Rainier 200gr FP in .45 question

[Lennyjoe]

I want to start working up a load for these bullets that I got from Midway but can't seem to find a good C.O.L.. I called Rainier and they suggested 1.161" C.O.L. but that seats the bullet pretty darn deap. Speer calls for 1.275" and Lyman doesn't show anything for a 200gr FP. Also, there are loads posted on www.handloads.com with a C.O.L. of 1.250" for the Rainiers.

I would assume that I should stick to what Rainier stated as 1.161" C.O.L. and start 10% below listed and work up. Correct?

Sometimes its a pain to work up loads from bullet makers that don't publish reloading data for us handloaders.

 

[HSMITH]

Lenny, I assume this is for 45 acp.....

Here is the secret you can't tell anyone else. Really, you have to protect the innocent. Put a round of factory ball in the shell holder/plate. Back your seater way out, back your crimp die way out. Raise the ram all the way, making sure while you are going up that it isn't going to touch the dies.

Now, if you seat and crimp in one step, you have to screw the die body down making sure the seater doesn't touch. Just screw the die body down finger tight, lower the ram and give it 1/16th of a turn more down and lock it. Raise the ram again and screw the seater down finger tight against the bullet, lock it. Load one round of the new load without powder or primer, measure and compare the OAL of the round you loaded to the book. If you are short of book drop your starting load a little, if you are long start just above starting loads.

If you seat and crimp in two dies just seperate the steps above.

Set your 45 dies this way and your guns will feed just about any bullet you can find. Accuracy improvements with OAL changes in a handgun are nothing like rifles, get a decent load that functions every time and leave it alone.

 

[rbernie]

Heck, I just seat the bullet so that the bullet's shoulder is just about even or a wee bit below the case neck. That lets me put a taper crimp on the round without stressing the copper plating. I just ran out to the garage and measured 10 rounds - they all came in at 1.190".

I generally run mid-range loads, powerwise, and have not had any issues with weird pressure symptoms due to bullet seating depth.

 

[LHB1]

It seems there are several ways to load .45 ACP ammo. My technique is to seat bullets with the shoulder just about 1/32" out of the case. Adjust the powder charge as necessary, but since my target loads are typically way below max, this is not a problem. Looks like you have several methods from which to choose, Lenny.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

 

[Lennyjoe]

My technique is to seat bullets with the shoulder just about 1/32" out of the case

That, my friend, is exactly what I did before I read your post

HSMITH, yep, I forgot to mention it was for the ole .45er!

 

[BigSlick]

My technique is to seat bullets with the shoulder just about 1/32" out of the case. Adjust the powder charge as necessary,

+1

For me, this translated to 1.125 OAL.

Feed, fire and eject cleanly out of a Commander. Many thousands down the tube without a hitch.

3.9gr straight Clays is a sweet load, very soft, good for newbies or punching paper for a few hours.

BigSlick

 

[Steve C]

You need a relatively short OAL on these square shouldered bullets otherwise the shoulder will get into the rifeling before the case is fully chambered, esp if you set your seating depth to maximum OAL. I checked some of mine and they're set at 1.120" OAL. Remove your barrel and use it as a case gage. Drop in a factory round, your reload should fit the same. As others have said, seat the bullet so the shoulder is slightly above the rim.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Thanks all for your inputs. I've left them at 1.161" for now and will shoot them Sunday. I've loaded them up with Unique, Blue Dot, HS-6 and W231 to see which performs the best.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Ughh! Found a good target load with W231 but there's a problem. The rounds feed fine in a Springer Mil-Spec but they hang up in my Kimber. Won't feed too good. First round stove pipes like the flat point of the bullet is catching the end of the chamber before it gets into the barrel. The 230 round nose that I shot today didnt do that at all.

Maybe it's time for a recoil/mag spring change or I'll have to ditch the fp bullets for round nose out of the Kimber.

Suggestions?

 

[HSMITH]

Lenny, re-read my post above. Work the load up again. Don't change anything else, the gun runs fine with other ammo so there is no reason to change anything there right?

PS, I was waiting for your post today. Figured it would happen with at least one of the guns......

 

[Lennyjoe]

Yea, I figured you were keeping an eye out on this one

Will give it a go tomorrow when I load some more. The W231 shot great and was easy on the recoil. Think I got a winner with that load for range ammo.

 

[paccw]

Did you find out the COL was to short.
I like to stay atleast 1.120 or more.

 

[Lennyjoe]

1.125 was the golden length for the Kimber.

I went up to 1.120 and it cycled fine but decided to bump it up just a skosh more for reliability sake. Still shoots accurate as hell out of the ole Kimber.

 

[Rico567]

I just do what "HSMITH" said. I shoot the Rainier 200 gr. FP, and when I started, I just took a factory round with the same ogive configuration, and put it in the press when I adjusted the seat die. Worked like a charm, right from the start. The figures given for 1.120 - 1.125 sound about right.

I agree with what was said about COL for the FP bullet. It's more like loading a SWC with the squared-off shoulder; 230 gr. hardball length may not work.

I liked some of the other methods, too. Always lots of innovative thinking to be picked up on this forum.