Best boolit weight for plinking at the range with a 45ACP

[nyviking67]

Just curious as to any preferences or recommendations as to what weight in .45 ACP boolit to cast for plinking at the range. Of course and your reason to go with it. You knew it wouldn't be that easy. [smilie=1:

[williamwaco]

My favorite is then 200 gr swc. Any of several versions.


A lot of people like the 185 grain but I have never been able to make it feed reliably.

[slide]

I like the 200 grain round flat nose. It feeds the best in my guns.

[Grandpas50AE]

200 gr. SWC for me, they make nice clean holes in the target that I don't need binoculars to see.

[mktacop]

I like 200gr SWC, nice clean holes, feed well. My new favorite is a 210gr RNWC made from the Saeco #265 mold, clean holes like the 200ge SWC, feeds like a 230gr RN.

[HangFireW8]

Same here, 200 LSWC, in my case the MiHec version. Well, I have a Lyman version that feeds great too, but it's a single cavity mold.

My reason- besides feeds great- it uses 15% less lead than my 230gr RN cast boolit, which also feeds well.

[oscarflytyer]

Same here, 200 LSWC, in my case the MiHec version.

+1! 5.0 grns Bullseye and one big ragged hole. Shoots better than I can see.

[turtlezx]

160 gr lee flat round nose the best all round .in my 45acp
fast -low recoil-feed- perfect- nice crack to the gun and most acurate of 5 different cast bullets tried from sand bags at 50ft

you get 44 bullets from a 1lb of lead

[AndyC]

200 gr SWC here also - lighter than 230s, and super-accurate. Mihec mold used here (and a semi-retired H&G #68 - no, it ain't for sale!).

[Reverend Recoil]

I shoot 0.451" round balls with 4.5 gr. of Bullseye. They are the simplest and lowest cost 45 ACP ammo you can make. They shoot well with minimum recoil and make 45 cal holes in whatever you hit. Cast with wheel weight alloy, tumble lube with Lee Alox and load with a 45 GAP roll crimp seating die. You may need a shorter recoil spring for these loads to cycle the action and a magazine that feeds blunt simi-wadcutter bullets. They are perfect for 45 cal revolvers.

[runfiverun]

i use a 160 rnfp also, not much lead goin down tange but still a clink or clank on the steel.

[Blammer]

I like the 230gr RN cause I like to FLING some LEAD!

[geargnasher]

I'm with Blammer.

All mine are sprung for and shoot best with what they were designed to shoot: 230-grain. I prefer the Accurate 45-230L.

If I switch to a 14-lb spring and Bullseye or Titegroup the M&P H&G #68 copy at about 202 grains that works really well also.

Gear

[MikeS]

For plinking at the range? Just about any of my cast boolits works fine. I have a stock Taurus PT1911 that shoots just about anything I put in it! My self defense gun, a Jericho 941 (AKA Baby Eagle, also in 45ACP) is a lot more finicky over what it will feed. When it comes to plinking I don't think there is any one design that's better than another, as plinking isn't something that's an exact science. Now for more official target shooting, and/or self defense, then the boolit design starts to get more important.

[mpmarty]

H&G #68 200gr semi wad cutter. 5.0gr Red Dot.

[beagle]

Range plinking??? The 200 grain SWC wins with me hands down. Other uses I'll go to the 230 grain. The rCBS 45-230-FN is a favorite./beagle

[Bill*]

I would have thought there would be more 230gr. But we are a frugal bunch aren't we? (every 30 Gr. counts):wink:
Tally after this post ( I use 200 Gr.)
Anything=1
Round =1 (I'm too lazy to figure out the weight)
160 Gr.=2
230 Gr.=2
200 Gr.=10

[rsrocket1]

I chose and love the Lee TC452-230-TL because it feeds perfectly (just as well as military fmj) in my finicky Thompson AO 1911 which tends to choke on SWC's. It has a nice wide metplat and lots of weight in the event I ever need it for an "emergency".

If they shortened the back end enough to make it a 200 or 180g boolit, I would like it even better for plinking because I'm cheap just like the others. The nose of the bullet is just about perfect.

[evan price]

230-gr ball. All my 45's are set up for it, some of them do not like the SWCs so all I load is the 230-RN. Why mess with success?
As far as saving the 30 grains- I just go dig 'em out of the berm myself so I get it back anyway! :)

[bobthenailer]

HG 68 200gr swc or copy of . I have the Saeco # 068 . feeds well out of all, or most guns without throating the barrel if the correct magazines are used . not the type with the feed lips contoured for 230 Gr rn fmj bullets . i use Wilson mags for all of my 1911s reguardless of caliber , and its accurate from all my 45 acp's past & present

[Mk42gunner]

I like the 200-ish grain Lyman 452460.

Reasons:

It feeds and shoots well in my Kimber.

Uses less lead than a 230 grain boolit.

Cuts decent holes in paper.

Shoots close enough to the sights for me, 185's sometimes don't.

I started with a double cavity for the .45 ACP, it worked; why look at something else? Then I found a used(??) four cavity, I don't think it had ever been heated up since it was blued at the Lyman factory. I am set now for molds, but I don't like the nutcracker handles.

Robert

[Rockchucker]

I like the 230 grain RN also, Nothing against the 200's just don't have any molds for it.

[lbaize3]

Out to about 25 yards, I find that 200 grain SWC and 230 grain boolits hit at about the same point of aim in either my Springfield or Para single stack 1911. So I am happy with either, but I do tend to prefer the 230 for the same reason Gear does....

[catboat]

I have three molds for my 1911a1 Springfield 45 acp: SAECO 69 ( 200 grain flat base swc), Lee 6 cavity 230 grain truncated flat point tumble lube, and a Lyman 452460 (200 grain swc). I like them all. The SAECO 69 flat base 200 grain SWC shoots the best (4.0 grains Bullseye). I size mine to .452" (Lee tumble lube shot as cast and tumble lubed).

If you just "plinking", I would think a 185-200 grain bullet would be good, as you don't use up as much lead.

Many options. The Lee 6 cavity molds produce a pile of bullets in short time-another consideration.

I would look hard at the Lee 200 grain roundnose flat point in a 6 cavity. It is on my "going to purchase soon" list. Looks like a very useful bullet.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/110378/lee-6-cavity-bullet-mold-452-200-rf-45-acp-45-auto-rim-45-colt-long-colt-452-diameter-200-grain-flat-nose

Good luck.

[casterofboolits]

I use a 185 grain H&G #68.

I modified an eight and four cavity old style H&G 68 (the one with the thin front driving band and a .060 bevel on the base) moulds by grinding .045 off them. Drops a perfect 185 grain boolit with my alloy.

Feeds like a greased pig in all my 1911's.

[Bullet Caster]

I use the Lee 228 gn. with 1 ogive radius. It feeds well in my Norinco and shoots very well. Of course Geargnasher won't like that I've posted this, but this is the only .45 acp mould I have. BC

[MtGun44]

Caster -
You had me going there for a bit, since I know the H&G 68 ( great design!) is a 200
gr, not 185. I was starting to think "Did H&G make up some 185 gr versions of that
design that I have never heard of?" and similar, so glad you explained. Sounds like
a winner.

It is interesting the newbies that never heard of the most popular boolit for the .45 ACP
cartridge 9H&G 68).

I'd say when starting out a H&G 68 clone, esp one like Miha's or a Lyman 452460 are
really great designs to use. Of course, Miha's 200 HP RN is a superb design,too, and with
the Cramer pins, casts almost as fast as a non-HP design.

Bill

[MikeD7]

I shoot a 185 gn SWC thru my M&P and my 1911. It feeds fine thru both guns

[Lizard333]

I shoot the Lyman 452374. It's a 225gn (giver take) and feeds reliably In all my 1911's. Plus I like saving that 5gns of lead over the 230. Makes a HUGE difference in keeping my stash of lead full. ;)

[LenH]

A Bullseye buddy recommended a 160 gr SWC cast by Valiant Bullets. It is a bullet copied after the H & G #S242. These things are very accurate, even at 50 yards.
I push them with 4.5 gr of bullseye powder. They feed through all my 1911's and the recoil is less than a 200 gr swc wit 3.9 gr of BE.

[Iron Mike Golf]

RIght now, a 452460 over 5.0 gr Bullseye from my Series 80 sprung to 14 lbs. GI mags don't like them (mags tend to vomit those rounds). Work perfectly in Wildson 47Ds. It's my bowling pin load.

A bud of mine made up some loads with the same boolit over American Select and it shot extremely well from his P90. Gonna try that powder.

I have the Mihec #68. My gun does not like that boolit over 5.0 gr Bullseye, though. I need to experiment. And check my crimp. Pulled some loads down and they were overcrimped.

[405]

160 gr to 230+ gr preferences--- now that narrows it down :)

My Colt 1911 (Storm Lake barrel) will shoot and cycle most all of them well. I like the 185 gr RNFP for the 1911. BUT, my go to bullet is the 200 gr RNFP. At .454" it works very well in my 45 LC revolver. Run thru a .452" sizer it works very well in my 45 ACP 1911. It's a super "twofer" bullet.