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My favorite powder for .45 ACP in an autoloader so far for moderate target loads and light recoil is Accurate #2. It can be kind of dirty in .45ACP revolvers, but works well in my CZ97 for light target or heavier bowling pin loads, with bullets from 200 grains up to 250. I've heard good things about Bullseye for these loadings, got a can of that to try out.
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This is interesting. I love the Accurate powder line because it seems so clean (I try not to post my love too much lest people get the wrong idea). I have in my powder cabinet a half bottle of Bullseye (many years old) and 3.5 bottles of accurate #2 (less than a year old due to frequent replacement). The reason is that in my SP101 revolver, Bullseye gums it up so that after about 100 rds the cyclinder locks up till I clean it -- Literally won't work. When I had the gun new I thought it was broken. With A#2, I can shoot a couple hundred rounds and it's still ready to go for more just like when it's sparkly clean.

Is there a reason a powder might be clean in a narrow case like a .38 but dirty in a .45 and why a different powder would be the opposite? I'm not disputing your experience -- it's just so opposite of mine I wonder if there is something going on in relatively wider cases vs. narrower cases.
 
@ awshoot It seems to me that powders have an ideal pressure operating range. Smaller cases like 9mm tend to develop a much higher pressure than the larger low pressure .45 ACP. I've observed in ladder tests where a powder operating below the ideal pressure tends to burn dirty, but as you load hotter and get into where that powder wants to be, it cleans up. Other factors are the speed of the powder, and the weight of the bullet. Heavier bullets have more inertia, so you get a higher pressure spike as it just starts to move. AA#2 does tend to be a really clean powder in 9mm for me, although I can't speak to .38 so much since I haven't loaded for it. The only idea I have as to why the same .45 ACP load with AA2 runs dirty in my revolver, and clean in my automatic, is that a load for the auto is short enough for there to be significant bullet jump in the revolver, which could result in lower pressures while the powder is still burning. That, or the grit/taggant I'm seeing in the revo just goes out the barrel and ejection port on the auto? Just to muddy the waters a little bit, the primer is a bigger part of the clean/dirty equation than I had thought. There's an article where some folks tested the lead free primers with a few different powders, and surprisingly, Titegroup burned pretty clean with them. I don't mean to sound like I think I'm any sort of expert, these are just my hypotheses as to why certain powders run better and cleaner in certain guns and calibers. I'm pretty sure the biggest factor is pressure.

I've shared this before, but you might find it interesting, if you haven't seen it, yet: Pistol Primer test
 
@ awshoot It seems to me that powders have an ideal pressure operating range. ...

Interesting stuff and a recent experience of mine matches what you are saying. I was working up a .357 load with Accurate #9 and after checking only one book (Hornady I think) started at the low end and worked upward to the high end in a ladder test. It turned out the Hornady max was near another reference's starting load. Only series E started to feel like .357 at all but was still mild. Even then, I'm not proud of seeing an ES of 58 for E, but 427 for B? Holy cow.
Velocity
FPS​
Avg​
SD​
ES​
A​
1189​
1114​
1159​
1096​
1175​
1146.6​
39.9​
93​
B​
748​
1108​
1029​
868​
1175​
985.6​
175.4​
427
C​
1025​
1247​
1160​
1217​
1077​
1145.2​
93.3​
222​
D​
1311​
1361​
1190​
1320​
1295.5​
73.6​
171​
E​
1331​
1383​
1389​
1349​
1381​
1366.6​
25.3​
58​

Some of those in the early series just went "poof" and in my notes I remarked on the tips of the cases being covered in soot. I should have checked the gun for soot but didn't think of that.

Anyway -- I think what you're saying makes a lot of sense -- it's like there's a certain place where if there isn't quite enough powder it gets totally unstable. That makes me wonder about giving that Bullseye a second chance, but only on the hotter end of things.

I've shared this before, but you might find it interesting, if you haven't seen it, yet: Pistol Primer test

Wow! Right now I'd take primers made of coal dust and dirty fry oil if they went bang, but when those lead free Fiochis end up back on the shelves, I want some!
 
@awshoot I have used AA #5 for 45 ACP jacketed or plated bullets. Shoots clean and is an accurate load. Also
I have used Universal and CFE pistol with good results. CFE pistol leaves some sort of soot on most cases?
My old 4 grains of Bullseye and 200 SWC lead is a very accurate low recoil target load. This load has proven
to be the most accurate in over a dozen different pistols. Will function with standard power recoil springs.
25 yards off hand.:p
DSC00206.JPG
 
Gonna cast up some more 230 grain slugs this weekend, and try out a ladder of Bullseye. Still waiting on the mold for 200 grain .452 with cannelure, I think that one's going to be useful. Got lots of lead, but I can't find much in the way of commercial bullets right now, at least not at prices I'm willing to pay. I have a can of #5 to try out, I had wondered if maybe some of my loads would be more in the right zone with that.
 
Here is an interesting load I use.

GREENDOT about 4.7 to 5.3 grains works for loads 200 and 230grain. Never had an issue.

Otherwise, I really started liking longshot in the 45.
 
Yea general consensus was light loads. I started off on the low end of the charge data since it was my first go.
Light loads are not always safer for a variety of reasons, including the fact that pressure is required to seal the case to the chamber wall. Blowback past the case can result in crap in the face too.
 
Light loads are not always safer for a variety of reasons, including the fact that pressure is required to seal the case to the chamber wall. Blowback past the case can result in crap in the face too.
Thats exactly what happens with Hyda Shock ammo from federal. I HATE THAT STUFF! Will never buy it again.
 
As stated, a given powder may burn cleaner or dirtier based on the load and pressure. This is why I think it's common for one person to say it's a dirty powder and yet another will say it's very clean burning.
 

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