Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading .45 ACP & 200gr LSWC

Years ago I used to load 3.8gr of Clays under a 200gr LSWC for plinking and punching paper with a .45 ACP. Clays was sort of the unofficial official powder of the 200gr LSWC.

Has that changed at all, or is Clays still the best way to fly?

Thanks.

I used to shoot a lot of Unique under my #68 H&G. That was pre-Clays and I just stuck with it because it worked well. No doubt there are cleaned burning powders than Unique.

I've used a boat load of Clays under the H&G 68 as well as a couple boat loads of Bullseye. I can't tell a difference and use them both interchangeably. I'm sitting on around 8 pounds of each and at less than 4 grains a pop it'll be a long time before I get around to trying anything else.

I use the H&G 68 most of the time in my 1911. I have always used 6gr of Unique. Use the same load in a Ruger flat top with it’s 45acp cylinder. It just works.

Really like 6.3grns H-Universal under MiHec’s H&G 68.

Sport pistol

Bullseye for almost all lead bullet loads. I have used WST and 231/HP38 but they seem to work better at higher pressures.
BE is dirty but its soft and easy to clean up.
Never used N310 but I hear good things other than cost.

4.0g of Bullseye has been most accurate for me but that’s my guns...

Used Bullseye, Red Dot, Green Dot, 231, 700X. Unique kinda slow but will work, too. If I had Clays or Clay-dot would use them, too.

I used to use PB until I ran out and it was discontinued. Been using Unique of late and it works fine. I’m likely to switch to PowerPistol soon as I just got a quantity of it and I’d like to try it out.

I use 4.2 gr. Bullseye or 5.0 gr. W231. Great groups and clean burning.

Old70

Trail Boss

no double charges

Universal...Tite Group

I used a lot of 231 and the 230 gr. Did a couple of years of lots of practice and a couple of IDPA matches. Be Well, RZ.

I’ve loaded about 3,000 rounds in the last month or so on the SDB that I finally dusted off and bought a few parts for to get running.

I’ve been using up older powders that I had on hand. All with 200 SWC’s. Scot 453, Accurate No 2, Bullseye, 231, Win Action Pistol. It all works fine and I’ve been aiming for about 900 FPS with all loads.

Load whatever you have or whatever you can find. You probably won’t be able to tell the difference.

I’m waiting on a replacement 9mm sizing die from Dillon and will start that up when it gets here. Leery of shooting up my factory ammo with current shortages.

I used to charge 6.0 grains of W231 under a Lyman 452460 200- grain LSWC for pin shooting because our group specified major power factor. I've dropped back to 5.5 grains since pin shooting seems to have gone by the wayside.

Used Unique for years and what was said it can be dirty.

I have used other powders with lubed cast but will try those powders with powder coated cast in the future.

It should be cleaner without the lube.

I used 5.8 grains of WW 231 that would make major in IPSC matches and ran a little over 900 fps in two of my Government Models. As above, you can drop back on the 231 to 5.5 or 5.6 grains for a little less power if not a match requirement and that is still a great load. Any of these also shoot great in a 25-2.

I've used W231 with either a 185 or 200 grain SWC for decades = one ragged hole @ 50 feet .

"One ragged hole @50feet" offhand with a .45 ACP SWC is great shooting in my book.

If I do my job it happens . If I've had too much coffee , not so much .

One ragged hole by sand bag is excellent also .

Plenty of loads won't produce one hole , even sand bagged .

It's funny but after shooting and carrying the Gov't for years the only thing I desire is more of them along with the smaller, lighter models to carry. I want no 1911s in other than original calibers. If I need heavier than 45 ACP I go to 50 AE. The 45 ACP usually does anything I want though. I would like to shoot the 200 gr cast but have a lot of 230 gr TC TL cast to go through first. Be Well, RZ.

Over 40 years or so of shooting Bullseye competition, I guess I've tried them all but I keep coming back to Bullseye powder. Yeah, its a little dirty but who cares. When I get a new pistol, I always Ransom Rest a variety of powder combinations and let the groups tell me what my pistol wants to shoot. 95% of the time, its 3.7-4.2 grs of Bullseye
Phil

I can do that anytime I want. Of course I only fire one shot.

6.0-7.0g of UNIQUE with a 200g SWC flat base is magic in the acp, pure magic.

I will take AA#5 over bullseye any day.....clean....accurate and AA#5 loves federal 150's!

The data I've seen has 5.4gr of Unique as the max load for a 200gr lead bullet in 45 ACP....

Is there other data out there that I've missed?

Nope, that’s about right. Lately I just use Unique as a 3rd choice. Powder of choice is Accurate #5 burns clean, great velocity, meters like water. 2nd would be Red Dot.

Years ago I bought a second hand Lee Pro 1000 that was already set up for 4.7 grains of Winchester Super Target for a 200 SWC. I've loaded 6 or 7 thousand rounds on it and never had reason to change,

GT bullets is doing one heck of a job on quality and options on dia and hardness.

I ordered 2000 of these 45g Hp in the soft alloy and they expanded to 89 caliber with 8.7g of AA#5, VERY, VERY accurate bullet

GT's 200g semi wad cutter with 6g of Unique is very accurate also.

https://www.gtbullets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1

4.0 grains Bullseye over a home-cast 200 grain flat-base swc (SAECO 69). Given shot, one-hole group, 50 feet, rested with two-handed hold.

Link is from 1911forums I posted years ago ( I go by "catboat" over there) with picture of my totally stock Springfield 1911 MILSPEC 45 ago, and the range report with picture of the target (with load info).

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/range-report-1911a1-sa-milspec.356188/