.45 acp lead load direction

[Yankeetom]

I’m trying to come up with a recipe for target shooting in the 20-25 yard range using 230 grain lead rn.
I’ve got accurate loads in jacketed 185,200 and 230 wts but I’m all over the place with lead 230 grain either in a 5” 1911 or a M25-2 6.5”.
With a 200 grain lswc out of both guns its dead nuts on at 15yrds
The lead bullets I’m using are Missouri ht coated, I’m not a big fan of them.the sizes are all good but they suck when it comes to weight! They range +- 5-6 grains over advertised weight. A spread of 10 grains. Could the weight spread affect accuracy consistently? I’ve got zero leading issues with either pistol.
The powder I’ve found to be the most accurate is W231 but have used true blue and W244 with fairly good results. I chronograph everything I load to check fps spreads and adjust. I’m thinking that these 230 gr Missouri guys will make good wheel weights, I’ve got around 600 left. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated…Tom

 

[arjay]

Try some 200 gr lswc next

 

[The Kid]

At that short of distance I don’t think 5 grains would make a big difference. I would make sure your expander isn’t too small causing the brass to size the bullet down making it under size. Usually this condition will show poor accuracy and leading but maybe the coating is preventing leading.

 

[max503]

MY Springfield 45 hates Unique. It hates Bullseye. It loves BlueDot.
Before I tried BlueDot, I was ready to sell the gun.
Go ask the gun what it likes.

 

[Yankeetom]

Kid if the expander was to small would it do the same to the 200 gr swc that shoot well or would it show more on the 230 with more bearing surface? Same manufacturer

 

[rockquarry]

I've yet to see a .45 ACP that wouldn't shoot well with Bullseye powder regardless of bullet weight. Test from a benchrest rest at 25 yards. It's much easier to tell an accurate load from a poor one at that distance. Up close, even poor loads will show decent accuracy.

 

[The Kid]

Kid if the expander was to small would it do the same to the 200 gr swc that shoot well or would it show more on the 230 with more bearing surface? Same manufacturer

Tough to say. It might have to do with bearing surface or seating depth. May be that the 200s were cast of a harder alloy than the 230s. Or it may not be the problem at all, just something that jumped to mind as a possibility.

 

[venomballistics]

If the goal is merely 25 yards, you don't need 230 to get there.
Could be any number of things. But you did get promising results out of a LSWC 200. by all means, work from there.
I bored a mold for a 200g TCHP that a colleague and I spent a day pushing to ever increasing ranges until we were well into the triple digits.
Nothing magical involved ... I punched the cavity and shaved the base till it dropped at 200g, then called it good.
Play the field a bit and find something that runs better for you.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I've been using a RNFP 200 over 5.5grains of WW231 for years in my Sig 220's, my various companies 1911's, my S&W 1917 Brazilian Contract, and my 625-3 Series of 1989 for about 25 years and found every one of 17 45's liked that load. The Marlin Camp 45 likes this load too.

I was given a few hundred Moly Coated 200 RNFP also, and they work fine but have a different POI in autos, so they are all on full moon clips for the wheel guns.

Ivan

 

[chief38]

I have a Colt Gold Cup NM that I have been using this load in for 40 years. It is reliably functioning, super accurate and a pleasure to shoot all day long!

.45 ACP - TARGET
230 GRAIN ROUND NOSE LEAD BULLET, .452” DIAMETER
CARTRIDGE OVERALL LENGTH = 1.265”
4.3 GRAINS WINCHESTER 231 POWDER, LARGE PISTOL PRIMER

 

[Alk8944]

.45 A.C.P. guns tend to be all over the place accuracy wise because the rifling is shallow. Dimensions are usually what the Gov't specified for the Model 1917 and 1911. They do better with bullets .001 to .002" oversize relative to jacketed. They also do better with harder cast bullets, 12-15 Brinell. Few commercial cast bullets meet these criteria!

Don't worry about the 5-6 gr. weight variation, that is only 2% for a 230 gr. bullet, which is excellent consistency for cast bullets. If you ever have cast your own you would know that. Bullet hardness, size, and lubricant are the key. The Hi-Tec coating isn't the best lubricant for cast bullets, it doesn't do the same job as a jacket or plating does.

I would recommend you try some bullets from GT Bullets and specify a diameter of .452. or .453. GT Bullets use a wax based lubricant. See how those work before giving up on cast bullets.

If the GT don't work for you then try XTreme plated bullets, I have had excellent results with their products.

 

[Forrest r]

They also do better with harder cast bullets, 12-15 Brinell. Few commercial cast bullets meet these criteria!

The Hi-Tec coating isn't the best lubricant for cast bullets, it doesn't do the same job as a jacket or plating does.

.

These 2 statements are sooooo far out in left field.

Companys like Missouri, Acme & Boyou put out coated bullets that are 16bhn. Heck most commercial casters sell bullets in the 16 to 18bhn range regardless of being coated or traditionally lubed.

Hi-Tec coatings or any other coating for that matter has never been a lubricant or used in place of a lubricant.

The word "coating" means just that, it's a coating. A coating has nothing to do with lubricating anything. Your car door hinges have a coating on them (paint), but you might want to lubricate them every now and then.

The difference in the weights of the coated bullets is the coating itself along with the usual weight difference of the casting process.

I do find it interesting that the op stated (" With a 200 grain lswc out of both guns its dead nuts on at 15yrds"). Might be kind of a silly way of doing things. But, I've always shot groups at the yardage I was interested in and then moved the sights to the poi.

 

[rosewood]

If you are concerned about the weight consistency, get your scale out and group the boolits by weight. Maybe get together a handful all within a half a grain, load them up then do a test to prove that that isn't the issue.

I cast and PC my own boolits. Lube isn't necessary, in a traditional cast, it is there to prevent leading, the powder coat does the same thing.

Is that 200 LSWC coated? If not why not just stick with that for the accuracy shooting and use the 230's for plinking? Maybe your gun just likes 200 grain.

Rosewood

 

[rosewood]

One other thing to consider. I have found the coated boolits hit the rifling sooner than uncoated and may need to be seated deeper to prevent contacting rifling. Of course, cast into the rifling can increase accuracy, but if some are hitting it and others are not, that could cause variations. Make sure they are not hitting it. Do a plunk test with the barrel off of the gun to see if the loaded rounds is sticking or drops out freely.

Rosewood

 

[kev74]

These 2 statements are sooooo far out in left field.

Companys like Missouri, Acme & Boyou put out coated bullets that are 16bhn. Heck most commercial casters sell bullets in the 16 to 18bhn range regardless of being coated or traditionally lubed.

Hi-Tec coatings or any other coating for that matter has never been a lubricant or used in place of a lubricant.

The word "coating" means just that, it's a coating. A coating has nothing to do with lubricating anything. Your car door hinges have a coating on them (paint), but you might want to lubricate them every now and then.

The difference in the weights of the coated bullets is the coating itself along with the usual weight difference of the casting process.

I do find it interesting that the op stated (" With a 200 grain lswc out of both guns its dead nuts on at 15yrds"). Might be kind of a silly way of doing things. But, I've always shot groups at the yardage I was interested in and then moved the sights to the poi.

From Hi-Tec themselves...

"Properly applied the coating molecularly bonds to the lead, encasing the entire projectile in a protective shell that is self-lubricating. "

About Our Coatings - Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings

 

[zeke]

Favorite 5 in barreled load for 230 lrn is 5.5 gns unique @ 1.255-1.260 col. If memory serves, about 800 fps and accurate in all my semi-autos. If using 230 jrn, jump it up to 6.0 gns unique.

Might adjust a little for coated bullets, but never used coated 230 lrn.

 

[rockquarry]

From Hi-Tec themselves...

"Properly applied the coating molecularly bonds to the lead, encasing the entire projectile in a protective shell that is self-lubricating. "

About Our Coatings - Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings

This is all fine, but don't forget that a properly sized and conventionally lubricated cast bullet with proper fit will work at least as well, and could easily be more accurate.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

My standard load in 45 acp for many years has been. 5.5 grs of WW #231 behind my various cast 230 gr bullets.

 

[Model19man]

My 1911 likes Bullseye powder with 230 Grain LRN bullets. Mine are not powder coated but I don't think that is your problem. You just need to find the right powder.

 

[NFrameFred]

From Hi-Tec themselves...

"Properly applied the coating molecularly bonds to the lead, encasing the entire projectile in a protective shell that is self-lubricating. "

About Our Coatings - Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings

Not commenting on efficacy of their claims, I just chuckled as it made me remember a product and its advertising from my childhood. Wham-O marketed a hard, compressed rubber ball in the '60's they dubbed the "Super Ball"; haven't been able to find a copy of the exact commercial but I recall one where the pitch went something like " The new SUPER Ball - nothing like it ! Throw it down . . . it bounces up ! Throw it up . . . it bounces down !!! Made from the same material as B52 bomber tires !!!"


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