Clean Burning powder for .45 ACP LSWC 200grn Please Recommend One

[davester00]

Reloading on a dillon 550b

Shooting out of a CC LB .45 ACP

My current load is 4.9 grn SOLO 1000 w/ 200grn dardas LSWC winchester or CCI LPP.

I'm noticing that it my load is pretty smokey and leaves my pistol dirty.

Please suggest a new powder that burns cleaner:

What should I use?

Winchester 231

VV 320

which powder is burns cleanest?

[ben b.]

W231 with 200 LSWC was MUCH dirtier than Solo1000 w. 200 LSWC for me. With 231 it looked like someone dumped copy machine toner inside the pistol.

[A62335]

VV N310

[toddrod]

N310 or Clays are my choices. If just for target loads, Trail Boss works well also

[DougCarden]

Dave, For what it is worth, in my experience, Solo 1000 and lead bullets are about as good as it gets for smoke from using lead bullets. I don't know your expertise and time behind the gun, but here is some info from close to 20years loading the .45 with lead bullets for competition.

If your gun is set up correctly, you should be able to shoot 1k of ammo through your gun before it gets so gunked up that it wont run, as long as you keep lubing it up where it needs oil. VV310 and Clays will get you major, but you run into the problem of possibly melting the base of the bullets, depending on whose manufacture they are. You may get leading from the base getting too hot and not sealing properly with the 200s. If you are just shooting light loads the 310 and CLAYS will be great, but they will still be dirty due to the lube.

320 and that speed of powder will work better for the 200s for major, but you will still have the gunk and grime associated with what you have now, most likely worst.

Where Solo, CLAYS, and 310 shine is with 230 grain bullets. All I shoot is 230s with either 4.7gr of SOLO 1000, 4.0gr of CLAYS, and 4.2gr of 310. The 310 is more accurate with jacketed, but they are all really good in my Kart barrels and my 625s.

Good luck in your quest! As much as I WANT to shoot, I have to use lead 230s for .45, and I just deal with the clean up associated with the lead.

Regards,

DougC

[LPatterson]

Dropping the lead for a plated, jacketed or moly bullet would be my suggestion to cut down on smoke. Single based powders are about as clean as they come.

[z40acp]

WST is a good powder also. Like everyone says, there is always some smoke. I fire an awful lot of rounds between cleaning. I use 4.8 or 4.9 depending on the weather. WST is hotter the colder the temperature. The H&G 68 SWC is the best .45 bullet.

[Merlin Orr]

THE standard for .45 is Clays.

[davester00]

Thanks for all the input.

Seems like I'm trying to fix a problem that is caused by the bullet by changing the powder.

Solo 1K is already the answer so if I want cleaner burning rounds I would have to change my bullets to lated, jacketed or moly bullet.

Thanks guys.

[wide45]

Just match the powder with the bullet.

Clays for jacketed, plated.

WST for cast lead.

Lead is apt to dirtier than jacketed, but the correct powder makes a big difference.

[ben b.]

Seems like I'm trying to fix a problem that is caused by the bullet by changing the powder.

Solo 1K is already the answer so if I want cleaner burning rounds I would have to change my bullets to plated, jacketed or moly bullet...

This is what I have found, and see no better alternative. Solo1000 is a pretty nice powder.

[jjanglin]

I use Clays powder, have for years 230 grain 45 aacp bullets are the way to go,

I pprefer the lead bullets in my Caspian 45ss and my 625`s.Have tried a lot of powder

and bullet combo`s and clays/230 grain are the best or so it seems to me.

Jim/Pa

Sailors

[jrb06]

Would look at switching over to using plated or jacketed. Currently using Ranaier 230gr RN over 4.7gr N320. Have also used 4.2gr N3210 with same bullet. VV N320 and N310 is more expensive but looking at the overall cost of reloading and then the time and materials spent on cleaning it becomes minimual.

[BillD]

I run 231 and LSWC's. I did a torture test last year on my Kimber and fired 4200 rounds without taking the top end off before it choked. Just wiped off what I could reach and relubed.

For matches I'm using Bayou Bullets and the 231. Huge change in smoke produced and they are only about $15 more per K than my lead bullets.

[8ring]

Winchester Super Target is a good choice with lead and Moly-coated bullet.

My current favorite with 200gr bullets in .45acp is American Select, a flake shotgun powder from Alliant that is a little faster than WST, Solo 1000, and N-320 but a little slower than Clays or N-310. It's almost single base (2% nitro) and burns very clean, especially with Billy Bullets.

Chris

[BigBore56]

I am working with Power Pistol and 200 gr Montana gold JFP bullets this weekend. Will know more after a trip to the range on Sunday.

[TonyT]

With a lubed cast lead bullet a major portion of the smoke comes from burning of the bullet lube. Givenm that the cleaner burning powders would be WST, American Select, VV N-310 or Clays.

[Greg in VA]

I always shot AA #5 with a 178 gr cast bullet...very good powder for metering, gave good results and I never noticed much smoke

[bubbadoc]

What TonyT said... the smoke is the lube burning. I get good results with VV N310 but even that will smoke with some of the lubes casters use.

(As an aside, make sure the case is belled enough so you are not shaving some lead and lube off and coating the case with it.... been there, done that and smelled the smoke...)

[MoNsTeR]

N310 is the way to go

[kgunz11]

The additional cost you have in N320 is made up for in cleaning supplies. You wont have to clean the gun but twice a year. N310 works as well, but N320 is the only powder listed for every weight of 45ACP. Super clean burning, very temp stable, and awful accurate.

[ben b.]

Cleaning supplies? N320 prices about $84 more per 8# of Solo1000 powder, and I need 8# to 12# per year. I doubt I spend $84 in 5 years of cleaning supplies.

[kgunz11]

I didn't clean my gun last year. Still haven't. When it gets dirty I'll letcha know. I think I remember Benny Hill saying it took at least 5,000 rounds to get where it needs wiping down. I'm beyond that by a good margin.

[Hany]

I always shot AA #5 with a 178 gr cast bullet...very good powder for metering, gave good results and I never noticed much smoke

I thought I invented that load!......used that when I was a snot nosed college kid shooting at the Tuesday Night steel matches in Mesa....about 1991!

Now I use Solo 1000, or WST.

Remember, not all cast bullets are the same...you might try a couple of different casters. As long as the post office still offers their bulk shipping package, its still economical to buy from a company 5 states away!

Do a search here for recommendations.

Good hunting.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Hany

[ST43130]

What velocity are you getting out of this load. I just started shooting again after a 15 year layoff and haven't loaded any 45s since then. Back in the day I used 5.2gr of WST but that was for a 175PF and just last night was thinking that I should fire up the loader again....

WST is a good powder also. Like everyone says, there is always some smoke. I fire an awful lot of rounds between cleaning. I use 4.8 or 4.9 depending on the weather. WST is hotter the colder the temperature. The H&G 68 SWC is the best .45 bullet.