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View Full Version : C'mon you ammo Martha Stewarts! Gimme some recipies!


trade_sniper
05-22-2006, 10:46 PM
Just getting ready to get started in reloading. I'm only going to be loading .45 ACP for a 1911 right now, maybe some .223 later, but I need to get an AR first. :)

Anyway, I would like to have a nice round very similar to white box winchester (or better). Probably just ball ammo. I haven't decided if I want to use FMJ or not. I want a clean load with little to no leading.

I'm not looking for anything 'hot', just stable, safe and accurate. Probably 230gr. Then again, I kind of like the velocities on the 185 and 200gr. Is there a down-side, stopping power-wise on using a lighter bullet? Lighter weight but higher velocity...which is better? I know I've already picked one side of that argument shooting a 1911 .45acp. As long as I can shoot him once in a pinky finger and he'll do 3 backflips and die, thats fine, nothing special. :thumb:

What makes a Federal Gold Medal Match bullet so expensive? Can I not achieve the same quality by reloading? My understanding is that one of the benefits, besides being able to shoot more, is more accuracy from loading your own? Because you can build rounds tailored to your gun, which I would like to do later.

What is Federal's NATO Ammo? Whats the difference between that and their other .45 ACP ammo?

I may want to load a flavor of hollow-point for carry later, but right now I want something I can carry, shoot at the range, use in training (1500 rounds in a weekend), shoot at IDPA/IPSC matches with, etc. One good round for all of these uses. I'll get into the special stuff later when I know more about what I'm doing.

What kind of powder?

What kind of primers?

What kind of bullets?

Are the hard-coated bullets (http://www.precisionbullets.com/) worth it for cleanliness?

What the difference between copperized vs jacketed?

I've got about 1100 pieces of Federal brass and about 300-400 pieces mixed from CCI, R-P and Winchester.

Randall
05-23-2006, 12:29 AM
My favorite .45 load is a 200 gr lead swc [H&G # 68 or a copy] at 1.25 oal + or - as long as I have about .015" of bearing surface sticking past the mouth of the case, over 5.5 to 5.7 gr WW231 lit by any primer.
Randall

1911user
05-23-2006, 02:41 AM
First, buy a good reloading manual and read it twice. Then start looking for loads that meet your needs.

olyeller
05-23-2006, 07:11 PM
+1
you load metal jacketed bullets, you aint saving all that much, ino.
the real savings come from loading lead bullets.

trade_sniper
05-23-2006, 07:40 PM
I looked on natchezss and there was only $28 difference between jacketed and regular lead, per 1000. Thats not that much difference for 1000 rounds. My question is how much dirtier are the lead bullets, enough to justify $28/1000?

Dale
05-23-2006, 09:09 PM
For Jacketed bullets I like the Hornady 230 grain FMJ and XTP HP. I switched to lead and shoot Oregon Trail Laser Cast 230 grain RN. I buy my Oregon Trail from Cabelas for $58.99 per 1000. I checked Cabelas for Hornady 230gr FMJ and they are $129.99 per 1000. If you can find good FMJ for only 28 bucks more per thousand that is a pretty good deal. I don't have any problem with leading even after shoot a couple of hundred of the Oregon Trail. For powder I have been using HS-6 and Bullseye.

olyeller
05-24-2006, 08:35 AM
I got my lead 230 gr bullets for $35/1k, thats more like less than half of what jacketed bullets cost.
I also shoot about 2k a month.
Thats almost a c-note a month.

trade_sniper
05-24-2006, 01:11 PM
My mistake, I went back and looked again, it was a per/500 price. Sorry.

Randall
05-24-2006, 01:42 PM
If you get 230 gr jacketed bullets try 6 gr of Unique, that usually shoots pretty good for me.
Randall

okiebertt
05-28-2006, 03:40 AM
My favorite load for 45 acp is
5.2 grs 231
CCI 300 primer
230 gr Rainier or Berry copper plated RN