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Old February 8, 2010, 12:15 AM   #1
41mag10mm
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.45 ACP Powders

The last time I loaded the .45 auto was in the mid nineties and the best all purpose powder at the time was W231. Since that time the vast majority of my reloading has been for magnum revolver cartridges so my knowledge of pistol cartridge powders is a bit dated, to say the least. I've been looking for a 1911 for CC duties and picked up a nice Springfield over the weekend. Now I need to start developing some loads for it, and need you good peoples help. I will most likely be loading jacketed or Berry's plated bullets in the 200-230gr range. Since the SA I picked up has a 4" barrel I would probably want to stick with the relative faster powders. Oh yeah, one more thing. W231 is a smaller flake powder and meters really well so it would be great if a recommendation had that characteristic.
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Old February 8, 2010, 12:31 AM   #2
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Out of my Springer 1911-A1 G.I. Model the one load that just cannot be beat for accuracy is:

200gr Ranier plated SWC over 9.6gr of AA#5 with an OAL of 1.258

This round shoots at 903fps and I can put a full mag of rounds into a 1/2 inch group off-hand at 15 yds. A very sweet load.

That same bullet also shoots pretty well with 4.7gr of Win WST and 5.3gr of Win 231.

I haven't had the greatest luck with Win 231 and .45ACP...............or at least I'll say that I've gotten more accurate loads using AA#5, Red Dot, Win WST, and 700-X with the various bullets I've tested in my pistol.
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Old February 8, 2010, 08:11 AM   #3
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Thats really good shooting offhand,thats 8 rounds allmost through one per cal. size hole!
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Old February 8, 2010, 08:13 AM   #4
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I was put onto WST for .45 reloading by a longtime reloader back when powder was in short supply (well, that hasn't changed a whole lot).

Anyway, it's accurate, soft-shooting, and meters wonderfully. And available.

I'm also using WST behind 9mm 124gr XTP, and it's the softest shooting 9mm load I have, just really nice. And more accurate than I am.

And, of course, W231 works well too.
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Old February 8, 2010, 08:24 AM   #5
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WST is my go powder in 45acp.
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Old February 8, 2010, 08:36 AM   #6
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Nothing in the world wrong with sticking to W231, it's just as popular as ever and widely available. Bullseye is likely even more "famous" as a go-to powder for .45 Auto, and also meters well with minuscule flakes.

Also quite popular is Hodgdon Titegroup... low charge weights, low-cost powder, and also meters quite well. Lots of folks using Titegroup.
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Old February 8, 2010, 08:37 AM   #7
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in about this order:

1) W231

2) Bullseye

3) AA5

4) WST

5) Nitro 100 (IMNSLE the 'softest'-recoiling powder in 45 ACP)

6) 700X

7) a million others.....(like Unique, and Power Pistol, and N350, and N320, and Clays and Titegroup and HS6 and oh my it never ends....)
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Old February 8, 2010, 10:54 AM   #8
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I use Bullseye & HP38/231..................Creeker



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Old February 8, 2010, 11:12 AM   #9
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I've used 3 powders.
Win 231
Hodgdon HS-6
Unique

Unique was the cheapest, but also the dirtiest.
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Old February 8, 2010, 11:20 AM   #10
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Quote:
...at least I'll say that I've gotten more accurate loads using AA#5, Red Dot, Win WST, and 700-X with the various bullets I've tested in my pistol.
Red Dot (actually, I use "Promo") gives me the best accuracy in every cartridge I reload, usually loaded towards the high end of its load data. It does not give anywhere near top velocity, of course.
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Old February 8, 2010, 12:32 PM   #11
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I like the Hornady HP-XTPs. I've had good luck with the 200gr bullets with bullseye, 230gr with bullseye (GI ball replica, and bullseye is plenty clean without cast bullet lube) and I just tried some power pistol under the 230gr for some fairly hot loads. I use the data in the Hornady manual.

Bullseye meters better than anything, and power pistol looks almost exactly the same but allows for another 100fps or so.

With the shorter barrel you might want to try the 200gr bullets to keep the recoil easier to manage.

They also make some 185s that I would try if I had a lightweight 1911.

-J.
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Old February 8, 2010, 12:51 PM   #12
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For "practice" loads, especially if economy is an issue, use a fast-burning powder. I was using 5.2 grains of N320, and by switching to 4.2 grains of Clays, was saving 50% on the powder. Clays is not versatile, but for inexpensive shooting it's hard to beat. As an all-around .45 powder, N320 is my favorite, but it's just too expensive, and sometimes too hard to find, to stick with it. Right now, I'm using N310 (I got a pound of it, cheap), and while it appears to be generally equivalent to Clays, it's very sooty (completely blackened my fiber-optic front sight in 150 rounds). I've also been using HP-38 (repackaged 231), and it's just as dirty as when I was using it in the '90s; lots of partially-burned powder residue.
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Old February 8, 2010, 12:56 PM   #13
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anyone using Winchester WSF? Will it meter well in a LnL case active pow drop?
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Old February 8, 2010, 01:22 PM   #14
Mike Pearce
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Universal

I use 6.9 grains of Universal with 200 gr Montana Gold flat points.

Super accurate.
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Old February 8, 2010, 01:41 PM   #15
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Quote:
anyone using Winchester WSF? Will it meter well in a LnL case active pow drop?
It's a wonderful powder. I wish Hodgdon's would publish more load data for it, especially in revolver cartridges. It meters perfectly in my other powder measure but I haven't tried it in the LNL yet. Since it's a ball powder, how could it not measure well?
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Old February 8, 2010, 01:46 PM   #16
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I've been using W231 for my .45 loads. 4.1 gr with 230gr RNL. I've been noticing a lot of powder blowback when firing it. I don't get it with WW whitebox bulk. I shoot it in a Metro Arms Firestorm DLX. Is this a powder thing or gun thing? Would a faster powder help?
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Old February 8, 2010, 02:17 PM   #17
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Thanks for all the responses. I happen to have a pound of Titegroup that I tried for the 40S&W and didn't get great results. I also have Unique, though it's one of the powders I don't really like due to metering problems. I just have to keep on eye on my Hornady powder drop when using Unique. If a flake gets it can hang the measure, as does Blue Dot. I'll pick up some of the others when I'm able. Of course I have 231 so I'll probably start there.
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Old February 8, 2010, 02:36 PM   #18
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Thanks zxcvbob,
its mentioned in the Hornady and Lyman reloading manuals under .45 acp. among other cal's. thought ide give it shot
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Old February 8, 2010, 03:08 PM   #19
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powder

.45 ACP. Bullseye and IMR 7625.
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Old February 8, 2010, 03:19 PM   #20
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Powder

I will add a powder that my friends give me a hard time about, due to all the smoke it gives off. HERCO even the "new cleaning burning" gives off some smoke, it is a great powder use it in the 9mm also. I get good groups with it and also like Red Dot, Unique, HS-6.
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Old February 8, 2010, 03:37 PM   #21
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hodgen titegroup
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Old February 8, 2010, 04:21 PM   #22
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I too found WST and really like it for 230 gr. target loads and 200 gr.XTP. I also use 231 and AA#5 and nothing wrong with Unique. If I had only one powder it would be one of these three; WST, 231 or AA#5. I mostly shoot 230 gr. bullets except for some 200gr. XTP's for carry or I like AA#5 with a 230 gr.Remington Golden Saber, also for carry. I have been working with Auto Comp and found some really good loads for 38 special and 44 special but only one load so far with Auto Comp and the 230 gr. 45 acp that compares to the other top three powders I like most.
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Old February 8, 2010, 04:25 PM   #23
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I've used a few, and I'm sticking with VV N-320. It's excellent.
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Old February 14, 2010, 08:46 PM   #24
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Hodgdon's Clays
  1. Fast burning great for short barrels
  2. Clean burning very little smoke
  3. Soft shooting especially with 230gr. bullets
  4. Small charges so a little goes a long way
  5. Powder drops are consistant with my Dillon 550B
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Old March 11, 2010, 04:26 PM   #25
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7.0 grains of Universal is hard to beat behind 230gr Rem Golden Saber!

try it you might like it!
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