200gn 45acp Recipes

[Donny1]

I just got 1k Xtreme 200gn CPRN and I've never loaded these, always been 230gn.

As usual there is no exact load data for this bullet and the powders I have so I'm looking for a starting point. The real question is what data to start as a base. The internet is full of useful data, inside a big bowl of crap so personal insights are welcome. I have read that you can use data for FMJ, LRN or pretty much any bullet as data for a copper plated bullet, depending on the source, lol. Mostly the question is what makes the difference from one bullet to another? The weight of the bullet obviously but what factors in the plating, jacket or coating call for a different charge weight? And what about crimp, I very, very lightly crimp everything with the Lee FCD just to smooth the case over.

My normal load is Xtreme 230 CPRN over 4.5-5.0gns of Bullseye at 1.125. The are fairly light, 850fps or so and cycle my 1911 with no problem.

So I'm just looking for a starting point with the 200gn bullet with the powders I have, which are Bullseye, CFE Pistol and W231. I would like to use the CFE Pistol because I have a gang of it. These will just be for practice and rookie level steel challenge matches.

[Cowboy T]

Looking at my Lyman reloading book, I would start with 4.8gr Titegroup and work up to a max of 5.4gr. My personal load is 5.4gr of Titegroup using a 200gr LRNFP (cast bullet) and liquid Alox, and this is a full-power load. My pistol seems to love it.

You can safely use cast or jacketed bullet data with your plated bullets. So, why the difference, as you understandably asked?

I think it has to do with two things.

1.) How deeply is the bullet base seated and how much room is therefore left in the case?

2.) What small variations, shot to shot, and gun to gun, are these various folks (powder makers, bullet makers, etc.) with their pressure barrels, running across? All guns have tolerances, and one manufacturer's pressure-test firearm may be on the slightly looser end of the tolerance scale, whereas another's might be on the slightly tighter end. If it's on the tighter end, the pressure will spike a bit more, thus published data show up as lower. There's also the concept of "lawyer loads" in recent years showing up in some reloading manuals.

[Donny1]

I would start with 4.8gr Titegroup and work up to a max of 5.4gr

So I'm just looking for a starting point with the 200gn bullet with the powders I have, which are Bullseye, CFE Pistol and W231.

No Titegroup , the closest in terms of burn rate I have is the Bullseye but that's my shortest supply. Looks like a starting load for the CFE Pistol in around 6gns. Might cut that down a bit and chrono a few.

[Donny1]

Interesting in the Hogdgon load data it shows jacketed bullet takes less 231 than Titegroup but slightly more for a LRN with 231 showing less pressure for both loads. The CFE Pistol looks like a poor choice only because it wants 1-2 more grains per load and has the highest pressures.

[bigbossman]

With a lighter bullet, I'm betting your existing Bullseye load would work just fine.

[Eat Dirt]

Tagged

Thanks

[Donny1]

The last 2 in the chart are very close to what usually load with Bullseye but with 5.0gns, they run around 825-850fps in a full size 1911, accurate and light shooting, just a bit sooty.

[stevec223]

[slamfire1]

This is for comparison as I am shooting the 200 grain Xtreme plated semi wadcutter, not the round nose. But, I believe the velocity differences between lead RN and plated
RN bullets will be similar.

What I want for a 50 yard Bullseye pistol load is a 200 LSWC going 740 fps. It will be stable and accurate out to 50 yards and it won't beat me up too much. My standard load has been a 200 LSWC and 4.0 grs Bullseye. With a 12 lb recoil spring this has been reliable in function and accurate in Bullseye Competition. I do have a slower lot of Bullseye pistol and have bumped the charge up a tenth of a grain with the lead bullet to get back to 740 fps. Some of the data is with oiled cases. I use motor oil and put a drop of motor oil on the junction of bullet and case as I load the round in the magazine. Sometimes I add even more drops through the holes in the magazine. I have been oiling cases to break the friction between case and chamber, which improves function reliability. Incidentally, oiling reduces barrel fouling in a good barrel. I cannot but believe that oil would extend barrel life by reducing erosion, but I am never going to shoot any pistol barrel enough to find out. Oiled cases are messy as oil on the case is not only blown up the barrel, but squeezed out of the chamber, lubricating the slide rails. While this is a good thing in terms of slide lubrication and solvating powder and bullet lube residue, excess oil is slung out when the slide recoils. It does get on my shooting glasses at times. People beside me have told me they can see a plume of oil, coming out of the muzzle, when I fire lubricated cases.

Now I did go out and test the Xtreme plated bullet with AA#5 and Bullseye powder. And I shot the Xtreme 200 SWC (which looks like a H&G 68) with Bullseye powder in 2700 matches. I have been shooting these in timed and rapid fire at 25 yards, using the lead SWC for 50 yards. Anyway, I found that I needed to bump up the Xtreme plated bullet up a tenth to two tenths of a grain for reliable function in timed and rapid fire. These loads are just on the edge of function reliability, and it took more rounds to find the failure to cycle.

So, for you, if you want to duplicate the velocity of your lead bullets, you will need to add a grain or two with the plated bullets.


M1911 Les Baer Wadcutter

[gotgunz]

I don't have all the excellent data Slamfire posted but I have been loading 200grn 45ACP for many years.

I use Missouri Bullet's IDP #4-XD (This is a standard cast lead bullet that does have a lubed groove. They also offer a coated version but I have not tried it)
.452 Diameter
200 Grain RNFP
Brinell 18

I am currently loading these with 4.6 grns of Winchester 231 and using up my stock of #155 Federal Mag primers. I have also used CCI #350 primers with up to 5.1 grns of W231 with no issues.

Typically shot out of a 5" 1911 (I have several but it feeds through all of them) and my Shield 45. Even shot a few through my XD-S with no issues.

I am reloading for economics so the less powder I use, while maintaining reliable function of the gun, the better. YMMV

[Bastard]

I load a 200gr coated LSWC with 4gr of bullseye - I am unsure how the LSWC vs the CPRN I am going to assume that the CPRN will have a slightly higher velocity... if you are specifically looking for CFE data I would start with the data published on the Hodgdon website for the cast LSWC which lists 7.4/8.2 high low... but seeing as how it also lists a Speer JHP at 6.3/7.2... I honestly would start somewhere around 7 and work my way up from there.

I don't actually know where my Lyman cast book is right now (I have been working way too much and everthing is a mess right now) so I haven't actually checked it against the loads listed on the Hodgdon website

[Donny1]

I went out again early today with some at 1.250 with 6.2, 6.4 and 6.6gns. The velocity on the 6.6 loads is barely 800fps and very sooty. The recoil from this is very much a push, not snappy at all but I don't think it's well suited for 45 unless it's loaded hotter and the amount of powder required is to much when I can get the same with 5gns of Bullseye. I think I will move on to the w231 I have next. The only reason I don't like the Bullseye is it's very smokey or I would stick with that. Clays might also be an option, using even less powder but from what I understand you can load too hot pretty easily.

I'm just happy that I have options right now. Been loading/shooting more 45 and .223 because my SPP supply is only 2k