Powder Choice for .45acp

[Canuck44]

I am looking for a clean burnung powder for use in my 625. I am using Lyman 220 gr lead cast bullets and will be shooting IDPA in ESR. I tried 231 but it is very dirty. Suggestions from competition revolver shooters would be most useful.

Take Care

Bob

 

[Cloudpeak]

I am looking for a clean burnung powder for use in my 625. I am using Lyman 220 gr lead cast bullets and will be shooting IDPA in ESR. I tried 231 but it is very dirty. Suggestions from competition revolver shooters would be most useful.
Take Care Bob

I use both Clays and W231 in my 45's. I think Clays is a bit cleaner but I like both powders. It seems like 231 measures more accurately than Clays. I use 3.6 to 4.0 grains of Clays with 200gr Lyman SWC lead bullets and 5.0gr of W231 with the same bullet. The 3.6grs of Clays load gives me around 713 fps out of my CBOB and the 5.0grs of W231, 720fps.

 

[scott625b]

I have used Titegroup for a number of years and has shown to be much cleaner than W231.

 

[TSQUARED]

The cleanest burning powders I have used in 45 ACP are VV N-310, Clays and WST. All three work well with the 185 to 200 gr. LSWC. My favorite indoor bullsye load for the 185 gr. LSWC is 3.8 gr. HS-700X and Rem 2.5 for ca 710 fps with very low velocity spreads - extremely accurate and very mild but HS-700X does leave unburned powder flakes and would not be considered as clean burning.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

My old IPSC load of a 200gr H&G with 5.2 of WST always worked well for me, clean, accurate and not temp sensitive.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Another Vote for Clays. 3.9-4.0 gr under a 200gr LSWC shoots POA , has light recoil and is clean! It's all I load for any of my 45 acp revolvers or semi's.

 

[epj]

Another Vote for Clays. 3.9-4.0 gr under a 200gr LSWC shoots POA , has light recoil and is clean! It's all I load for any of my 45 acp revolvers or semi's.

+1, except I usually go with 3.8.

 

[8Ring]

N-310 is the cleanest and most consistent of the powders mentioned for heavy bullets (220-230 gr) in your 625.

Winchester Super Target and American Select are also clean but with require slightly larger charges and give more recoil. I use the WST, AS, and N-320 with 200gr lead bullets where they give excellent results.

Chris

 

[Sebago Son]

I like Bullseye. May be old fashioned, but I've tried a few other "target powders" in the .45 ACP and have always come back to Bullseye. About 5.0 grains should be right....

Likewise I have found greater reductions in fouling by switching bullet lube than by switching powder....

Drew

 

[dmar]

I also have settled on Bullseye. I get great results with 4.3 gr. of Bullseye with 200 gr. LSWC bullets...

 

[2fingers]

Tried most of the usual "Target" powders and finially settled on WST, clean burning and I use it for my 12ga reloads. Matter of fact, just bought another 8lb. keg for $93.00 tax and shipping included.

 

[btruman]

I've never noticed 231 being all that dirty. Most all of my reloads are with cast bullets. 5.3 grs under the 230 LRN and 5.5 grs with the 200 gr SWC are accurate with MY guns. Gonna stay with it.

 

[OKFC05]

Suggestions from competition revolver shooters would be most useful.

IDPA Match Director and revolver shooter here.
I suggest if you think HP38/231 is too dirty, you are never going to be happy with lead bullets. You see, the burning lead lube is a major part of the smoke. The smoke bothers me enough in rapid fire that I now use Berry bullets for IDPA in .45 and .38, with either HP38/231 or Titegroup.

Some people get upset about a spot of soot or a little puff of smoke, while others shoot Unique behind paraffin lube and say "what smoke?"

 

[fredj338]

My old IPSC load of a 200gr H&G with 5.2 of WST always worked well for me, clean, accurate and not temp sensitive.

You will not find a better powder for the 45acp than WST. Clean burning, good loft & soft recoil. I ran some Clays loads vs WST loads yesterday. The Clays loads w/ 200grLSWC were going 820fps, the WST laods 875fps & the WST loads are softer shooting. I have tried probably a dozen powders in the 45acp & nothing gives me the accuracy that WST does. BE is black powder compared to WST. With lead bullets, I have less smoke than TG (TG burns very hot) or W231.

 

[whelenshooter]

Most of the dirt/soot with cast bullet loads is from the bullet lube. I have found that Winchester 231 burns more dirty with lighter loads. When the load gets heavier, then WW231 burns cleaner. With light loads Bullseye is cleaner than WW231, but WW231 is cleaner than Bullseye with heavier loads. Be VERY careful when using Clays powder! (I'm talking about plain Clays, not International Clays or Universal Clays.) Small increases of Clays powder can give you very big increases in pressure. It seems to me to have a very narrow range of useful charges. I don't like it because of that.

 

[bubbajoe45]

What about HS-6? Anybody using that?

 

[Gary]

I like Bullseye. May be old fashioned, but I've tried a few other "target powders" in the .45 ACP and have always come back to Bullseye. About 5.0 grains should be right....

Likewise I have found greater reductions in fouling by switching bullet lube than by switching powder....

Drew

Bullseye also works well for me. I use 4.5 - 5.0 gr with a 200gr LSWC bullet. It is accurate and fairly clean. I did buy a pound of Tightgroup to see how it does. I have not shot any yet though.

 

[whelenshooter]

Back in the Mesozoic Era, when I bought my first .45 Auto, I asked an old timer what powder to use for reloading the .45 ACP. He told me, "Use 5.0 Grains of Bullseye for any bullet, cast or jacketed, up to and including 230 grains." I don't always use 5.0 grains, but I've found he wasn't really wrong.

 

[2sigs]

I have been using Hi-Skor 700X as the go to powder for 20 years with 200gr. LSWC

Recently bought some Power Pistol and I must say I am liking this powder with the variety of calibers I have loaded with it.

 

[Buddy G]

I have tried these bullets and are very satisfied with my 4.0 Gns of Bullseye. They are made by Jerry's Brother, who is also a competitor.
Take a look at the website...and the film.

" I am extremely satisfied with Bayou Bullets; they're clean, consistent, accurate, and smoke-free.
When I reach for a cast bullet, its a Bayou Bullet. All the benefits of jacketed bullets with cast bullet prices.
A very satisfied customer.
Jerry Miculek"

Bayou Bullets

You will find that Donny is one of the good guys to deal with.

Buddy