S&W 625 45acp load recommendations

[Will]

I have a performance center S&W 625 on the way and was looking for recommendations on loading for it.

I know the 45acp isn’t hard to load for but thought there might be some loads or bullet types that tend to shoot better than others.

I have the Saeco 130, RCBS 45-201, NOE 45BD and a copy of the 255gr Keith. Just kind of curious if the SWC bullets shoot better than a RNFP.

 

[RBHarter]

1917s ........ Build date September 1918 .
The 250-265 shoot poorly in the ones I shoot .
196-230s are much better . 452-200 RNFP , 45-200 SWC , H&G #130 , I shot a few 452423 .

 

[fiver]

I got the 4" barrel plane jane version.
it doesn't care what I use.
I like a 225gr rnfp in auto rim cases on top of 5.2grs of titegroup with cci 300 primers.
the gun could care less.
plain cases moon clips rimmed cases 165gr bullets 250gr bullets. 200swc's 230rn's.
red-dot, 700-X, green-dot, unique, bulls-eye
it shoots them behind the green dot on the front of the barrel and knocks down the little steel circles all the way back to the end of the berms at our range.

 

[CZ93X62]

I just shot my new PC 625 five days ago, and my example seems to like 200 grainers (Lyman #452460) atop 5.5 grains of WW-231......Lee 230 TC and Lyman #454424 (250 grain SWC) above 5.0 grains of 231. It ran 60 rounds of factory WWB 230 JHPs first, then 25 each of those three loads just to give the gun a test drive. The cast bullets were put up in new Starline 45 Auto Rim cases; I had questions whether these would fire, since the rim thickness seemed thinner than what I recall from 1980s R-P Auto Rim cases. No matter, they all lit off just fine. I made my iron dinger plate dance at 30 yards with pleasing regularity; my revolver skill set seems largely intact, though the focus was a mite fuzzy right at first. I do have a 2-cav Lyman #452423 that is in need of warming and pouring--it and a couple other casting projects await passage of the holiday season.

 

[Walks]

I have a S&W 1917, it won't shoot with any cast unless cast of straight Linotype, same with my M1937.
I load a #452423-240gr in the AR case over 4.2grs Bullseye. Use a 5cav N.O.E. version these days.

I load a RCBS #45-201-KT(SWC) over 5.6grs of Bullseye for My Colt Combat Gov't Model. This load feeds in ancient 1911's without any problem. It's very accurate in My Colt and S&W 25-5 8 3/8".

I don't use half or full moon clips much these days. It's easier to just poke out the 2-3 that don't fall out.

I also load the Lyman #452488 over 3.5grs of Bullseye. This is a Gold Cup load and requires a ramped & throated bbl and a 12lb spring. It weighs only 195grs. It's stubby, but is almost all bearing surface. Accurate in the M625 of 1989 and almost no worthwhile recoil.

I cast of #2 or harder just for the M1917/M1937.

But for the "New" revolvers I use 50/50 of COWW/#2. Just works for me.

I'm lucky in that my almost 1,000 Auto Rim cases were purchased a long time ago, they were a lot cheaper then. My .45ACP Guns are all 30+yrs old. Except for My Glock 21, it's only 24yrs old. But the Glock will feed the RCBS bullet without a problem.
Guess I like Bullseye in .45ACP/AR.

Congrats on your New Revolver, and Good Luck.

 

[Creeker]

I use the Accurate 45-200H & 4.5 grains of Promo in my Blackhawk.

 

[Cherokee]

I'm developing an appreciation of the Accurate 45-200E TC in anything 45 with any appropriate powder.

Edited 12/27 to correct the mold # and design.

 

[Creeker]

It's a pretty good bullet friend to the north.

 

[Will]

I think the RCBS 45-201 is a very similar design to the 45-200H

 

[Will]

Picked up the 625 today. I’ll try to remember to add some more info here on what shoots good in it.

https://imgur.com/QPaUfCq

 

[RBHarter]

I load 5.5 Unique with nearly all of the bullets I have on hand .
Of course that's in 1917s . How I wish there were something akin to a .452 , 430421.

 

[358156 hp]

452424 (250-255 gr) or 452423 (245 gr) if you want actual Keith designs. If you want a heavier bullet than these, have you considered the RCBS 45-270 SAA, or one of it's clones?

A 260-270 gr LBT LFN or WFN would be even better on live targets, hunting, etc, they would be longer versions of my oft posted 230 LFN, and could be ordered with a crimping groove if you wish.

 

[35remington]

For easy accuracy any short nosed long bearing surface SWC like the 452460 or similar over 4 grains Bullseye works well.

For hunting type use a 245ish grain SWC over not more than 6.8 grains Unique like the 452423 is fine. This is in the 950 fps range and is as fast as I think it is prudent to go.

My 625-3 has very shallow rifling and skidding is a problem with the heavier bullets unless the bullets are hard. The lighter bullets do not have that problem to the same degree and straight wheelweights are fine.

 

[Outpost75]

I like Accurate 45-264H in the .45 AR, the ACP when used in revolvers and also in the .45 Colt New Service.

I use the similar, but longer nosed bullet, having reduced seating depth 45-264D in the .455 MkII for my Colt New Service

.

I load 4 grains of Bullseye or 452AA in the .455 MkII, ,45 AR and .45 ACP and 6.5 grains in the .45 Colt.

 

[CZ93X62]

So far, I have not seen evidence of bullet skidding in the barrel of my 625 PC. Everything I have fired so far of the cast persuasion has been in 92/6/2 alloy and sized at .452", for the record. 45 ACP barrels tend toward shallow grooves IME, so I went with what worked in the bottom-feeders.

I didn't buy the 625 to run it hard or hot-rod the cartridges. The 45 ACP has done a fine job of stopping miscreants for over 100 years with its modest pressures and velocities; its diameter does the heavy lifting here. Having 44 Magnums and a Ruger 45 Colt in the safe, I see no need to push the 45 ACP/AR past its already-capable OEM performance envelope. That WWB 230 grain JHP load my shop has carried for many years runs at nearly 900 FPS from 5" barrels; that is plenty, and it is not a +P loading.

 

[Will]

So far, I have not seen evidence of bullet skidding in the barrel of my 625 PC. Everything I have fired so far of the cast persuasion has been in 92/6/2 alloy and sized at .452", for the record. 45 ACP barrels tend toward shallow grooves IME, so I went with what worked in the bottom-feeders.

I didn't buy the 625 to run it hard or hot-rod the cartridges. The 45 ACP has done a fine job of stopping miscreants for over 100 years with its modest pressures and velocities; its diameter does the heavy lifting here. Having 44 Magnums and a Ruger 45 Colt in the safe, I see no need to push the 45 ACP/AR past its already-capable OEM performance envelope. That WWB 230 grain JHP load my shop has carried for many years runs at nearly 900 FPS from 5" barrels; that is plenty, and it is not a +P loading.

Thanks for the response. Seems like that is a pretty high antimony alloy for 45acp. In the past I cast 45 acp bullets from either straight COWW or 50/50 mix of COWW/Pure lead.

 

[Walks]

By the Time I came along in 1954, My Dad had solved the problem of "Bullet Skidding" in old G.I. bbl's by casting of Straight Linotype.
The OLD G.I. bbl's had very shallow rifling, so a Hard bullet simulated the Hard CuproNickle jackets of the G.I. ammo.
And Lino was Cheap 40-60+ yrs ago.

I found I could get by with softer alloys in My M25-2 & M625 of 1989.

 

[RicinYakima]

The 92/6/2 alloy sold by Lawrence was called "Hardball" for a reason. It wasn't to grip the rifling, but to smoothly slide up the feed ramp and not scrap the bullet out of shape. Shot lots of 452460's over 3.5 grains of Bullseye and an 11 pound spring from a 1911. My alloy was usually 1/2 linotype and half wheel weights when they were 92/5/3. A ten kilo pig of linotype was $3 and wheel weights were free.

 

[Ben]

A ten kilo pig of linotype was $3 and wheel weights were free.

The good old days..................

Ben

 

[RicinYakima]

Ben sounds good now, but I was making $142 a month as a Sargent and $40 jump pay and $45 combat pay. $3 cash money would buy a full case of Bud longnecks or two cartons of Winston's. My first pay check as a State Policeman was $315 for a month. Things were cheap, but you didn't get paid much either!

Ric