.45acp +P looking for load data

[Daniel Howe]

My go to load for the .45 is 7.5 grains HS6 and a 230 grain XTP hollow point.

I'm almost out of powder and brass so I'm thinking about stepping up to a +P load with new brass and a cleaner burning powder. Any of you folks have some pointers for me?

Lining up work for my new bench

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Look at 185 or 200 grain bullets and Blue Dot by Aliant. I loaded a few hundred in the late 80's and just can't bring my self to shoot them in my beloved 1911's! Accuracy is outstanding! But 45 ACP will already kill anything I can come across, how dead does it need to be? Dead? Double Dead? or Super Duper Special Dead?

Ivan

 

[cowboy4evr]

Accurate Powder / Ramshot powder co lists 45acp +P load data . Regards, Paul

 

[Univibe]

I'd skip +P in .45 ACP. More pressure, slide goes faster, more gun wear for zero measurable gain. Little margin for error. Stick with John Moses Browning's specs and you can't go wrong.

 

[muddocktor]

Yep, I would agree with just loading to regular 45 ACP specs and not +P, as it's just not needed and beats your gun up. Load to around 900 ft/sec and you should be good to go.

If you want hotter, you can get there without going +P. I had bought some Shooter's World powders when Midsouth had a free hazmat with the purchase of SW powders and I had bought some Ultimate Pistol and Auto Pistol. Both work very well in 45 ACP too and it meters great also, much like Accurate powders. Data is a bit scarce, but Shooter's World does have some so you aren't totally in the blind. I loaded up a box of pretty much max non +P loads of Auto Pistol and out of my ACW 1911 (5" bbl), 16 shots averaged 999 ft/sec, 34 ES and 9 SD, shooting Zero 230 grain FMJ bullets. That was pretty much as hot as anything I would want to run through a stock 1911 pistol I think and I wouldn't even give it a steady diet of those either. That was more an "exploring the performance of the powder" type load and it wasn't the first loads I had done with that powder in 45 ACP either.

As for different powders to try, I've found that 45 ACP isn't a picky round to load. I've had good luck with Accurate #5 and #2, SW Clean Shot, Ultimate Pistol and Auto Pistol, CFE-P, Longshot, Power Pistol, BE-86, and probably others that don't pop into my head immediately.

 

[Struckat]

Is there an actual SAMMI spec for 45 +P?

I run 7gr of Unique, no signs of pressure in my guns, seems hot. I doubt it’s hitting 1000 FPS.

 

[muddocktor]

Is there an actual SAMMI spec for 45 +P?

I run 7gr of Unique, no signs of pressure in my guns, seems hot. I doubt it’s hitting 1000 FPS.

According to Wikipedia, there is a SAAMI +P rating for the 45 ACP. Normal 45 is 21,000 psi and the +P is rated to 23,000 psi.

 

[308 Scout]

My go to load for the .45 is 7.5 grains HS6 and a 230 grain XTP hollow point.

I'm almost out of powder and brass so I'm thinking about stepping up to a +P load with new brass and a cleaner burning powder. Any of you folks have some pointers for me?

Lining up work for my new bench

I used Blue Dot for loading a 255 gr. cast SWC to almost 950 fps, very accurate load too. But Unique has been good to me as well. And, I completely support you in loading +P ammunition for your 45 ACP if that's what you want to do!

 

[Univibe]

Yeow! 999 fps in 230 grains? I'd run it about 830 or so.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I like Blue Dot powder too but my first choice for a 45ACP (+P) load would be Power Pistol.

You'll have less unburnt residue than with B-D in what's still a low pressure load.

Loading for a revolver or pistol?

Sierra's reloading manual has plenty of (+P) & revolver loads.

.

 

[gwpercle]

Need some details ,
Pistol or revolver ... make and model .
Bullet weight , cast , coated, plated or jacketed .
Any powder preferences .

In handloading +P ammo ....the devil's in the details .
Gary

 

[muddocktor]

Yeow! 999 fps in 230 grains? I'd run it about 830 or so.

Yeah, I normally don't run that kind of load in my 1911 either. After chronoing those, I shot the rest of the box out of my 25-2. Let me tell ya, my ACW was really chunking those empty cases far.

 

[jim lock]

IMHO forget about the +p factor. Go with a hardball load 830fps is a shoot for load. You don't need to to beat up a gun with +p. Lastly remember --
Sight alignment, Sight picture and trigger control are the keyes.
Jim

 

[jag22]

It just sounds painful for no really good reason. I think there may be some psychiatric term for that but I don't know what it is.

 

[SixGunSancho]

A box of +P .45 Ammo will last me longer than that rest of my life. I use it only when I'm fishing in mean critter county. For punching holes in paper and recyclables, I need only enough energy to cycle slides.

 

[colt_saa]

First off, I have no problems shooting 45ACP+P ammunition out of any Modern manufactured firearm that is chambered for the 45ACP and is in good mechanical condition.

I have put probably close to 10,000 rounds of factory loaded 45ACP+P through a single P220 over the decades and many more rounds through other various 45s. I absolutely see the benefit of more power due to some real-life incidents where a barrier needed to be breached before the projectile could impact a target

I have slightly less than a case of Winchester Ranger RA45TP remaining on hand for personal defensive ammunition. Ever 6 Months I shoot the ammunition in my carry firearms and replenish them with fresh rounds

All that said, I am in agreement with BLUEDOT37 that Power Pistol is one of the top powders for High Performance 45 caliber hand-loaded ammunition

While I do not hand-load the 45ACP cartridge to +P levels any longer, I do hand load 45SUPER brass to levels above 45ACP+P pressure for use in firearms that are appropriate to the cartridge.

I believe it was an older copy of the Accurate loading guide that gave me my first taste of +P loads for the 45ACP cartridge. I am referring to the large book that they sell, not the little pamphlet that they give away for free

Using Power pistol with a Winchester 230 grain JHP projectile I have chronographed just under 1100 FPS out of a 4.25" HK USPf. I have not chronographed that same load out of the Springfield LS, a 6" USP Match or a 6" USP Elite yet.

I shoot any and all of the 45 ACP, 45ACP+P and 45SUPER loads from my Model 625 Revolvers. It was the acquisition of my 625 V-Comp for shooting pins that really motivated me to seek more power.

The 45SUPER really helps the V-Comp do its thing while throwing pins of the table with Authority

 

[Gripgrabber]

My old favorite load is from my IPSA days, 200gr sac 5.7 gr 231,180gr sac 6.5gr 231. Works for me.
Semper paratus

 

[mscampbell2734]

Alliant's webpage has a whole section for 45+P

Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide

However given my own experience their data is conservative. My Department issued HST+P 230 gr for 2 years. Out of three different 5 inch guns I found the average vel to be 970 fps, almost exactly 100 fps faster then standard HST.

 

[boatbum101]

If you're pushing a 230 FMJ around 1,000fps yu're already in +P territory . Blue Dot will get you there , but for these type loads I prefer VVN-340 or RS Silhouette . Both have anti-flash additives , something neither Blue Dot or Power Pistol have .
I cast a 200gr RNHP with a smaller cavity than the Lyman Devestator & use 30 to 1 alloy . Great expansion , no shed petals . I use it for 4 legged pests . Never tried it on the 2 legged variety .

 

[dla]

My go to load for the .45 is 7.5 grains HS6 and a 230 grain XTP hollow point.

I'm almost out of powder and brass so I'm thinking about stepping up to a +P load with new brass and a cleaner burning powder. Any of you folks have some pointers for me?

Lining up work for my new bench

Back during the powder shortages I was forced to try new powders and discovered Silhouette -good stuff. I also used Longshot, but it is just a tad too slow unless you're serious about +p and above.
I always found HS6 to be a little too flashy, Silhouette is much less so.