Anyone Use Clays in 45 ACP 230 Cast LRN Bullets

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Howdy all,

New to 45 ACP Reloading, I like the Clays for light 357 Mag loads. Pros and Cons in 45 ACP?

Sam :D

[35remington]

Cons - most data doesn't duplicate full power loads, especially with jacketed 230's. About 40-70 fps slower than factory ball even if a lead bullet is substituted, so it isn't a "do it all" powder choice.

Pros - light charge weights needed, clean burning. Not very position sensitive; competitive with any powder in this respect. As a niche powder, it's very good.

In a five inch 1911:

4.0 Clays 200 grain Lee HG Pattern SWC 1.250" 820 fps
Same charge with Lee 230-2R 1.265" 765 fps (max in Hodgdon data)

4.3 Clays Lee SWC 860 fps (max in Hodgdon data)
3.8 Clays Lee SWC 785 fps "soft" shooting (feels even lighter than it is)

Fast burning - low muzzle blast and report.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

35remington,


Thanks,

Sam :D

[MtGun44]

According to Hodgodon data, Clays won't make full power within pressure
limits in .45ACP. A shame because I have 8 lbs of it.

Very, very clean burning in my full power .38 Spl loads, 4.0 gr IIRC under 158 SWC.

Bill

[deltaten]

Sam:
I used Clay's exclusively for years in .45 for steel shoots. Something on the order of 250k rounds total. We found during heavy competition that it was cleaner and produced less smoke. Made major with 152's and a comp a pleasure to shoot. When we went to ringing steel, we just backed down the charge.
MtGun44 is right.... approaching max loads gets dicey for pressure spikes.. DAMHIK For normal and lighter loadswith less than 230 gr. ; it's the schnitz !
I also use it for 225TC hard-cast boolits with great results. Nothing earth shaking; just light, range fodder.
I'm almost out now and searching for alternatives in red dot, 700X and blue dot.

HTH,
Paul

[clodhopper]

I use 3.7 grain of Clays with 230 grain lee tumble lube bullets. The fact that the load in not the possible max. Is not very important to me.

[imashooter2]

4.0 grains under a Lee 452-228-1R lubed with Rooster jacket gets me 827 fps average in a 5 inch 1911 and 777 fps average in a 4 inch 625.

I'm currently shooting 3.2 grains with that same boolit for a very light steel load. Haven't chronographed that one since I wasn't interested in making power factor, but it shoots accurately and functions 100% in a full size Kimber with a 16 pound spring.