.45ACP target loads

[Ardent]

Can anyone help me out with some very light target loads for the .45ACP? Right now my lightest load is a 200gr plated FP over 4.0gr titegroup. How much lighter can I go? This works fine with a 16lb spring. I would like to look into using 185gr bullets, who makes plated 185's? Are there any plated bullets lighter than 185 available? The bullets do not have to be plated, just encapsulated, my concern is lead based. Accuracy is a big consideration. Please share what works for you, and what spring weight you are using with the given load. I tried a thread similar to this about a month ago with unsatisfactory results so I'm trying again. Thanks!

Ardent

P.S. Has anyone used REALLY light bullets like 155gr cast? What kind of results did you recieve? Any load data you can share?

 

[Quantrill]

Hensley and Gibbs Mould #130 = 185gr wadcutter
3.5gr 700X
makes a good accurate target load for me and a light springed Gold Cup

 

[stans]

It has been my experience that greater accuracy is not achieved in using bullets lighter than about 200 grains. I know the big ammo makers market a 185 grain JSWC match load, but I find that a 200 grain LSWC is about the most accurate bullet out there, at least for my 45's.

 

[Jim Watson]

There is enough difference gun-to-gun that you cannot count on my lightest load working in your gun... or vice versa. The way to find out is to load and shoot them. Make up some at 0.2 grain steps and testfire. If you lose function and want to go lighter still, buy a 12 lb recoil spring and go again.

If you want "encapsulated" bullets you can do better than plated for accuracy. Hornady sells a line of FMJ bullets with closed bases. But every maker does, really. There are a number of serious target shooters (Including the USMC team.) shooting JHPs instead of the usual semiwadcutters. The flat, smooth, jacketed base of the JHP gives good accuracy, the open point does not contribute to airborne lead. The 185 grain Nosler JHP is popular and I think you haven't covered all the bases on accuracy if you haven't tried Sierra.

I shot some of the little 152 grain .45 bullets. They were mostly an IPSC gimmick to get enough gas volume to operate a big compensator to keep .45s competitive with .38 Supers for a while.

 

[halvey]

3.5 of 700x or Bullseye under a 200 gr swc seems popular at my range. I think a few other guys use 185's, but I've found the 185's as less than satisfactory for my Colt.

 

[biblefreak]

.45

Try Hodgdon Clay's. Not Universal, just plain old Clay's. I can get some pretty dang light loads all the way up to major PF all using an 18lb spring in my SA Mil-Spec. 4.2gr behind a 200gr bullet makes PF moving along an avg. of 865fps, and 3.4 cycles my gun reliably, though I don't know the fps, and is a real powder puff load.

Alot of the other powders i.e. 231, Bullseye, Titegroup all leave alot of unburnt powder that really dirties things up and you end up with black freckles all over you. The Clay's is great for all but the higher end and +P stuff.

For .45acp revolver loads, I have a friend who shoots 3.2gr of Clays through a 6" S&W 686- talk about sweet! Next to no recoil, and would be good in an auto loader if you have a lighter recoil spring.

 

[Ardent]

OK, thanks folks. I just finished loading some experimental loads with a 200gr FP and Titegroup starting as low as 3.0gr and working up until 3.8gr. I know 4.0gr works well in this combo so this will lay the groundwork for going lighter. I should find my happy medium in there. I'll still need to pick up some 185gr bullets and try them with these powder charges.

Ardent

 

[WESHOOT2]

and looky here

www.bullseyepistol.com

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Light .45 loads

As the Calif Saeco sales rep selling thousand of molds, the 185 grain bullet has been the standard Bullseye target bullet for many decades. We did make a 180 grain bullet mold and I sold those molds to only to men who had highly accurized 1911's.

To shoot lighter bullets than a 185 gr bullet you need to open your wallet to a very good gunsmith.

 

[Howard O]

G'day.

Before our government banned any calibre greater than 38 (single action and metalic silhouette guns exempted) in the good old days when I owned a Detonics Scoremaster 45 I spent a lot of time trying to find loads to shoot a match called Service Pistol which is similar to what you may know as PPC matches.

The power factor was 120 for that match. I had some success with projectiles by an Australian manufacturer which were 155 grain lead swc. In PMC cases with Bullseye (can't actually remember how much) I once got them to shoot an inch group at 55yards of a bench rest. In some other cases they would tumble like mad. They stopped making them and I had given up on them anyway as too frustrating and I went to 185 grain black hard coated swc. With 3.2 grains of an Australian powder called AS 30 which is a fast buring powder slightly slower than bullseye they shot great and were the standard for competitors shooting 45s. Some guys used WST with great success under 185 grain coated proj's and a State Champion that I know won that state title using 185grain SWC over WST.

What I actually logged on to say was when shooting light loads with a 45 check out Wolff variable rate recoil springs. I used a 13 or 14 lb variable rate spring with loads making a power factor of 140+. The beauty of the variable with light loads is they let the slide get moving under the softer end (less winds) of the spring and as the slide moves back you get the stiffer end of the spring taking up the movement. Loads that I needed a 10lb spring for to cycle the slide felt like they were going to break the slide as it hit the back of the frame. The 10lb let the slide move but then getting the slide shut was like slow motion and I was waiting for it to close to fire the next shot. It also made "felt recoil" seem worse because the recoil was over before the slide came forward which reduced that slide moving forward influence on the reduction of recoil if that makes sence. What I am trying to say is the same load with a 10lb spring threw the gun backwards harder than it did with the 13lb. the 13 or 14 lb variables let the slide open like a 10lb spring but stop the slides rearward motion and send it forward again like a 13 or 14 lb spring. They are GREAT for light loads.

Try them I can't recommend them enough for light loads with a full weight slide.

Good luck
Howard.

 

[Khornet]

G'day to you, too Howard

I've done the same. I put Wolff springs in my Series 70 Gold Cup back in the early 90s and have been quite happy.

I found that I got the best accuracy with 185 gr lead SWC bullets, and use as little as 3.3 grs Bullseye with no problems. I've used bullets as light as 152grs, lead SWC, with no difficulties but not as accurate as 185s.

So if you're planning on target shooting, especially NRA Bullseye type, get some light/variable Wolff springs and load down. My children can comfortably shoot my Gold Cup all afternoon.

 

[Ardent]

Thanks again, more good info.

Greetings to a fellow member of the Commonwealth, Howard O.

Ardent