How To Load 250gr In 45acp?

[ChrisMcCracken]

Someone gave me a recipe for a 45acp load using 250gr bullets and clays, but a few details are missing. Can anyone help fill in details?

What 250gr bullets? Do I use 45long bullets and just load to 45acp OAL?

What specific OAL? I'm loading 230gr at 1.200, but I'm assuming the 250gr will be a longer bullet. It doesn't need as much powder to make major; he quoted 3.4 working best after testing a range of 3.2 to 3.8 in clays. Using less powder, I could see it being possible to still use 1.200, but I want to be sure.

What crimp diameter should I use? The 250gr bullets I've seen are .452 instead of .451. Do I just add .001 to my crimp diameter? Will .452 bullets work in a 45acp barrel?

This is all theory until I finish the 2k round of 230gr I already have, but it would be good to work all this out in advance before I order and start testing. I do realize that I would have to work up the load from scratch to see how it shoots in my gun, probably using the same range he listed of 3.2 to 3.8.

I appreciate any help or wisdom you can pass on!

Chris

[Patrick Sweeney]

Back in my pin-busting days, loading 250's was no big deal. As long as the gun was up for it, that is. some just wouldn't feed 250s for squat. Of course, we were loading the ones with the biggest flatpoints we could find, which made the gun work for feeding.

Crimp to remove belling, not to hold bullets. The likelihood that the crimp groove will be properly located for correct OAL and feeding is minimal. Use belling stem diameter to control bullet setback.

Start low in powder charges, and work up over a chrono. The greatly decreased powder space will throw off any interpolation you might do as far as correct powder charge.

Advantages? In pin shooting, a 250+ going 800 was death on pins. For USPSA/IPSC? I don't see it. The threshold velocity for Major is 660 fps. That sedate a speed will be tough on swingers and movers.

[ShooterSteve]

I used to shoot 3.5gr of Clays over a 255gr SWC. The bullets were short and stubby and sometimes wouldn't feed the best. My experiment didn't last long. When the timer is running, I have better things to do than have WWF wrestling matches with my pistol. I'd recommend 200grainers, or you still can't go wrong with the old school 230 gr RN loads.

[Carlos]

Loaded lead FP 255s for .45 - I seem to recall that the only powder I had on hand for which there was data in the Lee book was: HP-38/Winchester 231. I think the velocity might have been 800 or so. Accurate. Lead smokes though. Built them from a box of 250 intending to shoot pins, but USPSA took me away from that hobby. Gun was an old .45 ACP Edge 5.0.

Edited March 20, 2007 by Carlos

[get2now]

I used this load at the 1999 Limited Nationals.

Bear Creek 250 grain long colt lead flat point bullets. These had to be run through a sizer though. They were listed as .452 but a mic proved them to be .453 and I didn't want to take any chances with too much pressure.

3.5 grains of Clays, WLP primers, mixed headstamp brass, 1.185 OAL and a heavy taper crimp shooting out of a P14-45 with a 5 inch barrel. Average velocity was 720 for a 180 power factor.

These were great soft shooting loads. They would only chamber in my Para and not my single stack though. Course the single stack doesn't have a supported chamber so I'm not sure I want to shoot them through it anyway.

G

[walangkatapat]

I use Lazer Cast 250's with 3.3 Clays 1.250 OAL.