200gr vs. 230gr

[mikeg1005]

I'm debating whether or not to switch.

I have been shooting only 200gr reloads in my 1911 since I basically got it... ranged from LSWC to RN.... I started casting... I bought a lee 6 cavity 200gr RN mold... I'm not 100% thrilled with it. It will feed but I need to seat the bullets to 1.15" for it work correctly which "sometimes" causes issues on the last round in the mag.

I was considering to switching to the lee 230gr truncated cone design mold which people say feeds like a charm in 1911s of all kinds.

I like the feel of a 200gr bullet... but I really have little experience with a 230gr... assuming both loaded to 165-170PF, what kind of difference will one feel?

Thanks,

MIke.

[juan]

I like the 200 grainers

I run bear creek round nose hollow base at 1.250

run slicker than snot

[2MoreChains]

The best way I've ever heard somebody describe it is a "snap" vs "push". Try shooting Bill drills with each load, and compare your HF's. Last time I did that, there was a .2 sec gain using the 200 gr MSWC's compared to the 230 gr MRN's. May not sound like much, but expand that over a 32 rnd field course, and now we're talking serious time. Guess I must shoot better with the "snap" than push...

[G-ManBart]

Assuming everything else is the same, you'll get a bit softer recoil with the 230gr bullets. At first, they will probably feel really sluggish, but after a couple hundred rounds, that goes away.

What is the issue with the last round in the mag when using the 200gr bullets? I'm assuming you meant 1.250", not 1.150" right? R,

[mikeg1005]

No... 1.150" is correct.

The issue I found out with this mold is its not really designed for auto loaders but more so revolvers.

The round top of the bullet has a lot bigger diameter than convention round nose flat tops, because of this if you seat the bullet at 1.19-1.20" like most round flat points are supposed to be stead, the bullet runs into the lands in the barrel... because of this they have to be sat much deeper.

Seating them deeper in my mags cause the last round to sometimes stand vertically up in the magazine while feeding cause a serious jam that cost A LOT of time... because of this I was thinking about switching over to a different design but want to say with the Lee 6 cavity mold since they are low cost and I can crank out a lot of bullets fast.

At the moment what I have been doing is loading 7 rounds of my cast bullet reloads, and the last round(first one in) the mag is a different 200gr that I have from missouri bullet company that is longer and will not stand up... this method works but its kind of annoying having to load different ammo in a certain order into the mag to get it to shoot right.

[gunut]

I like the 200 grainers

I run bear creek round nose hollow base at 1.250

run slicker than snot

I looked at bear creek web and couldnt find them .

Is there another source ?

[twodownzero]

I like the 200 grainers

I run bear creek round nose hollow base at 1.250

run slicker than snot

I looked at bear creek web and couldnt find them .

Is there another source ?

I sell them, but pretty much only by word of mouth.

[oak hill]

I have been back and forth between the 200 and 230 gr bullets for a couple years now myself. Have recently come to the conclusion that the different "feel" is very subjective largely dependent on your style. By style, I mean grip mostly. For me the faster 200's have a little more muzzle rise than the 230's, but the sights are back on the target just a bit quicker.

Load both and experiment by running various drills. Only half the decision is analytical..... I still use 200's because they are cheaper!

[Seth]

I LOVE the 200grs. They were snappy,extremely accurate and the SWCs made a beautiful round hole you could see from 30 yards.

The 230s were great for that ultra soft feel, but I liked the snap.

[Corey]

im a fan of 200s over 230s in a 45.

[MichiganShootist]

I agree with what Bart said up there.^^^^

BTW---- The Great one only shoots 230s in 45.

[Husker95]

I like 230s over Clays. Nice feel to it for me.

[cas]

At the moment I'm splitting the difference, currently using 225gr truncated cone.... but I can't remember where I got them.

[tunakilla]

look for the H&G 68 mold if you want a great 200g bullet. You should be able to load these out longer. I would run these out to 1.275 back in the day. I run the 230 now.

Edited November 17, 2010 by tunakilla

[soaringf22]

I use 230gr because I shoot .45 in limited but also my carry gun is a .45 so now I only have to load one bullet for both guns. I have also thought about shooting IDPA and now I can shoot that same bullet in two divisions. Basically its convenient sticking with 230s

[The Happy Gila]

After going back and forth between 200 and 230 for the past couple of years I've decided I like the feel of the 200 over the 230. However, due to the increase in load needed to push a 200 to major, I've settled on the 230. Occasionally I'd have feeding issues with the 200's as well, something I've never had a problem with when I shoot the 230's.

Like others have said here, I really like the feel the 200 yields vs. the 230 but at my stage of the game (not the worst, but middle of the pack) I need my gun to run exactly the same, round after round, for me to make improvments in my shooting skills, hence my decision to stick with the 230 gr.

FWIW