Favorite .45 ACP loads?

[Exposure]

I was just wondering if you guys would be willing to share your favorite 45 recipes.

I have two that I really like right now and they are:

5.1 gr. W231 under Winchester 230 gr. FMJ bullet

-and-

5.0 gr. Bullseye under Winchester 230 gr. FMJ bullet

In both loads brass is mixed MANY times fired, primers are CCI or Federal, OAL is 1.263", with a taper crimp of .475"

I have tried several different bullets and found the Winchesters to be the best for me.

Both loads work extremely well and are very accurate in the two firearms I own chambered in .45 ACP. The W231 load is my "light" target round and the Bullseye load is my full power round, it is a hard hitter!

I am just curious about what others out there are shooting as their "pet" 45 loads. I am always on the lookout for another great 45 load!

 

[Slamfire]

I am going to be shifting to all Bullseye loads in my M1911’s. For me 4.5 grains Bullseye with a 230 LRN is a great load. However I have also shot thousands of rounds of 200 LSWC commercial cast with Bullseye. The bullet looks like an H&G 68. Accurate and mild recoil. Also have shot thousands of rounds using pulled GI bullets and W231. Shoots great. Data below.

Kimber Custom Classic

200 LSWC 4.0 grs Bullseye Mixed cases WLP
OAL 1.250" taper crimp 0.469" 21-Jun-06 T = 97 °F

Ave Vel = 748.2
Std Dev = 10.86
ES= 41.52
High= 763.2
Low= 721.7
N = 22

230 FMJ (GI) 5.5 grs W231 Mixed Brass WLP
OAL 1.265" taper crimp .469" 18-Mar-07 T = 62 °F pt aim accurate

Ave Vel = 780.5
Std Dev = 14.17
ES 51.66
High 798.7
Low 747
N = 23

 

[The-Fly]

i use 5.2gr of 231 with a 230gr lead RN. Does about 830ish out of my XD 5"

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

5.0 grains Bullseye, 230 gr bullet of your choice.

 

[Loco]

My favorite .45 acp load is.

4.7 of Bullseye
Winchester 230 gr. fmj-rn
CCI primer
O.A.L. 1.260
Taper .469

Hey Exposure from what i hear you got it right now with the 5.0 of Bullseye. I just never had to go up to 5.0 to hit the Bullseye. I also use 4.5 of Bullseye alot when i'am shooting paper but when i know i'am going to shoot steel targets i bump it up to 4.7 of Bullseye. I got to try 5.0 one day. Oh! and as far as the Winchester 230 gr. fmj-rn that's all i use. I never had one problem with them other than the price.
Have a good day.
Loco

 

[Walkalong]

5.5 Grs. W231 and any 225 to 230 Gr. lead bullet.

 

[Art Eatman]

I just use my old IPSC load of 5.8 grains of 231 and a 200-grain lead SWC.

Helps to have a Lewis Lead Remover, of course.

Art

 

[Deanimator]

200 LSWC 4.0 grs Bullseye Mixed cases WLP

+1

It doesn't get much better than that. I might go down to 3.7-3.8gr. if the gun will function.

This is the load I use in my wadcutter gun with a slide mounted UltraDot. It's highly accurate and doesn't affect the dot sight at all.

 

[PO2Hammer]

4.1 grains of Clays under a 200 grain JSWC (Hornady) seated long (1.277") for my USP .45.

 

[GP100man]

im a 231 man 5grs. in my 625 is perfect ,clean & shoots where i point it !!!

GP100man

 

[Walkalong]

5.8 Grs. AA# 2 and Berry's 200 Gr. HP. - 821 Avg FPS @ 75+ Degrees.

5.4 Grs. AA# 2 and Zero's 230 Gr. JHP. - 770 Avg FPS @ 75+ Degrees.

9.0 Grs. AA# 5 and Hornady or Ranier 200 Gr. SWC - 893 & 897 Avg FPS @ 95+ Degrees.

6.7 Grs. Universal Clays and Hornady 200 Gr. SWC - 844 Avg FPS @ 90+ Degrees.

8.5 Grs. AA# 5 and Zero's 230 Gr. JHP. - 859 Avg FPS @ 85+ Degrees.

These loads are safe in my pistols using my load technique. Reduce 10% to start.

 

[Hunter0924]

I like 5.6gr of Unique loaded with my home cast 200gr LSWC (Brinnell hardness 19.3, Lyman moly lube).
I have recently dropped to 5.3gr of Unique and I believe accuracy has not suffered.
Hers is my attempt at shooting 7 rounds of the 5.6gr load at a 100 yards from a rest.

 

[The Bushmaster]

5.7 grains of W-231 under a 185 grain JHP (Remington). WLP primer...

 

[Steve C]

Target load 5.5grs of W231 behind a 200gr LSWC commercial cast bullet not chrono'd yet.

Defense equivalent 185gr JHP on top of 7.7gr Unique for 1090 fps average velocity.

Military ball equivalent 230gr FMJ or JHP on top of 6.2grs of Unique for 850 FPS average.

 

[wally]

Since most all my .45 shooting is knocking down steel plates, volume matters. I've settled on 6.0gr Unique, any primer, any bullet from 185gr to 230gr. Whatever is "on-sale" or what I can find when I need more. The 185gr are a little light but cycle all my guns, plus side is their brass is really easy to find barely clearing my right shoulder This way all I do is adjust the seating die when I open a new box of bullets and load on, no messing with the powder measure. At the 10 yards the plates are at, no POA/POI issues either. Been doing this for a long time.

When I first started many years ago, I was tweaking loads constantly, shooting off a rest and chronographing. Now I just want to make ammo as efficiently as possible to leave more time to go to the range and shoot 'em up. I sure do miss the $110/1000 Wolf FMJ I used to get from Sportsmans Guide.

--wally.

 

[Exposure]

JEEZ!

Thanks to everyone for the astonishing amount of recipes!

I now have a ton of new loads to play around with.

Today I was at the range and chrono'd my two favorites. From an 11.5" barrel here are the results:

5.0 gr. Bullseye with 230 gr. RN FMJ- 821 FPS avg.

5.1 gr. W231 with 230 gr. RN FMJ- 763 FPS avg.

Thanks to all for the data, sorry I didn't respond to individual posts. There is almost too much data here for me to digest! I can't wait to order some new powder amd try out some your favorites!

 

[BsChoy]

I have a load of 230 ranier FMJ and 4.5 of red dot. The empties land in a nice pile abd at 15 yds I get a softball sized pattern

 

[mjrodney]

One more.....

3.8g of Ordinary Clays behind a 200g LSWC.

Clean and soft for punching paper.

 

[StrikeEagle]

5.8 of Unique behind 230grn LRN. I like it.

Though... I reckon Bullseye is mighty good too. I read that the gov't loaded .45 ACP with Bullseye.

 

[W Turner]

Full power - 8.0 grains Accurate #5 pushing a 230gr. FMJ
Powder puff- 4.0gr Clays pushing a 200gr. LSWC

w

 

[Bottom Gun]

I use:

5.6 gr W231 with a 200 gr SWC

and

6.5 Gr Unique with a 200 gr SWC.

 

[PowderApe]

Universal .45 recipe

My "universal" .45 acp load is

5.0 gr Unique under a
230 gr cast lead round nose pill, initiated by
CCI large pistol primer


Works great in my original Colt GI .45, as well as an old Essex framed pistol I build up many years ago.... as well as a Rock Island 1911 clone.

I "loaned" a bunch of these rounds to a shooting buddy using his 1917 revolver with full moon clips and they were right on and tighter groups than factory fodder. Nothing formal to confirm it, but it just pretty much hit point of aim- consistantly.....

 

[StrikeEagle]

PowderApe

Works great in my original Colt GI .45, as well as an old Essex framed pistol I build up many years ago

Wish I had a GI .45!

But I do have an Essex which I also built up. Such a fun project! Shoots great, loves the LRN reloads I feed it. In fact I don't think it's ever had anything else through it. I built it as a project and a way to use some of the 1911 parts that I'd collected over the years... but man alive, it shoots GREAT, way better than I expected. Very reliable.

Your 5.0 of Unique is a bit lighter than I use... how are your velocities?

 

[PowderApe]

mid-range .45 loads

I've never chronographed the load but it is a relatively mild/midrange load that briskly cycles all slides without problem. It's easy on the brass and I don't have to worry about flinching while expecting a maximum blast. I can also get quick follow up shots. It doesn't beat up the weapon and I can shoot all day long so I don't feel like I'm abusing that old GI 1911A1....

(If I want to shake out my dental fillings, I simply switch to my 357SIG conversion kit on my KelTec P-9! WOW! ....and that's with factory ammo!! Now THAT'S a violent round!!)

I too built up an Essex frame with some junky spare 1911 parts I had and the darn thing is a great piece!. Tricked up and pretty with a draw-filed slide, ambidexterous everything, beavertail safety with bobed hammer.

I built it out of boredom one winter about 20 years ago. I tried to buy another slide a few years ago but found out that the "People's Republik of California" will not allow US Citizens residing within its borders to buy a stripped frame because it doesn't pass the safety drop test.... :banghead: Go figure!

 

[orfeo]

My favorite 45 acp load is:

Montana Gold 230 gr FMJ over 6.0 gr of Alliant Unique at an OAL of 1.234" which gives me 845 avg FPS out of my H&K USP Compact 45 with 3.8" polygonal barrel, using Winchester LP primers and cases.

When I used to use Winchester 231, I was only able to get a maximum of 795 FPS on avg, at the max charge of 5.7 gr. With the Unique, I even went to 6.6 gr for an avg FPS of 940 and no signs of excess pressure, but it was just not necessary. . . 6.0 grains of Unique seems ideal in my pistol. . . potent, but accurate.