Ammunition
Ammunition Testing at EOT 2010
Wild Bunch was conceived as a “big bore, Power Factor” match. The power factor has always been in the rules, but at EOT 2010 the organizers tested everyone’s ammunition for the first time. Several contestants; ammunition failed to make minimum power factor. Here’s what you need to know to avoid having this happen to you.Ammunition:
From the SASS Wild Bunch Handbook, Copyright © Single Action Shooting Society, Inc 2010, Second Edition:
"The minimum standard for center-fire smokeless ammunition
used in all SASS Wild
Bunch Action Shooting competitions is not less than a minimum power factor
of 150. The maximum velocity standard for pistols is 1000 fps. The maximum
velocity standard for rifles is 1400 fps. Not meeting
ammunition standards is a Spirit of the Game Penalty. (emphasis
added)
Power factors are simply calculated by multiplying the bullet weight times
the velocity
and then the resulting number is divided by 1000. Some examples are as
follows:
200 gr bullet traveling at 750 fps has a power factor of 150: (200x750)/1000=150.00
250 gr bullet traveling at 800 fps has a power factor of 200 (250x800)/1000=200.00"
Some changes will be made to the rules as a result of the EOT testing. First of all, failing to meet the minimum power factor will become a match Disqualification as it is in other power factor sports. Second, the testing procedure will change. Ammunition will be taken from contestants in a “surprise” manner, bagged, and marked. Trying to chronograph at a stage takes too much time, so one stage will be a chronograph session. It takes a contestant about the same time to chronograph his ammunition as to shoot the average stage. For example, you may be at a loading table, and a match official will ask for the ammunition from the magazine you are about to insert into your 1911 and 5 rounds of rifle ammunition from your loading strip for the rifle. Then at the chronograph stage it will be returned to you, and you will fire 4 rounds through the chronograph. The fifth round will have its bullet weighed so the power factor can be calculated. This will prevent contestants from having higher powered ammunition for testing.
.45 ACP
Military spec. .45 ACP ammunition is a 230 gr. Full Metal Jacket round nose bullet at a target of 850 ft./sec., which gives a power factor of 195.5. Most commercial 230 gr. FMJ ammunition runs about 800 ft./sec. out of a commercial 5" 1911A1 for a power factor in the neighborhood of 184. All of this is hotter than necessary for Wild Bunch competition and illegal because only lead bullets are allowed in SASS competition.
Three .45 ACP bullet styles that work in most guns On the left is a 230 gr. Lead Round Nose Bullet that comes close to duplicating the shape of a 230 gr. FMJ bullet. This should work in virtually all 1911s. Early 1911s had a groove in the bottom of the chamber to allow the bullet to feed. Modern 1911 barrels have been throated and polished in order to feed hollow points and lead semi-wadcutters.
The middle bullet is a 200 gr. Lead Round Nose Flat Point Bullet normally used in .45 Colt ammunition. You'll note it looks like a 230 gr. LRNFP with the end chopped off. It should feed in nearly all 1911s, throated or not. It gives the additional advantage of allowing you to buy one bullet for both .45 Colt and .45 ACP, allowing bulk purchasing and bulk discounts. In a .45 Colt a roll crimp is used. In .45 ACP a taper crimp is used because the .45 ACP headspaces on the face of the rim, at least in theory.
The bullet on the right is a 200 gr. H & G 68 Lead Semi-Wad Cutter. This was developed for target usage to cut a sharp edged hole in cardboard targets for action pistol shooting such as IPSC/USPSA. When I was shooting IPSC/USPSA most of us put in a strong taper crimp, like you see here. The case has been crimped into the bullet to be virtually flush with the lead edge of the bullet. This means the round will headspace on the extractor. This is acceptable in most 1911s. Theoretically it facilitates feeding, which, in IPSC is as important as it is in CAS since there are no alibis. The LSWC has no advantage in Wild Bunch matches since we shoot steel targets. If you have 10,000 left-over from your IPSC days, by all means use them. Otherwise, there's no reason to buy them for your 1911 and 200 gr. LRNFP for your rifle.
The H & G 68 is available in 185 gr. and 155 gr. sizes. The external profile is the same. The 155 is not legal, but the 185 gr. is. The same profile bullet as the 200 gr. LRNFP is available in 180 gr. 180 is the lightest bullet allowed. Some shooters prefer the lightest bullets possible for lighter recoil. Since there is a power factor, you will need more powder. Also, if you decide to use 180 gr. bullets, you'll need to weigh them to find out their actual weight, which varies with the alloy used. 179 gr.and below iis illegal. Getting a match DQ for ammo being slightly underweight is a pretty silly thing to let happen.
Loads:
Start with a load that is "in the book," meaning a current loading manual. This will guarantee a safe load, but it will not guarantee a load that will be legal. It must be tested in YOUR gun. I first developed a load using HP 38 because, during the powder shortage, HP38 and WW 231 are the same powder, and the chance of finding one was pretty good, The final load I chose was 5.4 gr. HP 38 and 200 gr. LRNFP. In my Series 80 Government Model it averaged 807 ft./sec. for a power factor of 161 in Phoenix at 75° and 1400 ft. altitude.
As a General rule, powder is hotter with hotter temperatures, and air drag decreases with altitude. So the same load will be hotter in high altitude and hotter temperatures. HP 38 is definitely temperature sensitive. If you develop your load in hot weather, leave yourself a cushion. If this load is legal in your gun in cold, low altitude conditions (Winter Range), it should be legal in high altitude and/or hot conditions (EOT).
Simplifying:
I use one bullet for both pistol and rifle. Later I settled on one powder for all of my smokeless loads, IMR’s Trail Boss. Early testing resulted in erratic loads in .45 ACP. Then I noticed that some powder was being shaken out when the cases were pulled down out of the dies. The sizing die was sticking, causing jerking when it released. The cure was to lubricate the cases with case lubricant. Then the rounds chronographed very consistently. Match ammunition was tumbled for 15 minutes to remove the lubricant.
5.0 gr. Trail Boss and 200 gr. LRNFP gave an average of 811 ft./sec. and a power factor of 162 when tested at Phoenix (1400 ft. altitude) at 75°F.
5.5 gr. Trail Boss (maximum load) and 200 gr. LRNFP averaged 868 ft./sec. with a power factor of 174. Muzzle flip was significantly greater than the 5.0 gr. load.
As a General rule, powder is hotter with hotter temperatures, and air drag decreases with altitude. So the same load will be hotter in high altitude and hotter temperatures. So this load is likely to be legal in cold, low altitude conditions (Winter Range) as well as high altitude and/or hot conditions (EOT).
Other Loads
Michael Bane (Wolf Bane)—4.5-gr 231 over a 230-gr LaserCast bullet...somewhere around 725-750 fps, depending on how diligent I am...worst case a 166 power factor, which makes IPSC Major by a little bit.
Happy Jack—My personal load is 3.6 of Winchester Super Target (WST) with a 230gr. lead Round nose. My other load is 3.9 of Titegroup with the same bullet. Both PF 158-162. I use a 16# recoil spring with both.
Evil Roy--200 gr, LRNFP, 5.3 gr. Vihta Vuori N320 (Note, exceeds published max load in Vihta Vouri website)
230 gr, LRN, 4.6 gr. N320
Roy says his loads have a power factor in the 185 range, which is way over what's needed, but you'll never have to worry about not making the power factor.
Chronograph in YOUR gun:
Chambers vary from very tight to loose. Most IPSC gunsmiths use a chamber reamer on their match barrels to assure maximum reliability. I did my testing in a Series 80 Government Model with a rather tight chamber. The same loads in another gun with a looser chamber chronographed slower. These are examples of why you should chronograph your own ammunition in your gun. Don’t take the above loads as being gospel. As Evil Roy mentioned at EOT, chronographs are available for $105, so everyone should be able to chronograph your loads. If you don’t want to buy a chronograph, you probably have a friend who will loan you one. Just don’t shoot it.
.45 Colt Rifle Loads
I went through the same procedure with the .45 Colt rifle and settled on 5.7 gr. Trail Boss and the same 200 gr. LRNFP did 816 ft./sec., PF 163. This load should work anywhere. I used a 19" Cimarron '73 carbine. .45 Colt loads should have a strong roll crimp.
I also did some testing using a 24” barreled Taylor’s Burgess Rifle.
Winchester factory 250 gr. Cowboy ammunition did 854 ft./sec. for a power factor of 214.
Ten-X 200 gr. ammunition did 813 ft,/sec. for a power factor of 163
Ten-X 250 gr. ammunition did 860 ft./sec. for a power factor of 215.
Ammo Checking:
I have an EGW Chamber Checker for .45 ACP ammunition:
Each round is dropped into the holes representing minimum spec. chambers. Yes, this takes time and isn't done to practice ammunition.
There isn't a similar unit for .45 Colt, so I use an L. E. Wilson Case Gauge.
Every round of match ammunition is dropped into this minimum spec. chamber. Rejects go into a practice ammunition box.