WST Load recommendations

I am unfamiliar with WST and would like some load recommendations, given:

*** 200 gr LSWC (Penn bullets)

*** Standard 5 inch 1911 with open sights (nothing on the slide)

*** for 25 and 50 yard

Load development would be traditional; use your recommended load at a higher than your spring rate and go down in one pound increments until reliiable functioning is achieved. I'd like the lightest load that is accurate and stable at both ranges.

Charge ???

Velocity (if available) ???

Spring rate used, open sights ???

Thanks,

Ed

I'm using 4.2 gr of WST with a swaged 200 gr SWC. Slide mounted Ultra-dot with a 10# spring. Shoots fine- I've had 97s and 98s at 50 yds with that load.

Ed,
For my pistol, with a slide mounted 1" UltrDot and 200 gr SWC I found that 4.1gr of WST is my go-to load for either 50yds or 25 yds.
It will shoot 1.5" at 50yds for my pistol. I think I am using a 12lb spring. Generally if it shoots well at 50 it shoots very well at 25. I also use this same load with 180gr H&G 68 style swc. I use this at 25 yds but have found it shoots really well at 50 also. I am using this same WST load and bullets in my iron sighted Ball gun for practice and training. That currently has a 16 lb spring in it.
Every pistol/barrel combination is different so any suggested load is just a starting point for you. In my testing, with my pistol 4.1gr shot significantly tighter groups than 4.0 or 4.2 from a ransom rest. Yours may well like a different charge than mine.

Scott

4.3 gr WST with a 210 gr cast H&G 68bb. Slide mounted UD with 13# spring.

Hi,

I'm with Ed on one question; for those of us that do not use a dot or scope,

what is an accurate WST load for 1911 match pistol with open sights?

In my case, I'm using H&G 130 bullets. Thanks for your responses.

Tony

I also use the above mentioned load for open sight practice with my hardball gun. Group size is a bit larger, but still under 3" @ 50 yards.

Al

Whether it is accurate or not I still need to determine but the lowest load that functions reliably with the stock 16 lb spring in my Baer, is 4.0 gr of WST for about 725 ft/sec. Aparently when one adds the additional mass of a dot on their slide, the spring rate can be dropped? You slide-mounted guys are shooting similar loads with 12-13 lb springs? Anyone have an idea where, in terms of velocity (not load) the 200 gr H&G's SWC's sweet spot is?

inthebeech wrote:Whether it is accurate or not I still need to determine but the lowest load that functions reliably with the stock 16 lb spring in my Baer, is 4.0 gr of WST for about 725 ft/sec. Aparently when one adds the additional mass of a dot on their slide, the spring rate can be dropped? You slide-mounted guys are shooting similar loads with 12-13 lb springs? Anyone have an idea where, in terms of velocity (not load) the 200 gr H&G's SWC's sweet spot is?

Any of the loads (4.1-4.4 gr WST) should cycle the 16# spring on your LB. I run an 18# spring on my hardball gun (very tight, frame/slide and Kart bbl) and even my 3.6gr Clays load will cycle the hardball gun. It won't lock back after the last shot or run reliably when the gun is very dirty (after 150-200 rds), but it will run when clean.

Just an FYI, don't get hung up on what someone else is getting for velocity with their loads in their pistols. Every barrel will be slightly different. I haven't chronographed a pistol load for 10 years ( I've only shot Bullseye for 13). I don't care what the speed is, it's not relevant in the Bullseye discipline. What is relevant is the accuracy out of your pistols. I Ransom Rest all my loads and tweak them to their full potential out of my pistols.

Several posters have told you what works (4.1-4.4 gr WST). You can try to reinvent the wheel (as I did) and prove it to yourself (in the process you wind up squandering a lot of good components), or accept it-put together proven loads-and go and practice. Unless you're shooting at a Master/High Master (and trust me I'm not in that catagory), working to get the last 1/4" of accuracy out of your loads may make you feel better about them but only practice will help you shoot to their potential. As long as your load does 3-4" @ 50 yards, go with it. It took me a long time to get that idea through my thick stubborn skull.

Tony, I know the H&G 130 has been a proven bullet at 50 yards. But I have never been able to get it to shoot out of my guns at 50 yards. I have much better results using the H&G 68's at 50 and the H&G 130's at 50 feet and 25 yard lines.

FWIW

I'ld like to second Al's comment about chronographs. They can be used to get you into a particular ball park of velocity but after that, Who cares what the standard deviation is. How it groups is the piece of data that you are after. Do you care what speed it is going if it shoots the center out of your target? I have used a chronograph only a few times and found that the smallest SD doesn't always produce the smallest group. Find what actually groups best for your pistol and then practice, train, practice and have fun!

Scott

Scott and Al,

That's exactly, and only, what I want the data for; to understand the "ballpark" so I don't spend valuable practice time trying to develop an accurate load that is unknowingly outside the sweet spot.

In other words, if the bullet will simply not perform in the XXX-XXX ft/sec range, that'd be a good thing to know I'd say; right? So what velocities have folks found this bullet performs within?

Thanks,

Ed

Anyone have an idea where, in terms of velocity (not load) the 200 gr H&G's SWC's sweet spot is?


770 fps

NSK wrote 8-10 years ago the sweet spots for
200 LSWC 700-750
185 Star HP 750-800
185 Nosler 780-820

That'll do guys.

Thanks much,

Ed