45acp ballistics

[David]

45 ACP +P - 230 Grain HST JHP

Out of a Kahr CW45 with a 3.64 inch barrel. The HK USP 45 has a 4.41 inches.

https://www.luckygunner.com/45-acp-230- ... ds#geltest

[cityfarmer]

I 've never fired that +P ammo but I have fired factory Hornady 230 XTP +P ammo few times over my chronograph.
I was not impressed as couple 1911 pistol with standard 5" barrel all shot under 900 fps average in past. More recently I fired some in 1911 pistol with Jarvis 6" barrel and I only got 920 fps average of 10 rounds (actually it was average of 924 fps which I rounded off to 920 fps) with none over 950 fps and few under 900 fps.
I think you should get about 40-50 fps over the Kahr.

[David]

Box has 950 fps so you're probably right about the amount of increase. Maybe hit 900 fps give or take a few.

[cityfarmer]

I'd love to see some actual numbers if you can chronograph it

[tom mac]

would love numbers too...

Have pushed the 230gr 45acp a bit using Autocomp. Loads were used in a Sig220. Got pretty snappy in the loads which were in 45super range.
Wish I had number to go with it.

[David]

I'd love to chrono for some results...but I don't have a chrono

[mdell49]

I may be missing something but if I can get a bullet to penetrate nearly 15" and expand to over 3/4" and do so with a standard pressure load that won't beat me or my gun up then I am tickled to death. Here is another thread from Lucky Gunner that compares all manner of factory loads. of particular interest is the Golden Saber loads. Notice how closely the 185 and 230 loads perform in expansion and penetration.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-d ... sts/#45ACP

[David]

I may be missing something but if I can get a bullet to penetrate nearly 15" and expand to over 3/4" and do so with a standard pressure load that won't beat me or my gun up then I am tickled to death. Here is another thread from Lucky Gunner that compares all manner of factory loads. of particular interest is the Golden Saber loads. Notice how closely the 185 and 230 loads perform in expansion and penetration.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-d ... sts/#45ACP

You haven't missed anything

I should have mentioned in the OP that I was listing that particular +P loading because I had recently picked up a few boxes of them. I had just gotten back into 45acp at that time after having been away from it for years (personal use) when I picked up an HK USP 45 package at a price I couldn't pass up. I wanted to add 45acp so that I had at least one platform in the main semi-auto service calibers (9mm, 40 S&W, 357sig, 45acp).

Normally, the standard pressure 230 Gold Dot is my first choice as it was my duty load in our issued Glock 21's. But due to the panic I haven't been able to pick any up and will wait till things return to normal. The GD is a good round and we have had an excellent street record with it over the last nearly 20 years that we've carried the G21.

[bdcochran]

Close to 50 years ago, I was in the Southwest Pistol League. Most guys shot .45acp. The guys who had problems were the ones who modified their guns and "experimented" with loads. They ignored the fact that the .45s that they were shooting were designed to function with a certain bullet configuration and load. Although I knew this, I was sucked into to reloading.

Fast forward almost 50 years.

I am at the private range. Up drives a friend who is now retired and was a national level firearms instructor. In our discussion, he revealed that he had sold off his other guns and kept the Glock .40s to simplify his life. He never reloaded because of the mess. He shot plain white box .40 cal ammo because it went bang every time he pulled the trigger.

Conversely, I had another friend whose workshop was clean. He reloaded ammo for about 35 calibers and would die before shooting what he had. His actual residence was a disaster.

Different people.

[Bob]

I have never wondered about .45 ballistics. The ONE feature I ever cared about was "Big hole"

I do like the 200g +p from Federal, but I'm a Federal Fan Boy