how low can you go!!!

[guncheese]

since i went to using red dot instead of BE in my 200gr swc loads
ive been messing with "how low can you go!"
the load i like for general use is 3.6gr
but i started down hill
3.4
3.2
3.0
even the 3.0 cycles the gun fine with a 14lb progressive spring
but its like shooting a BB gun
ive found that red dot behaves better at low charges than BE does and it takes a bit less charge weight for the same result
but wow does the POI change with those small changes
im going to try to climb down even lower, 2.8 2.6, as i like messing about :Fire:
next month im going to get some lighter springs and mess around some more
its all just to much fun!!

[Bloodman14]

Gun? Caliber? Need more info to be objective.

[jonp]

I generally run 3.4 - 3.6gr Promo with my 200gr swc for a nice target load. At $96/8lb price I can shoot a ton for little money :)

[Scout800a]

Where do you buy it for $96 for 8 lbs?

[rbuck351]

Be careful going to low. There is something called S.E.E. (secondary explosion effect) where the powder apparently detonates instead of burns causing very high pressure. Apparently it is rare but does happen with very small charges of fast powder. I have never seen it happen but I have seen mention of it a couple of times.

[Bohica793]

Check your brass. If you have black soot on the outside, your load is not properly expanding the case and sealing the chamber which causes issues on its own.

[felix]

You can go as low as you want provided the powder is next to the primer during the former's ignition. Any time the ES approaches 100 fps in any kind of ammo, the odds are good that SEE conditions are satisfied enough even for a small amount of unburnt powder to burn way too fast. Some 22 rimfire cartridges have only 0.8 grains of a Herco speed powder on purpose (730 fps ammo). However, the case size is intentionally small enough to direct the heat and force of the primer action smartly into the existing powder mass. 22 duds are due to a weak primer for the most part because the PRIMER did NOT go into a SEE condition which is REQUIRED for positive powder ignition. ... felix

[guncheese]

1911 .45acp
and yes i thought of promo if i see some ill try it, it appears to be very red dot like
soot? sure i get a nice bit of that with boolit lube mixed in but really not much worse than with higher charges
and i really need to pick up a chrono i know i could learn alot and stop guessing
but im still having fun!

[DrCaveman]

Check your brass. If you have black soot on the outside, your load is not properly expanding the case and sealing the chamber which causes issues on its own.

I thought the soot just indicated that your round was low pressure, and liable to be dirty

What other issues crop up? Decreased chamber diameter and a resultant higher pressure?

SEE in a 45 acp pistol? Have people actually experienced this or just speculated?

I'd like to try this same experiment, it sounds fun. I'm amazed at my accuracy increase by switching from full power BE loads to target loads

[guncheese]

i moved to red dot really for 3 reasons
1. its pretty easy to find
2. the charge weights really match up to BE except red dot seems to give a bit more ooomph way down at the bottom
3. if i can use 3.2gr of RD instead of 3.6gr of BE over time i will and am saving a bit of change in powder cost, and so far im saving a tenth of a cent per round, thats 60 cents this week!
wow am i a cheap skate!
but as a forcibly retired guy i can only shoot alot if i mine the berm and pick up every bit of brass i can find
but i really do have boatloads of fun!

[warf73]

Be careful when going in the low 2.Xgrs with red dot. Only reason I'm saying this is the wifes .380acp really likes 2.2~2.5grs of Red Dot, and your 45acp has 3x the case capsity so watch for signs.

As for red dot I love the powder I load it in 44mag down to the 380acp and alot of times it gives the best accuracy, why I'm using it in theh 380 :)