.45 Bullet Selection Questions

[Dr.J]

Good Afternoon -

I recently purchased a new S&W 625 PC and really like the gun. I shot my standard bullseye load (4.0 gr. Bullseye, 200 gr. LSWC, W-W primers) to try it out and it shot very well. I'm looking for a load that I can use to shoot in IDPA and ICORE competitions (I'm brand spanking new to both.). I have 700X, Bullseye, and Titegroup powders on hand.

What bullet or bullets would you recommend, cast, coated, or plated, 185, 200, or 230 gr. would you recommend with one of these powders? I'm looking for a mild to moderate, accurate shooting load. Your comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Dr.J

[bigdawgbeav]

If you are going to shoot the 625 in ESR then stick with your standard load... unless it doesn't make powerfactor of 165? After that I have had good luck with Bullseye and 200gr and 230gr. Shoot what you like, that's what I say.

[joetsui]

Hodgon Clays for .45acp. You can use 230 or 200 grain moly coat bullet. Super clean.

[copecowboy22]

I'm running a 200gr LSWC over 4.9gr of titegroup. Making 180+ PF. still feels less than a factory load and works good in my Springfield 1911.

[jcc7x7]

230 Bayou is the way to go. I'm using clays but the way things are use what you have to get 170-175 PF and enjoy. 200 shot good out of it but reload slow unless you find some 200 RN that will shoot.

[SNSCaster2]

I'm biased, but I know this one works great!

http://www.snscasting.com/new-45-acp-230-grain-round-nose-coated-500ct/

[Butterpuc]

I only recommend 230gr RN bullets for a 625. The SNS bullets listed above would be an excellent choice. Don't use bullets with a ledge (ie SWC or a RN that has a small rim/ledge at the base of the bullet). You don't want anything to snag with reloading.

[Butterpuc]

Also wanted to add, while I competed with my 625, I would put a heavy crimp on the bullets so that not even the mouth if the case catches on the cylinder.

[njl]

I'm biased, but I know this one works great!

http://www.snscasting.com/new-45-acp-230-grain-round-nose-coated-500ct/

What about these:

http://www.snscasting.com/45-acp-45lc-200-grain-round-nose-flat-point-coated-1000ct/

I asked about these in another thread...but since you're here...maybe we can get an answer direct from the source.

My .45 shooting is primarily Glocks, and includes a 30S. Glock 30s are kind of notorious for not feeding SWC or any perhaps any bullet with an exposed shoulder for ejecting cases to get snagged on. I really like Precision's 200gr RNFP, but like the hi-tek coating better than his moly/poly coating.

On your 200gr RNFP, there's a lube groove and a higher groove that looks to me like a crimp groove (to be used in .45LC loads?). In the other thread, someone said it's another lube groove. Regardless, if these are used for .45acp, what's the proper way to set OAL for them? Case mouth just below the top of the upper groove? If so, what OAL does that result in?

Do you have any idea if these:

http://www.snscasting.com/45-acp-200-grain-round-nose-coated-1000ct/

will feed in Glock 30s? The shoulder where the round nose meets the bearing surface worries me that they might not.

[noylj]

.45 Auto? I only shoot 200gn L-SWCs. If they don't "speed load" for you, then RN.

Powder? Almost any will work. Bullseye has always been THE .45 Auto powder.

If shooting lead, you may find that lead bullets, a revolver, and TiteGroup makes for a horrible combination, so I would avoid that.

231/HP38 is about the best .45 Auto powder I know, from Bullseye competition light loads up to near max, in my competition guns.

AA2, Red Dot, Promo, e3, and Solo 1000 do very well. Clays has a very narrow charge range for accuracy in my guns (like 0.2gn) and gives pressure spikes, as does N310 and TiteGroup.

If sub-2" groups at 25 yards is more accuracy than you need, then, as I said, almost any pistol/shotgun powder up to Silhouette will do everything you need.

COL is not based on anything other than what feeds and chambers in your gun. Obviously, for a revolver, COL is much less an issue and simply having even just a small section of the bearing surface in the cylinder throat is all you need.

[DagoRed]

Since it's already a topic, I'm new to shooting competition and don't know when it will come to the power factor mattering. That said, is 185g in the 45 too light? I've been using 185g flat nose xtreme bullets and love the accuracy with them. I need to push them a little faster to make major power. In my first and only shoot so far they knocked the steel down great and i had no problems. Is there a good reason to mess with it and go to 200 or 230?

Thanks.

Red

[njl]

I'm biased, but I know this one works great!

http://www.snscasting.com/new-45-acp-230-grain-round-nose-coated-500ct/

What about these:

http://www.snscasting.com/45-acp-45lc-200-grain-round-nose-flat-point-coated-1000ct/

I asked about these in another thread...but since you're here...maybe we can get an answer direct from the source.

My .45 shooting is primarily Glocks, and includes a 30S. Glock 30s are kind of notorious for not feeding SWC or any perhaps any bullet with an exposed shoulder for ejecting cases to get snagged on. I really like Precision's 200gr RNFP, but like the hi-tek coating better than his moly/poly coating.

On your 200gr RNFP, there's a lube groove and a higher groove that looks to me like a crimp groove (to be used in .45LC loads?). In the other thread, someone said it's another lube groove. Regardless, if these are used for .45acp, what's the proper way to set OAL for them? Case mouth just below the top of the upper groove? If so, what OAL does that result in?

Do you have any idea if these:

http://www.snscasting.com/45-acp-200-grain-round-nose-coated-1000ct/

will feed in Glock 30s? The shoulder where the round nose meets the bearing surface worries me that they might not.

Well...I went ahead and got the answers to these questions by buying some Bayou 200gr RNFP. Seating them to 1.200" results in the upper groove (which I assume is a crimp groove for .45LC) being right about fully covered by the case mouth. They fed fine in my Glock 21, 30S, and 41. It's a bit shorter bullet than Precision's 200gr RNFP.

[noylj]

>I really like Precision's 200gr RNFP, but like the hi-tek coating better than his moly/poly coating.

Why? I find the Precision coating does EVERYTHING I could ask of a coating. What do you see as better with the Hi-Tek?

Call Shots: don't be afraid to expose the "crimp groove" if that COL works better.

[njl]

The Hi-Tek coating seems tougher. I went through a few boxes of Precision bullets and was happy. Then I started buying them by the case and started finding what looks like bullets stuck to each other and then separated. Some will be missing a patch of coating. Others will have those patches stuck to them as a second layer of coating. Seated long enough, my .45 chambers will cut through the Precision coating on the way into the chamber. I haven't seen that with the Hi-Tek coating...but that may just be because I'm seating them short enough. In 9mm, I think Hi-Tek coated bullets have less smoke and smell than any of the moly/poly type bullets using Universal Clays.

Maybe Precision will switch over to Hi-Tek and I'll get the best of both in one. Everyone else seems to be jumping on the Hi-Tek wagon.

[Dirtychemist]

Since it's already a topic, I'm new to shooting competition and don't know when it will come to the power factor mattering. That said, is 185g in the 45 too light? I've been using 185g flat nose xtreme bullets and love the accuracy with them. I need to push them a little faster to make major power. In my first and only shoot so far they knocked the steel down great and i had no problems. Is there a good reason to mess with it and go to 200 or 230?

Thanks.

Red

Since it's already a topic, I'm new to shooting competition and don't know when it will come to the power factor mattering. That said, is 185g in the 45 too light? I've been using 185g flat nose xtreme bullets and love the accuracy with them. I need to push them a little faster to make major power. In my first and only shoot so far they knocked the steel down great and i had no problems. Is there a good reason to mess with it and go to 200 or 230?

Thanks.

Red

It's really easy to get 165 feet per second with a 200 grain bullet. 230 needs to go under 800 feet per second.

[Steve RA]

I think I could get 165 FPS with a Wham-O Sportsman - pretty sure I could not get to a 165 Power Factor with it.

[JLeeCZ]

I'm waiting for SNS to come out with a grooveless coated 200gr. My attempt with the SWC was a flop.

[njl]

>I really like Precision's 200gr RNFP, but like the hi-tek coating better than his moly/poly coating.

Why? I find the Precision coating does EVERYTHING I could ask of a coating. What do you see as better with the Hi-Tek?

BTW...we finally had some really nice weather, so I took my steel plate rack to the range this past weekend and did a bunch of Glock the Plates practice. I don't know why, but my normal load of 4.8gr WST with 200gr Precision RNFP was smoking like crazy. I mean bad enough that after shooting 4-5 plates with splits of about 0.6s, I was having a hard time seeing the last plate or two. I've never noticed that much smoke from this combination. 4 shots in about 2s, and I had a smoke screen in front of me.

I think I'm going to load some Precision and some Hi-Tek coated .45 bullets with plain old Clays and see how that compares to WST.

[Tul9033]

Did you load some Hi-Tek and Clays? I'm getting ready to start my winter loading of .45 and was considering the SNS 200gr SWC and plain Clays. I've got a bunch of Clays and hoped to use it with a 200gr SWC.

I think I'm going to load some Precision and some Hi-Tek coated .45 bullets with plain old Clays and see how that compares to WST.

[njl]

I actually did chrono some 225gr TC and 200gr RNFP, all Hi-Tek coated today and a couple weekends ago. I'll update this post when I bring the book in from the car.

Missouri Bullet Co, Hi-Tek coated 225gr TC, 1.200" 3.74gr Clays

G21: 763fps

G30S: 743fps

Bayou 225gr TC, 1.215", Clays

3.7gr

G21: 692fps

3.78gr

G21: 749fps

G30S: 714fps

Bayou 200gr RNFP, 1.200", 3.95gr Clays

G21: 771fps

G30S: 749fps

G30: 711fps

I'm not really concerned with power factor...just trying to load ammo I can use for GSSF and maybe bowling pin shooting...the latter of which I'd like to keep the velocity up close to >=800fps regardless of bullet weight.

Powder charges are all 5 charge averages. I'll probably do the 200gr again at 4-4.1gr and be happy with that.

Edited November 17, 2014 by njl

[zzt]

Dr J, here is my take. I would use lead truncated cone bullets. Not round nose flat point, real truncated cone bullets. Lead will give you higher velocity with lest powder, and less recoil. It is easy to make major with any of the powders you list.

If I were shooting indoors and the rule was no exposed lead, I'd use Xtreme RNFP or the Hollow Point, conical base plated bullets.

Your next choice is bullet weight. 185s will give you the sharpest recoil pulse, will clear the barrel faster and give the least muzzle rise. That will get you back on target faster for the double tap. My pistol does not like 185gr lead so I use 200gr. 230gr will give you the softest recoil pulse, climb the highest and be the slowest back on target.

BTW, if you decide to go the coated bullet route, I'd not use TiteGroup.