45 ACP Arsenal Mold 45-230 gr PC Load info.

[Erief0g]

I'm still unable to shoot much, if at all, due to family health risks and the locations I can shoot at. So, I've taken up casting and been enjoying some work on the 9mm cast boolits front. Now I'm moving on to 45acp and after this will move to 44 mag.

Pictures will be uploaded shortly.

The data I have:
For reference: My 45acp reference load has been Everglades FMJ 230 grain RN. (stnd ball ammo)
My FMJ everglades 230 grain was loaded at 1.260 with no plunk issue.

Arsenal mold: This mold is RNFP and will drop bullets with my alloy at 233 to 236 grains.I hitek coat one coat, then size, then one or two more coats depending.

My load is obviously not a "book load" so some extrapolation is required. I'll error on the side of caution and work from there.

So to determine case capacity differences from what I'm used to I did a bit of workup.
My Everglades FMJ bullet is .665 oal and my cartridge oal is 1.260. My sized brass is .890 or minimally varying from that but we'll use .890 as my reference. Difference from OAL to Brass is 0.37 of bullet proturding from case. That leaves .295 in case. .295 inside case with my FMJ's.

Next I load up some 45 acp dummies. WOAH.. shape of these says heck no on the plunk test, had to go much shorter than expected. I was able to not touch the rifling at 1.179. I then loaded a few dummies on press and setup dies so my finished rounds landed at 1.170 on the nose. A little tight on clearance but I seems like I'm seating these pretty deep. Hence this ponderance that I've been working on.

My Arsenal mold RNFP 235 grain (+/-) bullet oal is .600. My cartridge oal is 1.170. My sized brass is .890. Difference from OAL to brass is 0.28 of bullet protruding from case. That leavs .32 of bullet inside the case. .32 inside case with arsenal mold cast boolits.

So I know that my bullet will take up more case capacity that my standard FMJ load.but I also know that lead boolits slide out much easier persay. I'm going to go a different direction from my FMJ load as far as powder. My FMJ loads all ran with Bullseye. My arsenal molds will be running WST and it's my first time with this powder.

Lyman cast 4th edition shows a lyman #452374 225gr oal 1.272oal wst 4.2 min/ 4.7 max
also has 230 gr pill listed but no WST reference.

My plan is to load 15 each on quite a few different loads. These will all be shot in my sig sauer 1911 until I can find a FN FNX 45 tactical for any stretch of a fair price and in stock.. (another thread in itself)
Considering starting load at 3.9 gr up to 4.5 and chrono each load/function test. once load found then will create two or three of the loads for accuracty.

Hopefully someday I'll get to the range with all my test rounds. Pretty sure I'll take a vacation day and enjoy the range all day long..

 

[PapaG]

"Boolits" is proper terminology on that other website. We are more proper here. (Kidding, but you ought to search for the long thread on terms that irritate you. Fun read.

 

[reddog81]

225 / 230 / 233 would all basically use the same data assuming similar bullets. 1.17 OAL sounds about right. RN bullets will pretty much always have a slightly longer OAL than FN bullets.

Your loads sound reasonable. I bet the 3.9 grain load will work in the 1911 unless it has an abnormally strong recoil or hammer spring installed. The 45 ACP case is fairly large and small variations aren't as detrimental as they would be in a 9mm.

 

[AJC1]

Old load manuals did not give an oal and just assumed you started at the starting load and worked up. You can make things a math and mental challenge or just rock the basics and find safe success either way. Load your bullet to where you get good manual function and good plunk and build a ladder of loads starting at minimum and moving up. It really is that easy.

 

[Erief0g]

Agreed.. I'm stretching my mental energy as best I can as the trigger finger has been idle. Hoping by spring things lighten up. Once I get to the range I'll give a report and Chrono results for each load and my take on it.