First run of .45ACP

[Maryland Hunter]

Great round to choose!
I use Titegroup myself, 5.1 grains. Nice accurate round, and very clean. I don't trim my brass, personally.
MH

 

[guthook]

So if anyone's looking for a set of .222 Rem Hornady dies, I got them...

 

[BradMacc82]

Pretty much... , I'm going to try and get rid of them before I convince myself I need something in .222 Rem, I'm already looking at .38/.357 dies since I got that hog leg of a S&W upstairs, it seems reloading really is a sickness...


That pic pretty much sums up my beginnings with .223 very well.

 

[BradMacc82]

Got to try the batches out today, 4gr is more accurate than I am at 7 yards, 4.3 fared a bit better - managed to keep COM (I'm oddly better at distance with my handgun than I am up close). Tried some of Mdeng's .45 loads and those also did well, about 3" group.

AR is still being funny, they grouped well - 55gr FMJ-BT on 23.8gr H335, but I got some unintentional F/A bursts due to the firing pin hanging up in the bolt, so I got some work to do with the AR still.

At least .45ACP is going smoothly though, I did say a few months ago, I'd be good for entertainment while I get my legs, so far I am not disappointing in that respect.

 

[pcfixer]

Great round to choose!
I use Titegroup myself, 5.1 grains. Nice accurate round, and very clean. I don't trim my brass, personally.
MH

Agree.. I've found using max or near max loads results in cleaner
burning ie less soot.

 

[BradMacc82]

Agree.. I've found using max or near max loads results in cleaner
burning ie less soot.

I've found that to be true as well with my loads, 4gr was pretty dirty, 4.3gr was a bit better, yesterday I was shooting 4.7gr and it was improving.

Rounds are more accurate than I am, although I've readily admitted I'm not great with a pistol - yet.

 

[BradMacc82]

Update

I've left the powder charge at the same level I've been running for a while now (4.7gr Tite-group, 1.275 COAL) and I'm content at where I'm at and how they perform.

I did however stumble onto a weird idea that's actually proven itself to work rather well, if it's nothing new to you guys, guess I'm preaching to the choir, but if no one has tried this, it's actually working pretty well for me.

For my .45 brass, I don't tumble, I just throw them in the sonic cleaner for a few cycles and go from there, didn't mind that somewhat dullish look to the brass.

Well the other day I ran out of solution for the cleaner, I improvised and wound up using dish detergent at first with hot water (feel free to groan or facepalm...), that worked ok, but then I got the hair-brained idea to throw some nail-polish remover into the mix (don't ask how or why I thought that would be a good idea...), as odd as it seems, it actually works pretty well.

Proof of it too, all of these cases had more than a fair amount of soot on them before I ran them thru a few cycles, now they're looking pretty good if I say so myself.

View attachment 56138

Who'd figure this would actually work as well as it has??? I think I may have for once stumbled onto a somewhat decent idea.

Nothing in my mix has ammonia, so I think I'm good to go, but if anyone can give me a good reason not to try this out on another batch of brass, I'm all ears.

 

[TripleChris]

I have reloaded and fired ten thousand rounds of .45 ACP or so over the past couple years, for both pistol and carbine.

I don't trim.

I don't clean my primer pockets.

I pick up all my brass the range and eyeball it. If the case isn't obviously flawed, I keep it.

I mix headstamps. No difference.

I have fired cheap cast lead bullets and expensive FMJs. Best bullets out there in my opinion are the Berrys plated. Rainier plated is very good as well, but I prefer Berrys. Plated bullets are soft like lead, and very accurate. They are clean in your gun and no lead particles escape the plating. This is a bigger issue for people that shoot indoors (like me).

A little unsolicited advice - buy powder and primers locally and save on the hazmat costs. Even in bulk buys, it never seems to even out. Only time I'm willing to shell out the dough for the hazmat fees is when I get 10k or more primers in one shot, and then only when the stores seem to have all run out.

I tried a bunch of different powders. Settled on Bullseye for .45 ACP. People who claim its dirty haven't found the correct load. Match the charge to the bullet AND to the barrel. In my carbine I have a plinking load of 4.8 grains of BE pushing a 200 grain Berrys flat point. 16 inch barrel. Two swipes of Hoppes on a cotton patch with my jag and its clean, after 200 or so rounds. No baloney. I do a third swipe and nothing. If your loads are too light the fouling will show up with any powder.

 

[Atlasarmory]

45ACP is both fun to reload, and shoot - great caliber!

If your not shooting a polygonal rifled barrel - dont be afraid to use cast bullets as well. 45ACP, and cast bullets go hand in hand. The velocity is just right that leading isnt an issue (although the bullets still needs lubed!) You can run cast bullets at full power/speed.

Casting your own bullets for 45ACP makes them very cheap to shoot! Cost of casting equip, will pay for itself pretty quick.

Also on the trimming - you will not need to do it again after you trim them once. 45ACP brass actually shrinks the more you fire it. So you can just resize, and reload them the next time around.

To me your COL seems a little on the short side for the 230 grainer Ball. The max COL for 45ACP is 1.275" When I load my cast 230Grn LRN (which is a cast copy of 230 hardball) my COL is 1.265" You can plunk test your rounds to determine COL. It would require a known good chambering round (factory loaded round) to determine the depth the case falls into the chamber.

 

[tech24]

I've been using 4.8gns of titegroup under 200gn swc and its pretty dirty and smokes a little too. Might up it a tad myself

 

[BradMacc82]

These haven't been too bad, there's a little bit of soot on the case when I pick up my brass, the barrel hasn't been too dirty, been cleaner than Wolf anyways, but I may up the charge just a touch on the next batch to see if I can minimize the sooting on the cases.

After my mis-adventures in .223 loading, I've been a bit hesitant to tweak something that's working just fine so far.

I like the 4.7gr charge because it shoots well, ejects consistently, and it's very manageable on recoil.

 

[DocAitch]

Reloads

I also started with .45 ACP and found it to be a great learning cartridge.
I apologize for a tangential query that has probably already been flogged.
You have probably addressed this in another thread but the remark about the .223 going full auto caught my eye.
I had something similar happen with a MAS 49/56 and the quick fix was mil spec primers (CCI 34 for large rifle, CCI 41 for small) {it did give me an excuse to go out and find an MAS 36 bolt rifle to use up those other reloads}.
DocAitch

 

[BradMacc82]

Yep, the F/A was attributed to a dragging firing pin, inexperience and hot loads were the main culprit in that instance - popping/puncturing primer's and fouling the pin up, with the burst fire being the end result. Quite the learning experience.

I've since switched to the #41's for my AR loads, I probably could've kept running the 400's, but after that mis-adventure, no way.

I'm really enjoying the .45 loads, after cutting my teeth on .223, .45 has been an absolute dream, I'm just waiting on a batch of Berry's 185gr to come in so I can load up some more.

 

[BigCity]

Brad,

I just picked up a 220 Sig today and can volunteer to test out your loads for you.

 

[BradMacc82]

Hahaha - I'm sure most people wouldn't mind free ammo BigCity, if you were closer, that could be arranged.

Right now I'm quite comfortable with my loads where they're at, I may up the charge just a bump though, even if I do though I'm still safely under what the max is listed as.

I'm very interested to see how the 185gr Berry's perform, the price was great for 250.

 

[BigCity]

Well, it was worth a shot!

 

[BradMacc82]

Well, it was worth a shot!

It's always worth a try!


If your ever in SoMD, let me know - I'll send you home with a box to try out.

Unlike my first attempts at .223, these actually work - and very pleasant on the recoil if I say so.


EDIT: Although if you put an eye out, I know nothing of where you got them from...

 

[BradMacc82]

Got a batch of the Berry's 185gr HBRN today.

Made some up to various lengths and charges (I made sure to make very careful notes about each batch), see if I can't squeeze a few off tomorrow and see how they run.

Anyone else running these with TG? What type of performance are you getting out of them? Thanks.

 

[BradMacc82]

For those that care...

Berry's 185gr HBRN on 5.2gr charge Tite-group, COL of 1.250. Burns pretty clean, more accurate then I am, seems to work pretty well for my 4" M&P .45

Granted, I'm not the best with a pistol (still working on my fundamentals), but for 15 yards I feel this was a decent showing - damn bullseye almost got away untouched.

View attachment 56816

 

[august1410]

For those that care...

Berry's 185gr HBRN on 5.2gr charge Tite-group, COL of 1.250. Burns pretty clean, more accurate then I am, seems to work pretty well for my 4" M&P .45

Granted, I'm not the best with a pistol (still working on my fundamentals), but for 15 yards I feel this was a decent showing - damn bullseye almost got away untouched.

View attachment 56816

Here's some of my first run of .38 Special. Works good with a 158gr LSWC bullet and 3.2 grains of Bullseye powder.

Looks like our shooting skills are about the same.