New to Handloading - Please Check my "Math" on 45ACP Load

L

LeoC4

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I'm preparing for my first reloading experience and request a review of my proposed load using Alliant Power Pistol.

Pistol: 45 ACP 4" barrel
Round: 230g Speer TMJ RN
Primer: Federal Small Pistol Match (GM100M)
Powder: Alliant Power Pistol
COL 1.260"

Alliant recommends 8.1g of powder using a CCI 300 primer; seems high compared to Speer's recommendation of 7g to 8.1g of Alliant Power Pistol for this round.

My plan is to start with 50 rounds at 7g and 50 rounds at 7.5g to see which cycles properly and demonstrates reasonable performance.
 
Alliant's on-line load data don't list a range, they only list the maximum charge. So for the 8.1 grains they list for that bullet with Power Pistol, if the starting charge is 10 percent less than the max, you should be starting at 7.3 grains.

Speer's maximum is the same as Alliant's, and they both use a C.O.A.L. of 1.260". I don't see any conflict -- Speer is just a bit more conservative with their starting load, starting off at 13.5 percent less than the max. I think you will be safe with your proposal, but if I were doing it I would make fewer than 50 rounds in the work-up series, and I would do three or four in increments of 0.2 grains rather than jumps of 0.5 grains at a time.
 
There is no 'math' involved with reloading.
"...Alliant recommends 8.1g of powder..." First rule of reloading is, "Read the manual." Alliant's 8.1 is the MAX load, not a recommended load. Reduce that by 10% for the Start load. That's 7.3 for a jacketed 230. A TMJ being a jacketed bullet.
"...Speer is just..." Every manual is slightly different because they reflect conditions using the exact components on the day of the test. Primarily you'll see different velocities. The differences caused by different components isn't enough to matter. All American manuals follow SAAMI specs regarding pressures.
"...50 rounds at 7g..." 5 is enough. 8.1 minus 7.3 is .8. Only so many loads are possible so .2 will do nicely.
 
Western powders recommends reducing pistol maximum loads by 15% (multiply the maximum by 0.85) where they use the usual 10% for rifle. I think there is enough variation in bullet design length and brand-to-brand case capacities to justify this bigger margin in the shorter pistol cases. In this instance that would be 6.9 grains to start with 8.1 grains maximum. Very close to the Speer numbers. The worst that can happen is failure to function.

In general, when looking for pressure signs, increments of 2% of the maximum charge rate are considered acceptable. In this instance, rounded to the nearest tenth of a grain, that would be 0.2-grain increments.
 
Primer: Federal Small Pistol Match (GM100M)
Click to expand...

I don't use .45acp brass with small primer pockets. And, I doubt they did in the sources you checked. .45acp has had large pistol primers from day one, and only recently have small primer pocket cases shown up on the market.

I will toss any small primer .45 cases I find, so as not to get them mixed in with regular brass.

Another point, are those cases the same internal capacity as standard ones? (within the normal range?)

Starting with a reduced (NOT MAX) load is the smart thing to do.
 
OP needs to examine the brass he intends to reload BEFORE buying primers (and good luck with finding any available).
45 ACP brass casings do come in two primer sizes.
Like everyone else, I dont bother with the small pistol primer version, unless you have a lot of them AND have that size primers, too.
Unless OP already has brass and primers of compatible design, he is unlikely to find ANY primers for sale in today's market conditions.
 
My 2nd edition lee manual shows 6.7 to 7.2, but with a shorter 1.190OAL, showing 895fps at 20,000 PSI, for a generic 230g FMJ

From what I can see both Alliant and Speer show a MAX of 8.1 so that should be fine.

Going with the 10% reduction for starting for alliant that puts it at 7.3g starting

Loading up 50rnds is a bad idea. Here is what I would recommend

Load up the following

5 - 7.0g
5 - 7.2g
5 - 7.4g
5 - 7.6g
5 - 7.8g
Make sure they all fire and cycle reliably and don't show any pressure signs, like flattened primers

then

3 - 8.0g

test

then

3 - 8.1

I always test up to max load just so I know it is safe to use if I want to, that gives me all the room under to play around in. Personally I would keep it to 8.0g, but testing at 8.1 should be safe, provided no pressure signs at the lower charge weights.

Also, if you are able, run your test loads over a chronograph. It can be very helpful to compare your loads to your manual to see if you are getting what you expected. Also it can be helpful to see what kind of velocity increases you get, or don't get, when increasing powder charge weights.

Once testing is done, pick the load you like/prefer. Get some 3x5 card write the load down, and the manual and page number it was on. It is much easier than pulling out the manual every time.
 
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44 AMP said:
I don't use .45acp brass with small primer pockets. And, I doubt they did in the sources you checked. .45acp has had large pistol primers from day one, and only recently have small primer pocket cases shown up on the market.

I will toss any small primer .45 cases I find, so as not to get them mixed in with regular brass.

Another point, are those cases the same internal capacity as standard ones? (within the normal range?)

Starting with a reduced (NOT MAX) load is the smart thing to do.
Click to expand...
Yes. Toss the small pistol primer brass. Smash them. Squash them. Recycle them.

The .45 ACP brass with small primer pockets was created by the Devil himself just to mess things up while priming.

It happens all too often, even after sorting brass. One or two of those bastards somehow slip through the inspection process. Smashed primers, grief, and sometimes swearing all occur.
 
straightShot said:
Yes. Toss the small pistol primer brass. Smash them. Squash them. Recycle them.

The .45 ACP brass with small primer pockets was created by the Devil himself just to mess things up while priming.

It happens all too often, even after sorting brass. One or two of those bastards somehow slip through the inspection process. Smashed primers, grief, and sometimes swearing all occur.
Click to expand...
Personally I have a "scrap" bin. I toss in all casing that are too mangled to use, blown out primer pockets... ect. I figure some day I will take it somewhere and see if I can get scrap value for my brass.
 
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