Just curious if anyone is handloading for their handguns? I've got a .45 and a .380 and have really started to enjoy shooting both. Unfortunately it's pretty darn expensive to shoot even ball ammo. Also the cost of trying to find a really accurate defensive round is out of control, both calibers are over $1 a shell for good quality defensive ammo. Due to cost I've not tried a ton of different types of defensive ammo, but I haven't found one that is real accurate in my .45, and the only one I've found that is accurate in the .380 doesn't feed the first shell reliably. Since I've already got a reloading setup, and currently reload for my rifles and another revolver I've got, I'm think I'm going to get setup to start rolling my own for these guns too. Anyone have suggestions on good quality FMJ bullets for .45 and/or .380 that won't break the bank? Any suggestions on a powder I can use for both .45 and .380 that meters really well and is clean? I'd love to find one they both like and get 8lbs to stock up. Were you able to come up with handloads that were significantly more accurate than the more common types of bulk ball ammo out there?
you have a few choices, for an economical round many people are going to electroplated rounds in sted of a jacketed round. you can push higher velocities then lead without lead fouling of the barrel . Plated rounds are also nicer to reload and handle because you have less lead exposure. it is also less exposure to vaporized lead because the back of the bullet is copper coated unlike regular ball ammo where the back of the round is exposed lead. you don't want a really hard crimp if you go plated because you can break right through the plating and get separation of the plating from the lead as far as clean burning you will have to experiment a bit because how clean a powder burns is also dependant on the velocity range you push it at. powders have a certain optimal pressure range that they will both burn cleaner and have less standard deviation which will increase accuracy. I have experimented with blue dot, with w 231, with vhitavuori, with bullseye to name a few and I have had my best results with good old clays universal. both in clean burning and the least standard deviation measured on a chronograph as well as metered well in my progressive press (Dillon 650) for both my 45 auto and 38 special rounds for idpa type velocities. but for self defence you will likely be running higher velocities but I am sure you can get there no problem and if I had to pick one powder it would be clays. for 32 long the best I have found is 1.3 grains of vhitavuori n310 for accuracy. I compete in bullseye on a national level with that load
I handload almost exclusively for handguns. hogdgon Clays shoots amazing for my 45. I believe it's 4 grains. I can also shoot it in 40 S&W with great results. Bullseye isnt too bad either. I also shoot the ranier plated stuff. If you watch midway long enough, sometimes they put the 2K rounds on sale, flat shippping. I took advantage of this.
