.45acp Reloads

[Troystat]

Some of you are using a heavier charge in your reloads than I am. For my 45acp reloads I am running 3.8 grains of bulleye over a Bayou 185 grain lead swc, this is in a tuned 1911 with a slide mounted red dot. I have also used the same bullet with 4.6 grains of HP-38, this load is just a bit hotter but still very mild. I am also crimping to .464-465 I think the biggest question is what size is the original posters bullet. I don't think the powder is the issue.

 

[mike campbell]

"I am also crimping to .464-465 "

Wow.

SAAMI spec is .473.

Start with a .452 bullet and add 20-24 for case wall thickness and you're at .472 - 476 before crimping.

.465 has to be biting into the bullet 3 - 5 thousandths all around.

Why so much? Have you pulled bullets to see if they're distorted?

 

[Kiwi cop]

I like Tightgroup for .45ACP, but then I'm a weirdo. I reserve Unique for .38 Special and light-to-medium .357. I have tried Unique in .45, but think of it as a little too filthy for a semi-auto, which is what most of my .45 shooting is done with.

When you say you see keyholing, is the target hanging loose, or is it firmly attached to a backing? I've seen keyholes from shooting a suspended paper target from 7-10 yards, as the muzzle blast moves the paper some. Otherwise, it would be good to check bullet and barrel diameters.

I too prefer Tightgroup under a 200 gn plated flat point bullet in my .45 ACP. In my gun, to make power factor I have had to go above the recommended max load. I worked up .1 gn at a time in hot summer temperatures until I made major PF plus a little bit more for temperature variations for competition use after shooting one Comp in ".45 minor" category.

I have seen keyholing when velocities have been too low to stabilise the bullet as well as when projectiles are undersized, so you may want to try a slightly heavier load of BE first.

I have also tried W231 and again had to go slightly over max loads to make PF in my Pistolbut preferred the way the TG loads performed.

I have yet to seriously try cast 200 gn loads (after our Nationals next week I may get a chance) after an abbreviated first trial resulted in an unexpected surprise.

I have to admit though that I am yet to find an accurate load with either TG or 231 using a cast 230 gn bullet in my particular gun.

 

[THE STEE]

I have loaded and shot over 50k of 200 gr swc with 4.8 gr of wst over the past seven years, flawless and accurate. love the stuff