.45 ACP powder load question?

[Aprilia Man]

Hiya Guys,

Fairly new to re-loading and just want a quick confirmation for powder loads on .45 ACP

Bullets are 230 LRN, small pistol primer brass and the powder that I have right now is Hodgdon Titegroup. Checked with the Hodgdon website and they are suggesting a load of 4.0 grains starting load and 4.8 grains max load.

Are these numbers just about right?

If I stick to 10% below max load that would be around 4.32 grains. Is this still OK?

Any help is much appreciated.


Thanks

 

[Chuckbuster]

As long as you are within the recommended upper and lower limits for your powder charge with the components you listed, you will be fine. Since your preferred loading of 4.32g falls in the middle, you'll be good to go.

 

[colinjw]

I also reload 230's & use Titegroup powder & your numbers are correct.

Since you say that you are new to reloading, just be aware that there are .45 ACP
cases that use large pistol primers also.

 

[Aprilia Man]

Yes Sir,

I got them seperated and sorted out. I'll start off with the small pistol primers brass first and once I have re-loaded all of them. I will do the large pistols primers brass after.

Cool, at least my numbers are OK.

Thanks Guys

I also reload 230's & use Titegroup powder & your numbers are correct.

Since you say that you are new to reloading, just be aware that there are .45 ACP
cases that use large pistol primers also.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

sounds right on to me!

 

[Mikeyman]

I am using 4.7 gr titegroup with berry's plated 230gr rn. Many thousands of rounds later works like a charm.

 

[heavenIsAlie]

load data I was given for .45 was 4.7gr tg with a 230gr plated @ 1.255 gives you major pf out of a 1911

 

[Mikeyman]

I can confirm that 4.6gr of tg out of my 5in 1911 did not quite make the 170 power factor. I was recently playing with my new chronograph...

 

[fitz.g]

Don't forget your over all length , it plays a big role also .

 

[colt1911guy]

I also use this combo, 4.4 works great for me.

 

[Skinny 1950]

Aprilia Man..what are you using for a scale? If you know for sure that it is accurate then you will be good to go, if you have nothing to compare it to and aren't sure it is accurate it would be wise to start out at the minimum and work your way up.

 

[gyped]

pretty much what I load mine too as well though I use jacketed rn 230gr bullets, but right around 4-4.2gr titegroup, 500+ rounds no issues.

 

[Waterloomike]

I also reload 230's & use Titegroup powder & your numbers are correct.

Since you say that you are new to reloading, just be aware that there are .45 ACP
cases that use large pistol primers also.

I did not know this.

I'm new to reloading and .45 acp.

Do the shells using large primers accept small primers?

I began my reload using large primers, but they would not seat flush. From that point it was easy to figure out what I did wrong.

 

[colinjw]

I did not know this.

I'm new to reloading and .45 acp.

Do the shells using large primers accept small primers?

I began my reload using large primers, but they would not seat flush. From that point it was easy to figure out what I did wrong.

The 45ACP was designed using large pistol primers. A number of years ago Winchester started using small pistol primers in their 45's..
Probably as a way to keep costs down & to streamline manufacturing. Most other calibers use small primers.
the 2 sizes are 0.175" (4.45 mm) diameter small pistol primers 0.210" (5.33 mm) diameter large pistol primers .
The 2 are not interchangeable & large primers will not fit into a small primer pocket & small primers will simply fall out of
a large primer pocket.
The danger is in trying to fit a large primer into a small primer pocket. The force may ignite the primer in the press with
dangerous results.

 

[Waterloomike]

The 45ACP was designed using large pistol primers. A number of years ago Winchester started using small pistol primers in their 45's..
Probably as a way to keep costs down & to streamline manufacturing. Most other calibers use small primers.
the 2 sizes are 0.175" (4.45 mm) diameter small pistol primers 0.210" (5.33 mm) diameter large pistol primers .
The 2 are not interchangeable & large primers will not fit into a small primer pocket & small primers will simply fall out of
a large primer pocket.
The danger is in trying to fit a large primer into a small primer pocket. The force may ignite the primer in the press with
dangerous results.

That's my greatest fear.

Thank you for that.

 

[skip1600]

What you probably experienced to begin with was a primer misalignment or a bur on the primer pocket... I've found some types of brass need some good force to seat primers and others just slide in

 

[Waterloomike]

What you probably experienced to begin with was a primer misalignment or a bur on the primer pocket... I've found some types of brass need some good force to seat primers and others just slide in

I had used rifle primers because I didn't know any better.

The large pistol primers seated properly.

but what you said, is still something I have to be aware of and to a rookie like me, you can't say it too much.

 

[Aprilia Man]

I have an RCBS 5-0-5 scale and a cheap digital scale. I think the RCBS is accurate enough and I can double check my loads with the digital one.

Yup, I'll probably start with the minimum as per Hodgdon suggested and work my way up. Safer that way me thinks.

Aprilia Man..what are you using for a scale? If you know for sure that it is accurate then you will be good to go, if you have nothing to compare it to and aren't sure it is accurate it would be wise to start out at the minimum and work your way up.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

I had used rifle primers because I didn't know any better.

The large pistol primers seated properly.

but what you said, is still something I have to be aware of and to a rookie like me, you can't say it too much.

Please don't take this as an insult, I'm just trying to understand people. Why would you try rifle primers in a pistol calibre?

 

[ted_dent]

I had used rifle primers because I didn't know any better.

The large pistol primers seated properly.

but what you said, is still something I have to be aware of and to a rookie like me, you can't say it too much.

My advice to you is to stick with one primer size. Shooting with both sizes is not only inconvenient as you have to continually sort them out but the chance of crushing a large primer into a small primer case increases dramatically with potentially serious results. If you reload other calibres with small primers maybe you will want to standardize to one size, which is OK. If not I suggest you sell or trade off the cases of one size or the other to avoid the above noted problem. One other small consideration is that it is a lot easier to find large primer 45s than small primer 45s.