AJ
US Veteran
185 grain cast SWC with 3.5 grains of Bullseye. Have been shooting this load for over 30 years. Good for Bullseye competition, IPSC and just plinking.
Give me some of your favorite 45 acp loads
- Thread starter toad67
- Start date
curtmini14
Member
5grs bullseye under a 205 gr rnft bearcreek moly bullets close to 900fps.alsoworks well with 230 gr slugs.
27 Man
Member
For Bullseye shooting I use 3.6 BE with Lyman 452460 in a Goldcup.
For plinking and walking through a pasture, same bullet with 4.0 BE in a Ruger SR1911.
For plinking and walking through a pasture, same bullet with 4.0 BE in a Ruger SR1911.
It's actually pretty hard not to find an accurate load for the 45acp. Best thing to do is stick with 1 weight (+/- 200gr or +/- 230gr) and dial a load in. Then start switching bullets using that same load. It may take several tries, but you'll find a load that does extremely well with several different bullets.
I've cast a lot of different bullets/different molds for the 45acp over the decades. Ended up thinning the herd and kept these 3 molds.
That bullet on the far right is the cramer version of the 200gr swc. It a hollow based mold that produces an extremely soft shooting swc hb bullet that was initally designed to expand/fill the oversized chambers of the 1917 revolvers. The cramer 5f swc hb mold
Those 3 different bullets loaded up and ready to go.
No hand/cherry picked target by any means. Using those 3 bullets pictured above testing 4.0gr and 4.3gr loads of clays.
These are only 5-shot groups @ 50ft but all 3 bullets grouped under 1" (1" squares on the targets).
A 10-shot group @ 50ft, was testing bullseye powder loads that day (3,6gr/3.7gr/3.8gr/3.9gr/4.0gr) using a cast h&g #68 clone.
I like the springfield armory range officer 1911's. I have 1 chambered in 45acp and 1 chambered in 9mm. They are both box stock with burris fast fire III's installed.
And yes the 9mm ro holds it's own also. 10-shot group @ 50ft with it's favorite load. A 125gr fn hp doing 1100fps.
I've cast a lot of different bullets/different molds for the 45acp over the decades. Ended up thinning the herd and kept these 3 molds.
That bullet on the far right is the cramer version of the 200gr swc. It a hollow based mold that produces an extremely soft shooting swc hb bullet that was initally designed to expand/fill the oversized chambers of the 1917 revolvers. The cramer 5f swc hb mold
Those 3 different bullets loaded up and ready to go.
No hand/cherry picked target by any means. Using those 3 bullets pictured above testing 4.0gr and 4.3gr loads of clays.
These are only 5-shot groups @ 50ft but all 3 bullets grouped under 1" (1" squares on the targets).
A 10-shot group @ 50ft, was testing bullseye powder loads that day (3,6gr/3.7gr/3.8gr/3.9gr/4.0gr) using a cast h&g #68 clone.
I like the springfield armory range officer 1911's. I have 1 chambered in 45acp and 1 chambered in 9mm. They are both box stock with burris fast fire III's installed.
And yes the 9mm ro holds it's own also. 10-shot group @ 50ft with it's favorite load. A 125gr fn hp doing 1100fps.
No idea Kevin. I have used the Lyman 452460 as my only 45 acp mold for the last 20+ years but never ran a penetration comparison test. Anybody else?
gwpercle
Member
For the last 40+ years ... No gel test ...
but it penetrates Tin cans and paper targets ...
through and through .
I would cast them on the soft side and with a max load of Unique
Wouldn't be afraid to hunt Louisiana hogs and maybe deer at 50 yards or so ... The 45 acp was never meant to be a Hunting gun but when the chips are down a 200 gr. 45 cal. slug at 950 - 1000 fps will get the job done if the game isn't huge and the distance reasonable .
Gary
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
My two usual .45ACP loads for the past 25 years or so:
1. Cast 230 TC-FP with 4.5 Bullseye.
2. Cast 200 SWC with 4.8 Bullseye.
Neither is a heavy load. Both have functioned in all of my pistols from 3.5" S&W 4516-1 to 5" Kimber Custom CDP, as well as USGI M1911A-1 pistols.
1. Cast 230 TC-FP with 4.5 Bullseye.
2. Cast 200 SWC with 4.8 Bullseye.
Neither is a heavy load. Both have functioned in all of my pistols from 3.5" S&W 4516-1 to 5" Kimber Custom CDP, as well as USGI M1911A-1 pistols.
