Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 45 acp load question

not new to reloading, but new to 45 acp. using 5.5 grn of CFE pistol under a 230 grn Bayou(coated) RN lead bullet. seeing burning powder exiting the barrel. Not like a muzzle flash but like a 4thof July sparkler. Is this a problem? or a non issue?

CFE pistol likes to be at the top which is why I am not fond of it the 45 ACP. Coated or hard cast use jacketed data for best results.

Power Pistol is your friend, followed by Unique as an all purpose 45 ACP powder.

MM

Been using 231 for over 40 years. It just works! 200gr H&G 68

It is allways interesting to see others use the same components. Unique long time favorite pistol powder but also find ww231/ hp38 working great in the 45 acp also. I have been trying to use up accumulated powders to simplify what's on hand. I had 2 8 oz. cans of Duponts IMR 5066. Both cans were unopened so about as fresh as 60-70 year old powder can be. 4.8-5.0 grs with a Lyman #452374 rn in mixed brass. Not bullseye ammo but is accurate and cycles reliably in my Springfield 1911 A1 model..mb

Been using Unique for full power loads in .45ACP for so long, and have so much of it on hand that I simply don't see myself switching. Dirty? Well, yeah, but so what - I clean my guns after shooting anyway regardless of whether they're "clean" or not, and have never experienced a shutdown whilst shooting due to accumulated fouling. (Of course that may be because I have only owned genuine Colt 1911's, the quirks and ergonomics of which suit me.)

For mild wimpy target ammo, 185 & 200gr. cast SWC's which represent the vast majority of loads that I shoot anymore particularly in my Gold Cup, 4.0gr. Bullseye and/or Red Dot gets used. The very best when compared to more "modern" powders? Maybe/probably not but again I have stupid large quantities of the stuff not to mention more important things to worry about in my life.

Old stuff,,, but has longevity.

I've used a lot of Unique with good results. In the '80's Bill Wilson recommended Bullseye for both 200 & 230 gr. bullets. He later moved to WW231. All totally applicable.

Later powders offer same or better, but I was always in a happy place with what I used & never saw the reason to venture forward. Not me, but my Ransome rest said my loads were better than me.

YMMV

I am near the end of an 8# box of HP 38 that was bought in the spring of 2008. It works well even though it is sooty. When it is gone I will use Clean Shot. It is a bit cheaper than the alternatives and lives up to its name. I bought a one pounder to try and was surprised just how clean it burns.

I tried a few different powders and settled on Bullseye. My standard load is 5.0 grains BE and a 200 gr SWC.

Yep, use something faster. 232/HP38 is very close to being THE ACP powder.

last few years I've really been liking sport pistol I do shoot 200 more than 230s