bullet weight/velocity vs recoil

[wirebrush]

I am in the process of developing a new load for IDPA with my 625 revolver and was wondering if there is an optimum combination to reduce felt recoil as much as possible.  That is, should you use a light wt bullet and higher velocity or heavier bullet and slower velocity?  As the revolver has no porting this does not enter into the question.  Am I better off to use a 185, 200 or 230 bullet with the appropriate velocity to meet the 125 PF requirement.

Can anyone give a recommenation for a clean burning 45 ACP powder made here in the US.  I am tired of hunting down VV powder and have experienced a fair amount of unburned residue with them.

[Phil Dunlop]

Wirebrush, I can only really talk of the 40S&W in an auto, all my 45 shooting was with 200gn bullets so I have no comparasons.

In my experience with the 40 the heavier bullets are the softest to shoot at a given power factor. That doesn't necessarily make them the best choice though and many shooters have moved away from the 200gn bullet in favour of the 180 because it feels faster, albeit with a little more snap.

Can't help with the powder, I used VVN320 exclusively in 40 and 45 and love the stuff.

P.D.

[2alpha]

At 125 pf the 185 feel softer to me. With the 625 you'd probably want something with a rounded nose for reloading though. Clays works good for me.

[Phil Dunlop]

Sorry, didn't realise IDPA was shot at 125p/f

[Carlos]

Hodgdon's straight Clays works VERY well & VERY clean for me in .45 - and that's at the new 165PF - bet its a dream at 125PF.  As for bullets, I tried the copperized (not plated) National 152 grain SWC. Talk about low recoil! Also, West Coast makes 200s in Round nose, TC/FP & SWC - I see no reason to use the heavier 230s or 255s w/ the current PFs in either IPSC or the lower IDPA PF. Ever try to hit a moving target w/ a 255 moving out at 650 fps?

[benos]

In addition to all the answers so far, it really is a personal preference thing. You just have to try them and see what you like best. And the funny thing is, my preferences (concerning most all things, especially firearms) change over time. Sometimes at the end of the year I like what I didn't at the beginning.

be

[davecutts]

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Quote: from benos  And the funny thing is, my preferences (concerning most all things, especially firearms) change over time. Sometimes at the end of the year I like what I didn't at the beginning.

be

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[spook]

I can't help you because I shoot VV only (it's the only stuff we can get here), but I must say that I also noticed that my N320 loads with 230 grain LRN left some unburnt residue in my gun, which really sucks cause it locks everything up. Does anyone here have a solution for that? Could magnum primers help?

[Byron Simpson]

I just loaded a batch of 200gr RN coated bullets from Precision Bullets over 3.5gr of WST and shot them in IDPA last weekend through my 625 revolver.  The loads were quite accurate and very soft.  I didn't chrono them, but they are probably a 135-140 power factor.

With .45 ACP, it's real hard to get to a 125 pf, but you don't need to with a heavy gun like the 625.  the loads I shot felt very soft.  Also, the Precision bullet's round nose profile made reloads easy.