New to reloading

[Luv1911's]

I am new to reloading and need some advice. I will be reloading 9mm and .45 initially using a Dillon 550B. The bulk of my shooting is USPSA and IDPA type matches along with practice with a local gun club. The guns I use for this are primarily 1911's in both 9mm and .45 along with a CZ 75 SPO1. My components that I have been collecting for a while are Win. 231 powder and Winchester, Federal and CCI primers. The bullets are Xtreme round nose plated in 115gr. and 230gr. My brass is a combination of once fired and range brass. Besides the load data in the manuals, I am looking for a good starting point/recipe and advice from those with experience. Just a side note, I chose Win.231 after a lot of reading and it appears to be a very very popular universal powder especially for a beginner. As for the primers even though I started buying a while back (before all the craziness) I bought what I could in bulk and I understand the differences in hardness etc. Thanks in advance for your help.

[bruce381]

200 gr SWC standard is about 5.5 gr WW231 OAL 1.250 tapper crimp to .471 or .472.
works in ALL my Kart barrel 1911's.

lighter recoil 185 gr cast i laod also to 5.5

[Bill Steele]

I am new to reloading and need some advice. I will be reloading 9mm and .45 initially using a Dillon 550B. The bulk of my shooting is USPSA and IDPA type matches along with practice with a local gun club. The guns I use for this are primarily 1911's in both 9mm and .45 along with a CZ 75 SPO1. My components that I have been collecting for a while are Win. 231 powder and Winchester, Federal and CCI primers. The bullets are Xtreme round nose plated in 115gr. and 230gr. My brass is a combination of once fired and range brass. Besides the load data in the manuals, I am looking for a good starting point/recipe and advice from those with experience. Just a side note, I chose Win.231 after a lot of reading and it appears to be a very very popular universal powder especially for a beginner. As for the primers even though I started buying a while back (before all the craziness) I bought what I could in bulk and I understand the differences in hardness etc. Thanks in advance for your help.

I don't load W231 for .45 Auto anymore as I found Bullseye to be a little more accurate for me. In any case, for the 230gr plated RN, I think I would load 4.7-4.8grs of W231 at 1.250"-1.265". As Bruce posted above, I pretty much load 200gr LSWC's nowadays but with Bullseye, I crimp mine down a little more .469"-.471", but see if less crimp works, ideally just taking the bell out if the gun/barrel will cycle.

For 115gr 9mm, same weight of W231 4.7-4.8gr, loaded to 1.130"-1.140" should work pretty well, mild recoil, should cycle just about anything.

[ExtremeX]

I havent tried any other powder except W231 yet but my 230gr RN .45 ACP load is 5.5-5.6gr W231 @ about 1.255" in my Sig 1911...

If I recall correctly I think Xtreme recommends using the Speer reloading manual. You may want to call and confirm this with them.

Speer Manual #14 shows...
.45 ACP – 230gr
COAL 1.260
W231
Start – 5.6
Max – 6.2

[Dark Mod]

I don't load W231 for .45 Auto anymore as I found Bullseye to be a little more accurate for me. In any case, for the 230gr plated RN, I think I would load 4.7-4.8grs of W231 at 1.250"-1.265". As Bruce posted above, I pretty much load 200gr LSWC's nowadays but with Bullseye, I crimp mine down a little more .469"-.471", but see if less crimp works, ideally just taking the bell out if the gun/barrel will cycle.

For 115gr 9mm, same weight of W231 4.7-4.8gr, loaded to 1.130"-1.140" should work pretty well, mild recoil, should cycle just about anything.

Thats pretty much my goto load for both calibers too. I dont crimp at all with either caliber, just removing the bell works fine for cycling in my springfield 1911. Your mileage will vary as far as crimping goes.

Either way you should work up your own load, especially for competetive shooting. You will find your own sweet spot if you experiment a bit.

[scotty99]

4.7 to 4.8 with a plated bullet sounds about right for the .45. My standard IDPA load is 4.5grs of 231 behind a 230gr LRN. The plated bullet will need a touch more powder.

I don't load 9mm so no help there.

[Maddawg46]

I use 200 LSWC and use 5.7 W231 to make major. I taper crimp so it's ok. I had to tighten my crimp for my new Sig 1911. I don't like using powder that does not fill the case if I accidentally double charge. Other powder charges may be cheaper, but if you accidentally double charge it will not be obvious.....until you destroy your gun!

[Luv1911's]

Thanks for the info guys. I will experiment with different loads to see what works best in my Springfield 1911's but it is always helpful to find out what others have had success with. Has anyone tried Vihtavuori N320?

[Bill Steele]

Thanks for the info guys. I will experiment with different loads to see what works best in my Springfield 1911's but it is always helpful to find out what others have had success with. Has anyone tried Vihtavuori N320?

Don't DO IT!

N320 costs like 60% more and is perhaps the most wonderful powder you will load for target 1911 loads. If you try it, don't say I didn't warn you.

[Luv1911's]

Sounds like you really like the N320. I was talking to a member at our gun club the other day and he said he uses N320 even though it costs more. Does it work well in .45 as well as 9mm?

[Bill Steele]

Sounds like you really like the N320. I was talking to a member at our gun club the other day and he said he uses N320 even though it costs more. Does it work well in .45 as well as 9mm?

It works great for both 9 and 45. You won't get the same velocity in 9mm from N320 that you will get from some of their slower powders like 3N37 or N350, but just like in .45, well, if you try it you will see.

I don't load much VV powders anymore except in my defensive loads because they tend to turn my $400 Powder Valley invoices into $600 Powder Valley invoices.

[madjack956]

A very accurate load in all my 1911's is 4.5 grns. of Bullseye behind a 230 grn. Sierra FMJ w/ a Federal primer.

[Luv1911's]

Well as I stated initially I will start with Win 231 since that is what I already have. The N320 sounded interesting but is expensive and Bullseye seems to be popular as well as Titegroup. Thanks again guys

[luckystrike]

I used 6.0gr of W231 for some 200gr JHPs , just as accurate s the factory stuff, cycled great