Favorite 45 ACP loads

[Archym]

My Apologies. I'm somewhat late to the responses...the initial post with those pictures required a few minutes of alone time. GAWDZ...nicely done. Beautiful.

Every 1911, even though built on a time honored design, responds best to tailored ammunition. You can start off with the safe and lower end of manufacturerer's suggested loads (and for good reason) but to wring out every last gram of accuracy for the specific avenue of shooting sport you're going for it just takes time, patience, and good ol fashioned trial and fun (I hate to say "error" when it comes to slowly building up loads for a 1911).

Yes, it is a 100 year old design, but every single firearm ever built, hand filed or CNC produced, has it's own microscopic preferences.

You'll get 100 different suggestions on this site. Most of them will get you close to (or sporadically in) the X ring. But dialing it into that clover-leaf in the dead center will come from your time, and dedication to tailoring your own load specific to your instrument.

If there are any old NRA 20 yard slow-shots out there, the go to load from my local range was 4.3 - 4.4 grains of Bullseye behind a 200grain lead SWC with a 5" barrel. Out of a semi recently purchased Iver Johnson long slide target model I've been real pleased with 4.7-4.8grains of TiteGroup with a powder-coated 200 grain SWC.

I should insert The High Road legal waiver and liability what-not, but the loads I mentioned are just "gallery" loads meant to punch holes in paper for accuracy at 15 - 20 yards.

And again, Thank You for leading off with such a beautiful Image!

 

[Archym]

And BTW...Where' Frogo to let the secret loose about 700x? Best gawtdamm powder still available at a reasonable price and somewhat available in this day and age for .45 , 38spl, and light 45 colt loads.

 

[Seedy Character]

Haven't seen 700X around here in awhile, however I put back some unique and red dot before the plandemic.

Mid-South has 700X

I have 185 gr, 200 gr and 230 gr.
4.6 700X, 4.0 Bullseye, 4.8 Clays, 5.6 Unique are my go to powders.

 

[Bfh_auto]

And BTW...Where' Frogo to let the secret loose about 700x? Best gawtdamm powder still available at a reasonable price and somewhat available in this day and age for .45 , 38spl, and light 45 colt loads.

I like it because it gives good accuracy even using crude measuring devices like dippers. I had worked every charge until I read that is still consistent with dippers. I would never use it if I didn't reload with a single stage.
It's my second string powder. Kind of like IMR4064 is for my rifles. There is something I would rather use. But I know it's going to give me an accurate load if all else fails me.