HEAVY 45 ACP LOADS - The Firearms Forum

BADASSKIMBER45 · 10-25-2003, 09:06 PM

Fellers, has anyone ever used a .452 45 colt bullet in 250 or 255 Grain round nose flat point for 45 ACP loads? I have tried one, but it was difficult to find any useable data for it. I had found some data on these heavy duty loads in an old article on Sixgunner.com last year, but I cannot locate it anymore. In a 5 inch gun, they ought to be able to do about 850 FPS....any takers??

Xracer · 10-26-2003, 08:03 AM

Badass.......yep, that was my Bowling Pin Load. I used a Keith-type 255 gr. bullet originally designed for the .45 (Long) Colt.

The RCBS mould # is 45-255-SWC-82050. It casts at .454 and should be sized to .451 or .452 (depending on what your gun likes) for a .45 ACP.

Here it is (at the bottom): http://www.rcbs.com/default.asp?menu...2=9&s3=83&pg=3

I started out at 6.0 gr. of Unique and worked up .1 gr. at a time 'till I got the hitting power and accuracy I wanted.

My old loading notebooks are buried out in the garage, but if I recall correctly, I finally settled on a load of about 6.5-6.7 gr. of Unique...but don't quote me on that. Start at 6.0 and work up .1 at time 'till you get a load your gun prefers.

Don't know what it chronographed at.....probably about 850 or so, but it really did a job on bowling pins thru my 1911 Pin Gun.

Note: this is a pretty square bullet, so if you want it to feed well in a 1911, you'll need a nicely polished feed ramp and a smooth transition into the chamber.

BADASSKIMBER45 · 10-26-2003, 04:09 PM

Xracer, thanks. That was what I was looking for--someone to give me a starting point and also to not think I was crazy for wanting a heavy bullet load in an ACP...

Xracer · 10-27-2003, 07:12 AM

Remember....this is a somewhat longer bullet than most for the .45ACP, so you don't want to seat it too deep. You'll need to go for the maximum overall cartridge length of 1.17".

What will you be using it for?

BADASSKIMBER45 · 10-27-2003, 08:44 PM

Xracer, This load nearly duplicates the 1873 45 Colt blackpowder load...it could nearly shoot through a covered wagon........so I guess I will use it to shoot through covered wagons..

an extra magazine full of those tucked away would make a handy stand off weapon for barricades in the event ya can't get back to the AR you should never have left behind in the first place...

10-25-2003, 09:06 PM	#1
BADASSKIMBER45 Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA Posts: 13	HEAVY 45 ACP LOADS Fellers, has anyone ever used a .452 45 colt bullet in 250 or 255 Grain round nose flat point for 45 ACP loads? I have tried one, but it was difficult to find any useable data for it. I had found some data on these heavy duty loads in an old article on Sixgunner.com last year, but I cannot locate it anymore. In a 5 inch gun, they ought to be able to do about 850 FPS....any takers?? __________________ BIG BORES RULE -->

10-26-2003, 04:09 PM	#3
BADASSKIMBER45 Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA Posts: 13	Xracer, thanks. That was what I was looking for--someone to give me a starting point and also to not think I was crazy for wanting a heavy bullet load in an ACP... __________________ BIG BORES RULE

10-27-2003, 08:44 PM	#5
BADASSKIMBER45 Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA Posts: 13	Xracer, This load nearly duplicates the 1873 45 Colt blackpowder load...it could nearly shoot through a covered wagon........so I guess I will use it to shoot through covered wagons.. an extra magazine full of those tucked away would make a handy stand off weapon for barricades in the event ya can't get back to the AR you should never have left behind in the first place... __________________ BIG BORES RULE

10-26-2003, 08:03 AM	#2
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	Badass.......yep, that was my Bowling Pin Load. I used a Keith-type 255 gr. bullet originally designed for the .45 (Long) Colt. The RCBS mould # is 45-255-SWC-82050. It casts at .454 and should be sized to .451 or .452 (depending on what your gun likes) for a .45 ACP. Here it is (at the bottom): http://www.rcbs.com/default.asp?menu...2=9&s3=83&pg=3 I started out at 6.0 gr. of Unique and worked up .1 gr. at a time 'till I got the hitting power and accuracy I wanted. My old loading notebooks are buried out in the garage, but if I recall correctly, I finally settled on a load of about 6.5-6.7 gr. of Unique...but don't quote me on that. Start at 6.0 and work up .1 at time 'till you get a load your gun prefers. Don't know what it chronographed at.....probably about 850 or so, but it really did a job on bowling pins thru my 1911 Pin Gun. Note: this is a pretty square bullet, so if you want it to feed well in a 1911, you'll need a nicely polished feed ramp and a smooth transition into the chamber.

10-27-2003, 07:12 AM	#4
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	Remember....this is a somewhat longer bullet than most for the .45ACP, so you don't want to seat it too deep. You'll need to go for the maximum overall cartridge length of 1.17". What will you be using it for?