The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old June 10, 2000, 12:49 AM   #1
Jamie Young
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 7, 2000
Location: SE/PA
Posts: 4,834
I love my Colt 1991A1 can anyone give me a load that will keep my 230grainers up at 25yds.
Jamie Young is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 01:15 PM   #2
WalterGAII
Junior member
 
Join Date: November 7, 1999
Posts: 1,516
You need to trade your 1911 for a laser gun. Otherwise, expect any known load in any cartridge to "drop". Just adjust the sights for 25 yds and you won't notice the "drop", unless you use tracers.
WalterGAII is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 01:55 PM   #3
tstr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 15, 2000
Location: Oregon
Posts: 233
In actuality all bullets drop at the same speed. They are pulled down by gravity and gravity is constant. The trick is to get to the bullet to the target faster so it hasn't had as much time to drop. Thus, the faster a bullet moves, the less it drops for any given distance.

A 230 grain bullet won't give you top speed. If you want the least drop, select the lightest bullet and load it with the maximum amount of an appropriate slow burning powder.

tstr is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 03:50 PM   #4
Paul B.
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 28, 1999
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,795
SodaPop. Sounds like your front sight is a tad too high. You might have to replace the rear sight to an adjustable type with the appropriate front sight, or very carefully remove a bit of the front sight. When I say "very cafefully", I mean VERY CAREFULLY. It's kind of hard to replace metal you've removed.
Your last alternative is to use a higher aiming point. Put a mark that is the amount higher needed to compensate for the drop of the bullet. Kind of a pain, but it works.
Paul B.
Paul B. is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 05:34 PM   #5
Jamie Young
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 7, 2000
Location: SE/PA
Posts: 4,834
I don't have any trouble aiming higher and hitting what i'm shooting at but i recently bought a Beretta 92fs and i was amazed at how accurate and flat the trajectory was. I was hoping there might be some way keep my 230gr bullets out of my .45 up at 25yds also. I wasn't sure if it was possible

[This message has been edited by SodaPop (edited June 11, 2000).]
Jamie Young is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 06:50 PM   #6
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
 
Join Date: November 13, 1998
Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA
Posts: 24,798
Soda Pop, comparing a 9mm and a .45ACP is sorta like comparing passing a football and shooting a basket. There just ain't no magic.

Since the basic intended use is at ranges generally inside 25 yards, the difference in trajectory is meaningless.

FWIW, Art
Art Eatman is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 07:03 PM   #7
Bud Helms
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 31, 1999
Location: Middle Georgia, USA
Posts: 13,198
SodaPop,

Have you shot the Beretta at different distances with the same sight picture, sight settings, load, etc.?

Bud Helms is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 09:54 PM   #8
Waterdog
Junior member
 
Join Date: January 6, 2000
Location: AZ
Posts: 1,236
Yup, a laser would work. A bullet that don't drop does not exist.

Waterdog
Waterdog is offline  
Old June 10, 2000, 11:39 PM   #9
Jamie Young
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 7, 2000
Location: SE/PA
Posts: 4,834
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sensop:
SodaPop,

Have you shot the Beretta at different distances with the same sight picture, sight settings, load, etc.?

[/quote]
I've only shot my beretta at 9-25yds and yes i have the same sight picture. I do not reload for the 9mm. I did buy ammo for my .45 once i forget the brand and i did not have to aim high to hit what i was shooting for. I am aware that all bullets do drop people!!!!! But I know that i have shot factory .45 ammo that in my opinion did not drop more than maybe 2inches at 25yds. I just have not acquired that in my reloads. If you all says its impossible and what i did didn't really happy then i'll have to commit myself to the looney bin on monday.



[This message has been edited by SodaPop (edited June 11, 2000).]
Jamie Young is offline  
Old June 11, 2000, 01:20 AM   #10
Bud Helms
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 31, 1999
Location: Middle Georgia, USA
Posts: 13,198
Well, the reason for my question is your reference to the "flat shooting" Beretta. And since everyone is explaining the obvious, I was curious how you have established that the 9mm shoots so flat and the .45 drops so much. I still am. How did this realization come about? That's not a smart a$$ question. I wonder how it all started.
Bud Helms is offline  
Old June 11, 2000, 01:58 AM   #11
Jamie Young
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 7, 2000
Location: SE/PA
Posts: 4,834
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sensop:
Well, the reason for my question is your reference to the "flat shooting" Beretta. And since everyone is explaining the obvious, I was curious how you have established that the 9mm shoots so flat and the .45 drops so much. I still am. How did this realization come about? That's not a smart a$$ question. I wonder how it all started.[/quote]

The reason i considered the 9mm to be shooting flatter at 25yds is the fact i was aiming right onto the center of the target at 25yds and hitting it. I have to aim my 45 higher at 25yds to hit the same area.
Jamie Young is offline  
Old June 11, 2000, 02:09 AM   #12
Jamie Young
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 7, 2000
Location: SE/PA
Posts: 4,834
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SodaPop:
The reason i considered the 9mm to be shooting flatter at 25yds is the fact i was aiming right onto the center of the target at 25yds and hitting it. I have to aim my 45 higher at 25yds to hit the same area.[/quote]

Sensop i think i see what your talking about. I didn't think to consider maybe the sights on my beretta are set for 25yds and my 45 isn't. I didn't notice my Beretta shooting high at close range though? Both have fixed front sights and the rear sights on my .45 are dovetails i think the Beretta is fixed also. So i'd have to replace my rear sight on my gun i guess. So what you folks in this room seem to be saying is its the sights not the Load?
Does Shaving the front sight down seem like a good idea? I know I've been getting drastic differences in bullet drop between all the different brands of ammo and my reloads. All of them being 230gr.


[This message has been edited by SodaPop (edited June 11, 2000).]
Jamie Young is offline  
Old June 11, 2000, 01:40 PM   #13
Big Jim
Junior Member
 
Join Date: June 8, 2000
Location: Garner, NC, USA
Posts: 5
You might try playing with your load. Often, in a pistol, a slower load will shoot to a higher point of impact. All pistols begin recoiling at the moment of ignition and a faster load exits the barrel at a lower point than the slower load. In other words, the longer the bullet stays in the barrel, the higher the barrel will be due to recoil when the bullet finally exits. This is why a consistent velociy is more important in a pistol than it is in a rifle.
Big Jim is offline  
Old June 11, 2000, 05:27 PM   #14
Bud Helms
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 31, 1999
Location: Middle Georgia, USA
Posts: 13,198
Whaaaaat Big Jim said! Of course, I'd pick a bullet I like and find a powder and load that shoots it where I want. Yes, you can shave the front sight down, IF YOU HAVE TO. Be oh, so careful you don't buggar it up. The top need's to be flat and level, eh?

Bud Helms is offline  
Old June 11, 2000, 08:15 PM   #15
jim-alex
Member
 
Join Date: March 14, 2000
Location: tired of NoVa
Posts: 83
I recently was in a similar quandry with my sig220. I was shooting (from rest)anywhere from from 2" to 4" low at 25 yrds whereas I was hitting POA at 15 yrds. I tried changing to a heavier bullet (in my case from 200gr to 230gr), tried hotter loads which helped but still not at POA. I did not really care for the hotter loads however. Tried slower loads but they would not cycle the sig220 which had a factory 20lb spring. My solution for target/accuracy shooting was to drop the spring rate to 15lbs and dropped my loads to 3.8 Clays with the 200gr lswc and bingo! it now hits poa at 15 and 25 yards. (I have night sights, so grinding down the front was not an option.) Anyway, I know it does not help your 230gr question, but it might demonstrate another option. Regards, Jim
jim-alex is offline  
Old June 13, 2000, 07:46 PM   #16
Rocky Road
Retired Screen Name
 
Join Date: November 17, 2000
Posts: 167
SodaPop--
With few exceptions, my pistol loading is just a means to practice cheaply, and
most of the loads duplicate some factory load, at least as to trajectory. A couple of suggestions---
Choose what load you want and sight in for it. A 230 FMJRN at 820 fps should shoot essentially the same as a 230 JHP at 820. Really, there is so little difference in the trajectory of a 230 at 820 and same at 850, or between 850 and 875. You really see differences when you shift radically between bullet weights. Also, there's a LOT of difference between 185 jacketed semiwadcutter at, say, 775, and a 185 JHP at 950.

I long ago standardized my .45 ACP 230 gr load, then used file and drift punch to sight in for 50 yards. The bullets strike only very slightly high at shorter ranges, and it is easy to hit a silhouette target at 100 yards with this setting. You can sight in for 25, and be a little low at 50, but then you are quite low farther out.

Specifics:

230 jacketed with 6.3 of Unique. Practically same trajectory as factory.
Cheap practice, a 225 or 230 cast lead RN and 5.4 of Win 231. Still accurate.
Most of my practice is up close, quick and dirty, and no one could tell difference of an inch or two in windation or elevindage on the target. Why spend 50 to 75 cents a shot to learn NOTHING that a lead bullet hand load won't tell me? When I sit down to shoot long range, I use the best ammo I have with me. And I carry Federal HydraShoks or Winchester Ranger SXT HPs on the street.

Try long range, slowly, and short range, quickly. When you can do both pretty well, you'll have developed a lot of "Street Confidence."

The best wish I can make for you: that your association with the .45 auto be as long and rewarding as mine has been.

RR

------------------
---The Second Amendment ensures the rest of the Bill of Rights---
Rocky Road is offline  
Old June 14, 2000, 09:05 AM   #17
Jamie Young
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 7, 2000
Location: SE/PA
Posts: 4,834
Thanks for the Response RockyRoad thats the kind of advice i'm looking for. I Love my .45 i really don't want to make any changes to it. But I might file the front sight down a little after i try a few more rounds at the range this week. Then i'll decide if filing needs to be done.
Jamie Young is offline  
Old June 14, 2000, 01:16 PM   #18
Ruben Nasser
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 29, 2000
Location: Asuncion, Paraguay
Posts: 280
The point of impact is a personal thing and changes with the gun shape and weight, your grip, the spring setting, the load, and other variables. Sometimes you can "correct" the point of impact just changing slightly the way you grip the gun. The trayectories of most handguns are very "flat" for normal uses, see the trayectories in 5 yard increments from 5 to 30 yards, with a sight height of 0.8":
45 ACP, 230gn, 850 fps: -0.4" , -0.1" , 0.0 , +0.1 , 0.0 , -0.2"
9mm P, 115gn, 1200 fps: -0.5" , -0.3" , -0.1" , 0.0 , 0.0 , 0.0
I can shoot nearly all calibers almost exactly at POA up to 30 yards (or more) once I find the right loads and sight settings.
Ruben Nasser is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:24 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.08092 seconds with 10 queries