185 gr. or 200 gr. for 45acp

[Evansmount]

was just curious as to what weight bullets you people are shooting in you 45's. I shoot 200 gr. and never have tried 185's and my friend shoots 185 gr. and has never shot 200's. Is the selection of bullet weight gun related (one just shoots better in a particular gun that the other), personal preference or some other reason?

[Brian74montecarlo]

For 45acp I don’t know the results but I’ve tried every single weight bullet I can get my hands on in my 9mm guns and I can say this -
115 grain shoots the spiciest of all
124 grain is similar
135 grain I can tell feels softer in the hand shooting and the gun does not try to kick up as badly
147 grain is less loud and also softer feeling in the hand as the gun fires
165 grain sub sonic is much quieter and very light feeling compaired to shooting 115 grain you can realley tell the diffrence

I tested them all by loading a pistol mag with 3 rounds of one kind and 3 kinds of another and shot them to get a real back to back comparison - I was very surprised with the results

[High Left]

160, 185, 200 ... choice of bearing length and nose length. Short nose might have feeding issues, gun to gun.

Long nose, light weight, short bearing length equals more case volume ... more powder required?

Cast bullets generally priced by weight. How many more 185's will you get?

'Scrapping out' the last few 160's I have loaded. 185 button nose long gone. Nothing but classic 200 (68?) left ...

[JRV]

Is the selection of bullet weight gun related (one just shoots better in a particular gun that the other), personal preference or some other reason?

There are four factors considered when picking bullets:
- Reliability
- Accuracy
- Recoil Impulse
- Economy

That’s it. #1 is a non-negotiable. #2 and #3 might swap depending on personal needs—someone who is very recoil-sensitive might NEED to shoot lighter 155-185 gr bullets on the short line to minimize flinching, regardless of whether the 200s shoot better. #4 is an afterthought for most of us.

If someone has a reliable 185gr pet load that gives great precision at 50 yards, there isn’t really a benefit to them shooting 200s.

It’s just usually easier to find a great 200 grain load. That reliability formula is solved. Shoot a HG #68-shaped bullet over 3.8 Clays/4.0 Bullseye/4.5 W231 at a typical OAL and crimp; it will cycle in most any gun that feeds 230 ball in an ideal velocity range for that bullet (750-770 fps).

185s can be picky. To get good bearing surface equal to a 200, the bullet might have a skinny nose or a button nose, which affects feeding. Or, you end up with a #68 profile nose and a shallow bearing surface bullet, which means lots of case volume and potential accuracy issues when driven slow.

[6string]

Nobody has mentioned lead vs jacketed, so I am writing from a cast bullet standpoint.

If you cast your own bullets for 45 ACP, I’ve found the Hensley & Gibbs #130, a 185 gr. .45 cal. SWC, to be very hard to beat.
It has just the right combination of nose profile and bearing surface. It is superbly accurate and reliable when properly cast and sized.
It shoots accurately with a variety of common fast burning pistol powders like Bullseye, 700x, 231 (HP38), and other powders. Stick to traditional alloys like Lyman #2 and traditional lubes like the NRA 50/50 Alox beeswax formula and you’re halfway there!
John Giles, famous 1911 gunsmith of the 50s & 60s, would regularly test his 45 wadcutter guns from a machine rest using this bullet over Bullseye and consistently achieved 1.5” groups @ 50 yards.

THE classic combination for the serious reloader/competitor was this H&G mold matched with a Star Universal progessive press.
H&G would cut you a mold to drop the bullet diameter you wanted (anywhere from .451”-.454”, depending on the gun) with your specified alloy, and Star Machine Works would assemble a reloader with the exact size dies needed. Their carbide sizing dies were made with carbide rings manufactured in .001” increments.

PS: I think Champions Choice sells cast bullets made by Magnus using the H&G #130 mold, sized .452”. That would give you a good starting point.