WST and .45 ACP 230 FMJ?

Does anyone have experience with Winchester WST and .45 ACP 230 gr. FMJ loads? I'd like to duplicate the GI load, which is around 830 FPS. The consensus of several reloading manuals is that max load for WST is 4.9 grains for about 850 FPS.

I've got several pounds of WST that I'd like to use but have no experience with it in .45 ACP so before I start experimenting, I thought I'd ask here.

Does anyone have any experience with this load or at least with WST in .45 ACP? Any quirks such as being temp. or position sensitive?

I haven't tried that bullet specifically, as I shoot a lot of lead bullets, but here's what I got in my use:

All primers Winchester, as are cases unless noted:
4.7 WST Lee 230-2R 800 fps (five inch Colt)
4.7 WST RCBS 230 Cowboy 760 fps (four inch Ruger P97)
5.0 WST Lee 200 HG 68 copy 890 fps (Colt)
3.9 WST Lee 200 745 fps (Colt)
5.0 WST Lee 155 SWC (discontinued) 915 fps (Colt)

I don't usually load to tenth grain increments but that is what my Pro Auto disk throws with various fixed cavities.

I find WST bulks well, is easy to see in the case due to the light color, and, when the wind is blowing somewhat in my direction it has a curious "peppery" smell on firing.

On edit: incidentally, it's a little bit position sensitive with the very lightest loads and 200 grain or lighter bullets, but not any more so than any other powder, really. With 230 grain bullets it's really decently consistent with extremes in powder positioning. I deliberately test for such things.

There is up to a 70 fps variation with the 3.9/200 load from these extremes IME. 3.7 of Red Dot has slightly better resistance to extreme spread via positioning but by only about 10-15 fps. Shooting it in the gun as fed results in variations of about half to two thirds of that. It becomes much less in standard velocity charges and makes a good consistent load.

Don't know about cold weather. Usually my shooting of the 45 is in 40 degree and up temperatures - no problems in that range.

Thanks 35Rem!

Here's WST data for the 230 FMJ in my Colt hardball gun. I use this for service pistol competition.

WST 4.0 grains 750 fps ---> WST 4.8 grains 820 fps

I also have used 4.2 grains of WST and a H&G 68 for both short line and long line in my wad gun. I haven't noticed it being position sensitive. It meters well in my Dillon SDB . Overall, it's been very accurate in all my 1911s.

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Originally Posted by Dave Berryhill

Does anyone have experience with Winchester WST and .45 ACP 230 gr. FMJ loads? I'd like to duplicate the GI load, which is around 830 FPS. The consensus of several reloading manuals is that max load for WST is 4.9 grains for about 850 FPS.

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I was on the same quest. I found in very strange that in WWII, we loaded Billions- That's thousands of Millions, with a "B"- of 830-850 fps .45ACP 230FMJ using Bullseye, yet today none of the loading manual makers can bring themselves to list a GI spec load for Bullseye. Or most other powders, for that matter.

I experimented with Power Pistol, and found that it metered horribly and my velocity extreme spread sure showed it. WSL did better but didn't quite get me there consistently within listed loads. A load of 6.3gr of WSF (Winchester Super Field) got me there, safely and consistently. I don't know if they still list this load- there seems to be a conspiracy to prevent 230gr FMJ 45ACP to be allowed to go 850 fps with a fast or medium powder- but I've got the old Winchester published load, I've got the powder, and nothing is going to stop me from loading more of it.

It is AMAZING how reliable some problematic .45's become when firing real mil-spec ammo like mine.

-HF

Hangfire, you're the first guy I've ever heard that claimed Power Pistol metered "horribly."

The relatively compact granulation meters better than all the flake powders and comparably to many ball powders.

So I can't help but suspect it's you or your measure. With full power loads near ball levels or a little more I found a maximum of 50 fps variation from powder forward to powder rearward, which, truthfully, is not bad at all.

Care to try again?

Incidentally, I'll list a ball equivalent load with Bullseye. At least the lots I've used - around 5.1 to 5.2 grains for 825 fps with a 230 FMJ. Alliant lists up to 5.4 grains Bullseye with a 230 JHP, which seats at least as deeply in the case as ball, so this should work fine.

It has for me.

Thanks guys. I'll start at 4.5 grains and work my way up.

i use 4.0 grains and 230 hard cast lead (mostly commercial) and 4.5 grains with jacketed in my 45 acp IPSC limited/limited 10 gun.

it is quiet possibly the most accurate 45 load i have ever shot, in a Storm Lake Barreled Glock 21, it will hold 3 inches at 50 yds out of a ransom rest. Laser cast 230 LRN at 1.245" and federal gold medal 150 primers and CCI brass.

my normal IPSC load uses cast bullets of various sources, and regular pistol primers and mixed brass. accuracy still far exceeds the need.

harmon

4.8gns and 230 gn fmj is my wst load.

Wow, 3 year old thread resurrection!

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Originally Posted by HangFireW8

Wow, 3 year old thread resurrection!

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I guess it's almost 4 years old now ;)

I'm about to reload using WST, Winchester brass and primers and 230gr Amscor FMJ from Grafs. I'm going to try 4.4 and 4.8 grains of WST.

This data courtesy of Ed Harris

.45 ACP Velocity Vs. Barrel Length
__________________________________________________ __Avg/Sd/ES
Bullet_____Type____Weight___LDRotor____Powder___Gr ains___Ruger4-5/8"___M1911A1_____S&W5-1/2"
H&G68____SWC____200_____#8________Bullseye___4.5__ ___862/21/54______801/15/37___789/18/44
_________________________#9________Bullseye___5___ ____922/19/42_____916/6/17_____904/10/29
________________________#10________WST_____4.8____ __838/19/50_____903/8/27_____851/11/25
************************************************** ***************************
Saeco#954__LFN____230____#8_________Bullseye___4.5 _____817/16/42____803/10/27____782/29/71
_________________________#9________Bullseye____5__ ____872/13/38_____830/15/44____814/23/56
************************************************** ***************************
TW55____M1911 Ball lot 18360 FMJ_230____Original GI ________858/28/72____824/11/26____807/10/24
Fed45D___JHP_____230_Commercial Personal Protection_______854/13/35____875/10/25____845/9/23
Gun Column Mean Velocity________________________________860 fps________850 fps_______827 fps
Gun Column DeltaV vs. 5" M1911A1 Pistol_____________________+10fps________REF"0"___ ____-23fps
************************************************** ****************************

Eight year old thread resurrection now:wink:
WST is my favorite 45 acp target powder. I use 4.7 grains under a 230 Xtreme HP.

I run 4.8 grains now under a 230 plated. Very accurate and runs just under 800 fps in my 5 inch 1911's.

WST is not only accurate, it is also very clean. Less powder fouling in the gun or on the brass.
It also smells different in a nice way.
I use 4.1 grains under both 200 grain SWC and 230 RN(both cast and jacketed).