Pet .45acp handloads

To learn and introduce new loaders. Tips and tricks from old timers.

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Sevens
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by Sevens »

River 447 wrote:I like 4.9 grains of Bullseye under a 230 LRN for 25 and 50 yard practice.
:!: You may be a novice reloader, but that is NOT a novice load. That's pretty much either max or over max and should be approached with caution. :!:
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by BobK »

Sevens wrote:
River 447 wrote:I like 4.9 grains of Bullseye under a 230 LRN for 25 and 50 yard practice.
:!: You may be a novice reloader, but that is NOT a novice load. That's pretty much either max or over max and should be approached with caution. :!:
The Alliant Powder Reloader's Guide Recipe for 200 gr LSWC lists 4.6 gr Bullseye as maximum for 200 gr. Generally, a heavier bullet require less powder.
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by Fyresq »

I don't shoot .45 any more, but when I did my regular range load was a 200gr LSWC over 4.2gr of Titegroup.
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by River 447 »

Sevens wrote: :!: You may be a novice reloader, but that is NOT a novice load. That's pretty much either max or over max and should be approached with caution. :!:
You are correct, it is a max load and I updated my post to reflect that. Thanks.
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by willbird »

BobK wrote: I've never used Unique because it measures poorly in powder measures.

By the way, take a look at the table I published on .45 ACP powder cost per hundred rounds.

Cost/100 = $0.83 Hodgdon Clays ---> 4.3 grains; 888 fps.
Cost/100 = $2.38 Accurate No.7 ---> 11.5 grains; 1022 fps.
Hey I sort of recognize that table ;-).

Unique meters well enough to shoot nice little clover leaf groups in the "X" ring if you do your part :-).

I have replaced it with Universal for the most part, but if I saw an 8lb jug of it cheap I would sure snap it up :-).

The Gold standard of accuracy loads is 4.0 of bullseye behind a 180-200 grain bullet....all others must measure up to that....and some feel that very few do equal up in both accuracy and cleanliness (no unburned powder grains)....the "clays" series surpass the Gold standard in the cleanliness aspect...but some feel the gilt edge accuracy is not QUITE there...I no longer have a ransom rest so I cannot prove or disprove that.

I DO know that a cast lead/tin/antimony bullet over top of 4.0 of bullseye can group 1.25" at 50 yards for 5 shots..........Charlie Thompson has the actual groups that prove the truth of that :-)...or the only one still in captivity anyway. Those bullets were cast of pure linotype. I used a Lyman 452460 bullet, which is a sort of oddball bullet, the forward band is actually a bore rider...but many people have reported very good accuracy with this bullet.

I found looking at recovered bullets that pure lead bullets showed rifling land marks nearly 25% wider than pure lino...indicating that the bullets were too soft....I then tried about every powder know to man then trying to get a softer launch to get good accuracy from pure lead......no go and they were all dirty as all get out (one of the worst was WW231). The only metals I had ready access to back then were pure lead and pure lino. Along the way I found out that 4.0 of bullseye and a linotype bullet was hands down the most accurate, and the cleanest by FAR. Clays was around back then....but still fairly new on the scene for use in pistols.

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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by Sevens »

Why would you no longer have a Ransom Rest?
I think that is a very specialized tool -- would like to have one, but I couldn't see me buying one. Hard to understand why you would have one (in the past) but don't any more. Didja break it? Lose it?
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by willbird »

Sevens wrote:Why would you no longer have a Ransom Rest?
I think that is a very specialized tool -- would like to have one, but I couldn't see me buying one. Hard to understand why you would have one (in the past) but don't any more. Didja break it? Lose it?
I sold it in a time of need.................if you had to sell a gun, or sell your ransom rest.................which would you choose ??

The ransom rest is not as clear cut an accuracy measuring tool as it seems, slide/frame/barrel fit have a HUGE impact on how most semi auto shoot from one....if you have a fairly sloppy gun you may shoot better groups off sandbags, my gun is a very tight one with a very well fit custom barrel. Also heavy recoiling calibers like 44 magnum, or it's big brother 45 colt probably will not work out in the ransom either.....the rest will handle it, but the gun will move around in the grip inserts I bet.

it is really eye opening to watch somebody test match ammo in say a model 41 smith out of one though, 1/2" 5 shot groups at 50 yards...........

I will have another ransom rest some day............
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Sevens
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by Sevens »

[quote="willbird"...if you had to sell a gun, or sell your ransom rest.................which would you choose ??[/quote]
For certain, I would sell one of your guns. :)
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by shaner »

recently started usein 4.9 gr of win super target and a 200gr leadcast bullet turned out to be a very nice lite recoil accurate load , the wst meters great also ,
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by Sevens »

I'll throw this out there with ZERO expectations that anyone has any insight.
(it's not that I don't think much of you guys... it's just obscure, that's all)

I have 3+ pounds of Winchester 473AA that I used for 20 gauge skeet loads 20+ years ago. It worked great then, it's perfectly good now, I'm just not shooting pretty much any shotgun these days. One day? Perhaps. But right now, I've pretty much been holding this powder...

Speer, number 10 or 11 I think actually had a little bit of handgun data for old Win 473AA and they listed some loads for .45 Auto. So I tried them. The data ranged from 4.6 to 5.1 grains of the stuff behind a 200gr bullet. I first built some 4.8 grainers, and today I shot some 5.1 grain loads. (Speer published MAX) I've had them behind the standard 200gr LSWC and today I used them to push a Berry's 200gr Plated SWC.

Accuracy was right there. Functioning was fine. But even with the max load of 5.1gr of 473AA, these loads were mousefart rounds. So light that they are begging to be amped up just a bit.

I've got a contact that will run some loads through QuickLoad for me, but other than that, I don't know who else to ask. I doubt they've made this powder for 15+ years. In burning rate, it's probably somewhere between Green Dot and Unique. (but this is a ball powder)

Anyone ever use the stuff in .45 or have any load manuals from the 70s to mid 1980's that might show some Win 473AA load data?
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by evan price »

Sevens wrote:I have 3+ pounds of Winchester 473AA that I used for 20 gauge skeet loads 20+ years ago. It worked great then, it's perfectly good now, I'm just not shooting pretty much any shotgun these days. One day? Perhaps. But right now, I've pretty much been holding this powder...Anyone ever use the stuff in .45 or have any load manuals from the 70s to mid 1980's that might show some Win 473AA load data?

My burn rate chart sez:
22. Winchester 231
23. Ramshot Zip
24. IMR 700X
25. Alliant Green Dot
26. Hodgdon Int. Clays
27. Vihta Vuori N330
28. IMR PB
29. Accurate No. 5
30. Scot Pearl
31. Winchester 473AA
32. Hodgdon HS-5
33. Winchester WSL
34. Alliant Unique
35. Hodgdon Univ. Clays
36. Alliant Power Pistol
37. IMR SR-7625
38. Hodgdon HS-6
39. Ramshot Silhouette
40. Winchester WAP
My seat-of-pants-o-meter says that Winchester and Hodgdon shared their propellants pretty freely from St. Marks (or whichever plant it is) and I would tend to believe if it's a ball powder, that it would be HS-5. Should be able to find HS-5 data.

I know of another chart online that shows it right next to IMR SR-7625 and 6.5 of SR-7625 is max for a 200-LSWC.

YMMV...
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by deanimator »

For my M1911 wadcutter gun and my S&W Model 25-2 - 200gr. Penn or Lasercast LSWC and 3.7gr. of Bullseye

For my M1911 hardball gun and Norinco M1911 - 200gr. Penn or Lasercast LSWC and 4.0gr. of Bullseye
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by weakhand luke »

3.5 grains Bullseye, 160 gr semi wadcutter (HG #68).
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by Sevens »

:lol: 10 year bump!

I guess it makes sense to review that I burned 8 pound of Promo under mostly 230gr Xtreme plated... probably 12,000 rounds since the last time I hit this thread. No more Promo for me ever again, eight pounds was a enough for one life experience in my opinion. Using Bullseye now since I stock Bullseye for lots and lots of .38.
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
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Re: Pet .45acp handloads

Post by Morne »

10 years ago I didn't even reload...

Yeah, I've used a lot of Promo, Red Dot, W-231, and WSF to load .45 ACP. Almost exclusively 230-gr X-Treme CPRN. A few Rainier CPRN tossed in along with Precision Delta FMJ and the odd coated slug.

I have been meaning to try loading some rounds with CFE and seeing how they chrono.
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