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Is 45 acp limited dead?


CzViper

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Seems like I'll be passing on the 45.

Been looking to get a custom 2011 and have also been extremely tempted to pick up a few I've seen on the classifieds.

For me this is a pretty big financial decision so thanks for everybody's input. Really appreciate the time you guys took to reply.

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Seems like I'll be passing on the 45.

Been looking to get a custom 2011 and have also been extremely tempted to pick up a few I've seen on the classifieds.

For me this is a pretty big financial decision so thanks for everybody's input. Really appreciate the time you guys took to reply.

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You're on the right path! Start with something used from the forum, shoot it for a season and then build something really custom. once you know your likes and dislikes

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I started with h an edge in .45, it was tough until I bought the 18 rd MBX mags. I rarely use it anymore but it was fun while it lasted. That being said if you have the option, go with 40

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On 3/8/2019 at 4:06 PM, CzViper said:

Yes, I'm just getting into USPSA and I'm looking at a custom build. From reading I'm sticking with major for the scoring.

Using 140mm mags it's 16 for 45 acp and 20 for 40 S&W. From what I understand once you get that low in the mag there would be a reload anyhow. So is there a need for the extra rounds in stages that anyone has experienced?

Or is it more the recoil that people use 40 S&W?

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What about on 18, 19,20,21 or 22 round stages? No reload for me shooting 40 but you'll have to reload

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Reload would be in transition to next target.
But I guess that was another question. I'm new to the game so I've only shot a few local matches.
I am currently shooting a 40 cal pistol so I'm dropping mags with rounds in them. Are there many stages where there isn't a reload before 16 rounds?
It seems so by the answers given. The capacity is what plays a deciding factor for choosing caliber.

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1 minute ago, CzViper said:

Reload would be in transition to next target.
But I guess that was another question. I'm new to the game so I've only shot a few local matches.
I am currently shooting a 40 cal pistol so I'm dropping mags with rounds in them. Are there many stages where there isn't a reload before 16 rounds?
It seems so by the answers given. The capacity is what plays a deciding factor for choosing caliber.

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No matter what you will hear from time to time, reloads always slow you down.  Some stages more than others, especially a small stage in area and 20 rounds a reload will screw you.  Generally, it seems to me, the higher possible a hit factor on a stage, the more the reload hurts you cause time is at a premium  

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18 minutes ago, CzViper said:

Reload would be in transition to next target.
But I guess that was another question. I'm new to the game so I've only shot a few local matches.
I am currently shooting a 40 cal pistol so I'm dropping mags with rounds in them. Are there many stages where there isn't a reload before 16 rounds?
It seems so by the answers given. The capacity is what plays a deciding factor for choosing caliber.

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I have shot high hit factor stages where you are constantly moving and constantly pulling the trigger, so in that case yes, a reload costs you time. They might not be super common, but it is pretty common to get 16-18+ rounds before a load on a 32 round stage, especially if you need a makeup or two.

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20 minutes ago, RJH said:

 

No matter what you will hear from time to time, reloads always slow you down.  Some stages more than others, especially a small stage in area and 20 rounds a reload will screw you.  Generally, it seems to me, the higher possible a hit factor on a stage, the more the reload hurts you cause time is at a premium  

 

Yeah, maybe, but I think it is overblown. I have found that if i can go 2 steps and reload in exactly the same time i can go steps without a reload... as a result, I don't really stress about reloading twice on a stage, rather than going to more than 19 rounds on a mag. OTOH, if any targets are available while entering, you don't get to shoot them until you are done reloading.

 

but the bottom line is that 45 is dumb for limited. Doing extra reloads on every stage is non-optimal, and raises the disaster factor.

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2 hours ago, CzViper said:

Reload would be in transition to next target.
But I guess that was another question. I'm new to the game so I've only shot a few local matches.
I am currently shooting a 40 cal pistol so I'm dropping mags with rounds in them. Are there many stages where there isn't a reload before 16 rounds?
It seems so by the answers given. The capacity is what plays a deciding factor for choosing caliber.

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Dropping mags with rounds left is almost always good. This game is really about managing risk and avoiding disasters, having the extra in the mag for a makeup shot here or there avoids running dry and having to eat a standing reload.

 

having more ammo is almost always better on field courses, yes you may need to reload but being able to put the reload where you want it is better than having to do one where capacity says you need to. When I shoot open I can plan a reload almost anywhere in the stage without worrying about running out of ammo, so I put it where it flows best for me, in limited I have to plan it a little more based on capacity or plan 2 where they flow well.

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Dropping mags with rounds left is almost always good. This game is really about managing risk and avoiding disasters, having the extra in the mag for a makeup shot here or there avoids running dry and having to eat a standing reload.
 
having more ammo is almost always better on field courses, yes you may need to reload but being able to put the reload where you want it is better than having to do one where capacity says you need to. When I shoot open I can plan a reload almost anywhere in the stage without worrying about running out of ammo, so I put it where it flows best for me, in limited I have to plan it a little more based on capacity or plan 2 where they flow well.
This makes a lot of sense and is a piece of the equation I didn't think about.

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1 hour ago, CzViper said:

This makes a lot of sense and is a piece of the equation I didn't think about.

 

You will probably come across this situation much less shooting Limited, but in Production it is not uncommon to have stages where it is advantageous to do a reload after firing only 2-4 rounds.

 

A simple example for Production would be a stage where you start facing a single target but then will have to move to a position from which you can see 5 targets. If you don't drop that nearly full mag when moving between those positions, you 'll have to choose between doing a standing reload to finish that array of 5 (since you'll only have 9 rounds left), or engage it from a less desirable position later in the COF (maybe it requires a angled shot or a hard lean). 

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4 minutes ago, RJH said:

Aaaahhhhhhh, no

bullets are cheaper, brass is more available. You can use the same ammo for both Limited and SS. You can load 40SW minor and shoot SS minor. 45ACP is obsolete.

 

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3 minutes ago, cheby said:

bullets are cheaper, brass is more available. You can use the same ammo for both Limited and SS. You can load 40SW minor and shoot SS minor. 45ACP is obsolete.

 

.45 is a less desirable alternative to .40 for SS Major. Obsolete is a bit extreme, it still works as well as .40, just less brass laying around.

 

The price difference on bullets is there, but I doubt it's why anyone switches to .40 for SS. The overriding reason is probably not having to load .45 ammo, with the primer size switch on their reloading machines.

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24 minutes ago, cheby said:

bullets are cheaper, brass is more available. You can use the same ammo for both Limited and SS. You can load 40SW minor and shoot SS minor. 45ACP is obsolete.

 

200 grain bullets cost pretty much the same, brass is easy to come by. I have caught lines with the acp that i would not have with a 40. 40 minor is a joke. 40 guns and mags are no where near as plentiful and are generally harder to get to run 100percent and  ones that work cost considerably more. If you do a nationwide survey i will bet 45s outnumber 40 ss in uspsa guns by a considerable margin. You got me on loading the same ammo for limited and ss which is really the only advantage 40 has in ss, cause who the hell wants a 45 limited gun (see how i got us back on topic 🙂 )

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30 minutes ago, robertg5322 said:

The overriding reason is probably not having to load .45 ammo, with the primer size switch on their reloading machines.

This is why I love 45 small primer cases, If your buying once fired brass sorted small primer is cheaper and you don't have to change the primer system, Win, Win

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At the Western States Single Stack Classic, I would say .45 was used as much as the two other calibers. I shoot, now hold onto your daughters, a .45 and its a Kimber...........I can hear the catcalls now. Would not shoot any other caliber for SS. I also have an STI Eagle in .45 that I used in L10, but that division has a funeral pending. (Well, not quite yet becuase states with 10 round limits, or in OR which is going to be Limited 5, .45 would not be all that outdated). As far as reloads, 17 plus 17 equals 34, which almost always leads to 3 reloads on a long stage. 

 

As has been argued until there is no fur on the dead horse, I like .45 recoil better then .40. Also, I can actually see hits on targets with geezer eyes. The cost of 200 grain bullets compared to .40 bullets is a non factor. Look at what we spend for matches. Having said all of that, I would use a .45 in Limited only because I have one. The .40 is the way to go in free states.

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3 hours ago, mont1120 said:

I like .45 recoil better then .40. Also, I can actually see hits on targets with geezer eyes. 

 

You are doing it wrong if you are looking for hits on targets.

 

but 45 *is* better, you are right there....

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  • 3 years later...

I am a .45 guy from way back.  IMHO, Perfect is the enemy of good, and the way that applies to this question is when I think back, the times that an extra couple of rounds in the mag would truly have made a difference have been very few.  OTOH, .45 is stone axe simple and stupid cheap to load for, and just plain seems to shoot softer for me.  It is a lot more forgiving when you have to use oddball components like rifle primers or the only type of powder that you could find...  And then there is the matter of bigger holes...😁

Edited by barrysuperhawk
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