45 ACP Ammo

[rrc1962]

I picked up some PP ammo the other day. I just told the guy to give what he recommended. He gave me Corbon 45 ACP +P 165 grain JHP. I was a bit surprised by the light weight bullet. I usually shoot 230 grain ball ammo for target practice. Any comments on this Corbon ammo?

That brings me to my next question. What would be the difference between 185, 200 and 230 grain for target shooting and would SWC be better than FMJ ball? I'm not as concerned about blowing a clean hole in the target as much as practicing with a round that will be close to what I'd shoot in a real life situation.

When it comes to bulk bullets, the lighter bullets are little cheaper which is always a good thing. What differences will I see at the range between the different weight bullets?

Thanks...

[Glock Fan]

I'm not a big fan of "Corbon" ammunition mainly due to the price. I'm a firm believer in training with at least a couple of boxes of SD ammo. Companies like "Speer" and "Federal" make target ammo that is very similar to SD ammo. When choosing ammo for "practice", get a cartridge that is very similar to your SD ammo. If you train with a 230gr bullet, be sure that your SD ammo is also 230gr. Most times target ammo is FMJ and the equivalent SD ammo is JHP.

The reasoning behind training with your SD ammo is to build confidence in the ammo and to ensure that it will function properly in your firearm. There have been cases where FMJ ammo works great, but the firearm won't chamber HP ammo. This could be very dangerous in a "real life" situation.

Keep in mind that the guy behind the counter at the gun shop might not have your best interest in mind. I strongly recommend checking out various sites onlne as well as other sources to get performance info, then experiment with various loads until you find something that works for you.



gf

[rrc1962]

I was talking bullet weight because I'm reloading my own ammo. From what I can gather a lighter bullet will have a higher velocity, so these 165gr +P JHP's should carry more velocity and penetrate less than a 230 gr round. The 230 should be slower but penetrate better.

The local reloading supply store carries 185 and 200 grain. I always seem to lean towards a heavier bullet. I'm thinking 200gr ball for target shooting and 200gr HP for PP. Just curious what everyone else is using, especially those who are reloading 45 ACP. HP's are actually cheaper. I guess there's no downside to loading HP's and using them for practice and PP, although factory ammo may be better for PP, not that I doubt my reloading skills. :)

Maybe I'll take this Corbon ammo back. The 165g bullet weight is what got me thinking about this topic.

[Glock Fan]

For .45 ACP I'm partial to the 230 gr. bullet. This is the most common load here in PRHI. I'm sure if the SHTF, this would also be the most "available" load. Wouldn't want to train with a lighter bullet then have to figure out how the heavier bullet will perform out of my gun.

Experience has shown me that bullet weight makes a BIG difference in a lot of cases. My G23 shoots very differently when shooting 180 gr vs. my "usual" 165 gr round. I've got 2 revolvers in .357 mag. My usual load is the 158 gr bullet. I've noticed a HUGE difference in point of impact when shooting 125 gr rounds.

As I tell my students; "Get to know your firearm(s) better than you know your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, family members, etc. Your firearm can kill you in an instant, while your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, family members, etc will take time to nag you to death."

Train well, and train often.



gf

[maybejim]

My usual load is the 158 gr bullet. I've noticed a HUGE difference in point of impact when shooting 125 gr rounds.

I've always wondered how much difference inside of 30 feet a different weight bullet would make. I never think to check it and mostly my carry bullets are the same weight as my practice bullets. So how much difference are you talking about? Thanks.

[Glock Fan]

Originally Posted by maybejim

I've always wondered how much difference inside of 30 feet a different weight bullet would make. I never think to check it and mostly my carry bullets are the same weight as my practice bullets. So how much difference are you talking about? Thanks.

The diviation was enough for me to miss a 8" pie plate at 5 yards.



gf

[maybejim]

Originally Posted by Glock Fan

The diviation was enough for me to miss a 8" pie plate at 5 yards.



gf

Wow!!!!

[rrc1962]

I never would have guessed that either. I just got my 45 and I think I'll stick to either 200 or 230, ball for practice and a good factory HP for SD. The problem is finding the SD ammo. Turns out the store gave me 165g Corbon because that's all they had. After searching online, I'm finding that most online suppliers are also out of the heavier HP ammo.

Makes perfect sense to practice with a round close to you SD ammo. I'd really like to practice with 230 ball and use 230 Federal Hyda-Shocks for SD, but I can't find them. I use 135 Hydra-Shocks in my PT92 and practice with cheap Blazer 115g. I don't see a huge difference in accuracy between the two, but the PT92 also has a 5" barrel. I'm looking for a slightly lighter HP for the Kahr CW9, maybe 115.

[wolfhunter]

I can't say how bullet weight effects point of impact and group size from a pistol, but I shoot a 4-5 inch group at 115 yards from my rifle using 140gr factory loads. Using 175gr factory loads (Same Manuf./Brand/style) I shoot MOA or tighter, all other factors being the same. Heavier bullets, going up from 140 in 10gr increments showed progressively tighter groups up to that point.

[Glock Fan]

The diviation will vary depending on the firearm, shooter and method of aim. A couple of my buddies swear that there is no difference, while another group of friends have problems similar to me.

Best advice is to train with your firearm and experiment with different loads.


gf