.45 bullet weight

[i_Adam_i18]

It seems the general concensus on .45's is 230gr. But I'd like some opinions on what weight you guys prefer to shoot. between 185gr, 200gr, and 230gr and FMJ or JHP?

What would be best to have on hand for SHTF (no stupid zombie BS).

 

[Bigwheels]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I use 230gr hollow points. Brand, etc. is optional, & subject to personal choice. I have golden sabres, & some old LEO black tallons that I picked up a long time ago.

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Re: .45 bullet weight

230 grain Hydra Shock, Hornady XTP, Gold Dot (Deep Curl now). Any reliable hollow point. For bullseye I shoot lead or ball, 230 gn also. I've shot hollow points for matches in a pinch, but their pricy.

 

[i_Adam_i18]

Re: .45 bullet weight

Ok, I'm going for bulk reloading so the pricy hydra shocks and other hollow points would be out.

these are what I'm looking at
https://secure3.mooseweb.com/montanagoldbullet.com/pricelist.tpl

the hollow points probably aren't too high on performance compared to other HP's, but would they be better than the FMJ's?
And of course the lighter bullets are cheaper, but would they not perform as well as the 230's?

 

[OFIS]

Re: .45 bullet weight

Im reloading .45 with 185 berry's plated flat points for the same price as 9mm reloads.

I keep a box of federal +P hollow points around for a rainy day.

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I shoot 200gr hard cast LSWC in competition. I have some 230gr ball hard cast lead, some 230gr FMJ and some 230gr XTPs. I would not hesitate to use any of them. Even the match loads would stop a fight. I know there are a lot of gee whiz bullets out there, but I haven't ran into anyone willing to stand downrange and catch one of my match bullets.
Honestly, a hard cast lead bullet is what a lot of people use to hunt with, so they wouldn't be too bad for defense as long as they aren't run too hot.
Even if they don't expand, remember, a .45 will never shrink. You are still putting a near half inch hole in something. I figure if nothing else my match loads will help me with shot placement. They are dead nuts accurate.

Jim

 

[M855]

Re: .45 bullet weight

precision delta bullets,230gr $116 1k,185gr $96 1k shipped

 

[rrflyer]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I liked the 200gn for competition shooting.

 

[Quicky06]

Re: .45 bullet weight

depending on what im shooting. for just about everything i use lead 230gn round nose.

i have been using 250 gn lrn for bowling pin matches and i might shoot my next uspsa type match with the.

take a look at Missouri bullet company. 2000 230 gn lrn costs 12 bucks to ship. my mail man hates me

 

[marduk185]

Re: .45 bullet weight

cmon, its a misconception that zombies are stupid...

 

[gpz750]

Re: .45 bullet weight

try rainier bullets from midway
or billy bullets

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: .45 bullet weight

Magnus makes really good hard cast lead bullets. We used to use them until a member of our club started casting.

Jim

 

[ubet]

Re: .45 bullet weight

205gr round nose flat point, they shoot great out of sig220 carry.

 

[i_Adam_i18]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I'm kinda partial to plated bullets just because I'm a lead conscious sissy (as in me breathing lead). I didn't realize berrys sold bullets directly, and they're cheaper than montana gold.

I'll probably go that route. They sure have a lot of choices for bullet shape and weight. I was thinking of going lighter than 230gr to get more bang for the buck, but it doesn't look like it's a real big difference, and I suppose the heavier weight would be a good thing.

The .45 is known more for stopping power as opposed to speed anyway right?

 

[Josh Smith]

Re: .45 bullet weight

Hello,

I cast 230gn (nominal) truncated cone. I use my own proprietary dry lube.

I drive them a bit hot, with 5.2gn BE or AA#2, or a few more tenths of W231.

They work absolute magic on critters, big or small.

Josh

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Re: .45 bullet weight

If you are loading for practice, Rainier 230 gn round nose is good. I shoot cast lead a lot, bullseye. For SHTF (everyone has different definition I think) I want good hollow points, not an off brand. I always have a box or two of Hydra shocks. Like I said XTP and Gold Dot are good too.

The big thing is if you practice with a 230 and carry a 230 the POI is still the same. Even at 50 feet 185 to 230 is a change in impact.

 

[RTH1800]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I had penetration problems and poor kills with the 185 Hydra Shocks. The 230 Hydra Shocks are real killers. I think the 185's would be great for shooting in a room as they do not shoot through or even close.

 

[MinorDamage]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I keep 230s in the mag for self defense. That said, I practice with what I intend to carry. Berry's makes a nice bullet that is cost effective for practice. I load those up for practice and have winchester PDX1s when it comes to the house.

Josh

 

[Tactical30]

Re: .45 bullet weight

Cant go wrong with the 230gr. RN from Rainer. They are cheap and accurate.

My local gun shop carries them for $16 for 100pcs/bullets.

I buy them by the bulk!

Midway sells them also. when the 230gr are out of stock I buy the 185gr. HP they make.

 

[Neo]

Re: .45 bullet weight

200 Gr LSWC from Penn bullet for target and 200 Gr XTP for carry

 

[i_Adam_i18]

Re: .45 bullet weight

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gunsnjeeps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you are loading for practice, Rainier 230 gn round nose is good. I shoot cast lead a lot, bullseye. For SHTF (everyone has different definition I think) I want good hollow points, not an off brand. I always have a box or two of Hydra shocks. Like I said XTP and Gold Dot are good too.

The big thing is if you practice with a 230 and carry a 230 the POI is still the same. Even at 50 feet 185 to 230 is a change in impact. </div></div>

When it comes to carry and home defense, no doubt I have good commercial HP's...For me SHTF ammo would be around 2K rounds on hand, that's why I say the high end HP's are out. Not just SHTF but a general supply of shooting ammo I can rotate through.

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Re: .45 bullet weight

By that definition, I'd go with Rainier for practice, and a box or two of the HP of choice. Lead ($84/1000) runs a lot less than Rainier ($139/1000). Lead can also be less from a local caster than online.

 

[CSAR]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I've used the Montana Gold 230gr FMJ and HP's exclusively in a Sig 220 Carry. I think they're great quality bullets for the price. I'm not a big fan of the plated bullets and prefer a jacketed lead core bullet.

 

[Clark]

Re: .45 bullet weight

I use Montana Gold 230 gr FMJ at 50kpsi for groups at 100 yards with a rifle.

I shoot 152 gr cast wad cutters in a small carry pistol loaded to 25 kpsi 45 Super levels.

My other 45s are all somewhere in between.

 

[mdmp5]

Re: .45 bullet weight

Hornady 230 gr round nose encapsulated and 200 gr combat/target are my favorites. The 230s are most reliable in feeding in my wilson.

 

[45Badger]

Re: .45 bullet weight

230 gr ball or quality HP for self defense. 200 gr rn or fp plated or jacked for games.

 

[1917]

Re: .45 bullet weight

these guys are local and make good hard plate, hard lead and cowboy softer lead for lower velocity loads. price includes shipping.

http://xtremebullets.com/plated.htm

I practice with loads that mimic my carry loads. 45acp 200g FP at 1100 fps. 44mag 200g FP at 1200fps. if you choose a power that yields about the same psi for both loads the recoil will be about the same.

 

[81Z4ME]

Re: .45 bullet weight

Until recently nothing but 230's. I used to cast my own lead 230 grain RN bullets. For carry its factory 230 grain FMJ.

Awhile back I did load some 200 grain round nose flat points meant for the .45 Colt and cowboy action shooting. They were free so I used them. Once or twice when I've been "hard up" for bullets I've bought 200 grain SWC lead bullets and reloaded them for fun and paper punching.