Latest Handloader has Pet Loads article on the .45 acp

The article is written by Brian Pearce, and he uses a Wilson Combat 5" 1911 for his testing.  Most of the loads tested are jacketed, but there are some plated and cast bullets he worked with.  Ken Waters used to always want to find something really special to talk about in his Pet Loads articles, e.g. using 800X with 200gr SWC in the .45 acp and getting great velocity and accuracy.  Pearce did try some things that are ... different, such as trying VV-N350 with the 200gr SWC, but if he got particularly good results from it he did not talk about it.  He spent a lot of space talking about cleaner burning powders, which he did use a lot of.  

There is also a review of 2 varieties of the Ruger Mk IV .22 pistol, and Ransom Rest test results.  No mention of the recall.  Best results in both varieties was with CCI SV.

I've burned nearly every suitable powder for 45 wad loads in the last 45 years and the most recent is 3.2 gr of Vectan BA-10.  It leaves absolutely zero residue in the 1911.  Grains are too large to get under the Dillon shellplate and small enough to meter accurately.  Recently bought some from Graf at $20 for 1.1 pound container (.5 kilo).  Best powder I have ever used.

Accuracy is what counts.
1.1 pound is NOT 1.1 kilo. Think you meant 0.5 kilo.
I shot a full season of Bullseye, PPC, and IPSC shooting 5.0gn and 6.0gn of Unique without cleaning my .45 once and had no issues.

Blsi2600 wrote:I've burned nearly every suitable powder for 45 wad loads in the last 45 years and the most recent is 3.2 gr of Vectan BA-10.  It leaves absolutely zero residue in the 1911.  Grains are too large to get under the Dillon shellplate and small enough to meter accurately.  Recently bought some from Graf at $20 for 1.1 pound container (.5 kilo).  Best powder I have ever used.

Jerry Keiffer likes that powder I believe. Cheap...... Should get about 1400 bullets out of a pound do you have a slide mount?

SA Range Officer, Rock River rib, Bushnell 30mm red dot, 10# recoil spring, 19# main spring. 

3.2 gr charge, Zero 185 LSWHP, Winchester primer, .465 crimp.  100% function.

Under an inch at 25y hand held off a bench.  Should be better out of a Ransom.  No chrono yet.  FPS ??

Nobel Sport Vectan BA-10 is $19.99 for 1.1 pound on sale at Grafs in Mexico, MO.  Six containers to a case.  No larger containers shown.

BA-10 is a single base stick powder.  Approx .032 dia x random length of about .032 +/-.  

No residue in the Dillon or the gun in almost a year.

I've shot down to 2 gr of BA10 behind a 195 gr HG130 (they cast heavy in my mold).  I shoot a caspian/sti/Kart assembly with a RR slide mount and various sights.  even with the Vortex Strike fire II (big, heavy) the gun cycled with an 11 lb recoil and 19 lb mainspring.  when I put the holosun on it, it gets really pleasant to shoot... I haven't shot these silly light loads for for accuracy testing yet, but with 2.5 gr BA10 I did hold a 5X string at 50 feet in time fire yesterday so they can't be too bad, especially for the short line... it did smoke noticably more so chamber pressure is required to get the cleanest burn.