mont1120

I have not had the issues some folks here have had with the Xtremes, so I have shot thousands of them with no issues, I did have a run of .45 RN that seemed to be soft on the nose resulting in a dimple that I don't think had much effect on accuracy. Xtreme get their orders out fast, I've never had any late issues or problems with any order.

Rainier's were much better for me then Berry's. I use Extremes for local matches, but like everyone else, the Montana Golds are superior in any gun. And they charge for it too......but it makes a huge difference in accuracy. I went and ordered 500 each of 230 .45, 500 155 .40, and 500 of the 147 grain 9mm from Bayou bullets. I'll chrono them up and report the results here. They look pretty cool anyway. I got the green ones.......

I went down to 6 .0 grains of 800x and got the slide to still work fine. But at 5.8 it started to blow unburnt powder out the old muzzle and shower the bench with flakes. Still made 169 power factor with 230 grain Extremes.

I will post my findings with chrono results and some different powders. I was going to buy the sample but like you the shipping was nuts, so I bought 500 each. With the comments here I cannot go wrong.

Having shot mostly Xtremes for the past 4 years, I ordered a sample of the 9MM, .45 and .40 to test them side by side. I have not has any issues at all with the plated bullets from Xtreme, but am curious as to see if any differences exist between the two. Cost plays no factor, it is accuracy I am trying to find any real measurable improvements. As to customer service Xtreme would be hard pressed to be beaten. that cannot be said for competing plated bullet makers I have dealt with.......one in particular I would not ever purchase from again.

I wrote that post a little badly. I wasn't wanting to use 4227:or 296 in the .45, I just meant I know those slower powders do need to be used at max loads or they will not function right. I only use those in .44 mag and for.30 carbine. With the great posts here I now remember seeing unburnt powder from a reduced 800x load. This is go min formation to begin with though. At least I need not worry about radical spikes in pressure from lighter loads. I can't remember where I heard the myth about now charge pressures but it has been out there from some time. Live and learn.

With the severe shortage in powders, and no end in sight, those of us in the frozen underpopulated tundras buy just about any pistol/shotgun powders we can find. With the sometimes limited loading data that can be gathered, experimenting with lowered powder charges to reduce velocity and recoil are in need by many shooters. In order to try and lower powder charges to find the best combination,is there any danger of creating dangerous spikes in cartridge pressures loading below listed minimums? It is my understanding WIN296 and IMR4227 don't work well in reduced loadings, but my concern is in the reduction of powders such as IMR800X, 700X, Longshot, and others. Is there a common formula to lower the charge and then proceed to adjust lower or higher? Having case splitting or head separation is not a fun event. Before I experiment with reduced loads, springs, and bullet weight I thought I had better seek this answer first.

One pounds cans of Titewad at JM Reloading this morning. .

Thanks Natgas.....

Recently I stumbled across an 8 lb. jug of WSF and grabbed it. I don't see much loading data except for fairly hot rounds in the 832 FPS range, which is much hotter then I want to meet major in USPSA. does anyone have a lighter load not listed that is closer to the 740 fps range so recoil is lower? Also, has anyone used this for .40 S&W in the 180 grain range? I use the Xtreme 180 grain HP's. Thanks folks for the help.....my hands are getting up there in age and the less pounding I get the better off I will be.

Thanks Brenden. I'll see how that works in my Kimber.

This summer I tried three different brands of bullets to "test' the accuracy of my average shooting ability with aging eyeballs. This was done in 9MM (124, 130, 147), .40 (180) and the .45 (230) hollow points. To test them I used Berrys, MG, and the Xtremes. In 9MM, the hp 124 ended up being a solid surprise shooting very well, it will be my go to for steel and 3 Gun. Berrys was ok with the 124 and 147. Any difference in accuracy with the MG was in my opinion purely shaking hands. The 180 was almost tie, with the MG coming out on top. I have some 160s on hand but feel the recoil is better with the 180 weights. In the .45, nothing beats the 230 RN MG. There is a difference in groups, but I am not a bullseye shooter, and have switched to Xtreme because I have encountered stove pipe issues with Berrys. The Xtreme did perform well enough for the close range USPSA that I compete in for Limited 10. The customer service part of the three is hands down clearly better at Xtreme. Shipping is fast, the order goes out quickly, and I get a human on the line when I call. This is in incredible contrast to the other two companies. MG would not be a company to even bother to call, they are so busy they lack fundamental customer service acumen. Berrys on the other hand is impossible to work with, and I would never buy a single item from them ever again. For the cost, Xtreme is the best buy and the results are great. MG makes a slightly superior jacketed round, but for 90% of the shooters here, our guys more then likely cant shoot any better to justify the huge price differential.

With the severe shortage in reloading pistol powders, especially in the northwestern frozen tundra states, we have to do with what we find. I have gotten 6 pounds of 800-X but find most .45 340 grain plated loads produce a fairly high velocity result. My first chrono with this load of 6.5 grains lowest recommended load on the Hodgdon site) produces a much higher power factor then I will ever want. Doing the math, I get a 186 power factor which I want to lower closer to the minimum for major. How light of a load is considered safe using this powder? Are there any problems going lower then the listed loads suggested by the loading manual? On a side note using 800-X in 9MM using 115 and 124 plated yielded some light recoiling loads that I was surprised with. Will be using these loads for 3 Gun and steel.

I was having a great time at the USPSA Nationals in UT a few months ago, and as this was my first match, I was quite nervous and missed stupid shots, breaking concentration more then once. Still, being a relatively new shooter, I was adjusting to the pressure (somewhat) when the rails came off the track. On a stage I pulled my .45, placed two shots immediately into the NO SHOOT 10 feet away. I saw them clearlyand was just dumbfounded. The next shot, the rear sight is gone. I am only a C class shooter, and trying to shoot a stage w/o the rear sight is plain miserable. That night I re-tightenthe sight, use a gallon of Loctite, and I am confident the next day will go well.Tthe first stage, all is well, the next stage the Gods of Shooting decided to have fun. I must have walked under a ladder, had a black cat cross my path, broken a mirror, and poked a bear in the eye, because the craziest thing happened. I pulled the trigger three times, then all of a sudden I get whacked in the mouth and thought something has flown in like a ricochet and stunned the hell out of me. Thought sure my tooth had snapped. Turns out the sight came off the gun, the shot sent the slide back, hit the sight which drove it into my mount. Needless to say I had to stop and recover, lost the stage points and got all those really cool FTE's and misses. The moral of the story? Keep shooting no matter what. Teeth are replaceable, scores are not.

The way things are going 3 Gun will consist of the following allowable equipment........ Bolt Action Rifle, magazine mechanically blocked for two rounds, T/C Contender pistol, .32 caliber or smaller, and a single shot break open .410 shotgun. 5 minute max time per stage.

I have seen a double charge absolutely destroy a .44 magnum revolver from factory ammo made really south of here. It blew the cylinder right through the top of the backstrap. As far as I remember, two revolvers in this area were blown up. The point being double charges are rare, but do happen and result in close calls. How you double charge a .44 is beyond me, but for us who reload its a reminder to be very cautious and pay attention to what we do. Glasses, glasses, glasses. We could all live without a finger or two, but to lose your sight is a nightmare to be avoided, don't scrimp on the eye protection.

Normally I prefer 231 or HP-38 (same), but finding that powder is near impossible. Tried using Titegroup but did not like the results. Right now using 800X but it does not meter very well. Be very careful in weight charges. Clays makes a good minor load, but if wanting to use it for major the levels are very close to maximum. Check the rounds with a chrono as mt last ones made 164800. Minor power factor but thank the stars the bullets were slightly heavy, or I would have shot a huge match minor. Will try 700 and of course the old standby, Red dot.

As a Limited 10 .45 shooter, it would seem that the heavier 230 grain bullet is a softer level in recoil than the 200 or 185 round. Certainly the lighter bullets are snappier, and I feel like I can better mange the return to point of aim with the 230 since the recoil is smoother. I find the .40 rounds are even snappier, perhaps that is because of the weight in the actual firearm. While cost is somewhat of a factor in choosing the .45 over the .40, us old dinosaur just seem to hang on to the good old days. That is until the recoil forces me to go to the 9MM. The horror of it all.......

I stopped purchasing powder for pistols about two months ago. Thought I had enough (800 and 700X). I was assured by the local dealers it was just about to break loose and shipments would be catching up. Well wrong wrong wrong. No shipments have arrived and I will again start stocking back up. Will not get caught flat footed again. I do not know what the problems are, but that should not be the driving issue, the fact powder still remains incredibly hard to secure simplifies matters. Buy what you can afford.When it does break lose, the powder will shoot the same.....

I just had the same question you have after buying a Range Officer last week. It is in .45 and it too did not come with a pin. I will be very interested in finding out why this is the arrangement.

Being a left handed shooter, using a Kimber Custom, I personally feel it is very advantageous to use the index finger for the mag release. Having only shot USPSA for three years, I find the mandatory movement to get your finger off the trigger is an automatic response which clears any RO DQ for having a finger in the wrong place. Using the longer digit to find and release the mag button also aids in the ease under how much pressure can be applied at a better angle. The dexterity of the index finger seems to aid in the amount of pressure on the release and less movement to bring the pistol back into action. this movement allows me to keep the high grip on the gun while performing the action. I have tried ambi mag releases but found it was not near as easy as using the index finger. But, in the end, the actual preference of each individual shooter plays the main role in how the firearm is handled.

Bought the gun 3 years ago. Have well over 8K rounds through it. Did have to replace a broken ejector this year, had the slide worked over, and replaced a broken safety. Taking it to the range tomorrow. Got the new mags to try, cleaned the gun to the bone and have 7 different loads. We will figure it out. Thanks for the responses and I will let all know how it comes out.

I will certainly give it a try. my extractor was pretty messy. I was beginning to wonder if the hollow points werent somehow hanging up. I double checked each round in the barrel and they are fine. Anyone had trouble using 800X with .45's.

I should have clarified the steps I have already eliminated that Jack brought up...... 1. Lubed the gun in the safe area prior to shooting. Not excessive but plenty. 2. Happened with 4 different mags on one stage. 3. Have not tired factory ammo, but have tried Xtreme HP, Lasercast lead RN, and MG HP's with differing powders including Red Dot, 800X, and Titegroup. I checked each one with a round tester for proper sizing and chamber fit. 4. Re-checked primers just before last match because of misfires, did find two but the problem persists. 5. If I hit the mag in any harder I will bend the mags. I thought that was the issue but I can assure you it is not. I will go buy some factory ammo and try that, although this load with either the Red Dot or 800X I have used several times.

Having a terrible time with my Kimber Gold custom jamming during USPSA matches. I am in Limited 10 and the issue is strange. The gun will usually run fine for about two stages, perhaps 60 rounds, then stop feeding correctly. Usually if I slam the base of the mag, it will go back into battery and fire, only to do the same thing after 3 rounds. It then fails to let the firing pin far enough forward to hit the primer hard enough to fire the round. This issue is not effected by different loads or bullet type. Presently using Maccormick mags with new springs and they are spotless.The mags are 3-4 years old. Anyone have the same issues?