Bullseye Powder in the .45acp

[SA John]

Wife drove off with the dogs today so I dragged out the chrono to clock some lead loads using Bullseye in a S&W 625 (4") and a new M&P in .45acp. I can only shoot on the property when the hounds are away because they're so frightened by the noise. Pathetic, I know.

All cases were W-W with Remington primers. Bullseye powder and moderate taper crimp. I didn't have to choke these bullets to death, they stayed put just fine with an average taper crimp. Loads were as follows:

230 LRN (commercial cast) LOA = 1.255 First up the M&P 4.5" barrel.

4.3 grs. = 747 ave. / 4.8 grs. = 828 ave. / 5.0 grs. = 853 ave.

255 LSWC (commercial cast) This bullet I use for pin shooting at times when the pins are getting heavy and lumpy. LOA 1.170 Same gun - M&P

4.3 grs. = 731 ave. / 4.8 grs = 807 ave. / 5.2 grs. = 851 ave. (note increase to 5.2)

No pressure signs with any of these loads and the gun fed and fired them all with unnatural accuracy. 230 RN with 5.0 was most accurate load I've ever tested in any .45 of any make. Seated with hands supported, I could hold 2.5" groups at 25 yards. With iron sights, a crappy trigger, and old eyes. I can no longer hold any better than this. Gun would probably do better in a younger person's hands.

625 Revolver up next:

4.3 grs. (230 RNL, length as above.) = 753 ave./ 4.8 grs. = 835 / 5.0 grs. = 859

255 LSWC loaded to 1.170"/ 4.3 grs. = 744 ave. / 4.8 grs. = 821 ave./ 5.2 grs. = 873 ave.

This particular 625 has a .0035 cylinder gap and seems to shoot a little faster than some other .45 acp guns I've owned in the past. It's also the most accurate model by a ton. Have had clip guns in years past that would not group inside 6" at 25 yards with anything. This new gun seems to shoot everything I feed it into tight little ratholes. Only bullet that fails is the 185 grain plated round nose hollow-base if you push it past 800 feet. Skirt blows out and they sail all around like buckshot. So it you have used that bullet with poor success, try slowing it down under 8oo fps.

I plan to use these two guns for pin shooting with the heavier 255 gr loads. The revolver easily handles the recoil and the plastic M&P has surprised me with how easy it is to handle with heavy loads. Must be the low bore axis, or the frame flex or something. All I know is that it feels much softer in the hand than any steel-framed 1911 I've ever shot. I should be carefull about saying things like that, I've got friends who'd beat me up for speakin' ill of the Yankee Fist. About the M&P: It came with a trigger pull that weighed a tad over 11 pounds when I got it. Pretty tough to shoot quickly. After stoning the cocking hook and the sear face engagement, I have it down to a shootable, 6 pounds 3 ounces. That's all it took. Didn't have to shorten sear/striker hook engagement surface area that might make for a dangerous situation when cocked. It's not a sweet single-action 1911, but it'll do what I need it to do and I still can't say enough about the gun and its ability to function with odd-shaped ammo. Have fired 1278 rounds so far without a single failure of any kind. All ammo my reloads, mostly cast bullets. Not a factory round through it yet.

Hope this small sample helps anyone without a chrono who is curious about Bullseye powder. It's my favorite for the .45 acp. if you wish to keep speeds under 900 feet. Slower powders are better for higher speeds.

John

 

[Timberwolf]

5.0gr/Bullseye under a 230gr Frontier CMJ gives a velocity of 757fps through a S&W 625 5" barrel.

6.0gr?Bullseye under a 200gr CMJ gives you 859fps from 625 with a 4" barrel.

 

[SA John]

Timberwolf: I see what you're getting at. (That you are getting somewhat slower speeds, I think?) But it has always been my experience that cast bullets shoot 50-100 feet faster than jacketed bullets of the same weight in pistol calibers. This is especially true in the low pressure big-bores like the .45 Colt and the ACP. I have old chrono data (mine) that I saved that shows 6 grains of Bullseye under a 200 LSWC moving at 957 out of a 5" 1911, and 941 out of a 4" 625 that I owned years ago. Stick a 200 gr Speer flying ash tray JHP (remember those?) over that same 6 grains and it goes down to 863 fps. Again, jacketed bullet, slower bullet. This is the primary reason I shoot cast bullets for pin shooting in guns that will not handle very high pressures like a magnum. For the same 18-20,000 psi max you can gain 5 to 10% more velocity. Your 5.0 gr load for the 230 bullet is what I like to use when the pins I'm shooting are in good shape and don't reguire the hardest push. 5 grains gives me 857 with a cast bullet (230RNL) and 805 fps with a Hornady FMJ 230. These numbers recorded with a 5" 1911. Those same loads out of a 625 generally lose 20 -30 feet except for the revolver I'm currently shooting. As mentioned above, it doesn't seem to give up anything speed-wise to the auto pistol. Guns can be funny. That's why a chrono is the most usefull thing a reloader can own. Hope this isn't more than you wanted.

John

 

[bob68]

thanks for the info. i have used bullseye in all my reloads except the 44 mag...but that was years ago. now i stilll use bullseye in my 45 acp and the only charge i use is 5.0 grains. i have my own 240 grain rn cast bullets made from range scrap collected over the years of shooting. the load is a very accurate load and i will stick to that...especially with my model 25 s&w.

 

[Timberwolf]

FWIW I've stopped using Bullseye except for my PPC loads and am using VVN310 in the 45