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Posted: 11/26/2013 1:20:38 AM EDT
| So I've been bowling pin shooting for about a year now with a .40, but I plan to pick up a .45 in the near future and would like to use that at pins. Right now I'm using Longshot in .40 which yields about 1100-1150 with 180gr .40 cal. If you aren't familiar with .40, with the exception of Longshot, I don't know of a powder that can go much over 1000. Most max 230gr .45 loads I am seeing top out at around 950. Is there any powder that breaks 1000 fps and is still in .45 ACP pressure ranges? |
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Why the heavier bullet?
180's in a .45 acp will give you similar velocities to the .40 S&W, or at least in the range you're looking for. Heavier bullets don't need to go as fast as lighter bullets, they'll still knock the snot out of a bowling pin, or other things. The Hogden reloading website shows several loads/powders over 1,000 fps (and a couple over 1,100 fps) with 180 and 185 grain bullets. CFE Pistol, Longshot, etc. http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp |
| Looks like your specs exceed even .45 super. Get a Ruger Blackhawk convertible, comes with 2 cylinders, shoots .45 ACP and .45 long colt. The ruger only .45LC specs for this go up to and past .44 magnum. For a load testing platform for .45 acp, it doesn't get much more durable then this. Stay on the safe side and use the .45 colt for heavy loads vs. making .45 ACP loads that would be a problem in another gun. |
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Looks like your specs exceed even .45 super. Get a Ruger Blackhawk convertible, comes with 2 cylinders, shoots .45 ACP and .45 long colt. The ruger only .45LC specs for this go up to and past .44 magnum. For a load testing platform for .45 acp, it doesn't get much more durable then this. Stay on the safe side and use the .45 colt for heavy loads vs. making .45 ACP loads that would be a problem in another gun. That's really going to do him a lot of good. He wants to shoot pin matches!!! A single action revolver is NOT! a good choice for pin matches unless your name is Wyatt Annie Doc Wayne Hardin. OP, 950 is about it for 230gr, look in to 200gr, you can drive 'em pretty fast with less recoil (about 1000 fps or slightly better) with your Longshot. Hornady has data for their fmj/ct using Longshot. I used 7.0 unique under 200gr H+G 68 lswc years ago, took those pins RIGHT off the table, but that is sorta hot... |
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I think you'll get to a point of diminishing returns with your recoil loading them that hot. I won some pin matches with 230 lead round nose loads at around 800fps with Clays powder. They were nice and gentle. There is a HUGE benefit to a soft-recoiling round if you are trying to win a pin shoot. That being said, a heavy bullet with a FAST powder produces the least PERCIEVED amount of recoil. OP: if you stick with 40, why not use 200 grain bullets? If jacketed, then Titegroup should work just fine. If lead, use Solo 1000. For 45. use the 230s and regular Clays or V V N-310. |
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Alliant Power Pistol and Vihtavuori N350 will put some boogie in .45 ACP. VV shows 230gr bullets at 920 fps and Alliant has them at 916.
But, as others mentioned, softer recoil and faster follow-up shots may be more advantageous. I'm not a pin shooter, so I can't say for sure. |
What I am looking for is momentum rather than velocity or energy. I'm already getting about 500 ft/lb out of my .40 at 1125ish which beats the .45 loads that everyone else is using at pins. I don't really notice much of a recoil difference between starting load in .40 and a 180gr going over 1100, so recoil is not my concern particularly. I was mainly hoping that there was some magical powder that does for .45 ACP what Longshot does for .40. Sadly, it sounds like that powder does not exist. I'm one of those people who likes to experiment to try to find the best loads. Perhaps I shall try some Power Pistol or something of that nature. Or a .460 Rowland... 
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What I am looking for is momentum rather than velocity or energy. I'm already getting about 500 ft/lb out of my .40 at 1125ish which beats the .45 loads that everyone else is using at pins. I don't really notice much of a recoil difference between starting load in .40 and a 180gr going over 1100, so recoil is not my concern particularly. I was mainly hoping that there was some magical powder that does for .45 ACP what Longshot does for .40. Sadly, it sounds like that powder does not exist. I'm one of those people who likes to experiment to try to find the best loads. Perhaps I shall try some Power Pistol or something of that nature. Or a .460 Rowland... Ramshot Silhouette will get your 960+fps and your 500 FPE with 230gr bullets. http://www.ramshot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WP_LoadSpec_7-2-13.pdf |
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What I am looking for is momentum rather than velocity or energy. I'm already getting about 500 ft/lb out of my .40 at 1125ish which beats the .45 loads that everyone else is using at pins. I don't really notice much of a recoil difference between starting load in .40 and a 180gr going over 1100, so recoil is not my concern particularly. I was mainly hoping that there was some magical powder that does for .45 ACP what Longshot does for .40. Sadly, it sounds like that powder does not exist. I'm one of those people who likes to experiment to try to find the best loads. Perhaps I shall try some Power Pistol or something of that nature. Or a .460 Rowland... Momentum doesn't matter if it slows you down too much. A 230gr will thump a pin pretty good at standard velocity, it doesn't have to be traveling all that fast. Depending on the set up, you're going to end up with an off center or high hit that knocks the pin over but not off the table anyway, so you should be prepared for it if it happens with a quick follow up shot. If momentum is the only thing that mattered, everyone would be using magnum revolvers. |
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What I am looking for is momentum rather than velocity or energy. Correct. This is why the guys who have a dedicated pin shooting load usually load up 250 grain bullets for the .45. Missouri even calls their 250 grain bullet the "Pinbuster" for this reason. http://www.missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=48&category=5 I'd use a medium speed powder like Universal. |
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Power pistol (8.2gr) & a 200gr lead bullet will do 1050+ in my 5" bbl'd 1911 45acp.
It doesn't matter if I use these rf 200gr hp's http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/mp-200hps_zpsd6a81485.jpg Or the old tried & true h&g #68 clones http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/hpsp1250.jpg |
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