I'm still doing some fine tuning on it, but I've found Gold Dots and Blue Dot to be a near magic combo in my little Kimber Compact.
[Speer +P nickel brass, CCI 300 primers.]
9 gr gave me 860 fps with a 230 gr bullet, and no pressure signs, primer, pocket, expansion.
9.5 gr hammered out at 930 fps (!) with a little more expansion than I want to see, but otherwise the only problem was the ejection: straight back at me!
I've settled on 9.3 gr, which is just under 900 fps. This load has been put through a piece of brass 5 times so far, with no ill effects.
I'll be checking out the accuracy this coming w/e.
Feeling like this may be a little hot still, control-wise.
Yes, for all you lawyerphobes, this is a self-defense load! [seperate thread, please!]
The Kimber has a 4" bbl, and a 24# recoil spring (perhaps prerequisite for shooting this hot a load.)
Also, preliminary studies show this powder will do fine for a light 700 fps plinker, using 8.5 gr and a 230gr LRN (.452" sized to .451") though you could find more suitable powders.

Bwana, before you settle on this as your defense load, I suggest you shoot it @ night. I load BD in my 10mm & the muzzle flash is pretty big even in a 5"bbl. Just a thought.

I haven't loaded for a .45 in a quite a few years, but I recall having good luck with plain old Unique....I find Blue Dot to do better in the 10 mm.

Thank you, Fred.
That is an EXCELLENT idea.
I also have some of the old pre-hysteria Talons; I'll compare the flash.
Need to do more night training with the defense loads anyway!

I like a Remington 185gr hp and 6 gr's of Reddot, does 1050 fps in my 5".

Bwana-be...

I've loaded 1000s of different loads for ole slabsides but for a best combination of all technologies without the hastle of tracking 'em all down just for the defensive load of one sidearm, I just buy the Golden Sabers . They have one of the very lowest flash-in-the-dark blasts you'll ever find. Now, If I could just figure out what they use for a flash supresant and which powder they use . . .

If the maker of the infamous, deadly, vicious, reprobate "Black talon" bullet renamed it the "Fuzzy Pink Bunny," do you think Hollywierd and the liberal media would make such a stink? Can you just see that slimecrawler Schumer up there ranting and raving about a fuzzy, pink bunny? What a joke!

Well, you kinda have to wonder if the guys in marketing shouldn't have seen it coming.
"Black" = evil, "Talon" = predator.
Could as well have called it "Flesh Ripper."
The gel tests I've seen were pretty convincing; I have a lot of faith in the round - too bad it's pretty much gone. I still see it at shows for $25/50rnds, which ain't all that bad, but I can make these Gold Dots for about $20/100rnds.

BTW, isn't K2SO4 the standard flash suppressant?

I've had good results with Red Dot in the .45 ACP. I use 5.3 gr with the 230 grain bullets and 6.2 with the 185 gr. Gold Dots. These give a good bit less flash than Blue Dot. I agree with the above posts - Blue Dot is pretty slow-burning and tends to create a VERY brilliant muzzle flash that you can often see in daylight and at night it is blinding.

I also use the 185 golden saber +p loads with 10.5 grs of power pistol. And have done the spring change and have 45 super brass from starline and use same bullet with 11.3grs power pistol av fps 1390=1410 5 in S-field. Does a better job on doe's than a 357.

I liked the '70's Jeff Cooper load.
7.2grs. of Unique behind the 230gr. FMJ.
Cooper claimed 1000fps. Extremely accurate out of a Mark IV, 70 series. Load is above max in the manuals I've seen.

I like 200 gr bullets - lead RNFP for target work, plates or pins and the Speer "Flying Ashtray" for defense. Both over 4.5 to 5.0 gr of Titegroup. I will need to check it out for flash, though. I haven't done that.

I like 5.0grns of Win 231 under a Ranier ballistics 230 FMJ seated to 1.250. Shoots good in my commander.