Top velocities with 230 grain bullets

[rickt300]

Where should I start to make up +P loads for my 45 with 230 grain bullets? I want to use the pistol for my back up hog gun. What powder and recoil spring should I use? A plus P load I have been buying promises 950 fps and feels like it in my pistol which is reasonably stock except for tuning and a Wilson recoil spring guide with an 18 pound rated spring.

[Dan Johnson]

Ramshot Enforcer powder will give you 1000+ FPS with the 230 grain bullets at standard .45 ACP pressures. You'll still need a stout recoil spring of course.

[Mikey]

rickt300:  with VithaVuoriOy N350 - 7.9 gns gets you to 961'/sec.  7.2 gns of Unique gets you to 960'/sec.  9.7 of Hs-6 gets you to 960'/sec.

Trank has a good suggestion - go with hardcast, flatnosed slugs for better penetration, or drop down to a 200 gn long nose hardcast slug .  The hardcast bullets will perform better, with better penetration.  I would also go with his suggestion for heavier recoil springs - Wolffe Springs in PA has spring kits that take the 1911A1 spring system from 16 lbs (average factory recoil spring) to 22 lbs - I carry 22 lb kits in all my 1911s.  I would not go with the shok buffs however - some fellas have had problems with cycling with those as they may sometimes prevent the slide from cycling all the way back and properly ejecting empties.  Shok buffs may be one of those 'try it and see if it works in your gun and if not, then don't use them'.  

Dan Johnson uses Ramsshot Enforcer to get to his velocities so you have lots of choices and lots of good suggestions.  HTH.  Mikey.

[44 Man]

I run an 18 1/2# wilson spring in my Kimber when shooting 200 gr swc over 7.3 gr of Unique.  That will do 979 fps out of that gun.  With hard cast bullets, I am confident it will do what I ask of a hunting back up.  I tried some short, flat nosed 255 gr bullets over 6. Unique a while back.  Never ran them over the chrono but they certainly kicked harder than the 200 gr swc!  I think a man could work up a good hunting load there too.  Good luck.  44 Man

[Zeke Menuar]

Back in the day, I reconfigured my late unlamented Colt 1991A1 to 45 Super using information and load data from this site http://www.realguns.com/.  you'll have to roam around through the archives to get the details.
 
I used a then experimental Wolff 28lb recoil spring to get a 225gr cast bullet to a chrono'd 1150 fps.  Powder was Alliant Power Pistol.  The load didn't seem to bash the frame or damage the gun.  It was hard to hang onto, and as a result not as accurate as a +P 45 ACP load.  Later on, I downloaded the 45 Super cases to get around 1000 fps and the loads were much more useful and accurate.

I wouldn't try it again on a standard 1911.  I might go to 900 or 950fps.  If I needed any more horsepower in a 1911 frame I would go to a 460 Rowland.

This is my opinion, your opinion may vary.

ZM