45ACP, 200 gr SWC, what powder?

[osteodoc08]

5.3gr 231 has been my go to load for years.

[TNsailorman]

5.2 grains of Bullseye for target and 5.4 grains of bullseye for bowling pins.

[stinkkoat]

Why or what causes a given bullet 200 grn swc using say, bullseye or 231, (traveling at the same f.p.s) .fired from the same 1911 attached to a Ransom Rest,, at the same yardage, to group vs not to group?

[tazman]

Why or what causes a given bullet 200 grn swc using say, bullseye or 231, (traveling at the same f.p.s) .fired from the same 1911 attached to a Ransom Rest,, at the same yardage, to group vs not to group?

If we knew the answer to that question and could consistently reproduce the result, we would be millionaires.
There are loads that generally work as shown by the popularity of some combinations but, unfortunately, they don't always work.

[Alferd Packer]

Bullseye

[Alferd Packer]

Editing surplus

[Burnt Fingers]

Why or what causes a given bullet 200 grn swc using say, bullseye or 231, (traveling at the same f.p.s) .fired from the same 1911 attached to a Ransom Rest,, at the same yardage, to group vs not to group?

As Tazman said we have no idea.

I've run across this same thing in every cartridge I load for.


The latest one so far was with 9mm. Using the MP slick sided 147 gr RN boolit I developed a load using Ramshot Competition that was super accurate in my Canik. In my buddies Canik it was good but not great.

I loaded up the same boolit with three other powders. WSF, IMR Target, and Sport Pistol.

Every load using the IMR Target looked like shotgun patterns from both pistols. The Sport Pistol shot really well in his but not in mine. The WSF shot like a house on fire from his pistol and was ALMOST as good as the Competition in mine.

I've had some powders under 200-210 gr SWC boolits that just wouldn't shoot. I've loaded some two dozen or more powders under the same boolit.


WST an/or Vectan A1 both shoot really well in all my pistols.

[Txcowboy52]

6 grains Win. 231 works great for me . I have used this load in competition for years and have loaded tens of thousands of this particular load . 200 gr. SWC Federal LP primer , I use 1.250 as my overall length. Good luck!

[nueces5]

I follow this post closely as I am trying to develop a charge for precision shots with my Colt 1911 system, boolits 452389 that casting in 180 grains, PC. So far I have tried with unique, power pistol and 231. The last (231) between 4,4 and 5 grains I had the best groups, but I still think that they can be better. I wanted to try longshot to see what happened, but reading this post and others, I think I better stay in the fast powder. When I re-enter bullseye I will try to buy a couple of pounds. Tomorrow if my daughter stops having a fever I will go see how they shoot with 5 grains of 231.

[igolfat8]

3.8 BE under a 200 LSWC has been my bullseye load for 30 years.

[Pete44mag]

Use titegroup 4.4 to 5.4 gr. Load 3.6 grains. For 50 foot bullseye competition and reduced recoil spring two pounds.

[stinkkoat]

Getting back to my original post above, i've narrowed it down to a 200 grain lswc DGB "Green Bullet" using 5.1 grns of bullseye. My powder measure throws 5.1 consistantly(within .1 grn TOTAL), oal held to .003 total. Shooting from the Ransom rest at 20 yards, my 5 shot groups range from .750 to 2.000. Can't figure out why some rounds are .750" 1 hole groups others you can count the individual holes. Also wanted to add that the gun is a Colt Gold Cup series 80 with probably less than 1000 rounds thru it.

[kingrj]

ANYTHING with a relative burn rate between Bullseye and PowerPistol

[Bazoo]

I appreciate this conversation and all those who have shared. I'm fixing to follow a road often traveled, likely with 5 grains bullseye and the RCBS copy of the h&g 68, the 45-201-SWC.

Has anyone used WSF under this bullet? I've been using it for heavier 45 auto, and probably will work a load up with the 68 copy since I have some. Will be switching to bullseye thoug as I have a keg, but I like experimenting.

[cowboy4evr]

I found great favor using Ramshot True Blue . It's " tailor " made for lower pressure cartridges ie : 38 spl , 44 spl , 45 colt and 45 acp . It meters like water and delivered favorable accuracy in my Sig 1911 . Regards Paul

[Old School Big Bore]

+1 to kingrj and Burnt Fingers - each firearm, regardless of cookie-cutter production, is an entity unto itself and in the search for the best suited powder, one must do the winnowing. That said, anything from the quick end of the spectrum could be what you need.
My work with the .45 has mostly been in the area of precision shooting with a match 1911, in various applications not having a major/minor power consideration, so I've concentrated on reducing recoil. I've used it for steel challenge, bowling pins and our local LE matches that use a B-27 and start at 5 yards and progress to 25 yards, so the less recoil the better as regards my stamina from one end of the match to the other. In the '70s I started out with the Big Three on my bench regarding pistols, Bullseye, Unique and 2400. I used Bullseye for target loads, Unique for duty loads and 2400 for magnum revolver loads. Since then I've tested numerous powders in the 45, and found that W231/HP38 meters well, has acceptable flash, burns cleanly and gives me match accuracy, so 4.5 has become my go-to with the 200 gr SWC regardless of source. My Lee 45-200-SWC runs my 1911 and that of my shooting partner, both of which have reduced power recoil springs. I tried 4.3 but it wouldn't run either gun and I ended up shooting it away in a 625JM. Lately, I bought the reloading portion of an estate sale, and there was a quantity of 45 ACP ammo with 185 & 200 gr SWCs over 3.7/700X and a couple partial cans of said powder. Those loads ran my 1911 and shot well in it, and I've been playing with the powder in several calibers, but I don't see anything about it that would lead me to displace the 231/HP38. I was gifted half a pound of WAP, and it sat on the shelf for years - then I bought a bottle of Silhouette on speculation, and when I read that Silhouette was a development of WAP I broke out the WAP and used it up with Silhouette data. The Silhouette and 700X entered the group I use in 9mm - Sport Pistol, Powder Pistol & W540/HS6.
One thing to keep in mind regarding Bullseye is that Alliant has reformulated some of the former Hercules powders, and you will want to work up from below.
Ed <><

[dougader]

We used 5.7 grains W231 with the 200 gr SWC in IPSC to make the old major PF of 175. (200 gr x 875fps = 175,000/1,000 = 175).