I went to my local shop today and got everything i needed to load my first pistol rounds. Bought some 185gr LSWC, W231 and Win LP primers. I asked him what would be a good starting load and he looked in an older manual and said 5.8grs of W231. When I got home I looked at the paper that came with my Lee carbide dies and it gave 5.8 as a starting load for W231 and a 185gr bullet.
After I loaded them I got to looking at my Speer manual and although it doesn't list a load for a 185 LSWC, it does for a 200 LSWC at a max of 5.0grs but says these are loads for target shooting and not necessarily at maximum pressure.

My question is should I pull them and start a little lower?
Does anyone have a good starting load for this bullet and 231?

Pistol is a SA 1911

5.8gr should be fine.  According to the Hodgdon load manual (who makes W231 powder), max is 5.9.  I've run off some 185gr FMJ's in the past at 5.8, and it was a fairly mild load.

OP do you not have a reloading manual?

no joke-don't load anything else until you get at least two manuals. that's why people on here won't give load specifics-only start loads or they will critique your numbers.
it's not because they don't like you-they just want you to be safe!

I use 5.8 ww231 and 200gr.lswc.Cronographs at around 875 fps.Crimp is important.This load is a tack driver.Use it in USPSA competition.Steel falls even with low hits.

Yes, as stated in my first post I have a speer manual. I also have the hodgdon and Lee chart that came with the die. The manual we looked at in the store was an old Hornaday, there was another he looked in but I didn't catch the name. I also have a program called Reloaders Reference that has a compilation of a bunch of different manuals.

The problem is, in the stuff I personally have there isn't much data for this bullet and the loads I do have vary wildly.
Hell, my copy of the ABC's of Reloading says don't even crimp for .45ACP.

I will start over with 4.8grs and go from there.

And......there is another warning about the SPEER manual is only for SPEER bullets.

BTW.........SPEER lead bullets are swaged and softer than cast.

Anyway.........normally (when you're using data, with no matching BOOK data)..........you'd look at several data sources.  Taking into consideration the "max" and/or the "starting" data.  Make your decision based on the compilation of the knowledge.

Remember to start low and work your way up.

Testing is the "price of entry."

Aloha, Mark