the input guys! I seated the 185s a little deeper than I seat my 230-grain loads and they chamber just fine in my guns (including two 1911 designs). They are at the back of the shooting rotation right now because I still have to shoot off 1,500 rounds of lead before I get to them, but I don't expect to run into any issues.

As to why these bullets don't work for my friend remains to be seen. He swears by his Rock Island, but truth be told it's one of the worst examples I have ever seen. The magazines barely work, the trigger is very heavy with all kinds of creep and overtravel, and the sights are non-existent. I know there are some great Rock Island guns out there and I think he just got a lemon all the way around.

 

[PJSprog]

I've loaded a bucket full of 185gr XTPs for my RIA Tactical, and have never had an issue with them. They feed great, and they shoot straight...for me, anyway.