Question for the 45 ACP reloaders

[JLDickmon]

I like the FlatHead from Missouri Bullet, myself..

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm a big fan of using the bullet weight that the round was developed to shoot.

I load a 230gr FMJ bullet over 5.5gr W231.
I load a 230gr LRN bullet over 5.5gr W231.

I should probably give the 200gr SWC a try because they are cheaper to shoot but I'm a stick-in-the-mud!

 

[rebjak23]

I use Missouri 200 GR SWC and 4 gr of bullseye. No problems with my Kimber Raptor II

 

[THe Dove]

230 gr Cast lead RN

230 gr Cast lead RN My favorite in the 45 ACP as well as 45 Colt. I use Accurate No. 5 and have tried Titegroup. All are fine but my favorite is the A#5 and 230 LRN boolit.

The Dove

 

[HKGuns]

I use 230gr Ranier plated bullets and they work just fine for range time. I use 700X that I also use for reloading 12ga and it works well also. Although, probably not a lot of folks use 700X for pistol.

 

[bdejong11129]

Berrys has an awesome 185gr Round nose hollow base that Chambers perfectly, Has a long base so it holds nicely in the case and is economical due to its reduced weight. I use them all the time and they work great in the 45. The hollow base is not an issue at all.

Disclaimer-this is my opinion and yours may vary.

 

[Meta]

I don't really buy into the "shoot what the gun was designed to shoot" mentality. While any round nosed ball ammo will be more forgiving to a larger variety of guns in theory, in practice I've yet to find a modern 45 Auto that won't feed a properly prepared 200 gr LSWC. In fact, considering most modern manufacturers design their guns for defensive rounds, the 185 HP is quite easy to feed in most guns. I think the problem is that with the large difference in abilities of the reloading population in general makes the 230 FMJ seem easier because it's somewhat more forgiving than others. In reality, it's fairly starightforward to get any bullet weight to shoot out of most guns.

 

[bdejong11129]

Also, Montana gold makes a super 230gr hp bullet that had worked perfectly in all my 1911 guns no matter the size. It just costs more due to the added weight. I have also used a SWC profile with no issues. However, I just like the look of the good old hard ball ammo.-

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ranger335v]

Heavy bullets generally produce more recoil but penatrate better. ??

 

[richkratz]

185gr LSWCHP's over 4.6gr Bullseye. 200gr LSWC's over 4.6gr Bullseye. I also like 230gr LRN over 4.5gr W231 but they don't leave nice clean holes in the paper like the SWC's do.

 

[Fishslayer]

I like the 200gr SWC in lead and plated flavors for punching paper. 4.2gr of Green Dot makes for a soft shooting accurate round.

Lately I've been trying out a 200gr RNHB from Bear Creek over 4.8gr of Green Dot with good results.

Green Dot is just a tad slower than Bullseye and load data are usually very close but Green Dot has a lot more bulk than Bullseye.

230gr Hornady XTP over 5gr of Bullseye is a go to load for many. Works well for me.

 

[ferggie]

200 gr. LSWC

Once you are confortable reloading ball try your hand with MBC's 200 gr. LSWC chances are your gun will love them and so will you. I load them with 231 or WST and run through about 8,000 a year.

I you want to reload plated bullets there are several out there. I have tried Berry's and they are ok but the best plated bullet I have run across is X-treme bullets. They are the only plated I use now for 45, 357 & 38's.
You will load them using jacketed data sine they have a thicker skin then the average plated bullet.

 

[nomadrider]

I like the 230gr LRN with 5.4gr of WIN 231 or HP38 for plinking. I now get my bullets from www.falconbullets.com. Good product and close to me.

 

[Pilot]

I use mostly 200 grain LSWC or 200 grain plated SWC over 4.0 grains of Clays, but more recently have been trying 5.0 grains of Titegroup with pretty good results.

 

[fordfan]

I'm using a 200 gr lswc over 4.4 grs of titegroup and could not ask for a better shooting bullet

 

[oldpapps]

"some pros, cons, preferences, to the different grain size bullet I could pick from to reload. The main ones I am debating between are 180 vs 185 vs 200 vs 230."

What your uses are will influence your need/s.
For 'work', requirement may state 'Jacketed'. For playing, the most inexpensive may be the ticket.

What counts!
The finished round MUST feed and MUST be safe! If these two criteria are not met, fix it before you continue.

Now to the point.
Round nose (most are not actually round but are rounded) generally feed the best in all weapons (I'm talking about standard 1911 types and the new/er replacement types).
SWC, semi wad cutter, cut targets cleaner, are or can be softer on the shooter/weapon and in general some what better accuracy.
Hollow pointed bullets are to transfer energies better.

Bullet weights. Heavy is slower. Lighter is faster. Yes, upping the charge will push that 230 grain bullet fast. It also ups the recoil and slows follow up shots. (I have never been able to get the best accuracy with heavy loaded 230 ball.)

Everyone has or will have an opinion and that is good. So here is mine. I have loaded 230 full patched bullets and was not excited with them. I have cast and loaded 225 lead round nose, they feed very well. Other than that, just OK. I have loaded 185 grain JHC to impressive velocities but not accuracy. I prefer lead 200 grain SWC. They are easy on the weapon and me. Accuracy is better than others. Energy transfer with the flatter/softer nose is very good. AND they are cheaper!
I load 5.6 grains of 231 under 200 lead SWCs with standard LP primers, any brass and get, depending on the weapon, 860 FPS to 890 FPS from a 5 inch barrel. No leading, clean loads. These are (depending upon your loading data source) on the warm side. They work and have worked for me for the last 35 or so years. I was using Olin 230 before 231 came out.

Determine what you need, what you want and what your weapon/s will best utilize and go for it.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I like the 200 grain RNFPBB (Round Nose Flat Point Beveled Base) bullet or the 200 grain lead SWC (Semi Wadcutter). The RNFPBB is easy to load with the beveled base, lighter weight for reduced cost and recoil, and the round nose feeds great in any 1911 I have tried it in.

The SWC makes pretty round holes in paper.

I have been using Hodgdon Clays for many years but you have to be careful of bullet setback which can cause pressure spikes. 3.9 grains under a 200 grain lead SWC makes for an accurate and soft shooting load.

Recently I picked up some WST that I am going to try.

 

[Rockfish61]

My go to practice round is a 200 gr SWC from Precision Bullets (The Black Bullet). I put 5.6gr Win 231 behind it and average about 850fps from my 4" Kimbers. I buy these by the case of 2250 per. Little or no lead build up in the barrels and I always finish the day with a Mag full of hardball to make the cleaning easier. As far as accuracy I have put 8 through a 1" hole at 15yds from the bench.

As a side note regarding feeding issues: When I first got my Kimbers (an Eclipse and HD Pro) they both had problems feeding the SWC. I took them to a Gunsmith friend of mine and He noted that the Jump Gap from the feed ramp to the barrel throat was out of spec on Both. It should be .030 and they were less than .010 of an inch. I had them both fixed and I have not had a FTF for any type of bullet configuration since.

 

[ljnowell]

don't really buy into the "shoot what the gun was designed to shoot" mentality. While any round nosed ball ammo will be more forgiving to a larger variety of guns in theory, in practice I've yet to find a modern 45 Auto that won't feed a properly prepared 200 gr LSWC.

Springfield Armory XD45. The XDm does I have been told but I can personally promise you my 4" service CANNOT. You will have to beat the damn slide open it will lock up so tight.