Need help with .45 loads

[bob v]

Hello all, I need some help and figure this is the place to get it. I currently shoot 50' indoor pistol and always have. I'm thinking about shooting outdoor matchs next season and need some input on loads. I currently shoot 185gr. SWC/3.8gr. BE with good results. I'm thinking of going to 200gr. SWC for outdoor at 50 yd. and need a good starting load . I like the performence from BE but am open to any and all suggestions. TIA....bobv

[Ernie Rodriguez]

Using a 200gr SWC for 50 yards you can use the following combinations-4.0gs/BE-4.0grs/CLAY-4.0grs/WST-3.9grs/N310 or 4.2grs/S1000. These loads should get you started.

[bob v]

Thanks Ernie, that should be a good start to work up a load for this gun....bob v

[Rover]

There is nothing wrong with your current components except that you don't know whether they shoot accurately.

Buy, rent, or borrow a machine rest such as Ransom and start testing.

If you can get 2" groups at 50 yards, you're OK.

Run a series with 2/10gr powder increases to a safe max. If you don't get good groups try another powder and another.

No joy? Start changing bullets.

You get the picture!

[Misny]

You don't say whether or not you have a red dot mounted on your pistol or iron sights or BoMar rib. This makes a difference. After the accuracy of the gun, the bullet is the next most important component in the accuracy game. To make sure that your gun will shoot accurately at 50 yards, I'd suggest you get some Nosler 185 gr. JHP bullets and charge the case with 4.5 grains of Bullseye. Dave Salyer turned me on to this load long ago. I haven't found a good pistol that wouldn't shoot well with it. If you can afford it, this may turn out to be your "go to" cartridge. Out of a good gun, this should shoot under 3" groups 10 shot groups at 50 yards from a machine rest. I've seen it shoot groups of sub 2" out of a Rock River.

After you have verified that your gun will shoot accurately, you may want to shoot a little more economically. Lead bullets will allow that. 3- 3 1/2" groups will get you into the 2600 club, so don't spend a lot of time and money testing for that "holy grail" of accuracy. Spend the effort instead on training. For economy and good accuracy at the 50 yard line, I like a swaged bullet. The Zero 185 LSWCHP is a very good bullet and so is the 200 gr. LSWC. I'd try 3.8 gr.- 4.2 gr. of Bullseye with these bullets with a slide mounted UltraDot. You can buy Zero bullets at: http://www.rozedist.com/mm5/merchant.mv ... =ZSB-45ACP

For 25 yards, just about any bullet will find the ten ring. You may want to find a cheap cast bullet in the 185 gr. range. Drive it with enough powder so that you don't get malfunctions. You may find that you have to up your powder charge from your indoor load a couple of tenths of a grain to get reliable functioning in colder weather outdoors. I use a charge of 4.0 grains of Bullseye. It works well with a 10-12 lb. recoil spring and an UltraDot mounted on the slide.

[Isabel1130]

You don't say whether or not you have a red dot mounted on your pistol or iron sights or BoMar rib. This makes a difference. After the accuracy of the gun, the bullet is the next most important component in the accuracy game. To make sure that your gun will shoot accurately at 50 yards, I'd suggest you get some Nosler 185 gr. JHP bullets and charge the case with 4.5 grains of Bullseye. Dave Salyer turned me on to this load long ago. I haven't found a good pistol that wouldn't shoot well with it. If you can afford it, this may turn out to be your "go to" cartridge. Out of a good gun, this should shoot under 3" groups 10 shot groups at 50 yards from a machine rest. I've seen it shoot groups of sub 2" out of a Rock River.

After you have verified that your gun will shoot accurately, you may want to shoot a little more economically. Lead bullets will allow that. 3- 3 1/2" groups will get you into the 2600 club, so don't spend a lot of time and money testing for that "holy grail" of accuracy. Spend the effort instead on training. For economy and good accuracy at the 50 yard line, I like a swaged bullet. The Zero 185 LSWCHP is a very good bullet and so is the 200 gr. LSWC. I'd try 3.8 gr.- 4.2 gr. of Bullseye with these bullets with a slide mounted UltraDot. You can buy Zero bullets at: http://www.rozedist.com/mm5/merchant.mv ... =ZSB-45ACP

For 25 yards, just about any bullet will find the ten ring. You may want to find a cheap cast bullet in the 185 gr. range. Drive it with enough powder so that you don't get malfunctions. You may find that you have to up your powder charge from your indoor load a couple of tenths of a grain to get reliable functioning in colder weather outdoors. I use a charge of 4.0 grains of Bullseye. It works well with a 10-12 lb. recoil spring and an UltraDot mounted on the slide.

I second Misny's suggestions. I use different loads on the 50 yard line than for the short line. For the 50 yard line I use 4.4g Titegroup with a Zero 185g JHP. For the short line right now I am using a 160g Valient SWC over 4.0 of Clays. (I get them from Dave Salyer) The thing to watch for when you switch loads like that is that you have a spring in your gun that will allow both rounds to cycle well so you don't end up with alabis at the short line and your long line load should not be so hot that your spring is allowing your gun to beat itself to death. (You will be able to feel the slide hit the back of the frame if your spring is too light for the loads you are using) I do not believe that the load I use at the short line will shoot well at 50 yards. If I wanted it to shoot well at 50 yards I would have to bump up the powder to 4.3 g of Clays or Bullseye. I have a frame mounted dot with a 13 pound spring. I also would not bother with a Ransom rest. Shooting from a sandbag ought to tell you if you are getting good enough accuracy from your gun. Bullseye is a very good powder for all weather conditions. Clays does not function as well in very cold weather but one of my freinds, a high master shooter uses Clays for everything. If the weather is cold we are shooting indoors. :-) 3.7g of Clays over a 200g Lasercast SWC and gets very good accuracy at the 50. http://www.laser-cast.com/45Cal.html
Isabel

[bob v]

Thanks to all for the info. I think I have enough to start with. To answer the questions I'm shooting a 1911 Springfield built by Les Baer back in the 70's I have a slide mounted Ultra-Dot and currently useing an 11# spring with good results( no alibies from FTF or FTE properly) I think I should be o.k. with the spring if I bump up my load from 3.8 to 4.0 to start and see what kind of results i get. Again thanks for the help....bob v

[Isabel1130]

Thanks to all for the info. I think I have enough to start with. To answer the questions I'm shooting a 1911 Springfield built by Les Baer back in the 70's I have a slide mounted Ultra-Dot and currently useing an 11# spring with good results( no alibies from FTF or FTE properly) I think I should be o.k. with the spring if I bump up my load from 3.8 to 4.0 to start and see what kind of results i get. Again thanks for the help....bob v

One additional thing you can do, is if you can't see it, have someone watch your brass as it ejects from your gun. It should probably fly no more than 3-5 feet and drop to the floor. If it just barely exits the gun and then drops, if you get a light charge you will have a failure to eject. I say this because most progressive reloaders tend to drop the powder with an error rate of about a 10th of a grain either way. Ideally your charge should be set right in the middle of the sweet spot load wise to accomodate this. If your brass flys down the range and hits the shooter two or three points down, your load is probably too hot. Of course if you find loads that you like that really shoot well in your gun, the first thing I would do would be to change the spring to accomodate the loads that work well in your gun. Isabel.

[bob v]

Thanks Isabel, yes right now my brass ejects and drops about 2 -2 1/2' just right ,doesn't "shoot " them out so to speak. I do try to get my loads as you say in the sweet spot and I'll surely keep that in mind also. Thanks....bob v

[1911nut]

My new Rock River with a slide mounted UltraDot shoots well at 50 yds with a 200g Lasercast SWC over 3.8g N-310.
With the 11 lb spring the cases go 1-3 feet.