45 acp load questions

[Woodythedog]

I am new to reloading and have worked out my questions re:9mm with help from all of you....thanks. Now 45ACP...

I have: 185gn Berrys, RNHB #84477, both Longshot and W231

My Lee book shows loads for Jacketed bullets with these powders but not for copper plated which my Berrys are. The Hodgdon website shows loads for HDY
JSWC which I assume is a wadcutter bullet. What load should I use??? Also ...OAL.
Thanks

[slayer61]

Without quoting any manual, I think I sent some 185s with about 5 grains of 231 and it shot very soft out of my Sig (full sized) 1911. My wife's short barreled Kimber struggled with the load & she went back to 230 grain with WST.

Save longshot for something more "sportin"

[plinkr]

I am new to reloading and have worked out my questions re:9mm with help from all of you....thanks. Now 45ACP...

I have: 185gn Berrys, RNHB #84477, both Longshot and W231

My Lee book shows loads for Jacketed bullets with these powders but not for copper plated which my Berrys are. The Hodgdon website shows loads for HDY
JSWC which I assume is a wadcutter bullet. What load should I use??? Also ...OAL.
Thanks

Pretty sure those are jacketed (not plated) semiwadcutters. Also pretty sure full wadcutters wouldn't feed.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[RiskyBusiness]

I thought all berrys handgun are plated. Anyways you're supposed to reduce the fmj load data by 10% for plated.

[TomReloaded]

The HB's are going to be the opposite of SWC's. SWC's emulate a shorter OAL, as more lead is inside (less volume). HB's emulate a longer OAL, since more is outside (more volume). The kinda plus side to this is that the swc load data is already spec'd *extremely* short.

I would use the 231 swc data of 5.0-5.9 and set oal somewhere reliable but absolutely no shorter than 1.135. I think you can verify this as safe since LFP 180gr's use 5.0-6.0 @1.140 too.

[divingin]

The Hodgdon website shows loads for HDY
JSWC which I assume is a wadcutter bullet.

Jacketed Semi Wadcutter.

The plated bullets should be treated roughly the same as a cast bullet. Lead 185 SWC's are pretty widely used in bullseye guns (albeit at very mild loadings.) A quick web search should yield a bunch of results, for instance:

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/need-load-data-for-185-gr-lswc-45acp.653809/

[newbie1234]

...........
The plated bullets should be treated roughly the same as a cast bullet.......

I must do something wrong, for me:
- Lead, cast, coat bullets are similar load data.
- Plate, FMJ, TMJ bullets are similar load data.

[bruce381]

yeah 185 gr use 231 @ 5-5.5gr OAL about max 1.25 or less do a plunk test tapper crimp to .470

[noylj]

COL is chamber related and the COL any one can give you is no more than a place to start.
Plated bullets should be loaded:
1) using lead bullet data
2) or, often from jacketed start load to midrange
3) or, per manufacturer's recommendations found on their internet site--generally under FAQ section
No one should buy bullets or powder without load data in hand and one should always follow Reloading manual instructions and ask questions to the manufacturers.

[divingin]

I must do something wrong, for me:
- Lead, cast, coat bullets are similar load data.
- Plate, FMJ, TMJ bullets are similar load data.

Plating is not as tough as an actual jacket. Running too hot runs the risk of stripping the bullet through the rifling, roughly same as lead (I'd expect you can run a bit faster, all other things being equal.)

[Cowboy T]

Plating is not as tough as an actual jacket. Running too hot runs the risk of stripping the bullet through the rifling, roughly same as lead (I'd expect you can run a bit faster, all other things being equal.)

Remember, this is .45 ACP, not .454 Casull. The pressures for .45 ACP are only 21,000 PSI for regular loads and 23,000 PSI for "+P" loads. That's not going to stress a plated bullet of stripping it through the rifling. I run cast bullets at BHN 10.5 to 12 all the time in .357M, .44M, and Ruger-only .45 Colt. These pressures are, of course, much higher than those for .45 ACP. I have no such problems with these cast bullets.

Therefore, plated bullets, whose plating is tougher than even straight Linotype (BHN 18), should have no problems in any SAAMI-spec .45 ACP loading.

OP, when I don't have cast bullet data to use, I use jacketed bullet data, starting loads as always, and work my way up. Worked great every time.