Mellow 45acp load with Unique? One book says 4.8-5.4grn. Another says 5-7.5grns, and yet another says 6-7.5grn. I’m confused as Hell!
200grn lead SWC, lubed, HELP!!!
I'm using 6gr and like it. Mellow but not a cream puff load either.
Alliant lists 5.4gr Unique for a 200gr lead swc, could start at 4.9gr and probably lower if your gun will cycle it.
I used to really like 3.5gr of bullseye under a 200gr SWC but I got a little too used to the light recoil.
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Try 3.8 grains of Bullseye powder
This is the old national match load for 200 grain swc.
Low recoil and accurate for the 50 yard line.
If you only have Unique start with 4.8 grains
I ran 5.6 for years before switching to reddot
"In God we trust, in all others, check the manual!"
6grs. is pretty soft recoiling it has a long recoil impulse.
I switched from it to a faster powder because I didn't like seeing the sparks from the ejection port.
but I did like the recoil.
You can find out the minimum load for your firearm pretty easily. Load up a ladder test of progressively lighter loads at 0.2 or 0.3 intervals. Find the point where spent cases eject but a fresh round is not picked up. The slide has to travel farther to pick up a new round than it does to eject the spent case. Once you have found that point increase the load by 0.2 grains or more to your liking and enjoy it.
I have been using Winchester Super Target with reduced loads in a .45 ACP 1911 for over 10 years. My loads are very light, requiring a glass smooth action, polished radius on the firing pin stop and a very light recoil spring. The gun shoots a 200 grain LSWC at about 650 fps. It is not a clean burning load but it's a blast to shoot. Over time the low pressure loads will build some carbon up in the chamber requiring periodic cleaning with a carbon removing solvent. --But its SO MUCH FUN to shoot! Recoil is almost unnoticeable. I used it for steel plate matches where there was no minimum velocity requirement.
No powder is going to burn very cleanly at low pressures but Winchester 231 seems to be cleaner than many powders. I didn't experiment with it in the 1911 because it was hard to find when I realized how cleanly it burned at moderate .44 Special load levels. I had plenty for occasional plinking with a Contender but not enough to feed a bottom feeder.
I can understand not liking the recoil in a 9-1/2" .44 Mag. It will develop considerably more recoil than a 6" or so barrel. Loads that are good for 1350 fps in a 6" revolver develop 1600 fps in my 14" Contender.
Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris
Sometimes it's hard not to be a jerk (me). I always tell a new reloader to forget any load data from any forum expert, loving friend, range rat, gun counter clerk, pet loads website or gun shop guru. Find a load in published reloading manuals then buy components.
I started reloading pre web and found a lot of folks that would tell me how and how much to load, but none would replace my gun if their data blew it up.
I'm not a competition shooter but I've reloaded and fired a lot of 200 gr LSWC (H&G 68 clone)with about 4.5 gr of W231 and or 5.7-5.8 gr Universal. Both loads accurate in my 45 ACPs and right out of my published manuals...
Last edited by mdi; 12-12-2017 at 06:29 PM.
My Anchor is holding fast!
My go to load in 45 acp is a 200 grain cast SWC , Lyman # 452460 (or any other 200 grain SWC or truncated cone) air cooled wheel weight-lead 50/50 , sized .452 , over 5.2 grains of Unique.
I've won a few G.I. 1911 matches with this load, it's a good basic range , plinking , tin can shooting load. Not super light or a screaming meanie . A standard weight recoil spring works fine and does not batter gun or shooter. I've used it for 30 years now...it works.
Gary
Certified Cajun
Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
" Let's Go Brandon !"
I will Guarantee [or your money back] that 5.2 gr of unique will cycle this Brand New mystery gun of your Dads.
that's my 2¢
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001
When I was packing a personally owned 1911 as a duty weapon, my practice & play load was a H&G 68 with 7 grains of Unique. Duty load was the Super Vel 185 BTW
Livin' my dream in a little cabin on a mountain .....
USN Vet 1972-1980, Retired CA Peace Officer, NRA Lifer
Plank Owner - USS Jesse L. Brown (DE-1089) 17Feb73 / USS Kinkaid (DD-965) 17Jul76
RIP Mom & Brother, you will never be forgotten & forever loved
Keep loading - it's not warn in until over 500 rounds! That's what I do with any new 1911 before I carry it. Its a fun job, but somebody's got to do it!
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
Recently I bought FNX45 so I did some testing with 45s. I have to tell you FNX45 comes with super heavy recoil spring which takes a while to break in and even then its still super stiff and requires stout load to cycle it properly. My first go around with the original recoil spring was OK but I had a lot of stove pipes etc because of it. Then I did some research and I purchased from Ebay 15lb Glock 17 recoil spring and with minor modification it was in and working. Now finally I was able to run light loads. With this new recoil spring I was able to use all powders without issues. I tried HP38, Titegroup, HS6, WST, WSF and Unique. The softest recoil was in my opinion WST but it wasnt my favorite. Most accurate was Unique at 6gr and that felt like factory ammo load but my powder measures dont like flake powders so I use TG for light loads and HS6 for full house loads. All will work though with decent accuracy.
4.3 gr of Bullseye with a 200 gr RNFP works my Sig P227 perfectly. That was the first (only) loads fired in it. Has less than 100. Bullseye and Unique are the same other than shape; loading data is not the same. According to Alliant, with a Speer 200 gr LSWC max with Bullseye is 4.6 grs for 802 fps. With Unique, 5.4 grs for 790 fps.
Last edited by oldblinddog; 12-13-2017 at 06:55 PM. Reason: Added data
USMC 6638
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |