.45ACP do you shoot something other than 230gr...?

[gehrheart]

I grew up on the .45ACP. Almost all my auto's are in fact .45. I love the cal. and its what I shoot the most.

Question is?

I always load 230gr. Always carry 230gr. Always shoot 230gr. Seems to me the caliber was designed to shoot 230gr.

How many out there shoot other then 230gr bullets? What weight do you shoot and why? I have seeing a lot of other choices out there and even on the shelfs for loaded ammo I am starting to see less and less options in 230 and more and more in other weights.

Doubt I will change, but I am wondering on what the thoughts on this are. I like big heavy slow hard hitting rounds.

Thoughts?


in liberty
gary

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[ATCclears]

My FMJ is all 230 grain, but for carry I'm using the Hornady Critical Defense 185-grain JHP.

Peter

 

[FullCaliberII]

I take advantage of the big heavy 230grain bullet. My FMJ and JHP .45 ACP is all 230 grain. Beautiful round.

 

[Spray-n-pray]

230gr JHP=flying ashtray

 

[coop44]

do they make other bullets? first I've heard of this.

 

[gehrheart]

do they make other bullets? first I've heard of this.

Kind of what I thought until just lately!

I do have an old mold that cast some 225gr but I have always felt that was close enough to be on the mark..

I was on MidwayUSA last night looking for some bulk options... there were more options outside 230 then there were for 230 and thought ummm thats weird.

 

[Tim K]

200g lead SWC's for practice from Missouri Bullet Company. They cost less, weigh less (reduced shipping) and punch amazingly crisp holes in paper targets. It's the preferred accuracy load as recommended by Wilson Combat. I load them to recoil similarly to my carry load which is 230g Gold Sabers.

I tried the 200 SWC's on a whim and decided I liked them. Next time I rotate my carry ammo out, I'll probably switch to the 185g +P loading in the Gold Sabers. Lots more energy than the 230g loading.

 

[deadeye]

Just loaded a couple hundred 185gr Nosler I had on the shelf to better reflect my carry ammo for practice.

 

[just dan]

i've run 185gr and 200gr... always seem to reach for 230.

the 185gr Hornaday Critical Defence seems ok... I've shot a few boxes of it, seems accurate and reliable. I've also shot countless cases of 230gr over the years, so that's what i always reach for.

 

[sandman1212]

I stick with the 230's, Accurate, reliable and easy to find. I just can't seem to look at anything else.

 

[Throckmorton]

200 grain cast for practice and paper-target matces.Either rnfp or swc,whatever I have loaded up.I also shoot the rnfp's in my cowboy guns ,so one bullet for many tasks.
for sd,230 train HP's,they git 'er done.!

 

[RVTECH]

My best accuracy is with Laser Cast 200 gr. SWC so I stick with them. RN bullets of any weight are not as accurate as the SWC - in my gun anyway.

 

[gehrheart]

RVTECH.
I have heard that and as such, I might pick up a 500 count of the lazer craft to play with and see how it goes for some good plinking ammo.

I honestly have never loaded any SWC ammo in any of my .45's in 20some years of reloading.. maybe time to shake it up a bit.

What powder to you prefer with that if you dont mind sharing. I generaly use Unique.

 

[RVTECH]

I have been using 4.0 grains of Bulleseye for years but I have always noticed it is a little dirty and leaves unburnt flakes of powder in the action SO I am going to try Tightwad and see if I can get similar accuracy with a little cleaner burn. Bullseye just went up in price too and that is another incentive to try something different. Unique loads are typically at the top of the scale for .45 and are not as accurate I have discovered. One last thing - have you ever shot SWC out of your gun? Reason I ask is hopefully your gun will cycle them. Otherwise you may have a partial box up for sale. Mine cycles them flawlessly but not all will.

 

[gehrheart]

I still have most of a 4lbs keg of bullseye so Ill give it a shot. Have never shot SWC out of any of my .45's. One is bound to be able to shoot them so not worried about that. I have been thinking about tightwad as well.
Seems all powder is going up!

hmmmm... something new to try

 

[Greenbug]

RVTECH: TiteWad is shotgun powder. Do you mean TiteGroup?

I couldn't find any pistol data for TiteWad.

I shoot 185 XTP's over Power Pistol.

 

[gehrheart]

oops..


I am prety sure thats what he ment..
and that is what I ment.

 

[RVTECH]

Do you mean TiteGroup?

I stand corrected!

 

[Member 18201]

200 grain SWC, H&G #68 type, with 6.0 grains of Unique for paper. 230 hardball for most other things.

 

[deen_ad]

I had a thread going earlier about shooting 185 in my Kimber rather than the 230 the manual says to break it in with. Not sure it ever really got answered and there was one smart aXX answer.
I only have about 400 rds of 230 and over 1,500 rds of 185.