Anyone with Load data for MBC 200gr RNFP XD #4, 45acp?

[Rule3]

Just received some boxes of MBC 200 gr RNFP XD bullets. I have been using their 230 gr RN and thought I'd try these. I have data for 200 gr lead but no OAL data for the flat point.

Any one using these bullets?. I plan to shoot them out of a XD and other 45 autos.

I'd like to use HP- 38 as I have a bunch of that, but also have Bullseye, and Unique.

Mainly need a good starting OAL and can test some by dropping them in the barrel.

Thanks

 

[LiveLife]

I have test loaded them from 1.250" down to 1.195" OAL using 5.0 gr of W231/HP38 with good feeding/chambering in 1911s, M&P45, and PT145.

I found seating the bullet down to the crimp groove at 1.195" OAL produces better accuracy than the longer OALs on par with 200 gr SWC at 1.250" (probably due to increased chamber pressure for more consistent powder ignition).

For your XD, I would select the longest OAL that will feed/chamber well in your pistol and work up the powder charge that will produce the smallest shot groups.

 

[Rule3]

Thanks, I have the S&W MP 45 also. Both it and the XD will feed just about anything. The 1911's are a bit more fussy. Looking through my manuals I was going to start at 1.20'ish which is right at were you suggested.


EDIT:

Duh!, I had not even looked at the bullets that close to realize they had a cannelure (crimp groove).
When I read your post late last night I was confused. Not used to semi auto bullets with a crimp groove. Some FMJ have the indented "dotted" looking type. Gold Dots, Xtps and the like.

 

[m33p0n3]

I load them with 4.0 grains of Clays at 1.200" OAL for my XD45 tactical. I started out loading them a lot longer (~2.250) and they still fed without issue. I have a load with Unique, but I don't have my notes near me at the moment.

 

[Hammerdown77]

I load these so the case mouth just covers the cannelure (can't recall what the OAL is offhand). They feed nicely in my 1911s. Accuracy, on the other hand, has been elusive.

I've run 4.0 to 5.0 grains of Bullseye. 5.2 to 6.5 grains of Unique. 5 to 6 grains of Universal. Oh, and some 7 grain loads of Power Pistol that grouped decently, but shot high and right of POA (with fixed sights).

 

[Rule3]

I set up the press for 5 grs of HP 38 and OAL of 1.195 or so (to the top of the crimp groove) and with a slight taper crimp. I 'll load 100 or so and see how they do through the XD and 1911. The test rounds drop right in and out of the barrel.

Thanks

 

[idahoglock36]

I've have good luck with these bullets. Seat to the top of the crimp grove and taper crimp. Currently using 5.8 of Unique just loading another 1,000 like this. I have used HP-38 didn't like and WST which I did like.

 

[Hammerdown77]

I set up the press for 5 grs of HP 38 and OAL of 1.195 or so (to the top of the crimp groove) and with a slight taper crimp. I 'll load 100 or so and see how they do through the XD and 1911. The test rounds drop right in and out of the barrel.

Thanks

How about load up 20 instead of 100? That way, if something isn't right, you don't have to disassemble 90 something rounds.

 

[Rule3]

How about load up 20 instead of 100? That way, if something isn't right, you don't have to disassemble 90 something rounds.

Normally on a "test" round I would do that. I have "Faith" that these will be fine. I have loaded a lot of 200 gr lswc with 5 grs HP-38 so I have some confidence.

Your advice is sound and correct. I sure hate hammering out rounds!

I picked up some really old reloads for the bullets and did that with 100, 45 Autos. I think the bullets had been glued in!

 

[Hammerdown77]

Had to bump my COL up on these loads, because I was getting weird occasional failures to feed where the bullet would be almost pointed straight up with slide blocked from going into battery. COL on those rounds was 1.180". Bumped it up to 1.195" and all my problems went away.

My Commander just doesn't like these bullets, though. I've tried lots of different loads with different powders, and they either won't shoot anywhere close to POA, or they group like a shotgun pattern. However, going to the MBC "Softball" 230 gr. LRN, the gun plugs those into one ragged hole.

I'm wondering if they 200 gr. LRNFP just doesn't have enough bearing surface for the barrel in this gun, or there's something about the combination of bullet weight and twist rate that doesn't jive. Don't know, but going from 200 gr. to the 230 gr. is a noticeable change.

 

[Rule3]

I went and shot 100 rounds. Loaded with 5.o gr Hp 38 and seated right to the upper edge of the cannelure. 1.195. The shot fine out of a regular XD, a SW MP 45 and a 1911. Very accurate and fed flawlessly Ive used a lot of the 230 gr softballs and these worked just as well..

 

[LiveLife]

OCD1, glad to hear all went well. Now, have some fun tearing up your targets with your next reloads!

Hammerdown77, I tried the 200 gr RN at various OALs and found that 5.0 gr of W231/HP38 with the shorter 1.195" OAL (down the the crimp groove) resulted in more consistent shot groups than 1.25" OAL. I think this was due to the extra chamber pressure caused by deeper seated bullet that produced more consistent powder burn.

As to powder, I experienced larger shot groups with Promo than W231/HP38, which is listed as faster burning on the Hodgdon burn rate chart. Like your results with Bullseye, there's probably several variables that may be at play. However, I had good results with Bullseye and 230 gr RN.

I think there's some powder/bullet weight combination that just hit the powder ignition/chamber pressure sweet spot to generate more consistent shot groups. The joy of reloading with various components.

 

[geneo]

I've been using XD IDP#4 200gr. in a SA MILSPEC. 1911 for three weeks and like the load.
8.3 GRN. HS-6 OAL 1.200 @893 FPS.
Hope to try the new #452225 MB 225 grn. Flat head soon

 

[Hammerdown77]

I have HS-6, so I'll have to try that 8.3 gr. load.

Also have HP-38, so I'll try 5.0 grains of it too.

 

[Hammerdown77]

I tried the 8.3 gr. load of HS-6, and it was pretty good. I liked the recoil impulse, not too snappy. There's some potential there with the powder, just need to tweak it a little for tightest groups.

5.0 to 5.6 grains of HP-38 was also really good. Got pretty good accuracy from both, just didn't have to go as far to pick up brass with the 5 grain load. Might try 5.2 or so grains to split the difference, but that's probably being anal...

 

[J.R.W.]

I like 8.3gr of Accurate #5 with those. Fairly clean and accurate with moderate recoil.

 

[Rule3]

I have some Win Auto Comp powder coming and plan on trying that out with these bullets as well as all my other calibers. It uses a bit more powder but I have been wanting to try this powder out.

Stuck in the old HP-38 rut Not really, it's a great powder and I use it for every handgun caliber.

 

[Jech]

Since 45auto headspaces on the case mouth, these bullets have a crimp groove, how does that all come together? In the eternal persuit of a clean barrel, I'm about to pick some of these up but stopped and scratched my head for a moment when I really looked at the pic.

~ Jech

 

[LiveLife]

Maybe Brad could verify this for us.

Jech, I believe Brad offered the 200 gr RN as a viable substitute for 200 SWC to feed more reliably in the XD pistols which has a known issue of not reliably extracting and feeding SWC bullets (XDm has a different slide rib design and feeds SWC well).

The 200 gr RN is actually a 45 Colt bullet, hence the crimp groove. I started to test load at the usual 1.25" OAL and the reloads fed fine, but when the bullet was seated deeper at 1.195" - 1.20", presto, my shot groups decreased and still fed fine in all 45/1911s. This is with W231/HP38.

On the other hand, with the 200 SWC, the longer the OALs (from 1.25" to 1.27") accuracy increases and shot groups decrease. My guess is that the shorter OAL generates more chamber pressure at that "sweet spot" and produces more consistent powder burn and overcoming the gap the bullet has to jump from the case neck to the rifling. Whatever it is, I am getting very good accuracy with the shorter 1.195"-1.20" (which means I do not even have to fuss with increasing the powder charge disk hole in my Pro Auto Disk for 200 SWC/230 RN - Sweet!).

And as intended, the 200 RN loaded at 1.195"-1.20" OAL does feed like butter in XD pistols.

 

[m33p0n3]

Since 45auto headspaces on the case mouth, these bullets have a crimp groove, how does that all come together?

Just to clarify what bds said, basically you just ignore the crimp groove. You certainly don't want to roll crimp for 45 acp, since it headspaces on the mouth.

 

[orrwdd]

+1 to what bds said.

I have found that seating the IDP4 XD to the top of the crimp groove gives an OAL of 1.190 and works perfectly. Then just taper crimp as normal for 45ACP.

Very good bullet.

Bill

 

[LiveLife]

Yes, I taper crimp only to 0.472" and just ignore the crimp groove. Even at longer than 1.20" OALs, the crimp groove has no affect on feeding/chambering.

 

[Rule3]

They end up looking like this:

 

[LiveLife]

Looks like a box of fun waiting for the next range trip.

Nice looking rounds with proper primer seat job too.

 

[Jech]

To contribute some topic-relevant data back to the thread...

Shooting the Cowboy #4 (IDP-#4XD but 12BHN hardness) from my SA XD45 Tac, seating to the top of the crimp groove and applying a taper crimp down to a .472" case mouth worked wonderfully.

HP-38 loaded at 4.6gr resulted in ~50% stovepipes, dirty cases and poor groups. 5.0gr was very reliable with much cleaner brass, better ejection patterns, improved groups and no leading (yahoo!!!). 5.3gr/HP38 produced the highest level of accuracy in my tests however recoil was getting poppy. To make a very rough recoil comparison, 5.3gr of HP-38 with these 200gr bullets reminded me of shooting MBC's 230gr Softball @ 1.225" COAL loaded with 4.8gr of Unique but with less muzzle jump.

Hope that's helpful to someone =D

~ Jech