what powder

Fustercluck · Sep 9, 2010

fa18hooker said:
.45 is pretty easy to load for, as it is very forgiving (the window of "good shooting" is large and tough to mess up). Take a look at a burn rate chart...powders are listed in descending order of burn rate. For years Alliant Bullseye was the burn rate standard (a 1.0 listing, with everything afterwards being slower). Modern burn rate charts have faster powders (more energetic), but most still recognize Bullseye as the standard. That being said, I shoot 3.8 of Bullseye behind a 185 grain semi-wadcutter bullet...it's a target load, extremely light recoil, but VERY accurate. For those who say that case volume has an effect, I vehemently disagree. Look at the national champions in pistol...they all use somewhere in the range of 3.5-4.5 of Bullseye or a similar powder. Years ago there was an urban legend that revolver shooters were blowing up their guns by using a light charge of a fast powder in a large case (say Bullseye in a .357), causing the powder to detonate rather than deflagrate. In almost every case that was investigated it was found that the cases were double-charged...so the real danger with a low-volume, high energy powder is that it's not immediately obvious that you've overcharged a case. If you double-charge a case with something like Trailboss (cowboy action powder), the case will overflow and you'll know you screwed up. If you double up a 3.8 charge of Bullseye and don't catch it, the first indication will be the bananna leafed barrel, hoping the slide holds it together (an exaggeration, as 7.6 of Bullseye won't blow up your gun...it'l bulge your barrel, but not blow the gun up). So short story long, I chose that combo for accuracy, and it delivers...you're pushing bullets out like a mortar (you can see them go downrange if the lighting is right), but they hold X-ring groups at 50 yards from a ransom rest.

This may sound counterintuitive, but I agree with everything you said, especially about accuracy from small charges. My previous post postulating that an ideal load would occupy more than 1/3 of case capacity and provide the most consistent accuracy is true. It also has the potential to affect group consistency.

The most accurate bullseye load out of my old Bullseye gun was 4g of Bullseye pushing a 200g Star LSWC with a crimp of 0.468". If I held the gun at a slight upward angle, it would chrono 75fps faster than a flat shooting trajectory, with a commensurate decrease in group consistency.

The reason why my groups stay tight when shooting is because I keep the gun at the same level (with the powder leveling out the same way in the case) with each shot. The same theory applies to a ransom rest; the same loading produces ES's less than 15 fps.

fa18, as a complete aside, are you one of the guys I shoot IDPA with at AAFG? There is a guy there that I think flies Hornets (or used to). Always meant to ask you.

Regards,
Danny

Cowboy T · Sep 9, 2010

My buddy uses and loves Titegroup in .45ACP. As others have said, the cartridge works well with quite a few powders (Bullseye and 231 are two examples).

DD214 · Sep 9, 2010

I love me some W231! My standard all purpose load is 5.4 grains of W231 behind a 230gr Berry's RN and a CCI 300 primer. Accurate, clean, and a joy to shoot.

blackthorne · Sep 11, 2010

6.0gr 231 behind a hard cast H&G #68

Lex Armarum · Sep 12, 2010

You know, I was loading some .45s last night and I tell ya what I came across...

I wanted to load several different powders to see how my CZ97B would handle them. Lately, I've been loading 5.1gr. of Red Dot behind a 200gr. JHP from Berry's. However, I was reading up on Accurate No. 5 and was amazed at the muzzle velocity produced by that powder. We're talking 950fps to 1050fps with 8.7 - 9.7gr. of powder (same bullet) so I loaded up 50 rnds @ 9.2gr. to see how they would fly. I also loaded some Bullseye @5.3gr.

molonlabe · Sep 12, 2010

Slower burning powders like accurate 5 can increase muzzle velocity wthout increasing chamber pressures above maximum. To imagine how this is so, faster powders burn quickly well before the bullet exits the bore, whereas slower powders are still burning sometimes after the bullet exits the bore. This allows pressure to build gradually instead of a sharp impluse pressure curve like Norma -1 which is the fastest.

On my relative burn rate chart red dot is listed number 8 where accurate number 5 is 29

shrpshtrjoe · Sep 12, 2010

unique works well for me..

Lex Armarum · Sep 12, 2010

molonlabe said:
Slower burning powders like accurate 5 can increase muzzle velocity wthout increasing chamber pressures above maximum. To imagine how this is so, faster powders burn quickly well before the bullet exits the bore, whereas slower powders are still burning sometimes after the bullet exits the bore. This allows pressure to build gradually instead of a sharp impluse pressure curve like Norma -1 which is the fastest.

On my relative burn rate chart red dot is listed number 8 where accurate number 5 is 29

Any chance you would be willing to scan that burn rate chart and share it with us via attachment?

One aside: The Red Dot load I am using functions very well in my CZ; I mean the thing functions so well with manageable recoil, its like the action is buttered. Almost a near perfect shooting experience. However, that load in my XD was rough due to too sharp recoil (jerking snap)

BeachCop · Sep 12, 2010

I use Accurate Arms #5.

molonlabe · Sep 12, 2010

I will look for a printable chart like mine. But here is a list. It's not complete because accurate 5 should sit between 2 and 7
http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html

Here is a pdf version but still not complete.
http://www.hodgdon.com/burn-rate.html

Here is a nice one that seems complete. Nice piano music to go with it. It can be imported into excel. The disclaimer should be read.
http://home.hiwaay.net/~stargate/powder/powder.htm

JoeRinMD · Sep 12, 2010

I use Alliant Red Dot for loading .45 Auto. It seems to work fine. The one bit of knowledge that I'd pass along is that it took me a while to find a load that would reliably feed lead semi-wadcutters in my 1911. The variable that I played with was the cartridge overall length (C.O.L. in the reloading guides). I finally settled on 1.265 inches as a load that would always feel reliably in my pistol. Yours might need a different length to get reliable feeding.

fa18hooker · Sep 12, 2010

As Joe said, SWC bullets can be difficult, especially if you choose an especially compact version. If you haven't seen Zero bullets (www.rozedist.com), they have decent prices for delivered bullets ($130 for 1000 185 grain jacketed hollow-points). Their JHP will feed in any gun that shoots 230's, and they're just as accurate as the Nosler 185's that the Marine Pistol Team uses.

Billman · Sep 12, 2010

I've been using Win 231 with great results for many years.

jbmabrey · Sep 14, 2010

a81lp said:
hey guys please recommend me a powder for 45 acp. going to start reloading as my wife bought me a press for our anniversary.so im starting with 45. im working on the rest of the components. was going to get cci primers but i have no clue as to which powder to get. also anyone know of a place in central md to get said powder and primers. thanks in advance.

Here is a site that was very helpful to me when I first started handloading 44 mag.
http://stevespages.com/page8c.htm
Since then I have expanded to 357 mag, 223, and 357 Rem. Maximum and most recently 12 ga shotgun sabot slugs.
As you can see from the many answers to your question people either choose 1 or 2 powders and stay with it or they experiment/explore with a variety of powders(I call that fun).
This guy in Montana, Steve, has pages listing loads for rifles and handguns in a whole range of bullet weights http://stevespages.com/page8.htm and specifically 45- http://stevespages.com/451p.html
You should cross reference these loads with handloading manuals or online loads from manufacturers. But I have found them to be within listed loads in my Sierra software, Hornady, Vitavhouri, Hodgdon, and others manuals.

For a wealth of information on reloading in general and for specific calibers- http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

I myself have used N330, 340 and 350 in my 44mag handgun as well as Unique, AA5, AA7, AA9,5744.
I've used N110 and N120 in my 357 max -awesome round and load, also 1680, 2400, IMR 4227 and 5744.
I've used Herco, Unique, Longshot in handloading 12 ga. slugs.

Which "one" would I recommend -"None of them"
Which "5 or 10 would I recommend for a 45" -- http://stevespages.com/451p_1_200.html .

Good luck and above all "Have fun and be safe"

jbmabrey · Sep 14, 2010

a81lp said:
hey guys please recomend me a powder for 45 acp. going to start reloading as my wife bought me a press for our anniversary.so im starting with 45. im working on the rest of the components. was going to get cci primers but i have no clue as to which powder to get. also anyone know of a place in central md to get said powder and primers. thanks in advance.

Just a follow up- you need to decide on a bullet and bullet weight as each one will have different load recommendations-then find that listing either online or in a manual. Some would say if you use a Hornady bullet just look at their manual and go from there. On Steve's pages he has repeatedly crosschecked data, bullets etc and lists in weights only. i would say that's a valid way to handload after you get some experience and want to experiment.
As an example Hornady list 10 powders for their 200 gr. xtp ranging from 4.8 to 9.8 gr. depending on your choice for speed. My Sierra software lists 11 powders but 5 of them are different than Hornady. they range from 5.2-9.4 gr.
Lee's Modern Reloading (which is the manual I would recommend for a new person) has 29 loads listed for jacketed bullets, 28 loads for lead bullets, 3 loads fo 200 gr. copper plated and 5 loads for xtp bullets.
Nosler's manual like each of the others is specific to their bullets alone. The lee manual and Steve's pages are broader in scope and filled with how to info.

You might want to look here http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1284460795.3393=/html/HelpVideos/video.html and also search you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5bKsyge1fk
good luck

4MDGunRights · Sep 14, 2010

I am another reloader that uses and likes W231.

TripleChris · Sep 23, 2010

I have had great success with HP-38 and Bullseye. Think I will stick with Bullseye for the time being.

I have shot Oregon Trail laser cast bullets, Hornady FMJ and XTP rounds, and both Berrys and Rainier plated bullets. Of them all, the Hornady bullets are by far my favorites. 230 gr Hornady FMJ over 5.0 grains of Bullseye. Simple and a classic out of my 1911.

what powder

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