I had heard before that if the velocity is equal, say a 230gr at 700 fps for target, that a small charge of really fast pistol powder will have a shorter recoil time and less muzzle blast than say a slower pistol powder. To put it simply, will a 45 acp round using bullseye feel lighter than one of equal velocity loaded with Unique or WSF?

I doubt it, (I can't tell the difference) but it will burn more completely.

It is the total mass of the ejecta (along with the velocity with which it is expelled and a couple of other factors) that contributes to recoil. Thus it is true that, with a given weight of bullet at a given velocity, a heavier powder charge hypothetically yields more recoil than a lighter powder charge. However, the difference in the lightest and heaviest powder charge in a .45 ACP is deminimus in regard to effective recoil. Not only can you not detect the difference, ordinary sensors can't measure the difference. Disregard whomever led you to believe otherwise.

NBHunter,

You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned muzzle blast , a small charge of fast powder will give much less blast at the muzzle.

As to being able to feel the difference , I think I notice a difference between fast and slow powders in 45 ACP, but this may be more of a reaction to the increased noise and muzzle flash created by the slower powders .

I doubt the difference between Bullseye and Unique loaded to the same velocity would be enough to matter much . But the difference between very fast (Clays or BA-10) and very slow (Blue Dot or LONGSHOT) would be. IMHO the slower powders usually don't work as well when reduced.


Travis F.

I usually don't trust hearsay but I heard it on more than one occation so I thought I'd ask. I'd been busting a lot of plates and poppers lately and was hoping for something that would help me get back on target faster. Do you notice much recoil difference when dropping to a lightweight bullet or do they all feel pretty much the same? I've shot some 200gr bullets but they were top velocity so it felt the same as my typical 230gr. loads.

NBHunter,

It sounds counterintuitive ( and somewhat like total BS ) , but it's actually true that a heavy bullet over a fast powder ( loaded to the same power factor ) seems to get back on target slightly faster .
Heavy bullets also give better knockdown on plates , poppers , and pins when hits are not perfect.
The downside is that heavy bullets travel slower and there is sometimes a more noticable lag between the bang and the clang on far away steel. ( Shoot the steel like paper targets and call your shots and don't listen for the clang )

All this is just my opinion , and anyone should feel free to disagree, discuss, or dismiss anything at any time.


Travis F.

I shoot .45acp in falling plate matches. I use a 185gr LSWC bullet.
I recently started using 4.5gr of WST. I had been loading 5.0gr of Unique.
There is a very noticeable difference in muzzle flip between a 230gr bullet and a 185gr bullet. There is less noticeable difference between the 200gr and 185gr bullets.
I did notice that after switching from Unique to WST that the recoil was a little sharper with the WST. The Unique was more of a firm push.

Jim