What's a good load for a comped .45?

[aggunner]

I'm in the process of putting a comped .45 together for a fun gun and was wondering what would a good load be. I know i need to make as much pressure as I can. The gun will not be using a fully supported chamber, so it can't get absured.

[Joe4d]

Go to a manual, find the load with the lightest bullet and the slowest powder.

[Flatland Shooter]

Its been a while, but we used to use Bullseye under 185 gr SWC.

Bill

[L9X25]

For a comped gun you want to build the largest volume of gas that you can. Our load included 152 gr SWC over Winchester Action Pistol. I think that WAP has been discontinued but looking at powders in that same general burn rate would be a decent place to start.

[rishii]

time to show my age here, back when I ran a comped 45, my load was 152 gr lswc over 8.00 gr of hogdon hp38. of course start low and work your way up, this load would pf around 180-185 thru my gun.

if your not going to compete with it, just find a load that feels good and stick with it.

[superdude]

FYI, Winchester Action Pistol is still around. it is now being sold by Ramshot and is now called Silhouette. i emailed them some time back after i heard this as a rumor and they verified it. but feel free to ask them for yourself, they were very helpful.

http://www.ramshot.com/powders/

[Buzzdraw]

If you want your comp to work as best possible, run the lightest bullet in .45 ACP you can find. A 155 gr lead SWC with 7.2 gr. Winchester Super Field made USPSA Major in in 5" gun. Load was accurate, as well as soft shooting. Load is also in the 2006 Winchester load manual, so they think it's safe (@7.4 gr with a 180 gr). I ran it for a number of years in an supported Kart barrel with no issues. Used Winchester Large Pistol primers.

[Huston in Austin]

I liked a 155 swc and WST. I used around 7.0 gr. I got a load sheet from Vic International. I can probably find it and scan a pdf if you need it. Just send my an e mail.

[Front Man]

I liked a 155 swc and WST. I used around 7.0 gr. I got a load sheet from Vic International. I can probably find it and scan a pdf if you need it. Just send my an e mail.

WST is what I used to use too. Can't remeber the bullet wieght; it might have been 185's that wieghed closer to 178 on the scale.

FM

[L9X25]

FYI, Winchester Action Pistol is still around. it is now being sold by Ramshot and is now called Silhouette. i emailed them some time back after i heard this as a rumor and they verified it. but feel free to ask them for yourself, they were very helpful.

http://www.ramshot.com/powders/

That is good news for the folks that want to shoot a comped .45. Just apply the same general principles as what the .40 and .38 guys do ... load the lightest bullet that you can make major with and drive it with the largest volume of powder/gas. The only difference is that going much slower than the WAP in the .45 decreases the pressure to the point that some powders do not burn cleanly or completely and that can cause problems.

WAP and a 152 (or 155) gr projectile was the best .45 load that we had and magazine capacity was the main reason to move to one of the smaller calibers.

[joecichlid]

I have had pretty darned good luck shooting Hodgdon Longshot out of my comped .45 pin gun.

Joe W.

[TBF]

Someone beat me to it ...

Sounds like a perfect fit for LONGSHOT .

Travis F.

[L9X25]

Longshot was not around back in my day but, if it can stay resonably clean, it looks like a great powder for the comped .45.

[joecichlid]

I have shot it for years out of my .45 with great results. Pretty clean to boot. By the way, Travis, I lost the paper you wrote your e-mail address on at the match last weekend. I have looked everywhere and just can't seem to find it. If you could, shoot me a PM on here with it and I will get you that price list you wanted. Hope to see you at the range again soon.

Joe W.

[aggunner]

hey, thanks guys.

Now, what bullets would you reccomend?