Has anyone loaded the plastic shot capsules for the 45 ACP? Are they even available?
I have loaded them for my 44 mag and 357 and have taken quite a few rabbits over the years.
I want to try this with my 1911 now.

Will they feed?
What recoil spring would I have to use to have the gun cycle with these loads?
Thanks, Bill P

I have not reloaded .45 ACP shot loads but have shot and keep some on hand. I have not seen the plastic cup version, and I think it is due to feeding issues. The most common form is a special case that approximates a loaded JHP round in shape with a plastic card over the shot. One other rare type exists that used the jackets for hardball loads to contain the shot. None of the shot charges will cycle any of the pistols in which I have shot them.

Fireplug

willp58 I have used the Speer/CCI shot shells in 45 ACP and they work real well. I have killed small game including Grouse [they taste real good]. If your 45 will feed hollowpoints there is a good chance that the Speer shotshells will cycle your semi-auto. I have used Speer shotshells in my 44Mag quite a bit also, and if anything the 45's may be even more effective, they seem to have a better pattern at a longer range.

Ok, I finally located and received a box of 45 cal plastic capsules with the base wad to load shotshells for my 1911.
They are too long but I can trim the length.
My question now is what powder and powder charge should I use?

Check out this article on the AEM web site (they are the developers of the AccuLoad and CalcuLoader software). This article gives very good instructions for creating a "reliable" reproduction of the military M15 .45 ACP load from .308 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield cases. We tried this, and I watched my boss take birds on the wing with this load on a south Texas dove hunt (I had no such luck, by the way).

http://www.aement.com/articles/45shot.htm

I never tried loading them, but CCI used to have some shotshells for 45 ACP. I shot a lot of blue grouse with them many years ago. Don't remember what size the pellts were, but they knocked grouse spinning.

Mac