,45 acp load with Bulseye

[BruceP.]

Long time lurker first post. Recently purchased a lot lo loading equipment & components, part of what I bought was a Dillon Super 1050 set up in 45 the powder the gentleman was using was 4.3 grains of Bulseye with a 180 grain lead Semi wad cutter, I have not found this load in the manuals that I have. Would like to load up some of this load before I sell the machine any place to find this load would be a great help.
Thanks.
Bruce

[Outpost75]

That is a fairly standard target charge for 25 yards timed and rapid fire, way below maximum, Speer No. 10 shows a range of 4.1 to 4.6 grains of Bullseye with a 200-grain lead SWC.

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th Edition (2010) shows much heavier starting loads than that, 5.0-5.5 grains! more for the people most interested in high velocity numbers and noise than accuracy.

No bullseye target shooter I knew EVER used more than 4.5 grains of Bullseye for a match load.

My 50-yard wadcutter load for many years was 4.2 grains of Bullseye with the H&G #68 at 1.24" OAL.

[Ia.redneck]

BruceP. That should be a nice soft shooting and accurate load. You may have to go to a lighter spring for function, but depends on the gun. www.alliantpowder.com lists 4.6 of Bullseye for a 200gr Speer lead swc, so your load is safe. Sounds perfect for a little offhand practice! :)

[vzerone]

I can't count the number of rounds I've shot with 4.0 grains of Bullseys and 200 grain SWC's. Must have been in the bajillions! Also shot quite a few of those 200 grain SWC's from my 45 Colt too.

[Outpost75]

Standard USGI .45 ACP recoil spring is 16 pounds.

Gold Cup spring normally used for wadcutter is 14 pounds.

IDPA/IPSC heavy duty "hardball" spring is 18 pounds, same as .38 Super spring.

Heavier than 18 pound spring requires other mods to gun to ensure safe, reliable function so that hammer doesn't follow down. If heavier springs put in willy-nilly without attention to sear/disconnector fit, gun might go cyclic.

Lighter than 14 pound will cause frame damage if gun is fired extensively with full charge loads.

[vzerone]

Yup Outpost is right on the button. A very heavy recoil spring also batters your 1911 in the oposite direction, going into battery. I'm a firm user and believer in shok-buffs that fit on the recoil spring guide. I got rid of the light spring that came with my Gold Cup. I feel they are too light.

[John Boy]

4.3 grains of Bulseye with a 180 grain lead Semi wad cutter, I have not found this load in the manuals that I have.
45 ACP 180 LWC 180.0gr
AL Bullseye 5.4 Maximum Charge 985 fps 1.190 OAL
Source: http://castpics.net/dpl/index.php/reloaders-reference/cartridge-data-lookup

Bookmark this link - 501 Pages of Data

[Motor]

Why do need to find this load in published data? As posted above the max is 5.4gr. You can safely back off Bullseye until 1), the load no longer works the action or 2) the bullet doesn't exit the barrel.

You'll encounter 1) first. ;)

There is no detonation issues with Bullseye. If there was guys would be blowing up rifles every day shooting loads like 6gr Bullseye in 7.62x54R with 160gr cast boolit.

Motor

ETA: I checked the Lyman cast manual. Most start around 5gr. There is a start load with 200gr that is 3.5gr so as stated above your only concern should be working the action.

[georgerkahn]

This == 4.3gr Bullseye behind a 180gr cast lead semi-wadcutter (CCI primer) has been my load of choice in my .45acp since around 1975 or so. Only problem I have is getting the paper holes ALL in the black -- but that fault unfortunately is me -- not the load ;).
geo

[reddog81]

Would like to load up some of this load before I sell the machine any place to find this load would be a great help.
Thanks.
Bruce

Welcome to the forum.
Your load should work in most guns. The only way to confirm whether or not it will function is to load up some and head to the range.

[BruceP.]

Guys I appreciate all the help I have limited experiance loading pistol as I load mostly shotgun as being a skeet shooter.
Thanks for the help,
Bruce

[BruceP.]

Thanks for the link that will help a lot
Bruce

[Patrick L]

Lots of good advice already given.

I might add that Wolff variable rate springs work well, and give greater flexibility in what may or may not function in your particular gun.

FWIW 3.5 gr Bullseye and a 200gr SWC has been my bullseye load for going on 30 years now.

[BruceP.]

I shot some of the reloads this morning. it is 180 grain lead SWC, 4.3 grains of Bullseye they will not cycle my
Glock 21 with a stock spring. Thinking of a lighter recoil spring will also be getting an aftermarket barrel so I can shoot lead.

[Outpost75]

I shot some of the reloads this morning. it is 180 grain lead SWC, 4.3 grains of Bullseye they will not cycle my
Glock 21 with a stock spring. Thinking of a lighter recoil spring will also be getting an aftermarket barrel so I can shoot lead.

4.3 with a 180 is a very light load. Before changing springs, increase the charge a bit, to 4.5 or so and see if the gun will function with the stock springs. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for gun failure if you shoot full charge loads with light springs in a plastic composite gun. Frame cracking!

[10gaOkie]

Over the years, my favorite load for my 1911's has been 5.0gr of BE. RCBS makes a 185gr SWC mold that I have used with this load. With the lead I use, the bullets drop close to 180gr. I also used to use the Lee 190gr mold which drops a 185gr bullet. This mold is discontinued but can be found at times on ebay. I now use the Lee SWC 200gr TL mold and like this bullet best as it comes in a 6-cavity design mold. All of these were very accurate with the 5gr load. It has a very light recoil too. I use the Lee .452" sizer on all bullets for my 45s. Using this 200gr Lee mold, I can drop the most accurate bullet and with this system, make a lot of bullets fast. I cast, TL lube, size and TL again. /Chris

[Outpost75]

^^^^10gaOkie has given good advice.

5 grains of Bullseye with a 180 in the .45 ACP is a mild load at "starting" level if you check most current loading manuals as reference. It is not a hot load by any means, but has adequate recoil impulse to cycle almost all pistols reliably and has decent velocity and energy for field and defense use. If not seeking the minimum "powder puff" target load for indoor gallery shooting, the recommendation in his post is sound advice for a general purpose load.

[BruceP.]

Thanks for the info I will bump up the load to 4.8 and see how that works. My plan is to get another 1911 this spring as my main .45
Thanks Bruce

[Grmps]

Now this here is a great thread.
Good answers, positive attitude, friendly
AND
the answers were backed up with where they were found and what experience/testing led to the answers.
I wish ALL question threads went like this!!!! They would be so much more productive.

Merry Christmas Guys

[runfiverun]

yes it is.

I wish you guy's would have typed all that out before I went through the trouble of working up a 4.5gr load of 700-X with the lyman 200gr swc.

[Lloyd Smale]

sweet spot for me is 3.5 to 4.2 for accuracy. You probably are going to have to run a 14 or 15 lb spring in the gun though.

[Outpost75]

sweet spot for me is 3.5 to 4.2 for accuracy. You probably are going to have to run a 14 or 15 lb spring in the gun though.

... defined by Master Chief as an "old and tired" GI 16-lb. spring, which has taken a "set" and no longer really is...

[vzerone]

sweet spot for me is 3.5 to 4.2 for accuracy. You probably are going to have to run a 14 or 15 lb spring in the gun though.

I'm with you Lloyd, my spot is 4.0. I don't see needing more than what you and I mentioned for target shooting. Now if you want the upper velocity loads for whatever, that's fine.

[BruceP.]

Update. Got to finally shoot some of the new loads which is 4.8 grains bulseye and 180 grain lead swc an d the gun ran (Glock 21). It has a stock recoil spring velocity was average 775 to 800 fps.
Thanks for the help,
Bruce

[Patricklaw]

You guys were scarring me! I've just loaded about 2500 pc'd Seaco 456's (225 gr.) with 4.8 grains and then I saw this post. I thought perhaps I'd waaaay overdone it. A quick check of the Alliant site shows my load is not bad at all. It feels just fine in my G21 and 1911's. Happy loading,
Rudy

[boatbum101]

Many of the tried & true Bullseye target loads you won't find in any reloading manual . Most of these will function in a stock open sighted 1911 with a 16lb recoil spring & 23lb mainspring . I'll give you a few All these are with a 200gr H&G 68 SWC , for a 180-185 I'd bump the lower end by .1 to . 2 grs . 3.8 - 4.2grs Bullseye , 3.6 - 4.0 VVN-310 , 4.6 - 5.0 W231 , 4.0 - 4.4 WST , 4.0 - 4.3 HTG or 700X , 3.7 - 4.0 Clays , 4.0 - 4.2 S1000 , AA#2 , or N100 . If shooting at 25yds or less 3.5grs of Bullseye will work in a match gun , but probably not one with stock springs . When shooting @ 50yds stay with loads above in the heaviest of the range ie 4.2 Bullseye . Hope this helps .