Preferred powder for 45 acp

[brewer12345]

I will soon be loading 200 grain plated and cast bullets in 45 cap for a 1911. What powder should I start with? I have lots of unique and bullseye on hand, plus have hp38 most of the time. I have some slower powders that might work like longshot, 800x, etc., but for a standard pressure target load I am thinking these are not ideal.

 

[mdi]

For my 45 ACPs, I have used both Unique and Bullseye for loads with 200 LSWCs (I don't use plated). The Bullseye loads are lighter and seem to be a little more accurate, but for my shooting, both work quite well. Can't go wrong with a 5.0-5.5 gr charge of Bullseye...

 

[Walkalong]

Bullseye, N310, N320, WST, 700X, W-231, Unique, AA #5......

Longshot and 800X are too slow. Sure, you could make them "work", but they are far from optimal at the low pressure the .45 ACP runs at.

 

[joneb]

For 200 gr plated RN I like 5.2-5.3 gr of Bullseye with a COL of 1.263".

 

[drband]

From what you have on hand, I would start with Bullseye.

My favorite is actually Red Dot for Target/plinking with .45acp 200gr cast coated LSWC. Works great for 230gr plated, too.

 

[Rule3]

Time to make the popcorn

Bullseye, HP 38, WST, Unique they all work.

Bullseye was the standard GI load powder for a gazillion years.

 

[DazedandConfuzed]

HP-38 works well for me.

 

[brewer12345]

I keep lots of unique around because I also use it for 20 gauge, but a 4 pounder of bullseye would certainly load a lot of shells. Just trying to avoid adding any more powders when what I already have should work.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Time to make the popcorn

Bullseye, HP 38, WST, Unique they all work.

Bullseye was the standard GI load powder for a gazillion years.

Yup. This has been asked tooooo many times, and the answers are always the same. I use the Search feature.

 

[JeffG]

If you have Blue Dot laying around... it’s snappy without high pressure.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I use 5.0 gr of Unique with a 200 gr cast bullet. Its accurate and easy shooting.

 

[Toprudder]

My experience with 45acp is that it is a little more picky about which powders work well, due to the lower pressure (needed for some powders to burn completely and consistently). Still, the ones already mentioned work well.

One of my favorites now is Clays. It works really well for lower recoil loads, if that is what you want. I think it burns cleaner than Bullseye in that application.

 

[Baldy]

In all my years I found nothing that's any better than Bullseye.

 

[Rule3]

If you have Blue Dot laying around... it’s snappy without high pressure.

Seriously? Out of all the available powders, Blue Dot?? Pretty much a SLOW magnum powder which is flaming dirt and uses a lot of powder.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I've been loading 6.4 grs of Unique under 230 gr FMJs and Platted RN bullets. Seems pretty accurate and recoil isn't bad at all.

 

[Jimster]

Another vote for Bullseye.

 

[tranders]

HP-38 and Bullseye work well and I also use Titegroup with plated bullets.

I loaded 100 rounds of 45ACP with HS6,but haven't had the chance yet to test them out.

 

[cfullgraf]

700-X is my main powder for 45 ACP behind 230 grain RN bullets. Accurate #5 is my backup when 700-X is unavailable.

Either should work fine with 200 grain bullets.

Recently, I got a Colt Gold Cup and I have been dabbling with Accurate #2 and 185-200 gr semi-wadcutters. Lots of promise but I have not had the time to load and shoot a bunch of these.

I’ve used Unique, Bullseye, and W231 in decades past with good results.

Virtually all the powders already mentioned will work well in 45 ACP. So choose the one that “rings your bell”, do a little research to verify safe loads are out there for your bullet and give it a try.

 

[Jack B.]

Bullseye ,WST,AA#2 and Unique. In that order.

 

[someguy2800]

bullseye or power pistol

 

[Slamfire]

I was able to find an article, in the early 1950's, by Clark who was using Bullseye powder and the H&G type 68 bullets (200 grain) in Bullseye Competition. I believe that the H&G 68 mold was a pre WW2 mold. A load of 4.0 grains Bullseye with a 200 LSWC has been a standard, if not classic, 50 yard Bullseye load like, forever. The standard GI Hardball load was a 230 FMJ with 5.0 grains Bullseye. This was the original 1910 load for the experimental cartridges fired in the hand gun tests, that lead to the adoption of the 1911.

Bullseye was the powder that the original cartridges used, was used through two World Wars, and tons of the powder was used in Bullseye Competition.

 

[murf]

bullseye!

murf

 

[brewer12345]

Interesting stuff. The cast bullets are from a lee copy of the HG 68 design. Bullseye, it is.

 

[Galil5.56]

I will soon be loading 200 grain plated and cast bullets in 45 cap for a 1911. What powder should I start with? I have lots of unique and bullseye on hand, plus have hp38 most of the time.

You have some very fine propellants, and I'm sure between them can load up some great ammo. I've used all three for a very long time with my own cast 200 grain bullets, and they work great from very mild, to pretty stout. FWIW, I have found Power Pistol to be absolutely fantastic too, even when loaded down... And if you really want to push them, PP is very hard to beat with regard to top velocity, yet very accurate too. Good luck.

 

[Galil5.56]

I loaded 100 rounds of 45ACP with HS6,but haven't had the chance yet to test them out.

What bullet did you use? HS-6 and 230 grain Speer Gold Dots have made me some nice ammo, running about 875 FPS from a 1911/845 FPS from a SIG P220, with pretty good ES and low SD.