Why choose the 230 grain bullet in 45 ACP?

[MASTEROFMALICE]

200 gr +P for me. Speer Gold Dots @ 1080 fps. Plenty of weight to penetrate and enough speed to expand.

 

[hinton03]

Great thread for me, I am learning a lot. It is clear that many of you have put more thought into this than I have.

For those like me I have included the link to the FBI study.....interesting read.

hXXp://www.firearmstactical.com/pdf/fbi-hwfe.pdf

Need to replace the XX with tt to us the link.

 

[RustyShackelford]

reasons for the use of 230gr loads in .45acp

230gr has been a standard for the .45acp round for yrs and yrs in the US, . Why I'm not really sure. I would say if you use a good 230gr JHP for duty/CC/protection then a 230gr FMJ makes sense for target/training use, .
I'd look into the Speer Gold Dot bonded +P JHP in 200gr. This load was called; "the flying ashtray" by many gun writers in the '80s but the newer designs/.45 pistols can take it, .

Loads below 200gr in .45acp may be ok too but I'm not so sure.

RS

 

[XDKingslayer]

Because they don't make a 231?

 

[Snapping Twig]

Bullet selection is as important as weight. RN, TC, HP, etc.

I like a 230g cast TC.

Big heavy bullets make me smile.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

Face it. The bad guy probably is not going to be able to tell the difference when he gets hit with either one.

 

[Conqueror]

But recoil is expressed in momentum, not kinetic energy.

Momentum has a sec^-1 term which I have never seen used in any recoil calculation. Recoil is generally quoted in ft-lbs which is not momentum, but a measure of kinetic energy (1 ft-lb = 1.356 Joules of kinetic energy, to be more exact).

 

[hinton03]

I used an on line recoil calculator and standard velocity loads 230 (875 fps), 185 (1015 fps).

Recoil Impulse in (lbs sec) 230-1.02 185-.98

Velocity of recoiling firearm (fps) 230-14.53 185-13.98

Free recoil energy in (ft/lbs) 230-7.38 185-6.83

 

[DevilDog0402]

Because they don't make a 231?

I have to agree with XDKingslayer on this.

 

[Blue .45]

My Ruger P97 has fixed sights. the 230gr. ammo hits the point of aim for me. The lighter bullets seem to print somewhat lower.

 

[Bezoar]

well the 230 grain jhp will normally retain more weight when the bullet expands and the petals break off. that means youll still have at least a 185 grain piece of .45 caliber lead going through them instead of a 120 grain pliece of .45 caliber lead.

 

[sig220mw]

230 vs 185

I have found the 230 gr bullet to shoot a bit higher than the 185 in all the 45 acp pistols that I have had. I had 2 model 1911's and a sig sauer p-220.

I presently shoot the 230 gr bullet because of this but would probably go to the 185 in an officers model sized gun because of recoil.

"An armed society is a polite society"

 

[SoonerSP101]

Quote:
This is to gain the most transfer of energy, translated as "knock down power"

There is no such thing as knock-down power in a handgun.

If you don't believe it, hang a 100 pound sack of sand in a tree with a rope and shoot it.

You will note that the 300 or 400 lb/ft of bullet energy barely wiggled the sack of sand, let alone "knock" it anywhere.

rcmodel

Are you getting hung up in the weeds? You disagree that the most efficient transfer of energy is when you leave the projectile right under the skin of the opposite side of your target?

Call it "knock-down power" or whatever term you deem germaine.

 

[Blakenzy]

Nit-picking

 

[trinydex]

Who said lighter bullets have less felt recoil? This is not the case. Kinetic energy increases proportionally to the mass and the SQUARE of the velocity. When you drop from 230gr to, say, 185gr, you lose mass and therefore some KE. But you gain velocity and you SQUARE that term - it usually delivers more kinetic energy, and therefore MORE felt recoil.

easy test, fire a 180 grain .40 and fire a 230 grain .45 the .40 will hurt, the .45 won't.

 

[mavracer]

I agree with halftime 230s go where my sights are aimed.

 

[S&Wfan]

Which bullet weight?

The one that shoots dead-on to my specific handgun's "Point-Of-Aim!"

That's true for each and every handgun I own and shoot. "Lighter" bullets leave the barrel faster, and thus shoot lower. Heavier, slower bullets leave a little later, while the barrel is beginning to rise in recoil. Ya gotta use a bullet that will hit exactly where you mean it to go!!!

Bullet placement is everything. If you shoot a more "potent" bullet but miss the "sweet spot" for it's most potent effect . . . the other guy might just fill you full of lead himself before he bleeds out.

T.

 

[Rustynuts]

Momentum can be just as important as kinetic energy. F=MxV. Higher mass at similar velocity equals more force that could be applied to bone, etc. A high speed light bullet that bounces off stuff may not be as effective as a slower heavier one that plows through things (like bone).

 

[RyanM]

Heavier bullets penetrate deeper, and/or can expand larger for a given penetration depth.

 

[evan price]

I bought a thousand 185-grain lead projos for my Sig 220. I normally load 230s and thought, try something new.
Problem is with lead you can only run them so fast.

The lighter projo makes it's best effort when pushed to higher velocities at the same pressure levels as the heavier slugs. With the use of a lead projo effectively putting a "speed limit" on the slug, the 185's wound up- same velocity as a 230, less mass. F=MxA (Force = Mass times Acceleration) so same velocity, less mass = less force.

I shot one mag of the 50 I loaded and sold the remaining 950 of the 185's here on THR- somebody got a good deal. The other 43 loaded rounds are sitting in the big tub full of squibs, oddball test ammo, foundlings, and single-bullet loads people gave me.