Imput on .45acp charge?

[6.5marinediesel]

Im looking at a few books Iv got and the charge almost contradicts each book. Anyone willing to share some load data.

185 grain .45 acp lead swc
Powder: unique

I read on the forum someone says you can use the data off a 200 grain bullet.but that data's kinda off. One book list 180 grain 5.4-6.4 another book list 180 grain at 6.0 for min and max. its an old lee book. I was just thinking about 5.5 grains and loading a few hundred rounds.

[Love Life]

I would work up the load ladder, find the most accurate load that functions the action, and then load up in bulk.

[bangerjim]

Most MODERN books list min and max. Older books I have listed only the MAX load. Guess they thought loaders use more common sense then than they do now! [smilie=p:

And I am sure lawyers had some input to that, as most things!

When I have a lite boolit like yours, I take the MIN load for the next heaviest boolits and take 10-15% off that to start. Then work up. You should be able to find a min load that will run your action. Work up from there.

bangerjim

[Blammer]

according to the Lyman cast bullet handbook

185gr cast 45acp with unique powder

min 5.0
max 7.5

I would recommend between 6.0 and 6.5gr charge and load them up.

[6.5marinediesel]

@ bangerjim according to my lee 2nd edition and if my maths right that would be a 4.5 grain charge. seems kinda light. but A good tip Ill use that the next time I load .38

@ Blammer I know you told me not to back off on charges but with a light bullet could i make this a light recoil load. If lyman list 5 grains. Maybe see if that cycles?

My 1911 3.5" barrel has eaten everything Iv loaded for it so far. And seems to like all the starting loads in the lee book.
The reason I ask that Blammer is my extractor on that pistol seems to violently sling cases out. leaving a decent size dint in the casing. Im not really sure if that brass is reloadable after that or if its decreasing the life of the brass.

[bangerjim]

By using the min next highest load and backing off a hair, you are safe. Just make sure your action works. And work up from there. And insure you do not leave a slug in the barrel!

Just use common sense when playing around with loads. I have never had a problme yet doing that way. Mabe someone else can offer ideas?

banger

[Crash_Corrigan]

I go with what banger posted. I had the worst problem reloading when I tackled Cast Boolits in a '85 Browning Hi Power. I have always had the hots for this sleek and sexy autoloader since I saw one in action alongside me. I was carrying a Smith Model 10 in .38 Spcl with only 6 shots and my reloads were in a drop pouch on the gunbelt. I was a Sergeant then in the NYCPD and we were facing a giant armed with a nail studded baseball bat. I should also say that he had already killed his common law wife and was dragging her out to the garbage dumpster down the stairs. My partner was a slim and natty dude and we opened up on this felon with our silly pop guns and we each fired our 6 authorized 158 gr SWC lead boolits with little effect other than make him mad.

I was in the midst of reloading and backing down the stairs when my tiny sidekick opened up with his Browning. The sly dude had hidden his unauthorized gun in a should holster under his jacket and he let fly 14 rounds in an instant. He hit his target 14 times in the belly and lower chest. The mutt bled out on the stairs. All of his rounds were FMJ and they just kept on going. As the stairs were on the outside of the building no spent rounds were found.

We cleaned up all the brass and his holstered his 9 MM. The autopsy found 6 38 rounds in his shoulders and arms and none of the 9 MM's thankfully. We concocted a story and nobody counted our brass. From that day on I wanted on of those guns.

Flip the calendar ahead forty years and I walked into a gun store with $700 in cash as I was going to buy a used 25-06 custom rifle from my local gunnie. However he had this beauty in the glass case. It followed me home. I could care less about the rifle.........

This silly gun would load up with crud and grind to a halt after about 30 of my reloads every time. Then I started to mess around with different loadings. I found that I had to use a .358 sized boolit to make it work. Nothing any smaller in lead worked reliably. She is a finicky lady that Browning.

[Cmm_3940]

I'd go with what Blammer posted.

IMO, powder companies publish data to sell powder (velocity). Lee just copies the powder company data. Bullet companies publish loads that will sell their bullets (accuracy). So, generally speaking, I find that the first are a little hotter, and the second are lower. Lyman doesn't sell bullets or powder, their loads are often somewhere in the middle, and this is where I usually end up starting. The exception is if I happen to be using the specific bullet listed in one of the other books, which doesn't happen very often. When working up a new load, I also like to take the data from all available sources, punch it into excel, and print out a graph comparing what everyone has to say. The data is usually all over the place.

[Kraschenbirn]

FWIW...for many years, I shot the H&G 185 gr. SWC over 5.4 gr. Unique as a 'softball' load for my bullseye guns...around 750 fps from a 5" barrel and dead-on accurate...and 5.8 gr with a 225 RN will (barely!) "make major from my full-house 'racegun.'


Bill

[GhostHawk]

I'm shooting a Lee .452 220 grain over Red Dot, first batch was 5 grains, and those functioned perfectly, no leading, good accuracy. Going to try dropping down a bit as those snapped pretty good. Not quite like factory loads with jwords, but close.

Frankly with a smaller guy like me it takes a pretty good grip on both my intestinal fortitude AND the gun to want to pull the trigger with full loads. That Springfield Armory 1911a1 is one scary gun.

Last batch I loaded was over 4.5 grains of Red Dot but I have not test fired those yet, spring is coming!

[bhn22]

Blammer gave you Lymans data straight from the book. The interesting thing about LEEs data vs Lymans data is that Lyman pressure tests everything before publishing any data. LEE does not, I've been told that they simply use published data from other companies.. I've never had Lyman data fail me, if anything, they may be a bit to conservative, depending on my attitude at the time. And... many 1911 ding the brass on the slide as they eject. That could simply be a sign that your recoil spring is getting weak, or that your extractor is too tight.

[TXGunNut]

Don't know which 1911 clone you have but the "Gold Cup" style ejection port is easier on brass. The early "GI" style ejection ports ding the case mouth almost every time.

[Moonie]

http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=45%20ACP&Weight=185&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

[Motor]

Let me put this mildly. Lee's cast boolit data sucks !!!! Don't even look at their .357 data. If you use it you better own a Lewis lead remover.

This is why I like to have several data sources. Hornady is one that usually has a broad range of data.

There is only 2 things that can go wrong if you don't use enough Unique in a 45acp.

1) The bullet won't exit the barrel.

2) The load won't cycle the action.

That is it fellows. Nothing more. You would have to go pretty low for #1 to happen. So if you start a little too low and don't get reliable function increse until you do. Then you will have found your lightest load.

Some guys change springs and go even milder but then "regular" loads will beat the gun too much if not changed back.

Motor