experimenting with .45 ACP loads and bullets

[another okie]

As noted on my "stupid newbie" thread I am a new reloader.
I've been experimenting the last couple of days looking for a nice light .45 target load and something for IDPA or IPSC. I bought three types of bullets:

230 FMJ
200 Lead round nose
185 flat point

All seem to work OK. I'm starting with the lightest loads in the Speer manual and then going down a little. Here's some questions for experienced reloaders in this caliber.

1. The 230 FMJ is obviously the biggest and is seated the deepest if I preserve the same overall length. That's how I reloaded all three bullets. The flat point is not very deeply seated at that point. Is that a problem?

2. The lead round nose has a larger base, with a slight ridge where the size drops down to the rounded part of the bullet. It also has red band around it halfway up the base, which I assume is a crimping channel. Is this supposed to sit at the mouth of cartridge? It would make the OAL very long. Setting it to the same depth as the others means a little bit of the larger base sticks out past the cartridge mouth, which looks very unprofessional. If I set it deeper, would this raise pressures dangerously?

 

[E357]

I can't give you an exact answer without you posting pictures. The "Red" band on the lead bullet is called the "lube band" and is filled in with a waxy gunk that the lead bullets need. This is not the place where you crimp. There is also a good chance that the 200 gr. lead round nose bullets are for revolvers and I would guess your shooting a semi-auto.

Start your learning with the 230 FMJ and TAPER CRIMP only. Get a caliper and/or a loaded round "case guage". You need to talk with other reloaders and look at some more manuals. Don't be in a rush. Learn slow and safe. You'll get to spend more money in the long run that way.

Elliot

 

[Carlos]

All seem to work OK. I'm starting with the lightest loads in the Speer manual and then going down a little.

Don't make another SNM. The last thing you want to do. You want to go up, not lower than the lightest loads. '

 

[Quantrill]

I recommend a good reloading manual such as Lyman's and read it through. It will answer many of your questions and questions that will occur later on. On the 185gr wadcutter bullet seating length - I have found (at least for me the guys I shoot with that the best length is where the trim of the case is exactly level with the end of the full diameter bullet. That seems to feed the best in my pistols. Quantrill

 

[another okie]

I'm using the Speer manual, but even the lightest loads in it seem as hot or hotter than commercial target ammo. I have no objection to speedy loads, but for plinking I'm trying to get something with a little less recoil.

 

[Quantrill]

My target load which functions my acp flawlessly (but I have light springs in it as it is a target gun only) is 3.5gr 700X under either a 200gr H&G#68 or a 185gr H&G#130. Quantrill

 

[Art Eatman]

Back in my IPSC daze, some 20+ years back, I used 200-grain SWCs ahead of 5.8 grains of 231. It's not all that much of a load, with about 850 ft/sec from a 1911. Bein' too lazy to change, I'm still using that load for practice...

, Art

 

[burrhead]

My messin' around load is 230gr cast over 4.0gr of Bullseye. Been using it for 25 years now. Easy on the gun and cycles any .45 I've used it in. YMMV