.45 ACP questions.

[jomommy]

First .45 ACP reloads today. have been loading .38 s
Dillon SDB, caliber conversion arrived and installed (It took > 3 hours, not minutes, but since it was my first time converting I checked and double checked measurements).

200 gr Rainier RN
Hodgdon's Universal powder
Federal large pistol primers.

Since I'm using plated bullets, I went a bit on the low side for powder load. I loaded 4.9 gr (vs 5.8 gn on Hodgdons site and in Lyman)

2 issues- 1. Some of the bullets have come out lopsided in their seating with buckling of the copper plate on one side.
Is it-
A. improper seating when I place the bullet on the case for seating (operator error)

B. case mouth flare not wide enough and so bullet doesn't seat easily. I have a minimal flare set on the case mouth, it is less than 0.015 ". Above that I had problems retaining the bullet in the case even after crimping.

C .crimping too tight. I think i have a nice gentle taper crimp. With my .38s, I would occasionally have the jacket split from the bullet during firing and attributed it to an over tight crimp in a plated bullet. I would like to avoid that this time around.

2. There is powder residue in the case and cylinder after shooting. Is Universal a slower powder that Titegroup (what I've used for the 38s) and thus doesn't burn as fast and leaves residue? ( I loaned out my book with listings of all the powder qualities so can't reference )

The overall length of these reload is 1.293" . Lymann lists OAL as 1.275" Since I'm loading for revolver and they are the same length as the 800 reloads that came with the gun and had no problems shooting, is that 0.02" going to be significant?

I shot 6 rounds this morning, other than the powder residue, I had no problems.

I'm shooting a 625 5"bbl.

Thanks,

Jo

 

[OKFC05]

Comments:
Sounds like you're doing OK.
Issue 1: A proper flare makes starting the bullet easier. The case should survive several flares and crimps, but all eventually split and gt discarded.
Powder: IMHO Universal is a step backwards from using Titegroup in this load, but it will work.
OAL: OK for revolver. Making the load longer tends to lower pressure.

 

[gboling]

On the issue of lopsided bullets, Lee offers to make special bullet seating dies that conform to the shape of the bullet that you are using. You must send them a bullet and they make a matching die. With a greater flare the bullet may seat straight without a special die.

I firmly believe in the Lee factory crimp die for solving crimping problems, especially with semi-auto loads.

 

[nicky4968]

I highly recommend the Lyman "M" die. Not a flare, but a step. Works wonders.

 

[Dale53]

jomommy;
You apparently have several minor problems.

1 - Your choice of powder would be great for a FULL .45 ACP combat load. It is NOT the best choice for a light target load. Titegroup or Clays would be a better choice for a clean burning relatively low velocity target load (my most shot load in my 625's is a MiHec mould clone of the H&G #68 200 gr SWC ahead of something like 3.6-4.1 of Clays or the equivalent with Titegroup. That is extremely clean burning and will shoot under 1" at 25 yards in my guns.

2 - Don't be afraid of using enough case mouth flare. You CAN overdo it and that can lead to early case mouth cracks but you MUST have enough that the bullet is not damaged during seating.

3 - Using your Dillon press, if you have the third die set too low in the press you will start crimping as you seat the bullet. This can cause scuffing of the bullet (peeling the plating on your bullets or rolling lead ahead of the case with cast bullets). Be sure your die is NOT starting to crimp in the third die (run an expanded empty in there and look at it). All crimping should be done by the fourth die.

4 - Do not get too enthusiastic with the taper crimp die. The outside of the case mouth should measure .470" (plus or minus a thousandth of an inch) when crimped on a bullet. This is plenty enough to get proper combustion and in an auto will ensure that the bullet doesn't deep seat as it hits the loading ramp. Of course, that will not be a problem in your revolver but you might as well develop good habits (you may some time in the future load for autos).

Good luck - you're close to having what you need. Just need a bit of load and press "tweaking" and you'll be good to go.

Dale53

 

[ArchAngelCD]

My choice of powder for the .45 Auto is W231/HP-38. It's a great powder for a wide range of pressures, it's clean and accurate too.

 

[AzShooter]

Get rid of those Plated bullets. Too many problems if you crimp them too tight. The "jacket" will come loose and you can see evidence of it on you target.

By Montana Gold Bullets. They are not too much more expensive if you buy in bulk. Also if you shoot a lot try lead.If you buy from the right source you will not experience smoke or leading and you can afford to shoot twice as much.

 

[BHP FAN]

HP38, Winchester Large Pistol Primers and Lazer Cast lead bullets or home cast 230 RNL work the best for me.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Dale has hit it the nail on the head.

You can use plated bullets successfully in this caliber, I have for years. Shot some of my best PPC scores with them too!

My powder of choice for target loads is either Bullseye or AA#2. Both are superb for the caliber and target velocity, 750fps - 800fps loads.

Open up the case mouth a tad more and you will be good to go. The "buckling" of the bullet cannot happen after it is seated unless in the taper crimping portion you are trying to seat the bullet farther into the case. If that is the "case" simply screw the stem out more and the body down more. If you are doing this in one step, that could be a problem too. I always seat in one step and crimp in another.

FWIW and I hope this helps.

 

[jomommy]

Thanks for the advice. Dale, I adjusted the flare and crimp and so far have no more lopsided bullets. Crimped mouth is 0.470" on the dot. Changed back to Titegroup at 4.1 gr. Loaded up 20 rounds and am off to the range to try them.

As far as plated bullets, most of the old farts I shoot with use them and kick my butt. I figure if they can do so with 'inferior' bullets they're good enough for me right now. Eventually I will change to Montana Gold. Right now I have a fresh box of 500 Rainiers to go through first.

Jo

 

[Skip Sackett]

The SDB is a little different to set up but there are some short cuts. Now that you have loaded good rounds on it, make a dummy one and keep it in the box with the dies. Take a beveled case and do the same.
You can always buy an extra tool head and that makes setup a breeze. Also, I have one set up for large pistol and one for small pistol primers. That eliminates that part of the setup too.

Then, here is another way I cut a few corners.

I take readings from the setup AFTER good rounds are achieved. Then I wrote down those settings on the inside of the die box with a permanent magic marker, a sharpie to be exact. That way, once I make a die change, I can dial in the settings and get real close.

Hope this helps.

 

[jomommy]

Just back from the range, my gun loved this load. nice groupings. Even better was my Officer's model liked them a lot, even better groupings and no failure to feeds.
I'll keep this for Tuesday night and practice, for IPSC I may order montana bullets and dial up to get major power factor. thanks for all the advice. jo

 

[Rule3]

There is nothing wrong with plated bullets. Millions are shot every year. About the only problem with them is that they are almost the same price as FMJ. Lots of folks shoot Rainers, Berrys etc.

 

[tbury]

Advise from others have addressed the case flare issue, so I will just say that the short, fat 45s tend to tip easier in the seating die. My 625 5" loves 5.0 gr titegroup behind 200gr LSWCs. I tend to use plated bullets in magnum calibers such as .44 and .357.

 

[jomommy]

OK, I have to gloat. after shooting revolver for the past 2 years at these matches and generally finishing well behind everyone else, I took the officers model and my reloads and kicked butt ( which for me is finishing above 50%) I scored 72%.
I can't believe how flippin fast and easy the 1911 is after shooting the 625. it was a good morale booster.
reloads shot well, i've lightened the crimp a wee bit and seated the bullet a little deeper and no worries so far.

 

[m657]

The 45 acp is a joy to load once you work out a few details. And you will loose far more brass from the auto loader use than from over flaring case mouths.

Cheers and congratulations!!!

 

[AzShooter]

Congratulations. It's fun to come in that high up and with a commander, wow.

Stick with the revolver and it's even more fun to whip up on those bottom feeders. Just takes lots of practice. Get your reloads down to 2 to 2.5 seconds and you are on you way.

If you can, find a local ICORE club. Search ICORE.ORG for a club near you. They shoot USPSA type matches but with revolvers only. All stages are six shot neutral so your 625 fits right in.