.45 ACP: Better powder choice than WST?

[jonp]

Promo 4.2-4.6gr or Unique.

[wv109323]

The Marines (after much testing) use VV 310 in there 50 yard loads. This is used with the Nosler 185 gn. HP and WLP primers. I have used VV310 with the 200 gn. Cast and it is clean and accurate. I am sure it can be loaded to major velocities.

[Blackwater]

I've always found the .45 ACP is pretty easy to load for. Many powders will give good results, and the difference between powders is likely a matter of which specific gun you happen to be shooting more than which powder you're using. To find the very "best" powder for your particular gun and load and techniques, you'd need to fire a bunch of different loads, and be veeerrryyyy careful when squeezing them off so that you can have confidence in the accuracy results to tell the difference, and even then, the difference is likely to be less than you'd probably think. That's been my experience, anyway. I wish all calibers were so accomodating.

[dnotarianni]

I have a 4lb can of 452aa that I am working on. Once it runs out I am going to have to find something new myself

Burning some 452aa myself right now but it seems smoky as opposed to bullseye with a lead bullet. Same smoke with hard or soft lube.

[dg31872]

Bullseye, bullseye, and Tightgroup if we are out of BE.

[OregonCaster]

For me it's "Clays"

[triggerhappy243]

ok, maybe it has already been said here and I just missed it. I currently use power pistol because that is what came with a reloaders package I bought out. it seems to work well with the Lee 200 SWC BB I am casting. I have some titegroup I got last year, but have not tried it out yet. Anyone here shooting this Lee 200 SWC with titegroup? DETAILS PLEASE?

[Ed in North Texas]

Bullseye has been used in the .45 ACP for over 100 years and still works.

And I've been using either Bullseye or Unique for most of my pistol rounds for about 50 years. Yet I just read a blog (not Cast Boolits) post from 2011 where the poster claimed that 231 was the powder of choice for .45 ACP, that hardly anyone uses Bullseye or Unique any more. Wonder where that poster resides - perhaps an alternate universe?

[Wayne Smith]

Certainly not where I live!

[acoop101]

Not to revive a zombie thread but I have been shooting lots of shooters choice clean shot, supposedly burns like aa#2 runs clean and runs accurate.

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[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Red Dot or Green Dot. Being primarily thought of as shotgun powders, they are usually easy to find.

[Ithaca Gunner]

800X very forgiving and easy to deal with, can attain max velocity with about any boolit or bullet. 7.0gr for cast, 8gr for 200gr Hornady JHP.

[9w1911]

I have had good luck in 45acp with these powders:
WWAP
Promo
Tightgroup
WST
231

My favorite loads (from memory please do not use this data without double checking a manual)
5.0gr Promo
7.0gr WAP

[Lloyd Smale]

I have real good luck with pr200. Its a surplus powder (same powder as aa2) Cant find it anymore but I still have 40 lbs. When that's gone a guy can allways get aa2. About the identical burning rate as 231

[OS OK]

Attachment 167136

Nice to throw, meters like a dream. The bottom box is lead SWC's lube/sized, I'm out of the PC'd variety but for the same 4.7 grains I was getting 900-925 FPS if memory serves but I may have upped that to 4.8, not sure.

Bottom line though, it burns clean.

With all these powder/primer shortages we have had I have had to work up loads out of all sorts of fast powders. TiteGroup is another favorite.

[Grampo]

I've tried almost all powders over the years and keep coming back to Bullseye.

[therealhitman]

Nice to throw, meters like a dream.

700X? Metering? More like a bad dream in Dillons.

[Lloyd Smale]

got to agree. Ive found it a poor metering powder

700X? Metering? More like a bad dream in Dillons.

[OS OK]

I would imagine that Dillon and Lee, using the sliding metering hole get that thin powder caught up in the underside of the slide itself, binding or whatever. I use it in the conventional throw that has a metering hole in the drum…like I said "Nice to throw, meters like a dream!"

Attachment 167371

It could be that your equipment has limitations you were not aware of…could be that the Dillon would have trouble with other small powders also…HP38 for instance.

OS OK

[johniv]

I use a Dillon, and an RCBS meter and 700 meters poorly. Only stick rifle powders are worse. But hey , that could just be me.