.45 ACP powder options

[olyroller]

After years of reloading the 45 ACP, and trying a lot of different powders, my go to powder for full power 230 grain loads is Accurate #5. It meters wonderfully as it is a ball powder. You can't double charge a case as a full power load is 8.5 to 8.7 grains and loading density is close to 100%. It offers lower pressure for a given velocity than about any powder. It is clean. It has superb accuracy. The only downside is that you use somewhat more powder than some of the faster burning powders, but to me, that is far offset by all the positives.

After loading tens of thousands of rounds of 45 ACP ball ammo, I have yet to find a better powder for full power 230 grain loads....

All good reasons to use AA#5. I might try it next time I buy powder. Does it also work well for 9mm and .40S&W?

 

[Mikej]

Has anybody mentioned W231/HP38?

I like it.

 

[JD2]

All good reasons to use AA#5. I might try it next time I buy powder. Does it also work well for 9mm and .40S&W?

AA#5 works quite well in the 9mm. I don't shoot or load for the 40 S&W so I've no experience there, but the burn rate is such that it should be a good powder there too. I use AA#5 in the 38 Special, 9mm, 44 Special, 45 ACP, and 45 Colt. It does a good job in all of them as long as you're loading moderate to full power loads. There are better powders for light loads, but for medium to full power loads, it's a great, versatile, powder....

 

[DirectDrive]

An old 1911 competition shooter I knew, used 231
Meters well, clean burning and does the job.
That's all you need.

 

[Pete F]

All good reasons to use AA#5. I might try it next time I buy powder. Does it also work well for 9mm and .40S&W?

I use AA#5 for my .41 AE, which is very similar to the .40 S&W. It works great. My Dad made up some .357 Magnum using AA#5. I haven't tried them yet, but should work fine.

 

[olyroller]

AA#5 works quite well in the 9mm. I don't shoot or load for the 40 S&W so I've no experience there, but the burn rate is such that it should be a good powder there too. I use AA#5 in the 38 Special, 9mm, 44 Special, 45 ACP, and 45 Colt. It does a good job in all of them as long as you're loading moderate to full power loads. There are better powders for light loads, but for medium to full power loads, it's a great, versatile, powder....

Thanks. I think I will give it a try.

 

[orygun]

After years of reloading the 45 ACP, and trying a lot of different powders, my go to powder for full power 230 grain loads is Accurate #5. It meters wonderfully as it is a ball powder. You can't double charge a case as a full power load is 8.5 to 8.7 grains and loading density is close to 100%. It offers lower pressure for a given velocity than about any powder. It is clean. It has superb accuracy. The only downside is that you use somewhat more powder than some of the faster burning powders, but to me, that is far offset by all the positives.

After loading tens of thousands of rounds of 45 ACP ball ammo, I have yet to find a better powder for full power 230 grain loads....

Have you chrono-ed any of these loads?

 

[oremike]

All good reasons to use AA#5. I might try it next time I buy powder. Does it also work well for 9mm and .40S&W?

#5 works very well in 9 & 40 as well as the before mentioned calibers, I use it in 380acp to.

 

[JD2]

8.5 grains of AA#5 with a Remington 230 FM runs around 850 to 900 fps in my full size 1911 government models (5 inch barrel). Depends on the gun, but that's a good chronograph average.

 

[GWS]

I've had good luck with Unique, Clays and AA5.

 

[JRuby]

I use hs6 it has worked well for me.

 

[Pops1911]

Now 500+ reloaded and shot rounds with Win231 5.2grs and Win Large pistol primers under Berry's 230gr plated bullets. I'm liking this combo a lot.

 

[mr.revolverguy]

I might as well jump on this train with W231. Tried many over the years and W231 seems to give the best recoil impulse

 

[Decoy]

Autocomp was developed for autoloading pistols. Meters great and is very consistent.

It is my to go powder for 45 acp, 40 S&W, 9MM, 38 Super Comp and even makes major in 9MM.

Used to keep a bunch of powders but now I only need one.

 

[coop44]

Unique for me, good for multiple calibers. Also a fan of 3031 for my milsurps calibers.

 

[bbbass]

TiteWad for powder puff 230gr loads. About 600fps and a lighter recoil spring. Smooth as butter. Hogdon lists 2.8gr 230gr 684fps. 3.3gr 767fps. Meters great and very low cost!!

***** Do NOT use Titewad in 9mm, it is too unpredictable at 9mm pressures.

 

[amusicman2]

I just did some loads with Winchester 231, Titegroup and Accurate #5. Also shot some Remington "bucket o' bullets" factory. W231 was the cleanest burning of all the cartridges.

 

[nfield4]

I've used Win 231 a good deal, made on a Dillon 550.
I learned to use loaded-powder, depth-gauge* for every cartridge. No need to ask why. Double charges must be avoided at all costs.

*small roofing nail, inserted head down, with depth marks on shank.

 

[maverick3522]

Winchester 231 works well but I have found that it is temperature sensitive. I used it quite a bit in the past as a competition shooter (action pistol) but found that for a load that I had developed in the winter months (to include extensive chronograph testing). The same load would be consistently 60 to 100 feet per second slower in the summer. Unique works well but I have found it to be a little too dirty for the amount of shooting that I have engaged in. Either shooting in a match or in practice sessions preparing for a match (between 300 to 600 rounds). I like using titegroup in that per pound of powder I will get about 200 to 300 more rounds of equivalent power loads than I will get out of 231 or unique. Titegroup (in my eperience) seems to run cleaner in the gun and it is not temperature sensitive. Just 2 cents worth.......

 

[Seared Saba]

CFE Pistol is pretty decent.