Accurate #7 Powder

[starman]

I'm going to load some 45acp's this week end. My Lee loading manual puts this powder at the top of the list for 230g cast lead and Jacket bullets.
I don't have any but will try and pick up a pound if the opinion is positive with other loaders. Anyone have a favorite for loading this weight and caliber?
Accurate #5, v-N350 & v-N340 comeS in 2nd, 3rd & 4th, of course I don't have them either. Right now my inventory consist of HP38, Unique & H110 and all of these are further down the list. Lee Tables list their best powder in order of feet/sec in decending order.
The Accu #7 pushes the 230g at 862 fps

Advance thanks to all

[carver]

All I use for pistol reloading is Accurate Arms Powder. It's a fast burning powder, and it takes less to get the same results. I like the 9.9 grs of #7 for around 862fps, and I like the #5 at 8.7grs. for around 968fps.

[woolleyworm]

Don't confuse the top listed powder with being the "best" powder; it may give you more fps, but terrible accuracy and keyholing. I have not personally tried the AA #7 though, so give a few different powders that you have available at test and see what happens. Lyman puts their "potentially most accurate" powder test results in bold.

For general plinking and practice, I like Win231 for the 230gr and Clays for 185grs. Best performing that I've found for the 45's has been with BlueDot. Bullseye is very good also, but doesn't burn cleanly in anything I've shot it through. Unique is a great all around pistol powder too, but I only use it for 2 loads due to it not metering as consistently as I prefer. I find that it does meter better from my RCBS Uniflow than it does my Dillon measure.

Good Luck to Ya !

[gdmoody]

I've used #5, Unique, Bullseye, and titegroup in .45ACP. I have used titegroup more than the others and it does a good job. I have never used #7 in the .45, but I do like it in 9mm and 5.7X28 and it give good results in those.

[Bindernut]

I can't offer any advice on using AA#7 in .45ACP. Would be interested in hearing how it works out for ya since I do have some of that sitting on the shelf.

For jacketed bullets, I've been using BlueDot behind assorted 230gr JHPS and FMJs. Wooley is right about it being a not-so-clean burner.
For cast, I have tried a few other powders but keep coming back to 5.9gr ofWW231 and 230gr LTC LaserCast as a generic load that matches the fixed sight point-of-aim on both my Springfield and Taurus 1911s at 15yds (it works in both pistols so I'm definitely gonna keep this as a pet load).

[starman]

Wooleyworm, I believe the Win231 is close if not the same has my HP38.
If that's the case I may just try some of it. I'll be using it in my new Springfield Loaded 1911 PX915LP. I bought a box of factory 230g to put through it first, just to make sure its operating correctly. Once I know this I'll try some of my loads. I've read on the 45acp its critical to watch both Max and Min OAL for good feeding. Of course this is always important just a little more on the auto feeders. Nice to hear from you, its going to be cold and windy here this weekend so I just hope I can get out and try my new toy

Cheers to all and thanks

[steve4102]

I have tried a lot of powders in my 45's. I found Magic with WST with 230gr FMJ and JHP. Soft shooting and scary accurate. #7 I use in my 10mm and 40 S&W.

[starman]

Just a little spin off from this subject but closely related. In the hard cast lead 200g and 230g which is preferred for accuracy the SWC or Ball / Round nose. I know the SWC will punch a more visible hole but is it more or less accurate. Also how do the SWC's feed with the 45acp in the 1911's ?

[Bindernut]

Originally Posted by starman

Just a little spin off from this subject but closely related. In the hard cast lead 200g and 230g which is preferred for accuracy the SWC or Ball / Round nose. I know the SWC will punch a more visible hole but is it more or less accurate. Also how do the SWC's feed with the 45acp in the 1911's ?

As far as accuracy between those two styles, I think that's up to the individual pistol and what it prefers. The semi-wadcutter design evolved from the full wadcutter design which was used to punch nice clean holes in a paper target. It just has a bit of a nose section added, but still has that nice clean step at the edge of the bullet for punching a cleaner hole than a LRN will. I suspect the nose was added to help with chambering but I'm not positive.
SWCs are usually used in revolvers as opposed to autoloaders too...but I know guys using SWC bullets in .38 Super autos too. As long as they feed alright, go ahead and try em. Buy a small box to start with though just in case they don't feed in your pistol.

As for SWCs in an auto...each pistol will feed em differently. It depends on the feed ramp, how it's angled, polished, and fitted to the rest of the gun. that little step can cause hangups on the feedramp or chamber mouth in some pistols.

In my autos, I usually try to use a truncated cone style (LTC, lead truncated cone). It will feed as well as a round nose in most autos and gives me that flat metplat on the nose of the bullet that helps transfer energy to small game. (I do a lot of small game hunting with my pistols...bunnies and such).
It also seems to punch a bit cleaner of a hole in paper targets too.
And...as a correction to my above post, the LaserCast TC .45 bullet that I'm using is 225gr instead of 230gr. I did use 230gr data for that bullet though.


And yes, W231 is the same powder as HP38. Made in the same factory using the same recipe. I've interchanged those two before too...but as always, just like changing to a different lot of the same powder, back off your load and work back up to your "pet" charge watching for any pressure changes. Usually, those .45ACP W231 cast loads are mild anyway but it never hurts to play it safe!

[LDBennett]

While Hodgdon sells lots of powders, they make NO powder themselves. They shop the world for sources then put their label on it. Winchester made HP38 for them and it was the same as W231. Recently Hodgdon took over the distributorship of IMR powders and Winchester powders. Their most recent reloading manual has a list of exact equivalents between Hodgdon and Winchester and HP38 is equivalent to W231 according to that list.

At one time I tested all kids of different powders but in recent times I decided the logistics of tons of different powders was not practical. For handguns I use W231/HP38 exclusively. My many rifle calibers get H335, H380, H414, and IMR 4227 normally and I may use one slower powder for Magnum rifles.

LDBennett

[Bindernut]

Originally Posted by LDBennett

While Hodgdon sells lots of powders, they make NO powder themselves. They shop the world for sources then put their label on it. Winchester made HP38 for them and it was the same as W231. Recently Hodgdon took over the distributorship of IMR powders and Winchester powders. Their most recent reloading manual has a list of exact equivalents between Hodgdon and Winchester and HP38 is equivalent to W231 according to that list.

--snipped--

You are correct LD. Hodgdon does not own a powder manufacturing plant but rather subcontracts their production to several companies in either Canada, the US, or Australia.

I'm not sure who currently owns the St Marks, FL "ball" powder plant that used to be owned by Olin (Winchester). For some reason I think that General Dynamics is the current owner.
GenDyn does own the Expro (formerly DuPont) plant in Canada that makes the IMR extruded powders...now made for Hodgdon.
The Hodgdon brand extruded powders are currently made by ADI in Australia but used to be made over in Britain by ICI.
I think the Hodgdon flake powders are also made by ADI.

The FL plant is where both W231 and HP38 are made. Same recipe, same production line. A college classmate is located in Tallahassee and he knows several folks that used to work there.
The WW and Hodgdon ball powders have been made that that plant for many years and there are many equivalent powders in those two brand names.

Anyhoo...back to AA#7. I'd like to hear if anyone else has used it before in .45ACP. I might give it a try when things warm up again next spring...too cold to play with experimental loads up here now.

[starman]

Getting ready to load some 357mag's I have some speer uni-cor 140g JHP. According to my Lee book the Accru #7 at 11.0g (start load) will make it fly at 1408 fps where as the HP38 w/ 4.4g (start load) will produce 872fps. Now which one is more accruate remains to be seen.
The accru#7 is a spherical powder similar to the HP38 so it should drop nicely also. I'm not sure how clean it burns but may be worth a try its only $19 /lb here local. Not many shooters have tried it compared to the HP38, Win231 or bulls eye. I'm curious which will be more accrate and if there any corelation between velocity and accracy in pistol powers. I know the HP38 loaded at 3.1g on a 158g Lead SWC holds a tight group in the 38 spl cartridge.