Reloading .45 ACP

B

blackrifleman

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I just started reloading .45 ACP for my Kimber 1911. Including taxes my reloaded ammo comes out to $12.42 per box. Given current prices for factory ammo (~$30 before tax) I'd say I'm doing fairly well.

For those of you loading .45 ACP what is it costing you per box?
Where do you find components?
What components are you using?

I'm trying to see if I can find a way to bring the cost per box down even more.
 
Shoot lead: .45 ACP velocities are perfect for lead, and you might find some really accurate results. If you cast your own, you're cutting cost on a whole other level as well.

Powder choice: Although slightly dirty, Bullseye is a great powder that is usually one of the cheapest available, and a classic for .45 acp. 4.5 grains is about as light a load as you will find, and is a go to for many. Not a huge money saver, but it counts.
 
I am currently shooting cast 200gr SWC in my Norc 1911. Total cost is about $0.182/round for a cost of $9.10 for a box of 50. No GST added, as that is paid on commercial ammo as well.

The breakdown:

Bullet - $0.10 (200gr SWC from Ben Hunchak, landed at my local post office)
Primer - $0.038 (I think mine were cheaper, but $38/1000 is certainly easy to find now, CCI 300's)
Powder - $0.025 (4.5gr of Red Dot, I guessed at a current price of $38/lb)
Brass - $0.02 ($100/1000 pieces of range brass off the EE, 5 uses on average as a guess)


Mark
 
45 brass lasts virtually forever - I've got brass that you literally can't read the headsamp on (I'm guessing 10 or 12 uses and still fine), you should actually lose it before it dies. Also it doesn't stretch like rifle brass, it actually shortens very slightly. I use W231 (it works in 9mm too). I've noticed that the prices on Berry's plated bullets are coming way down, as low as $124/1000 for 200 SWC, I might just treat myself to lead free reloading at that rate.
 
blackrifleman said:
I just started reloading .45 ACP for my Kimber 1911. Including taxes my reloaded ammo comes out to $12.42 per box. Given current prices for factory ammo (~$30 before tax) I'd say I'm doing fairly well.

For those of you loading .45 ACP what is it costing you per box?
Where do you find components?
What components are you using?

I'm trying to see if I can find a way to bring the cost per box down even more.
Click to expand...

I shoot 230 gr FMJ BDX brand bullets (Made in Alberta) and load it with CCI/federal primers, and 4.8gr of red dot.

To save money, the key is to buy in bulk! 5000 primers at a time, and 8 pound kegs of powder (if your lucky enough), and to find a dealer to sell projectiles for you (lead or copper jacketed, your call.) and usually there is a price break at 5000 projectiles.
If i buy in small quantity its around 27 cents each, and in bulk can go to 20. So 13$ a box, to 10$ respectively.
Thanks
R
 
Last edited:
200 gr lswc 5.5 of 231 federal LPP
Makes power factor and very accurate
Costs 9.5 per bullet plus 3.4 per primer about 2.5 for powder
No cost for brass as they seem to last forever and I have about 4000
15.4 per round or $7.70 per box ( prices without tax)
 
if you do shoot lead, load the bottom round with jacketed- that will clean the bore to some extent, and you don't have as much trouble when cleaning- don't do this in competition as it'll throw your groups off, but don't sub the bullet either; ie if your're shooting 200 grain lead swcs, load the last one with a 200 grain JACKETED wbatever( typically an rn , not a 230 ; if you're running a "hot" ipsc load or whatevr, that 30 grains may be enough to put you into an overpressure situation
 
Blackrifle man - I suggest you edit your profile to include the city, province so that when you post somehting like this we can be more helpdful.

I buy GWC cast bullets from the guy that makes them. Cost around $30/500. He is in Guelph. I buy powder in 8lb jugs from Hummison in Ancaster. Very good prices.

Good, accurate and cheap powders would be Bullseye, Titegroup and 231.
 
mlehtovaara said:
Shoot lead: .45 ACP velocities are perfect for lead, and you might find some really accurate results. If you cast your own, you're cutting cost on a whole other level as well.

Powder choice: Although slightly dirty, Bullseye is a great powder that is usually one of the cheapest available, and a classic for .45 acp. 4.5 grains is about as light a load as you will find, and is a go to for many. Not a huge money saver, but it counts.
Click to expand...


The classic Bullseye target load is a LSWC over anywhere from 3.7 to 4.0 gr of Bullseye powder. I am using 3.8 gr of bullseye over a 200 LSWC right now and have went as low as 3.5 gr. This in a STI Targetmaster and a Colt Combat Elite.
 
Casting your own bullets will bring the cost per round way down, for .45ACP I am casting .452 230 grain round nose. I mix pure lead with some pewter added to harden it up,pewter can be found in second hand stores in the form of mugs and other decorative objects. The high Tin content in pewter will harden the lead enough that leading of the bore is not a problem. I use the same bullets for .45 Colt with 5.4 grains of Unique and the cost per round has dropped from $1.00 for factory ammo to less than ten cents.
 
I'm using the exact same load of TITEGROUP (3.5grs.) for my .45 loads as I do for my reduced .357 loads. TITEGROUP is a bit snappy, but I put in 18.5 lb WOLFF springs in the Norc and it seems happy. TITEGROUP is cheap and 3.5grs per shot goes a looooong way!
 
t-star said:
if you do shoot lead, load the bottom round with jacketed- that will clean the bore to some extent,.....
Click to expand...


Or more likely it will swage whatever lead is the barrel into the lands and grooves thereby making it even more difficult to clean.
 
I have been looking or cheap jacketed or lead bullets in the Edmonton area and the cheapest that I can find them is for about $140 from P &D for 1000. Any suggestions for online purchases that will beat that.\
 
The Breeze said:
Or more likely it will swage whatever lead is the barrel into the lands and grooves thereby making it even more difficult to clean.
Click to expand...

and you know this how?- mine comes from YEARS of experience-and practice- i was told to do this when i got my first 1911 back in 74
just like using a choreboy in the jag to remove leading, not a lead remover
 
enefgee said:
45 brass lasts virtually forever - I've got brass that you literally can't read the headsamp on (I'm guessing 10 or 12 uses and still fine), you should actually lose it before it dies. Also it doesn't stretch like rifle brass, it actually shortens very slightly. I use W231 (it works in 9mm too). I've noticed that the prices on Berry's plated bullets are coming way down, as low as $124/1000 for 200 SWC, I might just treat myself to lead free reloading at that rate.
Click to expand...

I had some crome pladed or nickel plated that I just could not reload. The brass stuff is easy though. I did a lot of cursing over that shyte! New brass in the USA is dirt cheap but a little tricky to get home, hard to get them to sell it to you. It can be done I think.

Jimmiea.
 
1 lb of Hodgdon Clay = $28
Powder charge 4.1 grains
1000 Federal primers = $34
1000 Zero FMJ 230 grains = $126

Cost per 50 rounds = $8.82 + tx
 
Bullets $6.35 (230gr)
powder $0.66 (titegroup)
brass 0.5 (mixed)
primers $1.75 (winchester)

total (quebec tax included) $10.65

The cheapest i can buy local is 21.99 + tax = $25.28
 
230gr Berry copper RN $145 per 1000
Unique powder - $28 per pound
CCI 550 - $32 per 1000


Works out to be about 20 cents a round before tax - pretty much 50% savings over Federal. I like using Unique because it's a bit slower and I like to see each charge. However I just got 7 pounds of Win 231 for free. Well it's 20 years old but it still works! Win 231 looks pretty close to Titegroup loads but not as clean burning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom