Cleanest powder for .45?

[UW Mitch]

I use WST for 45acp. I've been happy with it.

~Mitch

[gunsablazin]

I have used WW 231 for over 20 yrs., I didn't know it was a "dirty" powder until I read it online. It meters very consistently in my Dillon presses and makes power factor with relatively small charges. I do have to clean my gun every 600-800 rds, though.

[lmccrock]

I thought 231 was clean until I tried Clays. If nothing else, Clays takes about 2/3 as many grains as 231.

I went through a period where Clays was not metering in the 550, so I sortof pushed reset and started over. Cleaned the powder measure, zeroed the scale, all the stuff which should be done anyway. Metering problem solved.

Lee

[speed]

I do most of my .45 shooting through a suppressor, so I like to use clean powders for the health of the can. I am fairly new to loading .45acp, and was told that 231 was clean by a local. I am not satisfied with its cleanliness - lots of black soot everywhere, and it gets all over me when I shoot wet. I will use up the pound of 231 I have, but can anyone recommend me a truly spotless .45 powder to replace it with?

Thanks!

[/quot

CLAYS......soooo soft.

[waxman]

Is that Solo 1000 a flake or a ball?Big,small,or medium size?

Solo 1000 is a flake powder. I would say the flakes are about the same size as Clays. I am hooked on the stuff. I just bought a 8 pound jug for $112. shipped. I shoot it in my 9mm 147 grain loads and my 40 s&w loads. Have not tried it in 45 though, them big bullets are just so spendy now. The other wonderful thing about solo , is that is produces the least smoke of any other powder I have tried ,with moly bullets. WAY less the VV. the recoil is as good as it gets too.

[wooddog]

V V N320

[kframe_mike]

Is that Solo 1000 a flake or a ball?Big,small,or medium size?

Solo 1000 is a flake powder. I would say the flakes are about the same size as Clays. I am hooked on the stuff. I just bought a 8 pound jug for $112. shipped. I shoot it in my 9mm 147 grain loads and my 40 s&w loads. Have not tried it in 45 though, them big bullets are just so spendy now. The other wonderful thing about solo , is that is produces the least smoke of any other powder I have tried ,with moly bullets. WAY less the VV. the recoil is as good as it gets too.

Thanks waxman,I'll have to see if its available locally and try a pound.

[Peter K]

VV N310

VV N320

[gm iprod]

My boss has a Marlin Camp Carbine in 45ACP Fully Suppressed, we find with 230gr JHP that Norma R1, Clays and N320 are the best for low noise and cleanliness. These also work great ina H&K Socom Mk23.

I have a Ruger 40Carbine with muzzle can and it works best with N320.

For suppressed firearms (long or short) the fastest possible powder will usually work the best and be the cleanest. This usually turns out to be Bullseye, RedDot, R1, WST, N310, N320, Clays or Intl Clays. These are what I can usually get locally. ANY burn rate around these will also work.

[Rico567]

"revchuck" writes: "Clays is a good competition powder for .45 ACP, but if you're trying to hit factory velocities, you're not going to do it with Clays and jacketed bullets within the data Hodgdon puts out. It appears that it takes about 4.2 grains (5% over max) to hit around 750 fps with a five inch barrel, which leaves you about 80-90 fps short of standard factory 230 grain loads."

I love Clays in .45 ACP, but I found out the truth of the above statement the hard way at our "surprise" shoot earlier this month. We were given a bunch of steel to knock down, and the finale was three large poppers set on a slight incline forward. I was shooting the standard Hodgdon manual max of 4.0 gr. of Clays with a 230 gr RN. I was ringing those poppers like a bell, but it was like hitting them with a 9mm....they wouldn't go down. The Winchester factory stuff worked fine, so I switched to reloading 4.5 of TG for the 230 gr. That should provide the extra energy to do the job.

[colbyjack]

ive been using clays, its really clean for me too. i use a 200 gr SWC and 4.3 of clays, i average 835 fps so whats that like a 167 power factor for IPSC so it makes major. but if its cold out im not sure if it would. -chris