Reloading 45 ACP w/ 185 gr lead

I would like to load some accurate loads for 25 & 50 with lead 185 gr SWC.  I have bullseye powder.  Does anyone have a good starting load?  Would titegroup powder be better? Thanks for the tips!

Bullseye is the powder.  Try 3.5-4.0grs with your 185 gr bullet, thats what most of us shoot.
Phil

Thank you. Would you recommend any lead bullet or is HPSWC okay?

Personally I have good luck with the Zero 185 HPSWC

Anything that gives good functioning will be fine.  I use 4.3 BE which is warmer than some but it gives me good results.  My best results so far have been with 200 Gr coated and 4.0.

Richard Martinez wrote:Thank you.  Would you recommend any lead bullet or is HPSWC okay?

ZERO makes an excellent LSWCHP as well as LSWC.
Bayou and Brazos make excellent HiTek coated LSWC bullets.

I'm sure there are others too.

This picture shows my current long line load.  10 shots, 50 yds, Ransome Rest.  It used to be my short line load, until I realized that is shot as well at 50 as any of the 200 gr loads I'd been using for my long line work.  My new short line load is basically the same, with the charge weight dropped to 3.4 gr of Bullseye.  So, it's worth trying loads in the ranges Phil suggested.

Wobbley wrote:Anything that gives good functioning will be fine.  I use 4.3 BE which is warmer than some but it gives me good results.  My best results so far have been with 200 Gr coated and 4.0.

200 grn SWC? what's you COAL? TY!

I don’t load to OAL per se. My criteria is load to shoulder per the picture. My target is .915. OAL is checked for functioning through the magazine.

I use 3.7-3.8 grains of Bullseye with a 185 grain Bayou Bullets lead swc, .464-.465 crimp. Seems to shoot well and functions well.

I’m loading Summers hitek coated 175 swc with the bullet shoulder right at .920 (close to Ashley’s excellent diagram) over top of 4.0 gr WST. Not a single ammo-related malfunction in hundreds and hundreds of rounds since I shortened up to .920. My gun is irons and a Rango Officer with19# mainspring but I have to use an 11# recoil spring. At 12# I’d get an occasional fail to eject or fail to lock back. Probably my grip wasn’t quite strong enough!

Was using 3.6 or 3.7 (can’t recall) of bullseye until I used up the jug. I like both WST and BE but for curiosity’s sake I am going to try some VV N130 and LSWC.

Hope that helps.

SNS Casting, coated and uncoated have been fantastic for me.

Besides accuracy, your powder charge may depend upon how your pistol is set up as a part of the desire to achieve reliable functioning. Does it have a slide mounted scope? Does it have a factory weight recoil spring? Is the mainspring factory weight?

Wobbley wrote:I don’t load to OAL per se. My criteria is load to shoulder per the picture.  My target is .915.  OAL is checked for functioning through the magazine.

Hello is this what you also use in your SW 745?
i purchased a 745 on gunbroker and im working up a recipe for it. thanks

Yup! They’re decent pistols.