Best powder for the H&G 68 cast 200 gr?

[mike.h]

Originally Posted by dakrat

4.7-4.8gr WST/ .470"-471" crimp/ seated to 1.250". you are very welcome

thanks,
Mike

[JoeJ]

Originally Posted by Moneypit

I run VV N310 with these. Great powder, runs cleans and burns fast. Bring a little extra cash to the table as it is on the high side.

Originally Posted by gringosalsero

I have this powder and have tried 3.7 and 3.8 at 1.24 OAL with mixed results. What have you found to be best for yourself?

you might want to try and work up to 4.5 grains of N310 - it may be just the ticket for a ragged one holer at 25 yards and sub 2" at 50 yards if you and your 1911 is up to the task.

[epj]

3.8 gr of Clays will give a soft recoiling clean burning, accurate load with the HG68 and clones.

[289fia]

What kind of springs are guys running who shoot some of those light loads in competition? I see champion shooters saying they run a 185 grain Nosler JHP with 3.5 grains of Bullseye, others using 3.8 grains. My LB won't cycle using loads that light (factory 18# spring). 3.8 gr of Clays is also pretty light. Just curious. Am loading a few hundred 200 Gr LSWC to test some powders (HP-38; VV N320; WST; BE). With a 200 gr LSWC I am using 4.6-4.8 BE. Guys loading 3.5 gr of BE with a 185 grain bullet must be using a 12 pound spring?

[Capt. Methane]

I like 5.2gr HP-38 with the 200gr LSWC. Clean, not so light that it's a shock to step up to full power loads, accurate and reliable.

[FN in MT]

I've still got maybe 6-8 pounds of 452AA. It IS a hell of a powder. Works great in the .45 acp, .44 Spcl with cast mid range loads, same for the .45 colt too. TRAP 100 is rumored to be the same powder. I'd suggest researching that last statement.

Winchesters Super Target seems to burn as clean and produces an accurate load in all of my .45 acp's.

THE issue is finding quality H&G #68's unless you are fortunate to have an original H&G mould, or have an H&G clone made by one of the custom makers. I size mine to .452" and have zero issues with leading and get more accuracy than I can use in both my Ed Brown and Wilson CQB.

[noylj]

I am always rather "stunned" to read about WST or TiteGroup or even Clays when talking about accurate .45 Auto loads with 200gn L-SWCs. None of my .45s shoot those powders with any degree of consistent accuracy.
231/HP38, from 4.2-5.4gn, is consistently very accurate in all my .45s. Also, AA2 from 4.5-5.0gn. Other than these two powders, the rest are rather "hit-and-miss" in terms of accuracy from day to day.
This is based on 5-shot groups from a machine-rest at 25 yards.

[Wrightturn]

I started in 1965.
What I have learned:
There are no magic bullets.
The H&G 68 is a great bullet. When I started linotype was cheap and plentiful. I could buy it with the ink still on it for .15 per pound. For .25 per pound I could get it in 8lb bars but that was harder to work with. Weight variation was almost nill. I now use foundry metal because I have it. The 68 sized to .452 is a standard and works in most 45acp.
The RCBS 45-201K woks just as well with newer bullet lubes an doesn`t carry quite as much lube and for that reason may be cleaner. The 68 with the old NRA 50/50 did smoke a bit but I didn`t care if I won. I could clean my gun and blow my nose.
I can`t tell any difference from plain base to bevel base. I have both. My 68`s were cut by H&G. I also have Magma, Policlips, Lyman,Lee and different bullet weights.
I have never had great results with 155 grain bullets. They have to be loaded hot to get the groups to tighten up. By the time the groups shrink they feel like a 200 grain. I never used a compensator on a 45.
If I like a powder it is the kiss of death. I started with Bullseye and switched to Dupont 5066. I liked 5066 so they quit making it. I like AA2 from Israel so they moved it to Checkoslovakia and changed the formula. I like Green Dot but it doesn`t meter as well as a ball powder. Not that it matters. Some of the smallest groups I ever fired were with Green Dot. Trap 100 and 452AA were the same powder. I really liked them so they quit making them.
Another great bullet is the Lyman 452374 RN . Doesn`t cut clean holes in paper but has a small bearing surface and can be pushed fast.
I have a favorite powder for the 45 acp but I won`t tell anyone what it is.

Earl

[gringosalsero]

Originally Posted by JoeJ

you might want to try and work up to 4.5 grains of N310 - it may be just the ticket for a ragged one holer at 25 yards and sub 2" at 50 yards if you and your 1911 is up to the task.

4.5! The VV table lists 4.0 as max.

[paw080]

Originally Posted by 289fia

What kind of springs are guys running who shoot some of those light loads in competition? I see champion shooters saying they run a 185 grain Nosler JHP with 3.5 grains of Bullseye, others using 3.8 grains. My LB won't cycle using loads that light (factory 18# spring). 3.8 gr of Clays is also pretty light. Just curious. Am loading a few hundred 200 Gr LSWC to test some powders (HP-38; VV N320; WST; BE). With a 200 gr LSWC I am using 4.6-4.8 BE. Guys loading 3.5 gr of BE with a 185 grain bullet must be using a 12 pound spring?

Hi 289fia, I have an 11 lb recoil spring in my Gold Cup. I do use 3.5 gr of

Bullseye with an H&G 130 (185gr) bullet. That's for slow fire, timed and rapid

fire strings. I also use a very light load for the H&G 68(200gr) bullet. That load

uses 3.2gr of Bullseye; it is X-ring accurate for timed and rapid fire strings and

is my son's favorite load for all 25 yard Bullseye competition strings. These loads

my not be suitable for your 45 if it is not setup for Bullseye match shooting.

I'm not just refering to using a lighter recoil spring.


I'd like to point out; that Bullseye pistols must be incredibly relible. They are

required to (45 and again if used in Center Fire class) function flawlessly for 180

consecutive shots.

Tony

[WESHOOT2]

Was 452 also HS6?

[Nick A]

The old W540 and HS-6 match. Those are (were) the same.

452AA was slightly slower than 231.

[WESHOOT2]

(I know; I was hoping to extract Hodgdon's equivalent from the comment )

[Wrightturn]

Hodgdons equivalent was Trap 100 but they quit when they couldn`t re label 452 AA That was all before the great powder merger.

[WESHOOT2]

Thank you.

I have neither on hand....

[lon]

Originally Posted by crockett007

5 grains of Bullseye, haven't changed in 20 years.

I've been working with that load lately. Very accurate, and with just enough snap to be fun.

[JoeJ]

Originally Posted by gringosalsero

4.5! The VV table lists 4.0 as max.

That is true enough but it has worked for me over the years. Earlier in the year you were part of a thread here discussing N310 and a few also liked that particular load for accuracy.

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=346839

[gringosalsero]

Originally Posted by JoeJ

That is true enough but it has worked for me over the years. Earlier in the year you were part of a thread here discussing N310 and a few also liked that particular load for accuracy.

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=346839

Thanks for reminding me about that thread. I have something to work with now...