Heavy bullet .45 ACP loads

[scattershot]

Anybody load heavy bullets in the ACP? I loaded a dummy round with a .454 255 grain lead hollowpoint, and it plunked and fed just fine. Just wondering if anyone had loaded such a bullet, and what the results were?


Should probably point out that this is mainly to try a .454 boolit in the old warhorse,without buying .proper weight bullets.

[megasupermagnum]

Yes. 255-260 grain bullets work great in 45 ACP. Being a long HP bullet, it will be quite slow, probably slower than will expand. For shooting fun, it will be fine.

[Outpost75]

Speer has data in their No.10 and later handbooks. Try 6 grains of Unique with 255-grain lead conical .45 Colt slug.

[AnthonyB]

Beagle wrote a great article on heavy bullets in the 45 ACP revolver that is available on Castpics. He sent me a good sampling of the bullets he tested so I could write a companion article on the pistols. That was close to twenty years ago, and I still have penetration testing to complete. Cliff Notes version is that they work - Glock magazines would take a longer OAL than the 1911, bullets have to fit just like in everything else, and don’t try to make a 45 Colt out of an ACP in pistols. Midway load maps also had a good selection of load data. I don’t use the heavies anymore, finding the RCBS 45-230CM the best ACP from any of the major companies and the BD45 from any of the current custom and semi-custom makers to be the absolute best design available for looking like it would kill something very quickly. I haven’t shot anything but targets with either design but have confidence in both. The carry guns get the 230 grain bullets, but I have dropped down to 200 grains for most of my shooting. Still need to test the Saeco 58 200 SWC for penetration but it looks like a great design to me.
Tony

[scattershot]

Thanks for the responses so far.

[AnthonyB]

Follow-on thoughts: I don’t see much reason for the heavies in a pistol UNLESS you require the absolute deepest penetration. Then, I would grab a 30-06.
Here in Alabama either the 45-230CM or BD45ACP should be plenty for anything but working cattle, and I stay away from them…
Tony

[gwpercle]

These 45 acp loads ... intended for 1911 Colt type semi- auto pistol or for shooting in a revolver , 1917 S&W or Colt ?

I have experimented with heavy boolit loads but only in K frame and N frame revolvers chambered in 45 acp .
Gary

[DougGuy]

255gr K type LSWC works great in a 1911 for bowling pins. Helps if you have a barrel throat that will plunk them with some shoulder proud of the case mouth.

[Bigslug]

Dial back the powder charge accordingly, being mindful of the fact that your case capacity will be greatly reduced, bullet setback is a concern if your nose isn't decently compatible with the ramp, and that case web blowout is possible if you aren't careful with sourcing your brass.

I experimented with the Keith 452423 (about 250 grains) in the 1911 several years back, and yeah, it can be made to work, but it clearly wasn't what the pistol wants. Have since gone to 230 grain LFN/WFN types in the LBT style at standard hardball speed and haven't looked back. That has enough penetration capability you could hunt elk if you had the ability to sneak close enough, so I don't really feel the need to venture further with that weapon system.

[longbow]

No personal experience but a few years ago a friend wanted to use .45-08 in his 1911 for bear protection so I asked some questions here and got many varied responses on "hot rodding" 1911's, loading heavy boolit advice and conversion options.

Here is a link to the thread:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...olit-Load-Data

The project died a quiet death as my friend decided to use his regular cast boolit load in the end.

There may be useful info for you in there and IIRC I found load data for up to 275 gr. boolits for .45 ACP.

PM me if you want me to dig up the old info.

Longbow

[45DUDE]

I have a 452460 Lyman 200 grain that had an ugly nose and had it reamed to a 245 grain but kept the same ol length. It turned out great on paper but shoots about 4'' high at 25 yards bench. I have to use a different slide stop to keep the nose from rubbing on the first boolit when inserting the magazine. I intended to use this for a 45 L.C. but haven't tried it yet.

[littlejack]

Speers #12 and 13 manuals both have load data for their 260 grain jhp. I don't know of they still make and sell that particular bullet anymore though. I have substituted the LEE 255 grain rnfp cast slug in my PT-1911, and it functions very well. I've also used the rnfp 255 grain 45 Colt slug in the 45acp, with good results.

[threett1]

I have used the 270SAA in my 1917 Colt. Moderate load of Unique. Can not recall exact charge. Brian Pearce wrote it up in Hand loader and used his data. Worked very well.

[pettypace]

The April, 2006, Handloader had an article on "Super Heavy Bullets in the .45 ACP." Author Bob Campbell loaded 300 grain jacketed soft points from a company called Northwest Custom Projectile. The bullets had a long, fast taper boattail base that allowed deep seating without bulging the .45 ACP case. Campbell claimed to get reliable functioning and excellent accuracy from a 1911 at about 750 f/s.

When I was on a "duplex" kick, I talked a machinist friend into milling a Lee mould to make 150 grain .45 caliber TCs to be loaded base-to-base in a .45 ACP case. I kept the velocity closer to 600 f/s and only shot a handful from a revolver before deciding the .44 Special made more sense.

The picture below shows how two 150 grain TCs base-to-base compare to the 300 grain boattail JSP pictured in the Handloader article:

[charlie b]

In my early years I messed around with the 255 SWC in my 1911. Point of diminishing returns. Lower velocity didn't really give any more effect than a 230gn. I ended up with a lot of 200SWC and 230TC that both worked very well in my pistol. I mostly used the SWC for field, plinking and target use. I never needed it for anything bigger than a wild dog.

I decided for a while that I wanted more power than that and got a BH in .45Colt. Loaded it heavy (300gn). After a while I got tired of it and sold it off.

[StrawHat]

Anybody load heavy bullets in the ACP? I loaded a dummy round with a .454 255 grain lead hollowpoint, and it plunked and fed just fine. Just wondering if anyone had loaded such a bullet, and what the results were?


Should probably point out that this is mainly to try a .454 boolit in the old warhorse,without buying .proper weight bullets.

Here are some past threads.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ads-Noe-454424

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...olit-Load-Data

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-s-for-45-Auto

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-in-the-45-ACP

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...rested-parties

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-boolit-recipe

There are others but I did not save them

Kevin

[david s]

I have used the 270SAA in my 1917 Colt. Moderate load of Unique. Can not recall exact charge. Brian Pearce wrote it up in Hand loader and used his data. Worked very well.

I use the RCBS-270-SAAin the 45 revolvers but haven't ever tried it in the 1911's. The August 2008 HANDLOADER issue #254 also had some auto rim data for this bullet.