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I would purchase something like "critical defence" readymades from a known manufacture....for many reasons.
liability, blame, oh so many copy cat 1911's, some made from reformed yogurt top seals, plastic ect.
But the first reason....only reload with data known from a source such as powder mfg ect. these have been tested in specific firearms AND always reduce your powder and work up and look for signs of pressure or your gun coming apart
self defence is one side of the coin, bears and larger scary creatures from the woods have I much higher survival instinct and can absorb alot more lead than us humanoids.
Granted, carrying a 1911 in the woods is neat and comfy, many guides/packers carry 12ga with alternating slug and buck, heavy framed handguns that take the power delivery of super hot loads from 44mag and bigger, but there are trade offs. weight, size and comfort of carry.
and yes, I have hunted, packed and ran cattle in big animal country and encounter bear and mt lion without threat.
 
Hmmm, anymore I would prefer my Smith .357 or Ruger .44mag for defence in the woods or mtns. Yes I did carry a .45 auto (Only pistol I owned at the time) in the woods with 230 gr fmj, my own hand-loads hopped up to 900fps.. and they worked OK with a heavier recoil spring in my pistols, BUT I wouldnt recommend that anyone else do the same.
Never needed to use them on any animals but came close to on an overly inquisitive bull elk once. (Thankfully, the elk saw the error of his ways and took off)... Again, a .357 or Ruger Redhawk .44 are my camp or trail carries these days, and a .30-30 or AK isnt far out of reach...
 
If you look at the ballistics, a 10mm has very little advantage over the .45 ACP, except for sectional density (which can be important in penetration against dense/thick muscle and bone). Yet a lot of people think the 10mm is THE answer for semi-auto woods carry.

Remember, there is a another variable besides energy and velocity a lot of people don't think about; momentum. A projectile with more mass will penetrate deeper, all else being equal - especially against denser tissue.

That said, so will sectional density. If you have a Glock 21 or a SIG P220, you might consider converting it to 10mm for those woods trips where you think you need more "power". As I said, IMO the main advantage of the 10mm is the sectional density - for a given mass, there is more sectional density in a 10mm than a .45 ACP projectile.

Suggestion for the .45 ACP in the woods where you may encounter a black or even brown bear and need to defend yourself (in WA state, brown bears have been seen as far south as Rainier NP. They are rare, especially that far south, but up closer to the Canuckian border?) - IMO, is to get something that will penetrate better than a JHP meant for defense against humans - a thicker jacket JSP for example. Or, if you are going north (Canuckistan, Alyeska) or east to Idaho/Montana, or south to Colorado/Wyoming - then maybe a hardcast or even FMJ bullet loaded to +P - e.g.


It depends on what you think the threat is. Humans, dogs, cougar, even most black bear - standard .45 ACP 230 gr JHP is probably good - especially if you have a double stack mag of 10+ rounds. Brown bear? I would use something like the Buffalo Bore loads.

You didn't really say what you thought you needed the pistol for.

I have black bear and cougar and dogs on my property every day - large coyotes too. I rarely carry a gun - I just don't feel threatened that much to think I need one all the time.
 
If you reload, google 45acp fast loads shooting times. That should get you to a article by brad miller on reloading the 45acp using enforcer powder. The article lists several loads, I've tried a couple, I like them.
 
Buffalo Bore

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You know, for some reason the terms "Hot Loads" combined with "1911/.45ACP" don't really go together. Maybe it's just me?
 
Not sure what you mean by "hot loads"? A single well placed round of most any caliber will neutralize most any threat. So what are you looking to protect yourself from that a standard 45 acp loading isn't inspiring confidence for you? Again if 45 acp isn't enough, get a bigger/different gun.
 
What are some hot loads for 1911 full size 45 for woods carry or selfdefense?
seeing as how this is not in the reloading area I assume you don't reload so as far as store bought, Critical defense from Hornady is a good self defense round. If you want a more critter type round then maybe Buffalo Bore but may need a stiffer recoil spring. There are lots of available types out there you just need to make sure it will function in your particular pistol. Federal personal Defense is also a good option or even Gold Dot from Speer but again it depends on how your pistol functions with them.
 
What are some hot loads for 1911 full size 45 for woods carry or selfdefense?
Well this is a loaded question... (see what I did there?)

Woods carry and self defense are two totally different categories. But if you want woods carry load penetration is key and there are several options for 45 ACP but the most interesting thing to note is good ol 230g FMJ works really well for terminal performance and penetration, plus its cheap, most likely what you practice with and most likely to function in your pistol.
 
45+p is very comparable to 10mm id take either but i chose 10mm, my buddy chose the 45. I feel im more accurate on follow up shots without the douple action trigger pull of a revolver and you get just a bit more capacity.I keep a selection of underwood ammo ranging from 115gr to 200gr in xdefender xpenetrator and jhp all are in the low to mid 700ftlb which i feel is adequate.
 
Check out .450SMC for a1911. DoubleTap sells 255gr hardcast SWC that screams at 1030fps from a 5" barrel. A heavier recoil spring is all that is needed to upgrade your 1911.

 
Check out .450SMC for a1911. DoubleTap sells 255gr hardcast SWC that screams at 1030fps from a 5" barrel. A heavier recoil spring is all that is needed to upgrade your 1911.


only if you want to void the warranty of your pistol...
 

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