Reloading in 45 ACP

[ffr1910]

I too use lead swc in 185gr on top of 3.1 grains of Clays. I run this load in my 4513, cz97 and ar15 with great results. bill

[noylj]

I have not had any success with plated bullets. All I shoot are Montana Gold and Precision Delta, unless I can find some Zero Bullets.
I think you will be a lot happier with real jacketed bullets, unless you want to go to cast lead.
About all I shoot in .45 are 200gn L-SWC bullets from mastercastbullets.com, Precision Delta, or Zero. PowderValley currently has some Zero jacketed and swaged lead bullets available.

[fiveredapples]

I've got no complaints with Xtreme 155gr. in 40 S&W, but then I haven't reloaded anything else.  I can pick up Xtreme locally, so that's what I've been using.  I haven't any in 45 ACP -- hence the research before a purchase -- but I suspect it will be equally effective.  Never hurts to search for even better recipes, though.  I am going to compare and contrast, for sure, as I want to do a lot of plinking and paperpunching to get proficient with my new-to-me 97b.  Plus, this will be the first time shooting 45 ACP regularly. 

I appreciate all the responses. I gotta stop browsing all the custom jobs on here.  My wallet is too small to have such big eyes.

[ffr1910]

I added up my costs with my load and I come out to 6 cent per round. what would normally be a cost prohibitive caliber for regular use has become my range staple-bill

[IDescribe]

We'll bicker back and forth about powders and bullet brands (all in good humor)

Um... at risk of getting people bickering...

I've found XTreme Plated NOT to be as solidly built as Berry's.  I have loaded a lot of XTReme 135's in 9mm.  With identical virgin brass, sized in the same run, belled in the same run, I can load XTreme and Berry's plated, then disassemble the bullets, and the XTreme bullets' plating will be scratched at the base while the Berry's are unmarked.  I know that the argument could be made that I'm not belling enough, but the fact remains that with the same belling, the XTReme will scratch and the Berry's will not.  YMMV

[2bfree]

 

We'll bicker back and forth about powders and bullet brands (all in good humor)

Um... at risk of getting people bickering...

I've found XTreme Plated NOT to be as solidly built as Berry's.  I have loaded a lot of XTReme 135's in 9mm.  With identical virgin brass, sized in the same run, belled in the same run, I can load XTreme and Berry's plated, then disassemble the bullets, and the XTreme bullets' plating will be scratched at the base while the Berry's are unmarked.  I know that the argument could be made that I'm not belling enough, but the fact remains that with the same belling, the XTReme will scratch and the Berry's will not.  YMMV

I have not found this to be the case. Could it be the Xtreme is a little thicker and you might need a little more bellowing ? I have loaded a lot of both and prefer the Xtreme at this point. As far as 45's go, I prefer PD's  but use Xtreme's as a backup if I run out of the PD.

[jwc007]

I've had very good luck with both Berry's and Xtreme.  The Xtreme bullets are sized to jacketed bullet diameters and use jacketed bullet load data. 

The Berry's Bullets are sized to Cast Bullet Diameters and use Load Data that is somewhere between Cast and Jacketed Bullet Data.

Bottom line is that both work, but you have to work up your loads accordingly.

[mmb713]

We'll bicker back and forth about powders and bullet brands (all in good humor)

Um... at risk of getting people bickering...

I've found XTreme Plated NOT to be as solidly built as Berry's.  I have loaded a lot of XTReme 135's in 9mm.  With identical virgin brass, sized in the same run, belled in the same run, I can load XTreme and Berry's plated, then disassemble the bullets, and the XTreme bullets' plating will be scratched at the base while the Berry's are unmarked.  I know that the argument could be made that I'm not belling enough, but the fact remains that with the same belling, the XTReme will scratch and the Berry's will not.  YMMV

How was the accuracy and the velocity between the two? That's where it really counts. If you think they are scratched after seating them you should see them after they've been fired. I've had outstanding results with Xtremes and don't see any reason to switch now. Xtremes are thicker plated than Berrys and are double struck. Berrys makes a decent product to be sure and I wouldn't hesitate to use them if I couldn't get my hands on Xtremes but at this point I've got brand loyalty and a bunch of known good loads going for me.

[IDescribe]

How was the accuracy and the velocity between the two? That's where it really counts.

Velocity I can't comment on because my XTreme's are 135gr, and I don't have 135gr Berry's.   

As far as accuracy goes, I've been shooting 4 different plated bullets lately with three different powders:  Berry's 124gr HBFP, Berry's 124gr HBRN-TPDS, XTreme Plated 135gr RNFP, and Berry's 147gr RN.  Of the four, the HBFP's have been significantly more accurate than the other three.  Those Berry HBFP's are almost as accurate as my Montana Gold 124gr JHP and feel a little better at the same power factor.  Of the other three plated, the Berry's HBRN are a touch more accurate than the other two, but not significantly so.  All three have performed well, and I load a lot of the XTreme's, so obviously they haven't been performing poorly.

For context for the above comments on accuracy, this comes from working up loads at the top safe OAL for my barrel, working toward a particular power factor, then loading 50 at a time to shoot at that power factor. I have NOT taken the 135gr XTreme and tried to tune it for accuracy.  I really want to love that bullet, so that will certainly happen in the future.   I will say to XTreme's credit that they've come up with an efficient bullet profile for that 135.  Relatively speaking, the seating depth is pretty shallow for a given OAL, which leaves a large range of useful OAL's to experiment with.   

[fiveredapples]

So... picked up Xtreme in 200 grains of RN and SWC, and 230 grains of RN.  I have Clays, Power Pistol, WSF, and W231, so I have enough variety to try a few different starting loads.  I will of course start low and work my way up.  For now, I'll go with Xtreme.  I get a box of 500 bullets for $54 and $59 for 230 grain -- pre-tax prices. 

My gun is still in CA jail, but I'll have it early next week..and then I'm off to the range Thanksgiving weekend. 

Thanks for all the knowledge, folks.  I'll give a range report and of course post some pics.