45 acp load

[jon8777]

I am looking for a load for a 45 acp for a ProCarryII, 185 or 230 grain..

 

[rcmodel]

Any reloading manual should have several, using a variety of bullet styles.

Have you looked there?

rc

 

[The Bushmaster]

rcmodel is starting to sound like me...But he's right though...

Try this...185 grain JHP (I use either Rainier plated HP or Hornady XTP) over WSF. My Kimber UCC II likes 7.6 to 7.8 grains. As these are near the maximum powder charge start below the above charges and work up to them...

 

[jon8777]

What is a good incrament for powder when working on a load for handgun bullets?

 

[Slamfire]

This is what I use in a M1911. Shoots well, and Bullseye is the original powder in the 45ACP, been used for almost a century and still going strong.

I taper crimp the case mouth to 0.469".

As for load development, with the powders I use, half a grain. My best load was at 4.5 grains. See how the velocity changes with weight. My goal was to develop a safe, accurate load just at 800 fps with a 230 lead bullet.

Kimber Custom Classic M1911

230 gr LRN 4.5 grs Bullseye Mixed Brass WLP
21-Jun-06 T = 97 °F

OAL 1.250" taper crimp .469"
Ave Vel = 805.2
Std Dev =11.4
ES=54.08
High=836.9
Low=782.8
N =32




230 LFN Bull-X 3.5 grs Bullseye Mixed Brass WLP
OAL 1.20" taper crimp .469"
8-Jan-06 T = 61 °F
Ave Vel = 643.6
Std Dev = 14.07
ES = 63.63
High = 679.9
Low = 616.3
N = 32
shot a little high Pistol cycled each shot



230 LFN Bull-X 4.0 grs Bullseye Mixed Brass WLP

OAL 1.20" taper crimp .469"
8-Jan-06 T = 61 °F

Ave Vel = 715.9
Std Dev = 11.45
ES = 48.32
High = 742.9
Low = 694.8
N = 32
shot a little low


230 gr LRN 4.0 grs Bullseye Mixed Brass WLP

OAL 1.250" taper crimp .469"

29-Jan-06 T = 68 °F
Ave Vel = 698.8
Std Dev = 10.19
ES = 36.33
High = 713.5
Low = 677.1
N = 28
Little High = put close point of aim V. Accurate

 

[The Bushmaster]

Use .5 grain incraments to rough it in then play with .1 grain to smooth it out. You will find that +/- .2 grains will not make that much difference in accuracy, but will make a difference in fps from low to high +/- .2 grains. But still not that much.

Yessss...Bullseye was originally developed for the .45 ACP, but this is modern times and though Bullseye is a good powder it tends to be a bit dirty or sooty compared to some of its modern counter parts. Over time we have developed several modern and some older powders that work just as well to even better overall.

CRASH!!! And my roof just caved in from all the Bullseye people piling on...

 

[Walkalong]

Here are a couple I like.

Please reduce by at least 10% and work up in .1 or .2 increments. .1 when you get close to max charges in the reloading manual you are going to buy, before you load any up. Right?

CRASH!!! And my roof just caved in from all the Bullseye people piling on...

Yep

 

[jon8777]

I remeber reading that Bullseye runs a bit dirty. How is AA #2 with fouling?

 

[Walkalong]

AA #2 is very clean at .45 pressures. Meters like a dream. It is not for hot rodding the .45.

 

[floydster]

SlamFire1,
How can you possibly taper crimp that tight? (.469)
I taper crimp to .472, with .452 dia. bullets.
Just wondering.
Thanks,Floydster

 

[The Bushmaster]

I wondered that too. Measuring my jacketed bullets at .452 and my plated bullets at .451. I measured the loaded ammunition at .471 to .472 at the crimp.

Slamfire1 may be crimping a bit too much, but if they are working for him then O K with me...

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

seems that tight crimp could give head-space problems to me.

 

[jon8777]

How many reloads do yo get on 45 cases? Is there anyhting wrong with buying once fired brass and reloading it for the 45 acp?

 

[748]

AA powders burn cleanly. I use 5 and 7.
I dont know what the limit for number of times is for 45 cases. I have shot plenty of them 4 and 5times, after the 4th time I try to leave them at the range or collect them and put them in my scrap box.

 

[The Bushmaster]

.45 ACP and 9mm X 19 can be loaded and reloaded untill you loose them. I've got some .45 ACP that I can't read the head stamp anymore...You'll loose then before that most often.

 

[748]

Cool I never tired that, I just noticed after shot #4 or #5 the brass would be real hard and possibly brittle.
But it gets stronger as it gets harder untill it cracks I guess.

 

[The Bushmaster]

748...I think I have split maybe 5 to 10 .45 ACP cases in the last 22 years. I don't ever remember splitting a 9mm X 19 case. Like I said...I usually loose them in the grass, bushes or brush before I wear one out.

 

[cinteal]

seems that tight crimp could give head-space problems to me.

I taper to .469, as well. No problems in about 8000 rounds.

I shoot these loads, consistantly, with no problems in well maintained firearms. I think both exceed currently published maximums. Use at your own risk.

Mixed brass
200 LSWC (.452, or close) Missouri Bullet Co. 16 Brinell
5.0 Grains Bullseye
OAL = 1.250
AVG fps = 928

Mixed Brass
230 FMJ Winchester
5.4 Grains Green Dot
OAL = 1.250

I haven't shot the Green Dot through the Chrony, but its impact in all of my 5" guns is the same as the Bullseye SWC out to 40 yds. I used to load 5.1 Bullseye for 230 FMJ. Same performance from the Green Dot but with less felt recoil. Bullseye would be more suited to shorter barrels.

 

[Slamfire]

How can you possibly taper crimp that tight? (.469)
I taper crimp to .472, with .452 dia. bullets.
Just wondering.

I don't know. Think I have an RCBS taper crimp die. I do it on a Dillion 550B. I also taper crimp my 230 FMJ's to .469"

Incidentally, that was the Wilson Arms recommended taper crimp diameter.

 

[cinteal]

Incidentally, that was the Wilson Arms recommended taper crimp diameter.

That's where I came up with .469, as well. I tend to trust Bill when it comes to the 45 ACP in 1911s.

 

[rcmodel]

Bill uses tight match chambers in all his guns.

If you have a 1943 Remington-Rand, you might could back off just a scooch and get by.

rc

 

[cinteal]

Truthfully, I'm like SlamFire in that my first setup of my dies brought me to .469. I haven't changed them in ~4 years. I haven't tried the .469 in my Colt 70. I just shoot it in my "Bill Gun".

 

[floydster]

Well,one learns something new every day, I have factory rounds and the crimp is .473. So if the bullet is .452 and the case thickness is .010 on each side where does the extra 0.04 go when you crimp to .469? It seems to me the bullet would hit the sides of the barrel going down the tube. What am I missing here?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO it's hard to beat 5.5gr W231 under both a 230gr LRN or FMJ bullet. Both are clean accurate rounds in any 1911 I've fired them in.

 

[cinteal]

floydster: the .452 bullet doesn't touch the crimp portion of the die. I'm guessing that the crimp shroud will go down to about .465 or so . . . the bullet passes right though. The case on the other hand, it is forced into the bullet (.010 on either side) to hold it in place. How much is dependent upon how far into the crimp shroud the case is forced. The .469 would only be used for lead, it's slick, jacketed rounds would crimp much less, more along the lines of the .473. However, jacketed bullets are supposed to be .451 so if we use your math, we've got .002" between the case mouth and the bullet . . . AKA . . . insufficient crimp . . . factory or no. I'm not trying to be coy.

But to be coy . . . the bullet is supposed to hit the sides of the barrel, ain't it?