New to reloading, questions on load for .45ACP

Spawn-Inc

Spawn-Inc

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
68   0   0
Location
Ont
so i finally got a press and started reloading but have some questions about my trip to the range.

here are all the rounds i made using cast 200 gr wad cutters with win 231 powder and win primers.

i made up various loads ranging from 4gr to 6gr.

the 4gr were weak, but cycle the gun and decent with accuracy. i think some of the powder wasn't burning though, is that possible? they also ripped the paper, not cut it.

the 4.5, 5, 5.5, and 6 all worked fine as well, and clean cut the paper.

the other thing i noticed was with each load the powder was really smokey. anyone else experience this?

any tips with regards to a good load with the 45?
 
I like 5.3 grains of W231 using a 200 grain LSWC. While it doesn't batter the gun to death, it will take down steel reactive targets during club matches and is fairly accurate. It is dirty, but that is a by product of shooting guns. That load does not qualify as an IPSC load.
 
200 grain wadcutters or 200 grain semiwadcutters.
If its the semi wadcutters like I use, 5.5 grain of w 231 has been my go to load for 5 years. Hot enough to burn clean and make power factor in 2 shooting sports.
I experimented with loads ranging from 4.9 to 6 and I found 5.5 to be the best, out of my STI Trojan.
 
i think they are semi wad cutters actually.

so i think i will aim between 5-5.5 and go from there.


does it matter if i use magnum primers? i seem to recall you need to dial down your load.
 
Hi. You have a manual? Hodgdon's site gives 4.4 grains(771 fps) to 5.6 grains(914 fps) of 231 for a 200 grain cast bullet. 5.2 grains(794 fps) to 5.9 grains(906 fps) for a 200 grain jacketed bullet. Mind you, my Lyman Pistol and Revolver book gives 4.0 to 6.5 grains of 231 for a 200 grain jacketed. It's not at all unusual for different manuals to give slightly different data.
The shape or who made the bullet doesn't matter since you load for the bullet weight. Cast or jacketed does though. There's no such thing as a .45 ACP WC. Shooting jacketed bullets, regularly, gets expensive fast.
Most pistols need to be set up to shoot SWC's too. Some come that way and since your not having feeding issues, your's is one of 'em. Don't fix it.
The only thing that's absolutely essential when loading .45's is that you cannot roll crimp. Taper crimp only. A taper crimp can fix feeding issues too. Your seating die should be stamped with 'TC'.
"...a good load with the 45..." What you're doing with it matters. The shooting games(IPSC/IDPA) will require a different load than bullseye shooting.
"...the powder was really smokey..." Some powders are just like that. Been using Bullseye with 230 grain cast bullets, for eons, myself. Haven't ever noticed it to be smokey. Then again, I don't care if it is. Accuracy is too good to care.
You only need magnum primers if your manual says to use 'em. Magnum primers are about the powder used. They burn a bit hotter for a bit longer and are made to light hard to ignite powders and cold weather shooting. Nothing bad will happen if you do use 'em.
 
I used 5.2gr of W231 with Winchester large pistol and magnum primers.
I don't flare and I don't crimp with lead semi wad cutters.
I just chamfer the cases well with the RCBS chamfer & deburring tool.
 
sunray said:
Hi. You have a manual? Hodgdon's site gives 4.4 grains(771 fps) to 5.6 grains(914 fps) of 231 for a 200 grain cast bullet. 5.2 grains(794 fps) to 5.9 grains(906 fps) for a 200 grain jacketed bullet. Mind you, my Lyman Pistol and Revolver book gives 4.0 to 6.5 grains of 231 for a 200 grain jacketed. It's not at all unusual for different manuals to give slightly different data.
The shape or who made the bullet doesn't matter since you load for the bullet weight. Cast or jacketed does though. There's no such thing as a .45 ACP WC. Shooting jacketed bullets, regularly, gets expensive fast.
Most pistols need to be set up to shoot SWC's too. Some come that way and since your not having feeding issues, your's is one of 'em. Don't fix it.
The only thing that's absolutely essential when loading .45's is that you cannot roll crimp. Taper crimp only. A taper crimp can fix feeding issues too. Your seating die should be stamped with 'TC'.
"...a good load with the 45..." What you're doing with it matters. The shooting games(IPSC/IDPA) will require a different load than bullseye shooting.
"...the powder was really smokey..." Some powders are just like that. Been using Bullseye with 230 grain cast bullets, for eons, myself. Haven't ever noticed it to be smokey. Then again, I don't care if it is. Accuracy is too good to care.
You only need magnum primers if your manual says to use 'em. Magnum primers are about the powder used. They burn a bit hotter for a bit longer and are made to light hard to ignite powders and cold weather shooting. Nothing bad will happen if you do use 'em.
Click to expand...

i have the lyman 49th manual and hodgdon's site linked from here.

i have the lee pro 1000 in 45 which doesn't mention what type of crimp it does.

for now my only purpose is target practice, not worried about competition stuff just yet.


thump_rrr said:
I used 5.2gr of W231 with Winchester large pistol and magnum primers.
I don't flare and I don't crimp with lead semi wad cutters.
I just chamfer the cases well with the RCBS chamfer & deburring tool.
Click to expand...

so basically you just resize the case then put in the powder and push in the bullet?
 
Hey Spwn-Inc.
Just finished a big test using 200 swc in my M&P using 4.2, 4.4, 4.6, 4.8, 5.0, 5.2, 5.4, 5.6, &5.8 grain of 231.
4.6, and 5.2 came out the winners after severeal week at the range. In the end I chose to reload using 4.6 grains. I had no ejection, or loading issues with 4.6 and I figured why put the added wear on the gun (cost is really not much of a factor).

I never chrono the different loads, but in the end the groups where great. I was getting clean holes in all the loads.
Did you have cardboard behind your paper? I find this does make a big difference.

Collin
 
the bowling pin formula used to be( and still is 200 grain lswc, 6.2 of 231, and a standard large pistol primer- i shoot 6 in my colt mk4/series 70 with no problems, but i've also got a 20 pound spring in there- the 18 was either getting old or not enough to close the slide-this is way over max according to SOME manuals, but not others- depends on WHEN your manual was published, as the old loads are just as "verified as the new ones- they used the SAME pressure guns, just now it's not the copper crusher method- it's piezo electric
 
Lead bullet reloads are normally smoky to some extent due to the lube. W231 is also a fairly dirty burning powder. I wouldn't worry too much about it; guns get dirty when you shoot them.
 
thump_rrr said:
Maybe for you.
I don't on lead bullets when my cases are properly chamfered and deburred.
Click to expand...

Your experience is unique, most of the reloading world, uses .452" sized bullets, which require (for us) a slightly greater degree of belling than usual. If what you are doing works for you, that is fantastic, but it's certainly unorthodox, and just plain not going to work for the majority. All that happens for me and most people using lead bullets, when we forget to bell the mouths, is a wasted bullet, that has been shaved by the case mouth, and or crushed by the press. Again, I'm not saying your methods don't work for you, just that they are unlikely to work for others.
 
ah, the wax/lube burning off makes sense. i wouldn't mind it so much but with the layout of my range the smoke gets pulled back into my face. though i think they had the vent system going faster then normal.

that being said i hate dealing with lubed bullets and have many feeding issues with it so i will be using standard RD FMJ. unless i get a good deal on lead ones anyhow.
 
thump_rrr said:
Resize, Chamfer, Deburr, Prime, Charge, Seat.
Click to expand...

Resize meaning put throught the resizing and decapping die? What is this Chamfer and Deburr? Is that like the tool I use to deburr resized rifle cases? Should I use that for .45 ACP? I've loaded the same cases more than a dozen times over, and never did those stages of reloading... hopefully I'm not going to explode on my 50th.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom