Reloading .45 ACP For EIC

[cgav8r]

So, suffice it to say I am new to reloading. I want to improve my EIC scores exclusively. To that end, I have a lot of questions for starting my journey to finding my perfect load.

1) Bullet? Does it really matter if I use Winchester bulk or Sierra Tournament Master? All must be 230 RN FMJ of course.

2) Powder? My friend suggested starting with 4.0 of Bullseye. I've seen some discussion about Clays or VV. Is there really that much of a difference?

3) Case Trimming? For .45 ACP, should I try to trim all the cases to the same size? Some say yes, some no. What is the deal as long as OAL is less than 1.275" and consistent across the board?

4) Brass? Well, I've settled on Star line, so I guess that is that.

5) Lube or no lube? I'm using a Dillon 550B with the stock carbide dies. Does it matter? What are the pros and cons here? Again, I read the entire reloading forum and there appears to be a wide range of opinions.

6) Primers? I've tried both CCI 300 and Federal 150. I can't tell the difference, can you?

Thanks for whatever advice can be offered.

 

[dmftoy1]

I don't know what EIC is so I can't answer specifically to that, but I'll take a shot at answering your questions based on my experience. (I'm sure others will chime in as well. )

2) Powder? My friend suggested starting with 4.0 of Bullseye. I've seen some discussion about Clays or VV. Is there really that much of a difference?

I see alot of people swearing by Bullseye and I've loaded up some good loads with it but it's too dirty for my tastes. I've had good luck with AA#5 in terms of nice tight groups, but I don't know what you're shooting for. Do you need to shoot less than 2 inches at 25 yards, do you need to make a power factor?

3) Case Trimming? For .45 ACP, should I try to trim all the cases to the same size? Some say yes, some no. What is the deal as long as OAL is less than 1.275" and consistent across the board?

I don't think this is necessary unless you're looking for some type of super accuracy out of your 1911. I've never trimmed a .45 acp case in my life. I do sort them by headstamp. I"m not even completely sure that's necessary but it's a habit I developed a LONG LONG time ago so I'm sticking with it.

4) Brass? Well, I've settled on Star line, so I guess that is that.

I've never seen a problem with any starline brass. I use Remington and Winchester but that's just because it's what I ran across a great deal on.

5) Lube or no lube? I'm using a Dillon 550B with the stock carbide dies. Does it matter? What are the pros and cons here? Again, I read the entire reloading forum and there appears to be a wide range of opinions.

I wouldn't lube any .45 acp cases for reloading. I'd clean them in a tumbler first but with a set of carbide dies I'd load'em up and go.

6) Primers? I've tried both CCI 300 and Federal 150. I can't tell the difference, can you?

My personal experience with .45 acp has been that I don't see much of an accuracy difference between one set of primers and another. I've settled on Winchester Large Pistol but only because that's what's available locally at a reasonable price. If I had my choice I'd probably use the CCI as I like them better for my AR loads, but I've shot some really nice groups with WLP.

In terms of bullets I have no idea what to tell you . . .I primarily shoot cast lead in my 1911's and occasionally splurge on some plated bullets. I know in my rifle loads there is a huge difference between the cheap .55 FMJ Winchester Bulk bullets and Sierrra Matchkings BUT I don't know if that type of difference accuracy wise exists in pistol ammo. I suspect that as long as the bullets you're using are consistent bullet-bullet that it will make no difference. (diameter, weight, etc.)

Have a good one,
Dave

 

[dmftoy1]

Oh yeah, and I forgot . . .WELCOME to the board!! (How rude of me. )

 

[cgav8r]

EIC: Excellence in Competition. They are the Civilian Marksmanship Program's (CMP) sanctioned matches where you can earn "leg" points towards the distinguished badge (pistol and rifle). I shoot in the service class, pistol and rifle only. For pistol, this means 50 yd slow (10 shots in 10 minutes), 25 yd timed (5 shots in 20 sec done twice for 10 total), and 25 rapid (5 shots in 10 seconds done twice for 10 total). So yes, the accuracy needs to be there at all times as the competition can be quite stiff (especially at the individual trophy and Presidents 100 matches at Camp Perry).

The limitation is that all shots must be from a "service pistol." Right now, that means a 1911 or M9 with iron sights and accuracy work. No magic dots or lasers. And, all ammo must be 230 grain RN FMJ. So that is what I will train with.

The problem, for me as others have figured out what works in their gun, is deciding what is noise and what is signal (componenets wise). The advice on trimming and lube is good to hear, as with the primers.

I have the sneaky feeling that a real target shooter might be able to tell the difference between bulk and specialty bullets, but not I. Yet, maybe someday I will approach that level of excellence.

I am willing to experiment with podwer, so I will try your suggestion. Thanks for the advice, anyone else shooting these matches?

 

[Walkalong]

Start with whatever your gun seems to shoot well. Bulk will definetely do for practice. As you get better and better you will be able to tell the difference in accuracy with different bullets and powders etc. Then you can tweak your loads for your pistol. Different guns have different tastes. Obviously the "match" bullets should shoot better in most guns.

When I first started shooting benchrest I wondered how the other shooters could tell if their rifle was "trying to shoot" ( meaning it was shooting great, we just were making mistakes). With enough practice/experience I was able to tell when my rifle liked or disliked a certain load/bullet/powder etc.

 

[rchernandez]

As long as your ammo is consistent from one to the next...


...only other ingredient is "practice"....and a lot of dry-firing




added: Sierra 8815, start with 4.4gr bullseye and work your way up. Good Luck!

 

[Texas Colt]

cgav8r,

I've shot plenty of EICs in my Texas National Guard shooting team days, but unfortunately it was all with the M9. However, the 1911 is my weapon of choice and I've been using Bullseye powder for years in the 45 ACP with great success. I never mess with case trimming. I always use CCI primers and they have never failed me. Berry's 230 plated bullets give me fantastic accuracy (sub 2" groups in most of my 1911s). My standard load is 5.0 grains of Bullseye, but that is a full power load. I would suggest starting with 4.0 grains and work from there. Good luck!

 

[Jim Watson]

I would give virgin brass a LIGHT spritz of spray lube like Hornady One Shot.
Not needed thereafter unless you chemically clean your brass or tumble it forever.

 

[azredhawk44]

3) Case Trimming? For .45 ACP, should I try to trim all the cases to the same size? Some say yes, some no. What is the deal as long as OAL is less than 1.275" and consistent across the board?

If I were in your shoes (and I'm not), I would suggest getting a case deburrer, a primer pocket uniforming tool and a flash hole deburrer.

As a one-time brass prep, I would deburr my flash hole and uniform my primer pocket depth on all my brass. Then each time I loaded my brass, after resizing and cleaning, I would deburr the case mouth lightly. Give it a slight bevel.

This should remove anything that might give your bullet a nudge on ignition, or a push from one side of the case, or uneven ignition due to a smaller than normal flash hole.

I've done this type of work for .308 cases when straining for accuracy from my M1A... now if I could only trade out my eyes for a better pair. In all seriousness, it seemed to cut out about an inch of wobble @ 100 yards in my groups by doing those couple of additional steps to my brass. This was new Winchester and Remington brass (tried it with both, unprepped and prepped).

I don't know how extreme those factors can become in handgun distances though...

 

[HSMITH]

Unless you have a VERY tight chamber trimming the brass will be a waste of time.

One GREAT tip? Pick up a Redding Comptetition Seating die, it seats the bullets dead straight and that helps accuracy a lot.

For powders try N310 for match ammo, it is about as consistent as you will get. I had SD's in the single digits the first time out with it. For practice ammo Clays feels the same and shoots well. It is a little more temperature sensitive and a little tougher to meter.

Use Hornady One Shot on the brass, on the outside only. It will make the press run a world smoother and that will make it easier for you to operate it consistently. Consistency is the key.

I have had really nice results with the EGW undersize die. The added bullet pull seems to help consistency across the board, and consistency is the key.

Good luck!!

 

[MNgoldenbear]

I didn't do bullseye shooting, but doing well at PPC required reasonable accuracy. Seems like the concensus is using a relatively light charge of a fast powder would be the way to go. Bullseye and W231 seem to be the most popular. I shoot a load with a 200LSWC and WST. (I think I read somewhere -- on THR? -- that AMU has used some kind of WST load for .45 ACP)

Experiment a bit. See what your gun likes, and see how the loads "feel" to you as well. Good luck.