45 ACP help please

[Sniper 79]

I have been reloading hard cast 230grn LRN for my 1911. I loaded them with 4.7 gr of Win 231. They shot very well and were very accurate. No leading in the barrel but the chamber was full of crusty soot after about fifty rounds. Should I bump up the powder charge to try to get the brass to seal better against the chamber walls? I also have some Hodgden Universal Clays. Is one powder better or cleaner? How about a loading for the Hodgden?

 

[slimplmbr]

IIRC Clays is a cleaner powder. Check your loading manual for charge weights.

 

[giovani]

I use HP38 which is supposed to be almost the same powder as win 231 , and i have not had this problem.

 

[senork]

I too am seeking a cleaner powder for that load, I now use Bullseye, and it is pretty dirty. I have read that Winchester WST is a lot cleaner, but Clays is supposed to the be cleanest. Go to Hodgdon - The Gun Powder People, the reloading guide to determine the proper powder charge. Good luck.

 

[357 Terms]

Once I tried Universal I never stopped.

Clean, and a versatile plinking powder

 

[Six Shooter Steve]

Titegroup works real well with the 230 cast. Runs clean too

 

[Leo]

Cast bullet lube tends to be very waxy and leave the soot. I'll bet the same powder under a plated or jacketed bullet will be much cleaner. Clays, Universal Clays, 231, Titegroup are all fine for your applications.
There is a cast bullet called "the black bullet". They are coated in some kind of teflon like polymer coating. They shoot really clean also. Look them up on the web.

We generally shoot cast bullets because they are cheaper, only to find there is more clean up. I guess there is no free lunch.

 

[dukeboy_318]

Cast bullet lube tends to be very waxy and leave the soot. I'll bet the same powder under a plated or jacketed bullet will be much cleaner. Clays, Universal Clays, 231, Titegroup are all fine for your applications.
There is a cast bullet called "the black bullet". They are coated in some kind of teflon like polymer coating. They shoot really clean also. Look them up on the web.

We generally shoot cast bullets because they are cheaper, only to find there is more clean up. I guess there is no free lunch.

Its a trade off for sure, but I've found that it helps to clean the weapon while its still warm, especially if your cast bullets use some of the sticker and high temp lubes. RBC, rifle bore cleaner, works well and speeds up the process as well. I normally clean my guns at the range after I'm done shooting.

 

[mospeada]

I've used Vhitavori N320 in .45ACP under 230, 200 & 185g bullets and it is cleaner, but hard to find and expensive.

 

[CCF]

WST seems to smoke way less than any powder I have used in conjunction with lead. In both 40 and 45.

 

[Classic]

I too am seeking a cleaner powder for that load, I now use Bullseye, and it is pretty dirty. I have read that Winchester WST is a lot cleaner, but Clays is supposed to the be cleanest. Go to Hodgdon - The Gun Powder People, the reloading guide to determine the proper powder charge. Good luck.

I have also had really good luck with Bullseye. It burns cleaner than Unique and because it uses a low charge weight it is pretty inexpensive. My favorite load is 4.5 grains behind a 200 grain PRN bullet. 7000 grains to the pound divided by 4.5 grain charge = 1555 rounds per pound of powder.

 

[ptt811]

Here is my 2 cents worth !! I shoot 5.2 grains of Clays Universal with 230 gr. lead cast bullets from S & S. I have been having a problem with what I think is a lead build up in the Chamber ? Not the rifled part of the barrel ?... but where the case sits. It got bad enough at a USPSA match a few weeks ago the rounds would not chamber ! I had to soak it over night in hopps No. 9 and brush the heck out of it and it finally came out.

After this weeks match of about 200 rounds I noticed it building up again ?? I think its lead but I'm not sure. It didn't build up enough this time to cause a malfunction, but I had to soak it to get it out.... Just thought I would mention this ...

 

[dukeboy_318]

Here is my 2 cents worth !! I shoot 5.2 grains of Clays Universal with 230 gr. lead cast bullets from S & S. I have been having a problem with what I think is a lead build up in the Chamber ? Not the rifled part of the barrel ?... but where the case sits. It got bad enough at a USPSA match a few weeks ago the rounds would not chamber ! I had to soak it over night in hopps No. 9 and brush the heck out of it and it finally came out.

After this weeks match of about 200 rounds I noticed it building up again ?? I think its lead but I'm not sure. It didn't build up enough this time to cause a malfunction, but I had to soak it to get it out.... Just thought I would mention this ...

What diameter, .451 or .452?

 

[ptt811]

They are Sized to .452

 

[wolfman]

I have been reloading hard cast 230grn LRN for my 1911. I loaded them with 4.7 gr of Win 231. They shot very well and were very accurate. No leading in the barrel but the chamber was full of crusty soot after about fifty rounds. Should I bump up the powder charge to try to get the brass to seal better against the chamber walls? I also have some Hodgden Universal Clays. Is one powder better or cleaner? How about a loading for the Hodgden?

I had the same problem during load development, and for me, it cleared up at 5 gr.

 

[Reuben Cogburn]

Does anybody have a good online source for powder loads by type of powder / caliber/ etc?

 

[ptt811]

I like Handloads.com... You search by Powder I think.

 

[opus1776]

Does anybody have a good online source for powder loads by type of powder / caliber/ etc?

This link will take care of IMR, Hodgdoon and Winchester powders:

Cartridge Loads - Hodgdon Reloading Data Center - data.hodgdon.com

Just pick your caliber and you can see what powders have data for a given cartridge....



======================================
"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" K. Moss
You can NEVER be too rich or too thin.
Life is not a journey, but a series of unplanned detours...
Perfection: is not a goal---it's a demanded expectation.

 

[ghitch75]

your seeing lube goo.....unless you shoot moly coated lead,jacketed or plated you will find some goo.....

 

[45-70]

I have been reloading hard cast 230grn LRN for my 1911. I loaded them with 4.7 gr of Win 231. They shot very well and were very accurate. No leading in the barrel but the chamber was full of crusty soot after about fifty rounds. Should I bump up the powder charge to try to get the brass to seal better against the chamber walls? I also have some Hodgden Universal Clays. Is one powder better or cleaner? How about a loading for the Hodgden?

For cast boolit loads try
Castpics.com
lots of good load info for cast shooters.