Freinds, I want to load some accurate 45acp and perhaps some 45super.
So what is a great and accurate bullet, and or brand of bullet, to achieve this goal?

In my 10mms I went with Hornaday xtp and hap bullets.
Been happy enough with them in 10mm.
For plinking I cast and powder coat the Lee 175gr tcc.

But I am open to almost anything and a more economic solution would be great.
Around a 200gr bullet would be sweet.
I have a few of my 45's set up to run super as well and have whole box of 500 Starline super brass.

I realize that results will vary with the firearm used but I am board and needy of discussion.

230 grain .452 dia. cast lead bullets have been my favorite for almost half a century.

Be careful not to over crimp, that's where accuracy starts to take a dump.

You can buy them or you can cast them yourself.

200 and 255gr swc from rimrock

Since you already cast with Lee, I'd say the 230 TC six gang would be a good way to go.

200gr swc lead & 4.0gr bullseye powder

Think I have that one but it throws 240 or some such.

Arsenal molds 453-210 TC sized .452"

TAC 1 lube

1.245" OAL

4.8gr American Select

My most used .45 mold is a 200 grain SWC.  #68 style iirc.  I cannot recall if this one came from NOE or MP molds.  It’s a four gang brass mold.   In the future any molds of that number of cavities will be in a lighter alloy. Brass gets heavy.

I have been on a .32 and .357 bullet kick in revolvers for a few years now so not that active with the .45 stuff.  My other .45 mold is a 230 grain round nose RCBS 2 cavity mold which is also excellent.   That’s it in .45 for me.  Now .357 sized molds I would only guess I have about 7 or 8 molds.


Clays and a 200 grain LSWC is a very nice combo for the .45.

Jacketed I used to shoot whatever 185 Hollow point I could find that shot reasonably accurate.

I load XTP's, they shoot good.

Nosler's 185 grain jacketed hollow point is the gold standard.

I have found Hornady HAP bullets to be very good in the accuracy department.

For years I loaded 200 lead SWC with 5.2 grains of WW-231 and they grouped better than my skill level.

I should get that Lee 200gr mold just to have.
My issue with casting is I don't have an excess of lead.
Last time I went to a salvage place to obtain wheel weights, half were either zinc or steel.
I might have a 100lbs of combined scrap lead which is really zero pounds honsetly.
Lead sheeting, some water pipe, purchased wheel weights and what ever I pick back out of the berm.

Sierra and Noslers are all well over .30 a bullet.
Hornaday and Zero brand are cheaper but are not far off that.

At the moment I purchased 2000 lead coated and will be loading those.

But I want some butt kicker loads with an accurate jacketed bullet that I can run up to super velocity as well.

The Hensley and Gibbs #68 bullet or any of it copies are the most accurate in all my 45s.  I think I have copies from every major manufacturer and the HG mold is slightly better than the rest.

the 200gr swc is the standard target bullet. But I always liked the 185gr SWC. I can't remember the mold I had for it. I think it was a RCBS 2 cav mold. It was always more accurate for me.

Old USMC bullseye load =

Nosler 185 grain JHP
4.1 grains of Viht N310
OAL 1.20”.

I hand fitted barrel can make the 1911 VERY accurate

I remember Montana Gold 185gr JHP being very accurate in my 1911s, using W231, but can't remember the charge, as it was years ago, and I no longer use .45ACP, as unAmerican as that may seem.

Ok gentlemen, what happened is cabelas.
I had $450 in gift cards for them and drove like 3 hours to purchase a Ruger bolt gun in 223 which they had exactly 1 of and sold before I got there.  Yay basspro.

So I purchased 45 bullets instead.
Two 500rd boxes of xtreme 200gr plated hp.
A 500rd box of 230gr hap.
Two boxes of 230gr xtp and two 185gr xtp.
These cards were free to me so chubby kid in a cotten candy store.
Ohh and a brick of win lpp.

Now someone is gonna say to themselves, why the diverse bullets weights?
Well a store with just 1 223/556 Ruger bolt isn't going to have $500 worth of the same bullet weight?


I don't just have 1911's although sig, springer nm stainless, two kimbers and a para long slide.
Non 1911, Cz 97, Sar k2, Glock pf45 m21 clone, Tanfoglio witness, Cz p10.

The lee 452-200gr rnfp. It's .528 long.

Don't shoot these in a unsupported barrel.

Description: lee 200 9gr longshot
Notes 1: 1.2 oal barnes +p brass
Notes 2:
Distance to Chrono (FT): 10.00
Ballistic Coefficient: 1.000
Bullet Weight (gr): 208.000
Altitude (FT): 0.0
Temp: N/A
BP: N/A
Shots
# FPS FT-LBS PF
10 1208 674.08 251.26
9 1163 624.80 241.90
8 1174 636.67 244.19
7 1202 667.40 250.02
6 1208 674.08 251.26
5 1185 648.66 246.48
4 1237 706.84 257.30
3 1203 668.51 250.22
2 1164 625.87 242.11
1 1227 695.45 255.22
Average: 1197.10
StdDev: 25.21
Min: 1163
Max: 1237
Spread: 74
True MV: 1198.46
Shots/sec: 0.14
Group Size (IN): 0.00


Description: lee 200 9.5gr longshot
Notes 1: 1.2 oal barnes +p brass
Notes 2:
Distance to Chrono (FT): 10.00
Ballistic Coefficient: 1.000
Bullet Weight (gr): 208.000
Altitude (FT): 0.0
Temp: N/A
BP: N/A
Shots
# FPS FT-LBS PF
9 1270 745.05 264.16
8 1270 745.05 264.16
7 1227 695.45 255.22
6 1220 687.54 253.76
5 1267 741.54 263.54
4 1277 753.29 265.62
3 1267 741.54 263.54
2 1229 697.72 255.63
1 1267 741.54 263.54
Average: 1254.89
StdDev: 22.50
Min: 1220
Max: 1277
Spread: 57
True MV: 1256.31
Shots/sec: 0.03
Group Size (IN): 0.00


Description: lee 200 10gr longshot
Notes 1: 1.2 oal barnes +p brass
Notes 2:
Distance to Chrono (FT): 10.00
Ballistic Coefficient: 1.000
Bullet Weight (gr): 208.000
Altitude (FT): 0.0
Temp: N/A
BP: N/A
Shots
# FPS FT-LBS PF
10 1327 813.43 276.02
9 1329 815.88 276.43
8 1302 783.07 270.82
7 1310 792.72 272.48
6 1306 787.89 271.65
5 1326 812.21 275.81
4 1292 771.09 268.74
3 1317 801.22 273.94
2 1310 792.72 272.48
1 1319 803.65 274.35
Average: 1313.80
StdDev: 12.00
Min: 1292
Max: 1329
Spread: 37
True MV: 1315.29
Shots/sec: 0.01
Group Size (IN): 0.00

@sandspider500, you can't really call it 45 ACP at that point. Those are pretty spicy, well into 45 Super territory, if not beyond that even.

He said he had a few setup to run super.

Wow yeah those are into super territory.
But I think I can do something close.
Have some 200gr hc bullets for my colt replicas, should have a pound of two of powder, have super brass.
I prefer 250gr soft bullets for those anyway.

The two I have set up for sure are the para 6" , square stop heavy spring.  It's ramped.
And M&P 45 with heavy spring and comp.
Witness would likely take it if I resprung it but have not done so.

So yesterday I tried to load some loads the spider posted but the 200 gr laser cast bullets i have were not cooperating.
They are a touch longer than the Lee bullet having a beveled base and a hardness of 24 the box says.
I did load 10 but I own a very useful revolver for testing something like this.
Ruger redhawk 45/45aarp.  
The bullets just slide to the crimping groove of the bullet.
Which those are meant for a roll crimp.
Anyway something is hinky there and decided to forgo that experiment for the time being.


I did obtain that Lee mold but it's been hot enough I haven't poured any lead, that's a fall winter time activity.
Or when I am getting ready for nights and staying up.

Did load some 185gr xtp bullets using Silhouette.
And some 230gr loads with just BE.

Unauthorized history of the Pacific War podcast
is what I put on the Google machine while I am dinking around.

Works best with Winchester Large Pistol Primers and in Win Brass.  
It is boringly accurate.

I have personally never seen
H&G 68 clone with any charge of 231/HP38 that was not accurate.  
My favorites are 4.7gr/5.4/5.8