# Kimber handguns



## dockham17 (Nov 26, 2014)

I own 2 Kimbers 45 ACP's, Im going to reload my own ammo and want to know whats the best powder and bullets and brass to use.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

There is no "best powder," nor even best brass or best bullets.
It all depends upon what you wish to accomplish. You have to figure that out first, and then choose components to suit that end use.

"Best brass"? I've always indiscriminately used shooting-range pickups for practice rounds, but for competition I always used once-fired, G.I. brass.
"Best bullets"? For practice and for competition, I've always used commercially-cast-and-lubricated, lead-alloy, both 230gr RN and 200gr SWC (so I can tell each separate shot). But for self-defensive carry, I have always used commercially-loaded ammunition with the heaviest JHP bullets available.
"Best powder"? For practice and for competition, I've always used WW231 because it meters reliably.

The very best investment you can now make is in a set of reloading manuals, probably starting with Lyman's. If you choose to use a manufactured bullet, also get the manual that the bullet's manufacturer publishes.
Pick a formula from one of the manuals, and follow the recipe _exactly_. (A little experimenting is OK, to see what happens, _but only a little_.)


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Hi there, 
If you have children , or a pregnant wife or wives. 
Do read up on the safe handling of lead.
Lead awareness 101.
Maybe you're already Aware. Good loading
:smt1099


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## high pockets (Apr 25, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> There is no "best powder," nor even best brass or best bullets.
> It all depends upon what you wish to accomplish. You have to figure that out first, and then choose components to suit that end use.
> 
> "Best brass"? I've always indiscriminately used shooting-range pickups for practice rounds, but for competition I always used once-fired, G.I. brass.
> ...


Steve is just pulling your leg, for the most part.

Everyone knows the best brass is $%^^&*. It doesn't deform and feeds reliably in every pistol ever manufactured.
The best bullets are %^&*()(* in %^&*gr, from [email protected]#$ Bullet Mfg Co.

I almost agree with him about the best powder, I use Hodgdon's HP-38, which is MUCH better than WW231. (Believe me, it was hard to type that part, since they are both the same powder, with different labels.) For some unknown reason 231 is more expensive than HP-38, even though Hodgdon makes both and puts them in different colored containers.

I definitely agree with Steve when he advised you to get reloading manuals. Without several manuals to refer to, you are merely building little bombs that may eventually cause your pistol to kaboom! Reloading blindly with no input from bullet, or powder manufacturers is really recklessly endangering yourself. Follow the loading recipes from reputable people. I use manuals from Speer, Hornady, Hodgdon, Alliant, and Accurate.

Good luck and be sure to pick up your spent brass.


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