New to reloading 45 acp and am looking for a good defence load.
Bullet brand, style, weight, powder and charge amount.
Thanks Guys..
Bullet brand, style, weight, powder and charge amount.
Thanks Guys..
- Thread starter Enumclawshooter
- Start date
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
If you look around in the reloading depot there is a thread for pistol calibers.
If you look around in the reloading depot there is a thread for pistol calibers.
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
Load your own for practice. For PD use store bought. You can load practice rounds with the same bullet and to the same velocity as your PD load.
Load your own for practice. For PD use store bought. You can load practice rounds with the same bullet and to the same velocity as your PD load.
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
260,
What is your reasoning for not loading PD rounds? Not critisizing, just interested in your opinion.
Thanks,
CT
260,
What is your reasoning for not loading PD rounds? Not critisizing, just interested in your opinion.
Thanks,
CT
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AR-10 Shooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">260,
What is your reasoning for not loading PD rounds? Not critisizing, just interested in your opinion.
Thanks,
CT
</div></div>
I would say two things....dependability and liability.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AR-10 Shooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">260,
What is your reasoning for not loading PD rounds? Not critisizing, just interested in your opinion.
Thanks,
CT
</div></div>
I would say two things....dependability and liability.
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
PD= Police Dept? If so, then Liability is the over riding factor for using rounds that the PD itself lists as acceptable.
As for a good combat load?
MAXIMUM LOAD -- USE CAUTION !!!
- 200gr Speer Gold Dot
- 11.1gr AA7 powder
- CCI standard Large Pistol Primer
- Win Brass
with this load I used a Wolf heavy recoil spring, FL Guide Rod, and guide rod buffer. This is not really intended for weak slide cycling, such as "catch on pants" 1 handed slide manipulation. I do not personally use such methods, but IF you are wounded and need to cycle the slide 1 handed....
Sorry for sliding a bit OT, just a qualifier. Seriously, that load is warmish. Approach with caution. I have about 1100 rounds down the tube of my 1911 with it however. For the love of sanity, Do NOT even Think of using this load with a Glock!!!!!! Ka-Boom! Yeah, i'm not a huge Glock fan.
Good shooting,
Gary
PD= Police Dept? If so, then Liability is the over riding factor for using rounds that the PD itself lists as acceptable.
As for a good combat load?
MAXIMUM LOAD -- USE CAUTION !!!
- 200gr Speer Gold Dot
- 11.1gr AA7 powder
- CCI standard Large Pistol Primer
- Win Brass
with this load I used a Wolf heavy recoil spring, FL Guide Rod, and guide rod buffer. This is not really intended for weak slide cycling, such as "catch on pants" 1 handed slide manipulation. I do not personally use such methods, but IF you are wounded and need to cycle the slide 1 handed....
Sorry for sliding a bit OT, just a qualifier. Seriously, that load is warmish. Approach with caution. I have about 1100 rounds down the tube of my 1911 with it however. For the love of sanity, Do NOT even Think of using this load with a Glock!!!!!! Ka-Boom! Yeah, i'm not a huge Glock fan.
Good shooting,
Gary
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
No one to date has been held to a criminal or civil liability for using a reloaded Defense load but why be the first? I agree with the above members reload for your practice, practice, practice and more practice.
Reloads while usually reliable they are generally not as reliable as factory and the LOUDEST sound in the world is CLICK instead of bang.
For carry buy 1-3 boxes of a load you like. I've carried Fed 230gr Hydra shok, Remington 230 gr Gold Sabre, Winchester STX and Speer Gold Dot. All good loads that functioned in my M1911A1 and Sig 220.
Buy your carry/duty load it up 2-3 mags. Carry it for 6 months then during a practice session shoot it up, confirm that it shoots like your reloads, clear your mags.
Oh by the way inspect EVERY roand you load make sure primers are present and in correct, bullets are correct, casings are clean and undented. I mention this as from firing 10's of thousands of factory ammo I have seen primers inverted, crushed, bullets inverted, wrong type(ball versus HP) crushed casing where the bullet wasn't loaded true. While not common commpanies load millions of rounds every year so its possible to get a cull.
Reload with fresh ammo, repeat every 6 months.
This method has several functions:
1. You practice with your carry loads
2. You clear your carry mags testing and flexing the springs
3. Refresh your carry(your life depends on it) ammo
Max it should cost you 50-100 rounds per year.
No one to date has been held to a criminal or civil liability for using a reloaded Defense load but why be the first? I agree with the above members reload for your practice, practice, practice and more practice.
Reloads while usually reliable they are generally not as reliable as factory and the LOUDEST sound in the world is CLICK instead of bang.
For carry buy 1-3 boxes of a load you like. I've carried Fed 230gr Hydra shok, Remington 230 gr Gold Sabre, Winchester STX and Speer Gold Dot. All good loads that functioned in my M1911A1 and Sig 220.
Buy your carry/duty load it up 2-3 mags. Carry it for 6 months then during a practice session shoot it up, confirm that it shoots like your reloads, clear your mags.
Oh by the way inspect EVERY roand you load make sure primers are present and in correct, bullets are correct, casings are clean and undented. I mention this as from firing 10's of thousands of factory ammo I have seen primers inverted, crushed, bullets inverted, wrong type(ball versus HP) crushed casing where the bullet wasn't loaded true. While not common commpanies load millions of rounds every year so its possible to get a cull.
Reload with fresh ammo, repeat every 6 months.
This method has several functions:
1. You practice with your carry loads
2. You clear your carry mags testing and flexing the springs
3. Refresh your carry(your life depends on it) ammo
Max it should cost you 50-100 rounds per year.
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
BTW, a good friend of mine is LE, and he will not even practice with anything but PD approved ammo in his official carry weapon. He might possibly be a little paranoid, but he has nearly 20 years on the force.
Good Shooting,
Gary
BTW, a good friend of mine is LE, and he will not even practice with anything but PD approved ammo in his official carry weapon. He might possibly be a little paranoid, but he has nearly 20 years on the force.
Good Shooting,
Gary
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
Ahh personal defense, pardon. The subject of defense ammo Store Bought vs. Hand Load is one of those things that is pretty hard to really quantify with any kind of generality.
The old adage "better safe than sorry" most likely applies best however. Safe of course meaning go and purchase what ever store bought ammo you like best, and use that. The speer gold dot works pretty well for me, but there are many good ones out there. I like the 200gr as a compromise between penetration and stopping power.
I used to shoot a lot of standard ball ammo. Later on, a good friend got me to begin casting my own bullets. A fair bit cheaper.
Have a good one,
Gary
Ahh personal defense, pardon. The subject of defense ammo Store Bought vs. Hand Load is one of those things that is pretty hard to really quantify with any kind of generality.
The old adage "better safe than sorry" most likely applies best however. Safe of course meaning go and purchase what ever store bought ammo you like best, and use that. The speer gold dot works pretty well for me, but there are many good ones out there. I like the 200gr as a compromise between penetration and stopping power.
I used to shoot a lot of standard ball ammo. Later on, a good friend got me to begin casting my own bullets. A fair bit cheaper.
Have a good one,
Gary
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
In my response PD = personal defense.
Every bullet you fire in a PD situation has a lawyer attached to it. I was told if you have to use your weapon it WILL be taken and the CSI guys will fire it in your same scenario. Checking powder dispersion and other things. The theory is if you shoot X ammo the white coat guys can repeat the results by buying a box of X ammo.
I feel like others on this site, that if I am in a PD situation and they need the same ammo I used for they're test I could come up with a FEW they could use.
In my response PD = personal defense.
Every bullet you fire in a PD situation has a lawyer attached to it. I was told if you have to use your weapon it WILL be taken and the CSI guys will fire it in your same scenario. Checking powder dispersion and other things. The theory is if you shoot X ammo the white coat guys can repeat the results by buying a box of X ammo.
I feel like others on this site, that if I am in a PD situation and they need the same ammo I used for they're test I could come up with a FEW they could use.
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
I bought 1000 nice jacketed 230 grain hp from a guy called MPS he used to sell on ebay but now he's on gunbroker. Ive loaded them with a max charge of 700-x and clays universal and no complaints. I however would rather have the first few clips loaded with speer golddots or golden sabers since they are a premium bullet, just cant afford to shoot them on a daily basis.
I bought 1000 nice jacketed 230 grain hp from a guy called MPS he used to sell on ebay but now he's on gunbroker. Ive loaded them with a max charge of 700-x and clays universal and no complaints. I however would rather have the first few clips loaded with speer golddots or golden sabers since they are a premium bullet, just cant afford to shoot them on a daily basis.
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
Just buy pre loaded ammo for HD/PD. Dont risk preducing a dud and having a nice red flag with a click come out when the time comes.. If so at least you have a company to sue rather than beat your self for pardon my french but f**king up a load.
Just keep it simple and look up types of ammo for good defence and go with them. Dont take that chance.
Just buy pre loaded ammo for HD/PD. Dont risk preducing a dud and having a nice red flag with a click come out when the time comes.. If so at least you have a company to sue rather than beat your self for pardon my french but f**king up a load.
Just keep it simple and look up types of ammo for good defence and go with them. Dont take that chance.
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
I have shot hundreds of LE ammo through my 45 acp to test its reliability. I shoot them through a Kimber Stainless Classic with Chip McCormick Power + Mags. I have a fired 600 Speer Gold Dots 45 230gr with no problems. I have also fired 200 Federal Tactical Bonded +P 230 gr with no problems whatsoever. I have tried 500 rounds of Winchester SXT and have had numerous failures, and I will never carry the ammo. These failures also occurred in my XD45(I got dimpled mags that would not drop free and fail to feeds) and the rep at the factory told me not to use SXT, as many people have problems with them. I love the Speer Gold dots, and their ballistics testing is amazing.
check it out at:
http://le.atk.com/general/irl/woundballistics.aspx
I have shot hundreds of LE ammo through my 45 acp to test its reliability. I shoot them through a Kimber Stainless Classic with Chip McCormick Power + Mags. I have a fired 600 Speer Gold Dots 45 230gr with no problems. I have also fired 200 Federal Tactical Bonded +P 230 gr with no problems whatsoever. I have tried 500 rounds of Winchester SXT and have had numerous failures, and I will never carry the ammo. These failures also occurred in my XD45(I got dimpled mags that would not drop free and fail to feeds) and the rep at the factory told me not to use SXT, as many people have problems with them. I love the Speer Gold dots, and their ballistics testing is amazing.
check it out at:
http://le.atk.com/general/irl/woundballistics.aspx
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
The lawyer issue could definitely be present. My main reason, as many others have stated, is reliability. The last thing you want is to have a squib that takes your firearm out of commission. Sure, there have been factory rounds that have failed to go bang, but I prefer them to my own loads if it is for self defense. I personally use Corbon DPX.
Josh
The lawyer issue could definitely be present. My main reason, as many others have stated, is reliability. The last thing you want is to have a squib that takes your firearm out of commission. Sure, there have been factory rounds that have failed to go bang, but I prefer them to my own loads if it is for self defense. I personally use Corbon DPX.
Josh
Re: Good defense load for .45 acp
I have always used factory loads for liability reasons more than reliability . If you are to make your own stash loads shall we say make each round one at a time ! It's pain staking but it ensures reliability as metioned prior . Do 10 to 20 at a time and when your done finish them by using primer neck sealer available at Cabella's . I use Remington 185 gr Golden Sabers for the house . Last but not least , 230 gr FMJ will serve you well in a pinch . It's proven it's self many years but penetrates more than a lighter hollow point . That's the joy of the .45 ACP . Keep the penatration factor in mind and the saftey of your neighbors in mind .
I have always used factory loads for liability reasons more than reliability . If you are to make your own stash loads shall we say make each round one at a time ! It's pain staking but it ensures reliability as metioned prior . Do 10 to 20 at a time and when your done finish them by using primer neck sealer available at Cabella's . I use Remington 185 gr Golden Sabers for the house . Last but not least , 230 gr FMJ will serve you well in a pinch . It's proven it's self many years but penetrates more than a lighter hollow point . That's the joy of the .45 ACP . Keep the penatration factor in mind and the saftey of your neighbors in mind .
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