New Loader learning 45 acp

[fatcpa]

I use a lot of HP-38 for my 45ACP semiauto reloads. Mostly LSWC bullets, but some jacketed. Seldom use anything lighter than 230 grain. I have always taper crimped to .469. Generally load for around 850 fps. It's not much but you might try tighting up on the crimp a bit.

 

[okierider]

I use w231 which is the same as hp38. I found neither of my 45's,M&P shield and 1911, liked the lower end of the powder charge. I am running 5.5 grains with 230 gr RN, 1.2675 OAL

 

[tkdgeek]

I very much appreciate all of the replies. I was waiting until I had the chance to go back up to the range again and try my next small batch. I had a side note with swampratt who showed me several issues I still had with the process itself. Using lube on sizing and not cleaning it off, guessing on flare to seat a bullet instead of measuring with caliper and doing it right for the size of bullet I use, seating a bit too short because my factory examples were instead of bringing that up to 1.270, checking several times that I'm getting a consistent taper to take out the flare I'm putting in...Yeah. Clean up the process helped a great deal. Looks like I'm needing these extreme 200g bullets with hp38 in my glock to be on the higher side as a couple suggested. 5.5 is cycling much better. One more test with a few at 5.6 but in the end it is all about the inexperience and tightening up the steps I'd say. Did I mention more than three times that there are definite steps to make it smoother and consistent? Ha.
Thanks much.

 

[Rod Snell]

How many hundred of times has that post started? As an older person I'm sad to not know things but have enough sense to realize you have to start somewhere.
Have a single stage press, hornady custom 3 die for 45acp, beam scale (measure 2-3 times one case at a time), digital calipers, one of those one book one caliber, lots of Internet reading, chose HP-38 because it looked to be a good middle of the road 1st time powder, box of x-treme 200gr RN, fed primers...
Just can't seem to narrow down the proper charge for that powder with a 200gr copper coated RN. Still very dirty on spent casing, still stove-pipe too often and still makes my Glock 30 sad. I'm up to 5.2gr being too weak still, 5.3 is better, 5.4 maybe better. 10 loads at a time of each as I worked from about 4.6-5.5 based on book values for hp-38 in .2-.3 increments to narrow down. Now I'm in 10ths and still struggling.
Not sure I'm getting a correct taper crimp but COL is 1.26 based on my purchased 200g reloads, this last set I checked that at top of crimp at was about .472. Am seating and crimping separate steps. Think I'm close but just not there on being able to reliably reload my first caliper!

For my 1911s and daughter's Glock, I load 5.8gr Win 231 under 200gr TC Berry .45 at 1.2 OAL which is major power+ (880 fps). If I recall correctly, I had to shorten up to 1.2 OAL to keep the Glock happy. I don't weigh each charge and have no notes that exact charge was an issue in development (been loading this for 14 years).

 

[Buzzdraw]

I've loaded a few 100,00's .45 ACP, mostly for 1911 but some for Glock. Desired taper crimp is .469 + .001. Your .472 not tight enough and will cause feed malfunctions as well as unburned powder. Something near 5.5 gr HP 38 should give excellent accuracy and around 850 fps.

I prefer the 230 gr bullet for the G30 series for best function.

 

[swampratt]

You guys must realize different cases have different wall thickness.
You must also realize these plated bullets are very soft lead and all the bearing surface of some bullet types is inside the case.
If i was to set my crimp to .469" on my A* USA cases i would be pinching my bullet down to many thousandths under groove diameter. In my 45acp
Accuracy would go to crap.. fouling will go way up.

The chamber in this gun is quite large in fact at .472" with the .452" diameter bullet he is using the plunk test works great in fact there is a lot of wiggle room in that large chamber.
Zero feed issues with those rounds he is making now. they slick right up the ramp and into the chamber.
I stuck 5 in the magazine and racked the slide fast and chambered and ejected all of them like a champ.

My 2 personal 45 acp's have large chambers and nice ramps and .472" is where my mouths are with a .452" lead SWC.
My alloy is 1/3 wheel weight 2/3 soft lead.
If i close the mouth more accuracy greatly suffers and leading goes way up.
Same happens when I use the 230 gr Xtreme plated in my gun.
Accuracy goes to crap.. in fact those Xtreme have not played nice with my gun yet as far as accuracy goes.

I understand many guns may like .469" and tighter.. but you kind of need the gun in your possession and shoot it and see what results you get.

 

[Buzzdraw]

Brass mouth wall thickness varies by maker and then a little within their individual lots. I often run mixed headstamp brass so I run with the thinnest in the lot on hand, usually Remington. Theoretically taper crimp is determined by carefully measuring the mouth sidewall, multiplying it by two, adding true bullet diameter, then subtracting .001". Formula usually works on straight wall (or nearly so) style cases. Does not work on sharply tapered cases such as 9mm Luger.

My preferred .45 ACP bullet is the 200 gr SWC of the H&G 68 style. I run these at 1.255" and .469" TC; they run in everything and shoot accurately.

In the Glock 30 I run 230gr RN at 1.250" OAL. Perfect function and good accuracy.

Mixed brass is what I usually run as brass brand is of little importance to practical accuracy in most every pistol. Yes, if I'm doing 50 yd accuracy testing with a gun with high accuracy testing potential I will go to single brand brass. Shooting a high end tournament I will run single brand once-fired brass.

 

[Snake]

Never had any problems with Xtreme bullets.