Favorite powder for 45acp?

muleman

Handloader
May 12, 2009
1,390
122
Getting ready to buy a few cans of powder for 185gr and 200gr bullets. Which are everybody's favorites? I have CFEpistol to start.
Thanks,

Scott
 
Works like rifles. My friend who shoots IDPA(?), gets great accuracy from Win 231. He has shot Clays when it was easier to find. I shoot Tightfroup.


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Works like rifles. My friend who shoots IDPA(?), gets great accuracy from Win 231. He has shot Clays when it was easier to find. I shoot Tightfroup.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Works like rifles. My friend who shoots IDPA(?), gets great accuracy from Win 231. He has shot Clays when it was easier to find. I shoot Tightfroup.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I shoot W231 with 230 gr bullets. It burns pretty clean.

JD338
 
Unique has been a favorite of mine for many years. It gives great accuracy and high velocity with most any weight bullet and it also works well with field loads in my 12 ga. shotgun. Unique is the powder I started handloading the.45 ACP with. It was a WWII bring back Colt 1911A1. Back then I had just started a family and we were poooooor. If I did not shoot, catch or raise it we did not eat it. I could load a 200 gr LSWC that I cast out of wheel weights I got free with 7 grs Unique for about 2 cents and go kill a deer, 45 cal hole in and out of the lungs and it really let the air out of them. Back 35 years ago when I shot Bullseye target competition with 200 gr LSWC bullets 3 grs. Bullseye powder is what EVERYBODY used. Times have changed but when you still have lots of these powders in your stash why change. If it ain't broke don't try to fix it.
 
I found a very pleasant load to shoot from my .45 consisted of a 200 grain Rainier bullet with 5.4 grains of Universal Clays. Very clean burning and minimal recoil.
 
Since I'm an old Bullseye competition shooter I have tried just about all the powders available for the .45acp and I settled on Solo 1000. It gives me the best accuracy in my pistols.
The AMU has Atlanta Arms load their target ammo with VitN310 as does the Marine pistol teams.
You just have to try different powders and find what works best for you.
 
I've loaded tens of thousands of .45ACPs with 200gr SWCs and WST. IIRC, 5.0gr.

That's been a few years, not sure if WST is still made but it worked great, didn't foul much and would run the gun dirty without a hiccup.
 
truck driver":3th9lo77 said:
Since I'm an old Bullseye competition shooter I have tried just about all the powders available for the .45acp and I settled on Solo 1000. It gives me the best accuracy in my pistols.
The AMU has Atlanta Arms load their target ammo with VitN310 as does the Marine pistol teams.
You just have to try different powders and find what works best for you.

Now... the Army and Marine pistol teams are some of the best in the world, and they devote themselves to the .45 ACP.

Does that tell you anything? :grin:

Guy
 
Guy Miner":2cyu5u6n said:
truck driver":2cyu5u6n said:
Since I'm an old Bullseye competition shooter I have tried just about all the powders available for the .45acp and I settled on Solo 1000. It gives me the best accuracy in my pistols.
The AMU has Atlanta Arms load their target ammo with VitN310 as does the Marine pistol teams.
You just have to try different powders and find what works best for you.

Now... the Army and Marine pistol teams are some of the best in the world, and they devote themselves to the .45 ACP.

Does that tell you anything? :grin:

Guy
The bullet over the powder is a Nosler 185gr JHP. When they can't get these they shoot Federal target 185 FMJ Semi wad cutter.
 
I do not worry about accuracy in my 45's they are for plinking and self defense. So I have never done any serious load development other than to insure proper function. I use W-231 and it has always worked well for me.
 
I used WW 231 under a 200gr hard cast lead round nose. I took many courses using this load, usually in Fiocchi or Federal cases. when I had used up/lost many cases I would use the Fiocchi 230 fmj ( hardball) I used a Dillon Square Deal B and had a ball!
 
Another old Bullseye shooter here . Powder selection depends on intended purpose . For target use I load VVN-310 or Bullseye with a lead 200gr SWC , with 185 lead SWC either Bullseye or WST , for 230 FMJ either VVN-320 or Titegroup , for 185 JHP VVN-310 , WST or Bullseye . Depends on ambient temps as both VVN-310 & WST are temp sensitive . For heavy loads that mimic my defense ammo Silhouette , VVN-340 or 350 as I carry the 230 HST .
 
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