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Posted: 8/11/2016 9:08:21 PM EDT
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What do you do to your 45acp cases to improve accuracy?
Thanks for the help and inputs. pimerhead |
| .45 ACP cases actually can shrink with repeated reloads. If you wanted something to do, you could trim cases to the same length and maintain them in the same lot. But in practice, probably few reloaders trim .45 ACP cases. I do not. As stated previously, boringly accurate is a good description. |
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I load them in my 1911 Range Officer if I want good accuracy, if I only want meh, I load them in my Glock 30S.
Seriously other than just normal reloading prep I don't do anything to them.... You could get crazy with it I suppose but I don't see a point your gains would probably be minuscule. |
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50 yard service pistol shooter here. You really don't need brass prep with 45. Keep in mind that 230 gr hard ball doesn't fly as well as a bullet like the 185jhp.
Ed Masaki and David Salyer have done extensive testing on the 45. Masaki found that even fracked cases could deliver accurate loads at 50 yards. Start with a common bullseye pistol load in an accurate gun. That will get you almost all the way there. Plated bullets will detract from your results. |
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Quoted: A lot of work but these steps reduce group size dramatically sort by head stamp sort by case length debur flash hole weight sorted bullets sorted by weight each powder charge is weighed loaded single stage You wandered into a pistol thread, saw case prep and posted rifle case prep.  |
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Normal process is:
Sort by headstamp Size/Deprime w/lube Wet tumble Reload ... the only difference between practice and match ammo is the projectile I use, but often they are the same. Same process for both, pistol shooting is really about the shooter IMHO, I'm not sure you'll find a magic bullet with an obscure or additional process. ~g |
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Note that Starline makes 2 kinds of 45 acp brass, one is heavy duty. Long brass all of the same trim length is most accurate. I have never trimmed a 45 acp case. Short chambers are also good. 45 ACP+P, 45 Automatic+P 0.892 - 0.897 O.A.L. The 45 Auto+P is a strengthened version of the 45 Auto with the same external dimensions. A thicker web and heavier sidewall at base strengthens the case in potentially unsupported areas. This case has approximately 2 grains less internal water capacity than the standard 45 Auto. |
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Quoted:
A lot of work but these steps reduce group size dramatically sort by head stamp sort by case length debur flash hole weight sorted bullets sorted by weight each powder charge is weighed loaded single stage I would only add that all cases need to be from the same lot, as well as the bullets, and the powder. The word "match" means more than a contest, it also means "the same". |
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Quoted: I would only add that all cases need to be from the same lot, as well as the bullets, and the powder. The word "match" means more than a contest, it also means "the same". Quoted: Quoted: A lot of work but these steps reduce group size dramatically sort by head stamp sort by case length debur flash hole weight sorted bullets sorted by weight each powder charge is weighed loaded single stage I would only add that all cases need to be from the same lot, as well as the bullets, and the powder. The word "match" means more than a contest, it also means "the same". Lets stay on topic and discuss 45 ACP reloading. The post you quoted was rifle case prep as I already noted when I quoted that post. |
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Quoted:
Lets stay on topic and discuss 45 ACP reloading. The post you quoted was rifle case prep as I already noted when I quoted that post. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
A lot of work but these steps reduce group size dramatically sort by head stamp sort by case length debur flash hole weight sorted bullets sorted by weight each powder charge is weighed loaded single stage I would only add that all cases need to be from the same lot, as well as the bullets, and the powder. The word "match" means more than a contest, it also means "the same". Lets stay on topic and discuss 45 ACP reloading. The post you quoted was rifle case prep as I already noted when I quoted that post. This would be the first time I had to disagree with you, Flash. Each and every one of those 7 steps listed can be done to 45 ACP to improve accuracy. Going to those lengths is usually associated with precision rifle reloading but can also help with pistol too. I think that's what the poster had in mind. |
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Your biggest improvement on the loads, will be to get unformed powder throws.
I bring this up, since even if you are reloading by hand with a powder dispenser, some powders will meter better than others, and withing this as well, is making sure that you have the smaller pistol cylinder insert in the dispenser. Hence the small amount of powder that you will throwing in 45ACP, if you have the large rifle cylinder in the dispenser, your throws are going to be all over the map due to it by itself. Short of that, if you are shooting match, then Clays is a great powder to use. It can make 165MPF with ease with both a 200gr and 230gr bullet, and burns fast enough that you get a complete burn before the bullet has left a 5" barrel. If not worried about making 165mpf, then there are some faster powders that work great for wad cutter loads isntead. Note, wad cutter loads in a 45ACP is a whole different ball game, and not only will you need to down tension the recoil spring to get the action to cycle correctly, your will need to have the pistol worked to feed the loads reliably as well (read the pistol needs to be able to handle cycle empty cases by the mags through it). Lastly when working up loads, load your OAL for the barrel is going to be run through. 
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| I bought some once fired 45ACP military match cases once and they were all shorter than factory brass. I figured they trimmed it to make it all the same length for consistent crimp. It might have allowed a bit more bullet shoulder to be exposed with semi-wadcutters. |
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USAMU is the only place I know of that does anything to .45 acp brass prior to loading.
They use new Winchester cases and trim them all to a uniform length. They pick the shortest case and make them all that size. 4.1 grains of VihtaVuori N310 under a 185 grain Nolser hp. Velocity from a 5 " barrel is 800 fps +/- 20 fps depending on the pistol. Lighter recoil springs are used as this is a light target load. I use handguns as a self-defense tool and as such world class accuracy isn't my goal. 100% reliability and reasonably decent accuracy will suffice while shooting standard full power ammo is my goal. Most people load 200 grain H&G #68 style lead semi-wadcutter bullets with mixed brass cases and 5.2 grains of WW-231. Shoot thousands of them until you feel a little swagger about your skill set. |
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