Best Load , .45 acp , for Practice, for 4" barrel

FirstFreedom · July 1, 2004, 05:01 PM

My Kimber CDP compact is my primary defensive handgun, and I plan to be practicing with it a lot. I want a load that is reasonably accurate (but very accurate is not necessary), reasonably clean (cleaner the better), not too wimpy (because I want to essentially replicate actual defensive use with my practice), but not so powerful as to unduly beat up my gun, and is optimized for the 4" barrel. Oh, and one from which the powder meters easily from my Dillon measure. So what loads meet these criteria - if you can, give me your choice for 185 grain, and another with these criteria for 230gr lead (if different). Right now I've got a bunch of 230 lead bullets to use up, but after that, I'm switching to 185s for practice (although I'm not sure whether these will be lead or jacketed). Thanks.

P.S. Also, I have some Starline brass for .45 super (450 SMC) and a 6" springfield to shoot it in - if you have a load for this round as well, please let me know.

Any .45 · July 1, 2004, 05:54 PM

Federal hydrashok premium .45, or federal gold metal, sometimes when i have money ballistic clean.

Quantrill · July 2, 2004, 08:17 AM

4.0gr of 700X under a 230gr lead round nose should do it. After you are done with the LRN bullets as practice, I recomend a 200gr bullet such as the H&G#68. Most all lead bullet makers make some form of this standard bullet. You can use the same powder load as the RNL bullet. Make sure your pistol will feed wadcutter(185gr) and Semi-wadcutter (200gr) bullets before buying and loading too many. Some folks just stick with 230gr LRN. Quantrill

FirstFreedom · July 5, 2004, 01:08 PM

Thanks Quantrill. Which of those 2 bullets is more accurate, etc., with that charge of powder - 200 or 230?

Can anyone else post their current pet .45acp load? I've done a search and have several threads on the subject, but I want to have the most up-to-date info available, with any new discoveries that have been gleaned from the collective knowledge base here. Thanks.

Quantrill · July 5, 2004, 02:57 PM

I use 3.5gr of 700X under the 200gr H&G#68 or H&G #130 185gr. as a target load in my lightly springed Gold Cup. I use 4.5gr of 700X under the 230gr Lead round Nose as a carry load in a heavy springed Commander. The 4.0gr of 700X under the 200 gr. Semi-wadcutter would make a good practice load with positive action results that would not beat up the pistol. Quantrill

Jim Watson · July 5, 2004, 04:08 PM

What IS your carry load?
You can buy Remington and Winchester standard hollowpoints, Rem G.S., Win Silvertip, Hornady XTP, Sierra JHP, and Speer Gold Dots. About any usual factory JHP except Hydrashok or gimmick ammo like PowRBall or EFMJ can be replicated or closely simulated.
You need the use of a chronograph to adjust loads to match your business ammo (or a bit under if you are carrying +P.)
I load mine with Accurate #2 Improved and get factory equivalent velocity with the starting loads, much to my surprise. Many folks use too slow a powder in even full power .45ACP and get powder fouling and erratic velocity. Remember, at one time the Army loaded GI ball with Bullseye.

Cast bullets are cheap and accurate, fine for marksmanship practice, but paying a little more for the JHP as used in your normal carry factory load will add confidence in the function of your gun when it counts.

srsmith · July 5, 2004, 06:48 PM

For the 45 Auto I use 5.1 gr of TiteGroup.
From a 5" 1911, my chronograph reads about:
840 fps with a 230 gr Berry or West Coast Plated Round Nose, near full power
830 fps with a 200 gr Berry of West Coast Plated Round Nose, just makes major
800 fps with a 185 gr Berry Plated Hollow Base Round Nose, nice plinker

Since the powder charge and OAL (1.263) are the same for all these,
all I need to do is pick the bullet I want and run them through my SDB.

Be safe & have fun !

MADISON · August 18, 2004, 09:44 AM

I load the 2 following loads:
5.0 to 5.7 grains of Win. 231
4.0 to 5.0 grains of Bullseye.
To go any lower than 4.0 gr of Bullseye with most Semi-Auto's requires a change to a TARGET recoil spring.

Desert Dog · August 21, 2004, 10:49 AM

PM sent on .45 Super load data... Enjoy...

gyp_c2 · August 21, 2004, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Cast bullets are cheap and accurate, fine for marksmanship practice, but paying a little more for the JHP as used in your normal carry factory load will add confidence in the function of your gun when it counts.

I tend to go that route with an ACP too...I like the 200gr XTP and have the most reliable, accurate results with about 8.0gr of WAP or similar...

It doesn't fail, has a minimal flash and recoil, and is THE most accurate bullet in My 4" carry gun...

Johnny Guest · August 21, 2004, 04:25 PM

Cast RNL 230 bullet and 5.3 gr. W-231.

This was a changeover from same bullet with 6.2 of Unique. I found a commercial loader who would sell me a couple of pounds of 231 at a time and it was far more economical.

I use the Montana Gold jacketed 230 bullet and 5.6 gr. W-231 shooting my Thompson, just because cleaning out the Cutts Compensator is something of a chore after five or six hundred lead bullet loads.

Best,
Johnny

August 18, 2004, 09:44 AM	#8
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	.45 ACP practice load I load the 2 following loads: 5.0 to 5.7 grains of Win. 231 4.0 to 5.0 grains of Bullseye. To go any lower than 4.0 gr of Bullseye with most Semi-Auto's requires a change to a TARGET recoil spring.

August 21, 2004, 10:49 AM	#9
Desert Dog Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 1999 Location: Deep East Texas Posts: 474	PM sent on .45 Super load data... Enjoy... __________________ Yes, in fact I do have a 454... in more ways than one. "No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson

August 21, 2004, 04:25 PM	#11
Johnny Guest Moderator in Memoriam Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: North Texas Posts: 4,123	My standard .45 practice-and-match load: Cast RNL 230 bullet and 5.3 gr. W-231. This was a changeover from same bullet with 6.2 of Unique. I found a commercial loader who would sell me a couple of pounds of 231 at a time and it was far more economical. I use the Montana Gold jacketed 230 bullet and 5.6 gr. W-231 shooting my Thompson, just because cleaning out the Cutts Compensator is something of a chore after five or six hundred lead bullet loads. Best, Johnny

July 1, 2004, 05:01 PM	#1
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Best Load , .45 acp , for Practice, for 4" barrel My Kimber CDP compact is my primary defensive handgun, and I plan to be practicing with it a lot. I want a load that is reasonably accurate (but very accurate is not necessary), reasonably clean (cleaner the better), not too wimpy (because I want to essentially replicate actual defensive use with my practice), but not so powerful as to unduly beat up my gun, and is optimized for the 4" barrel. Oh, and one from which the powder meters easily from my Dillon measure. So what loads meet these criteria - if you can, give me your choice for 185 grain, and another with these criteria for 230gr lead (if different). Right now I've got a bunch of 230 lead bullets to use up, but after that, I'm switching to 185s for practice (although I'm not sure whether these will be lead or jacketed). Thanks. P.S. Also, I have some Starline brass for .45 super (450 SMC) and a 6" springfield to shoot it in - if you have a load for this round as well, please let me know.

July 1, 2004, 05:54 PM	#2
Any .45 Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2004 Location: SW FLORIDA, USA Posts: 604	Federal hydrashok premium .45, or federal gold metal, sometimes when i have money ballistic clean. __________________ Foster and polish The warior spirit While serving in the world; Illuminate the path According to your inner light" "Spring forth from the Great Earth; Billow like Great Waves; Stand like a tree, sit like a rock; Use One to strike All. Learn and forget! " "At the instant A warrior Confronts a foe, All things Come into focus" Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) Founder of Aikido

July 2, 2004, 08:17 AM	#3
Quantrill Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 1999 Location: Arizona, USA Posts: 725	4.0gr of 700X under a 230gr lead round nose should do it. After you are done with the LRN bullets as practice, I recomend a 200gr bullet such as the H&G#68. Most all lead bullet makers make some form of this standard bullet. You can use the same powder load as the RNL bullet. Make sure your pistol will feed wadcutter(185gr) and Semi-wadcutter (200gr) bullets before buying and loading too many. Some folks just stick with 230gr LRN. Quantrill

July 5, 2004, 01:08 PM	#4
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Thanks Quantrill. Which of those 2 bullets is more accurate, etc., with that charge of powder - 200 or 230? Can anyone else post their current pet .45acp load? I've done a search and have several threads on the subject, but I want to have the most up-to-date info available, with any new discoveries that have been gleaned from the collective knowledge base here. Thanks.

July 5, 2004, 02:57 PM	#5
Quantrill Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 1999 Location: Arizona, USA Posts: 725	I use 3.5gr of 700X under the 200gr H&G#68 or H&G #130 185gr. as a target load in my lightly springed Gold Cup. I use 4.5gr of 700X under the 230gr Lead round Nose as a carry load in a heavy springed Commander. The 4.0gr of 700X under the 200 gr. Semi-wadcutter would make a good practice load with positive action results that would not beat up the pistol. Quantrill

July 5, 2004, 04:08 PM	#6
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,545	What IS your carry load? You can buy Remington and Winchester standard hollowpoints, Rem G.S., Win Silvertip, Hornady XTP, Sierra JHP, and Speer Gold Dots. About any usual factory JHP except Hydrashok or gimmick ammo like PowRBall or EFMJ can be replicated or closely simulated. You need the use of a chronograph to adjust loads to match your business ammo (or a bit under if you are carrying +P.) I load mine with Accurate #2 Improved and get factory equivalent velocity with the starting loads, much to my surprise. Many folks use too slow a powder in even full power .45ACP and get powder fouling and erratic velocity. Remember, at one time the Army loaded GI ball with Bullseye. Cast bullets are cheap and accurate, fine for marksmanship practice, but paying a little more for the JHP as used in your normal carry factory load will add confidence in the function of your gun when it counts.

July 5, 2004, 06:48 PM	#7
srsmith Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 36	For the 45 Auto I use 5.1 gr of TiteGroup. From a 5" 1911, my chronograph reads about: 840 fps with a 230 gr Berry or West Coast Plated Round Nose, near full power 830 fps with a 200 gr Berry of West Coast Plated Round Nose, just makes major 800 fps with a 185 gr Berry Plated Hollow Base Round Nose, nice plinker Since the powder charge and OAL (1.263) are the same for all these, all I need to do is pick the bullet I want and run them through my SDB. Be safe & have fun !