[muddcatt54]

Getting back on topic, with my Dillon XL650 press, I tend to go into production batches of 2000 rounds or so, depending upon Bullet Supply. I've never tired of loading any one Caliber, but that's just me.
T p
As for W231, I tried 6 pounds of it back in the thrilling days of yesteryear, the mid 1980's. It worked great in the 9mm. In the .45 ACP, it was only okay performance. Not great.
What I found most objectionable about it in the .45 ACP, was the brilliant muzzle flash, particularly with the 185 and 200 grain SWC target loads.
Later on, I found that it could also produce lower velocity in cold weather temps. Something Match Shooters found out the hard way on a cold (45 degree F) day in Colorado, during the USPSA National Matches.
Some of them were trying to warm up their Ammunition on the hoods of their Cars to pass the Chronograph Tests for Major and Minor Power level scoring. Major Power level being the more desirable outcome.
This particular incident sent many reloaders and serious competitors scurrying away from W231 and onto other powders. Notably, the then new Vihtavouri Powders.

Now supposedly, from some of the chatter on the Internet, the formulation of W231 has been improved, to eliminate most of it's prior bad characteristics, but I've never seen any official press release from Winchester/Olin to that effect. I've not bothered to test any of the newer batches of W231, and probably won't.

While I have tested and used many different Powders in the .45 ACP, I've pretty much settled on Alliant Red Dot as my go-to powder for the bulk of my .45 ACP loading. A big plus for Alliant Red Dot is that it works in quite a few other Handgun loads, notably .38 Special, light 9mm bullet loads, my 12 gauge Trap Loads, and I've been able to find it during Political Induced shortages of Reloading Components. Not to say it's the only game in town, but it's a good one!

Also, FWIW, my favorite .45 ACP loading uses a 200 grain Berry's Plated Bullet over Red Dot for 850 fps, from the muzzle of a Tanfoglio .45 Witness or a bit more from a 1911.

t

RED DOT IS way up on my list also. But I keep reading these forums and go buy a pound to try like CFE PISTOL universal WST HS-6 and some others and have had pretty good luck .With them all

 

[MidniteTweeker]

Like others, way back when I purchased a quantity of 231 but was put off that it seemed to burn dirty. But I've been using it lately for 9mm, 45 ACP, and 45 LC and been pleasantly surprised that it seems to burn cleaner than I remembered. I used to be kind of anal about powders & trying all sorts of different ones. Now I find it requires a lot less mental bandwidth to settle on a few favorites and spend more time shooting.