.45 ACP 185gr LSWC loads.

[Bill Steele]

I am looking for favorite loads for .45 ACP 185gr LSWC.

I am looking for your favorite loads for practical target shooting using Bullseye, W231 and if anyone has one for VV-3N37 I would be all ears.

The gun is a 5" 1911 with a stock recoil spring.

Thanks.

[jakuda]

4.0 gns Bullseye has tested to be among the most accurate at 50yards.

[noylj]

3N37 is a bit slow for .45ACP target loads
45 ACP
Bullet Weight Powder Weight Velocity Start/Max Power Factor COL
L-SWC 185 231/HP38 4.8 Light target 1.260
L-SWC 185 700X 3.5 Target
L-SWC 185 AA2 4.5 Target
Star L-SWCHP 185 American Select 4.0 Target/Favorite
L-SWC 185 Bullseye 3.5 Favorite
Star LSWC 185 Bullseye 3.9 Bullseye load
D&J LSWC 185 N310 4.2 Bullseye/Accurate

[Buddhabelly]

What's the difference between lead and jacketed load?

[EmmaGoldman]

not a guaranteed winner for your stock recoil spring, but worth a try as a starting point.

http://www.bullseyepistol.com/reloads.htm

note that he lists his spring weight, but also that he is running a slide mounted scope. I'm not sure how many pounds of inertia the scope adds.

[Bill Steele]

Loads

Thanks for all the advice.

Been out of town, so I have not had a chance to try out any of these loads. I will shoot some today.

I loaded some a little hotter as well, it is a new gun and kind of tight, so having some with a little more punch just in case seemed like a good idea.

[Bill Steele]

I got some interesting results.

I loaded as low as 4.0grs of Bullseye under my MBC 185gr "button" LSWC's. All fed well with only the POI moving around a little from the extremes.

One interesting thing was the only feed failures were with 230gr LRN in the lighter Bullseye loads. The were no FTE, just FTF's. I think I will need to experiment with OAL's and maybe get a case gauge until I figure out what was going wrong.

Thanks again for all the loads.

[noylj]

If it is a new gun, it may be tight.
Your load may have been too low to fully cycle the slide and your case being ejected interfered with the feeding of the next round. Shoot at least 200 rounds before you do anything.
You don't need a case gage. Every gun comes from the factory with the perfect case gage.

[Bill Steele]

I think I will get a case gauge though.

If it is a new gun, it may be tight.
Your load may have been too low to fully cycle the slide and your case being ejected interfered with the feeding of the next round. Shoot at least 200 rounds before you do anything.
You don't need a case gage. Every gun comes from the factory with the perfect case gage.

Ha. That is exactly what I have been doing since the first outing's issues, field stripping and using the chamber. The 230 LRN I am loading have a .453 dia. and since I started checking have found a number of rounds that have not made the drop test into the chamber (all Fiocchi USA brass), so I am setting those thicker cases aside now and will use them with the smaller jacketed bullets.

I will give the gun a 1000 or so rounds before I get too paranoid. I think maybe the combo of some thicker brass and bigger diameter bullets caused my non-chamber checked rounds to stop the parade. At least that is the theory right now.

Some fun.

[NotEnufGarage]

What's the difference between lead and jacketed load?

Jacketed bullets can handle higher velocities.

For handguns ;

From the reading I've done I've learned that if you load lead bullets for more than about 800 - 900 fps, you'll end up with barrel leading. Add a gas check and you can push that up to 1100 - 1200 fps. Jacketed can handle more than that, and some jacketed can handle over 2000 fps (ie. Hornady XTP can be loaded for up to 2200 fps or more for the S&W .460 Magnum). Normal jacketed (non XTP) could actually come apart at those kinds of velocities, with the lead core separating from the jacket.

A happy medium that I've found are plated lead bullets. They'll handle slight more velocity than straight lead (1000 - 1100) without coming apart and won't lead up the barrel.

For rifles ;

Same rules for lead and gas checks.

Jackets can handle 3000 fps+.

[GSwain]

If im not mistaken, you can run lead bullets well above 900 FPS without leading problems in pistols, you just need to match the BHN of the alloy to the velocity you are trying to achieve. BHN of 12 or so is good for your standard 8-900 FPS out of a .45, if you are really trying to push them, step up to the 18 BHN. Missouri bullet sells both, harder are for competition where you need max power. Too hard a bullet and not enough power = gas cutting, too much powder on too soft a bullet = leading from bullet deformation and base melting.

[Bill Steele]

Absolutely correct.

If im not mistaken, you can run lead bullets well above 900 FPS without leading problems in pistols, you just need to match the BHN of the alloy to the velocity you are trying to achieve. BHN of 12 or so is good for your standard 8-900 FPS out of a .45, if you are really trying to push them, step up to the 18 BHN. Missouri bullet sells both, harder are for competition where you need max power. Too hard a bullet and not enough power = gas cutting, too much powder on too soft a bullet = leading from bullet deformation and base melting.

+1.

I have experienced leading when running a harder bullet with too light a load and also running a softer bullet too hot.

In addition, the type of gun you are shooting (revolver versus a semi) and the tolerances of the particular gun and the bullets you are loading all will affect your results with regard to leading.

There is a terrific write up on loading cast bullets in the Lee Modern Reloading 2nd Edition.

[ja308]

Emma Goldman
the crap obut 3/5 of a person was done only to limit the representation of the southern states .
A census that counted slaves as 1person would have given southern states a huge advantage in congress as representatives are based on population .
Hope this helps you understand that it was not racism which prompted the 3/5 rule .
Respectfully,
JA

[GSwain]

Emma Goldman
the crap obut 3/5 of a person was done only to limit the representation of the southern states .
A census that counted slaves as 1person would have given southern states a huge advantage in congress as representatives are based on population .
Hope this helps you understand that it was not racism which prompted the 3/5 rule .
Respectfully,
JA

William Tom Frank?

[Bill Steele]

A-OK.

Yesterday I had a chance to shoot more of the light LSWC loads suggested above in Bullseye and W231.

Since I have started sorting headstamps and using only the thinner brass in combination with my oversized bullets, I had zero FTF's and the accuracy overall of these loads was terrific.

As I passed the 500 round count with my new gun, things seemed to be smoothing out with it as well, which also may contribute to the cycling reliability. It is not butter yet, but definitely smoothing out.

Interestingly the hotter Bullseye (4.6grs) and W231 (5.4grs) seemed to deliver the tightest groups out to about 22yds (the limit of range I was using), versus the lighter loads I tried. I need to keep experimenting with the lighter loads some, it would be nice not to have to walk so far to pick up my brass.