Mellow 45acp load 200grn lead SWC?

[sawinredneck]

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!!!

[chrometip78]

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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[RIHP]

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

[sawinredneck]

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.
I don’t have Bullseye, trying to get some rounds loaded for my dad rather quickly while I can.

[sawinredneck]

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.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

I’m leaning towards the 6grn load, it’s a brand new gun and I want to assure cycling.

[jcren]

I ran 5.6 for years before switching to reddot

[chrometip78]

I’m leaning towards the 6grn load, it’s a brand new gun and I want to assure cycling.I really like it, fun target load with enough oomph to also be practical.

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[runfiverun]

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.

[sawinredneck]

Well a buddy talked me into 6.5grns as it’s a brand new gun I want it to cycle.
But my father thinks his 9 1/2” barreled 44mag has too much recoil, so who knows!

[reddog81]

Well a buddy talked me into 6.5grns as it’s a brand new gun I want it to cycle.
But my father thinks his 9 1/2” barreled 44mag has too much recoil, so who knows!

In the title of the thread you state that you want a mellow load, but the one you settled on is over 20% more powder than Alliant's data suggests...

[David2011]

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.

[mdi]

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...

[gwpercle]

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

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

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¢

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[sawinredneck]

Yeah, I think I’m going to just do 50 of the hot loads then the rest at 5.2-5.5grns.
The gun is an RRI Tactical II FS.

[Mtnfolk75]

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

[sawinredneck]

Well, he’s got 50 with 6.5grn and 50 with 5.2grn, we’ll see what the verdict is, if nothing else I can tear down the hot ones and try again. But I think a few mags full of the hot ones should wear things in better.

[Wayne Smith]

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!

[marek313]

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.

[oldblinddog]

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.

[fredj338]

I like Unique but for light 45acp loads, you want to go faster powders. Unique wants to run at midrange vel/pressure levels & higher top burn well. So I like powders like WST, Ramshot COmp, RedDot, Clays for mild target vel levels. I have shot a lot of 200gr over 6gr of Unique though.