i've been trying to find a load for my 45acp. i've got one springfield longslide and 2 5in colts 80 series. i'm casting bullets they are 225gr. round nose from a lyman mold. i've been trying 700x powder and i'm not getting the groups i was looking for. i'm wanting to try some different powder before i give up on these cast bullets. i don't want to just start buying a bunch of powder. what do you suggest? i've got some tightgroup powder to try. if this don't tighten my groups up what kind should i try.

I suggest you determine the purpose for the load. I've got a Colt Gold Cup that I used for Bullseye. 200 Grain swc with 4.5 grains of Bullseye 231. It proved accurate and consistant.

Jim

i'm just plinking right now but i would like for it to be as accurate as i can get it

bullseye, ww231, aa5 & a host of others

Most Accurate for me >Bullseye 3.8gr to maybe 4.0gr with Lyman 200 gr cast bevel base lswc. Brass (Starline) of all the same lot number. Not pick ups. WLP primer.

I don't shoot lead, however I have had great results with Red Dot and 200grRN Rainier Plated bullets.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

My most accurate bullseye load, and makes IPSC major in my gun: 200 grn cast SWC, 4.2 grn VV N-310, Winchester primer.

Unique is the one for 45 ACP and lead bullets, for most shooting purposes. Bullseye for lighter target loads.

Jerry

thanks for the help. i've heard of people getting lead to shoot good which is what i want because i can shoot them so cheep

My standard load is for a cast 230 gn. 5.4 gn Unique with a Winchester Large Pistol Primer and most any brass. Should be similar for a 225 gn cast.

quote:

Originally posted by arkypete:
I suggest you determine the purpose for the load. I've got a Colt Gold Cup that I used for Bullseye. 200 Grain swc with 4.5 grains of Bullseye 231. It proved accurate and consistant.

Jim

Perfect load to use.

I use W 231 for a number of 45 acp loads with good results. Check your manual, but memory indicates about 5.3 grains of W231 with a 225 grain SWC.
Bill

Are you sizing the bullets? I had one barrel that would not shoot anything that had been sized but was satisfactory with most any unsized bullet. I use lee liquid alox lube.

Give WST a try. It is by far the best powder I have tried in the 45 acp, and I have tried quite a few. Soft shootin, clean and scary accurate.
You can thank me later.

I was going to ask the same as Mark's comment. Have you slugged the bore and what diameter are you sizing to?

Also are you using a roll crimp or a taper crimp and what alloy mix in you lead pot?

I had an old 1911 from about 1913 with the half-moon shaped sight. The bore looked like a gutter pipe inside. But the outside of the gun was in good condition.

I guess it had been shot long ago with corrosive ammunition and not properly cleaned. If at all!

But with cast bullets that gun, offhand, would put ten rounds into two inches at twenty yards all day long.

The secret? Linotype bullets and sized to .452" in a case with a taper crimp. And the cases all the same headstamp and all trimmed to the same OAL in a case trimmer.

The "issue" with the 1911 is the design. If you use cases of varying length the loaded round (in an extreme example) does not sit in the same position each time in the barrel.

In fact it is my belief that because of the Browning link if you uses cases that are of different lengths that are "over length" you will get vertical group stringing as the barrel locks up in a different elevation.

It's easy to get good feeding with a round nose but that's usually the least accurate nose form.

these bullets are sized to .451 on a star sizer. have not sluged the barrel but i'm getting no lead. the bullets are casted from wheel weights. i bought some unique last night probably will be the weekend before i get to load some but i will post the results

.451? Might be a little small, all my Lead bullets are .452.

i have a .425 die i can cast some more and try that

Hi, I cast and shoot lead in my series 80 colt with great results. I use 3.8 to 4.0 grains of bullseye also and size to .452. Speed is not your friend with cast you will end up with heavy leading of the barrel if you shoot undersized bullets or try and push them to fast. Also another thing I found is that "Hard cast" (read water quenched) bullets are not needed or helpful at .45 velocities. Cast, then air cool size to .452, lube and shoot. I am using Blue Angel lube, and have no more fouling in the barrel than when shooting jacketed rounds.

Pure wheelweights should be OK as an alloy. Just as good as linotype at 45 ACP velocities in fact. If possible try that .452" sizer.

As a confidence booster weight your bullets.

No need to be exact to 1/10 grain but you should try to be within + or - 2 grains of the average single bullet weight of your bullet after it is sized and lubed.

So if the average is 228 grains you should be no more than 230 grains and no less than 226 grains for any bullet.

Put me on the WST wagon.

I don't pour my own but (I did stay at a HolidayInn last night.) I buy .452 cast. Lube varies from manufacturer. Probably same lube different color.

I'm casting at .4525 and shooting them as cast, no sizing, they work pretty good for me.

quote:

Originally posted by steve4102:
Give WST a try. It is by far the best powder I have tried in the 45 acp, and I have tried quite a few. Soft shootin, clean and scary accurate.
You can thank me later.

Exactly! If you find a better powder for the 45acp w/ any bullet type, let me know, I have tried about a dozen now. Clean, meters well, good volumn/wt, low recoil for sim vel to other powders & super accurate.
For best results w/ lead bullets, you may need to tweek your alloy, size &/or lube. The LFCD should NOT be used for best accuracy results IME.
The velocity you shoot has little to do with any leading, it's always about bullet fit to the bore. I can shoot soft alloy 44mags to 1200fps w/ no leading. Just about any alloy will run in the 45acp as long as they are at elast 0.001" larger than groove dia.

Couple things. The case length for the 45acp is .898, but I guarantee you'll never find any that long. So about it head spacing is the case mouth is just about baloney. That statement about different length cases is not totally accurate. Here's what you do. You take your barrel out of your pistol and use it for a case gauge. You seat the bullet deeper and deeper until the cartridge head is dead level even with the barrel hood. In other words the bullet head spaces the cartridge. Short cartrides either have the extractor hold it or the bullet touches the cone and stops it.

If you have a serious match target barrel you may not get cartridges with fat bullet to chamber. Depends on how generous the chamber is. I strive for shooting my bullets sized to .452. Unless you have a pistol that absolutely won't shoot with anything but linotype you are wasting your money or you have a free inexhaustible supply of the stuff. If you cast you can water drop or heat treat alloys to be as hard as lino if you need it. I've shot 45acp's with everything from pure lead to lino with no problems.

All the powders mentioned are excellent and there is NO one perfect powder. They are just opinions.

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:

quote:

Originally posted by steve4102:
Give WST a try. It is by far the best powder I have tried in the 45 acp, and I have tried quite a few. Soft shootin, clean and scary accurate.
You can thank me later.

Exactly! If you find a better powder for the 45acp w/ any bullet type, let me know, I have tried about a dozen now. Clean, meters well, good volumn/wt, low recoil for sim vel to other powders & super accurate.
For best results w/ lead bullets, you may need to tweek your alloy, size &/or lube. The LFCD should NOT be used for best accuracy results IME.
The velocity you shoot has little to do with any leading, it's always about bullet fit to the bore. I can shoot soft alloy 44mags to 1200fps w/ no leading. Just about any alloy will run in the 45acp as long as they are at elast 0.001" larger than groove dia.

I must give credit where credit is due. Fred turned me on to WST in my 45's and I couldn't be happier. If you are looking for and exception powder for the 45, listen to Fred and give WST a try.

I can state without any argument that WST is not a good powder in my 45s.
Best powders in terms of accuracy (all I care about) are AA2, 231/HP38, and Bullseye. Clays, TiteGroup, WST have not performed that well--inconsistent accuracy.
All I shoot are 200gn clone-H&G68 L-SWCs.
Some 1911s have very shallow rifling and need very hard bullets. Most perform best with 10-16 BHN. Most perform best with 0.452-0.453" diameter bullets. Mine perform best with unsized bullets (of course, that is only about 10 guns, so YMMV). Lee Liquid Alox tumble lube is all I need, except that in an indoor range the smoke bothers my lungs. Plan to test some wax-emulsions as lube.

quote:

Originally posted by noylj:
I can state without any argument that WST is not a good powder in my 45s.
.

Sorry to here your 45s don't do well with WST. I guess there is always an exception to every rule.

25 yards 1911, WST.

quote:

Originally posted by noylj:
I can state without any argument that WST is not a good powder in my 45s.
Best powders in terms of accuracy (all I care about) are AA2, 231/HP38, and Bullseye. Clays, TiteGroup, WST have not performed that well--inconsistent accuracy.
All I shoot are 200gn clone-H&G68 L-SWCs.
Some 1911s have very shallow rifling and need very hard bullets. Most perform best with 10-16 BHN. Most perform best with 0.452-0.453" diameter bullets. Mine perform best with unsized bullets (of course, that is only about 10 guns, so YMMV). Lee Liquid Alox tumble lube is all I need, except that in an indoor range the smoke bothers my lungs. Plan to test some wax-emulsions as lube.

Very strange. I have yet to hear of poor accuracy w/ WST & any bullet. On good days, my best 1911 will do right @ 1" groups @ 25yds using 200grH&G style SWC o/ 4.8gr of WST. About twice as good as I can get w/ W231, sim to Clays, but better vel/pressures & I won;t even let people I don't like shoot TG. Maybe it's your mule snot Alox that is causing accuracy issues. I never had great results w/ it.