+P 45 acp

45 ACP is a bit of a wild card when it comes to powder burn characteristics. Everything pretty much burns slower than it does with smaller calibers/higher pressures.

When I load full throttle 230's, I grab the HS-6. HS-6 likes driving the heavies. Now there may be other choices that'll push 230's a little faster, but HS-6 is forgiving - and that's a good thing when you're at the top of the scale. I've played with AA#7 a little; but I find it a bit slow, with high Standard Deviations.

For lighter 185's or 200's, I reach for the slightly spunkier Power Pistol. Unique would likely be a good choice too for the lighter slugs - I just haven't done any work-ups with it. And I don't have BE-86, but it would likely be a good choice too. I've had good results with AA#5 too.
 
Try ramshot silhouette, 8.2gr with a Speer 230gr gold dot, federal large pistol primers and a overall length of 1.206" in my range officer 5" clocked 1008fps avg of 10 shots.
 
Accurate Arms publishes +P data with their powders in 45 ACP. I'd stay with their AA#5 and possibly AA#7 would be the best choice. I wouldn't load +P pressures in multi-fired brass. If loading +P do it in new unfired factory brass and modern pistols rated for +P. Accurate data available on-line.
 
Savagetroll,

Understand that +P is a peak pressure rating. It will have SAAMI recommended velocities for different bullet weights, but the powder that works best will change with the bullet weight and with barrel length if you are working with very short barrels. In QuickLOAD, Unique is at least near the top of the list with most all bullet weights, so if you want just one powder to experiment with for a lot of bullet weights, that would be my choice. The other powders mentioned will beat it with some bullet weights, but not all.
 
I see 45 acp in levels:
stuck bullet
failure to eject
cycles
ejects
minimum published load 45acp
max published 45acp
+P 45 acp published
45 Super published
460 Rowland published
loose primer pocket, overload work up
primer falls out, overload work up
need to pound case out of chamber, overload work up

I started out that work up just like Randy Ketchum in 2000, with Unique. I switched to AA#5 for no good reason.
Lots of other pistol powders will go that whole range.
I shoot 45 Super loads in a 1911 with 0.235" of feed ramp intrusion [45acp case webs are 0.18" thick]. I do that with Power Pistol and Starline +P brass [thick walls].

A big problem with 45acp is recoil. The recoil spring force in combination with the slide mass required to get cases to land 5 feet away with 45acp +P is not convenient.
If the cases are ejecting a long ways, the slide is hammering the frame and your hand.
That gets old, so you are back to regular 45acp loads.
 
More out of curiosity than anything else, but "Why do you think you need +P loads for the 45 ACP"?

Stay safe.
Jim
 
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Would a 239 power factor be considered +P? :eek:
I will not give out that load info as it was both punishing to the gun and the shooters elbows.

I settled on a 217 power factor for shooting pins, it was thought anything 210or above was a good pin load.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
Bob, are you limited to a 45 ACP for shooting those pins? I would think a 45 Colt, 357 Mag or 44 Spl would give you enough energy to get the pins to clear the table.

Stay safe.
Jim
 
Jim, I no longer compete as the big pin matches have died off.

To answer your question, no you are not limited to 45acp as a matter of fact I finished my pin shooting career using a hot loaded 40 making a 210 power factor (10mm type loads).

There was very few rules in pin shooting as for what equipment could be used other then the different division, revovlver, stock gun, and racegun.
The game was all about speed and your time did not stop until your last pin of the run was on the ground.

There was guys shooting hot loaded 38 specials shooting big heavy full wadcutters, I think they were 230 grs.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
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