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 Clays for 45 acp, or something else 
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Duke EB wrote:
Couple more things: Madpick is right, there are a great number of powders for 45. Mostly you'll want the faster powders, clays, n320, aa2, etc.
Clays is actually a popular choice, because of soft recoil. The metering issue is troubling, I think you need to get that worked out before anything else.


Thats kind of bad advice on burn rates for 45 loads, unless the OP is specifically looking for light target loads. Otherwise Unique, Universal, etc are better choices for what he's trying to do.


Thu Jan 03, 2019 5:43 pm
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Sir:

I have used Clays for years as my go-to competition powder for NRA Precision Pistol (Bullseye).

I load 4.0 under the 230 grain FMJ. I always adjust my seating length for the .45 ACP to a round of factory loaded ball ammunition. Any case is fine, and I crimp to .470, measured at the case mouth.

It's a mild-mannered powder; this load chronographs at 800 fps out of my Gov't model pistols.

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Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:09 am
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Yondering wrote:
Duke EB wrote:
Couple more things: Madpick is right, there are a great number of powders for 45. Mostly you'll want the faster powders, clays, n320, aa2, etc.
Clays is actually a popular choice, because of soft recoil. The metering issue is troubling, I think you need to get that worked out before anything else.


Thats kind of bad advice on burn rates for 45 loads, unless the OP is specifically looking for light target loads. Otherwise Unique, Universal, etc are better choices for what he's trying to do.

What Arisaka did not post is that he's looking to get into uspsa. 725 fps makes major power factor, so you don't need +P loads.
That's the context for my reply. I'd go with a slower powder for SD type rounds.


Fri Jan 04, 2019 7:24 am
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Duke EB wrote:
MadPick wrote:
Arisaka wrote:
I dont like buying online and having to pay the hazardous material charges.


Do you prefer to pay higher prices and sales tax? :bigsmile:

If you're just going to buy a pound, then local is the way to go. If you're buying larger quantities, both powder and primers, then the hazmat charge is insignificant.

As you're seeing, there are about a thousand different powders that will work for .45, and everyone has their pet for various reasons. Yeah, N320 is nice stuff, meters well, burns clean . . . but it's expensive and it doesn't meet the "get something slow and fluffy that fills the case" goal.

I still think you should just load with what you've got, and when that's gone or you want to try something different, then shop for something else. However, you can make an awful lot of perfectly good .45 rounds with the Clays that you already have on hand.

Slow (powder burn rate?) was not part of the question. 320 is little sticks, fills the case pretty well. A double charge is very noticeable, unlike some of the flake powders (Titegroup I'm looking at you!)

Looking back at this as i just switched over to 45 loading. I was wrong on case fill. I'm using 5.2 gr vv320, it does not fill the case very well at all.


Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:39 am
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Thanks for the update Earl. My reloading has taken a backseat to my Model TT Restoration. The more things I fix on that truck, the more things I find that need fixing. But I’m having fun with it and my son likes working on it with me! And anything I get to do with my son is goodness


Fri Mar 01, 2019 9:30 am
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You can use almost any powder to load 45acp. I did when no powder was available a few years ago. Just start on the low end of the charge data and work up. 45 acp is a low pressure round and is very forgiving compared to other calibers such as .40 or 38 Super. Your meandering powder charging unit will not make a noticable difference. Mine varies the same as yours depending on the powder. I prefer a higher volume powder with a large primer in 45acp personally.

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Fri Mar 01, 2019 5:12 pm
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I had problems with consistent throws with light pistol powder charges. Some of the loaded rounds were little more than squib loads.
I bought a handgun metering chamber for my Redding powder measure and that solved the problem.

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Sun Mar 03, 2019 6:15 pm
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