Hey folks. I am getting my first 1911 this week. A Kimber Custom Target II. I just wanted to hear your opinions on factory loaded .45 ACP ammo. Which ones have performed best for you out of your 1911? I know that nickel plating is supposed to improve cycling, but is the difference noticeable (i.e. worth the cost)? What particular brands are your favorites?

Are you looking for target ammo or self defense? Winchester white box is cheap and functions great out of my Springfield TRP. I've only shot a few American Eagle (Federal) through it and those worked okay, other than that it has all been handloads.

Like Colohunter said are you looking for self defense loads or target fodder? Several folks I know that carry the 45 like Speer Gold Dots for self defense loads.

I am mostly interested in the more accurate factory loads, target or defense it doesn't matter. Also, what brands typically have a good reputation for reliability and have less tendency to falter. I guess that aspect would be more important to a defense load, but nonetheless I need to get some ideas for what loads to try out first, even pistol rounds are getting expensive these days.

There are many very good accurate factory loads available. You would have to try them in your pistola to ascertain which one is the most accurate "in your pistola"

My Kimber Ultra Tactical II eats just about any factory ball ammo. I have lots and lots of Winchester Wite Box Walmart ammo. I reload now but when I need to buy factory cuz i want to go shooting and have been lazy I usually use the walmart ammo. Just my personal opinion unless you are shooting an AK stay the heck away from Wolf ammo!!

"stay the heck away from Wolf ammo!!"
Why? I was just going to recommend it. I bought a thousand rounds of it and am most of the way through. I shoot it in my Springfield and in my Glock 36. The stuff has always worked. No problems at all. Zip. It goes bang; bullet goes where it's supposed to.
What is the supposed issue with it? I've had the same experience with their Makarov ammo and the 7.62x39 loads.
Pete

"stay the heck away from wolf ammo"

Thats a little harsh I must agree let me elaborate. I have used Wolf ammo in glocks actually I have shot a lot of wolf ammo through glocks. However I found it to be very dirty ammo the Steel Case i do not beleve gets a proper gass seal and ive noticed lots of nasty residue build up in my guns. It also stinks I dont know why but to me it just down right smells strange when you shoot. I have tried wolf in my Kimber after 80-100 rounds or so the gun turned into a jam-o-matic. I have fired 500+ rds of winchester wite box through the same gun no malfunctions clean up was not as bad! In a pinch i would shoot wolf from a gun like a glock that does not have tight chambers. I shot aproximately 250 rounds through a Glock 21 no problems however clean up took me longer than normal. I just dont like it much. So in short I just dont like it and thats my opinion! :D (disclamer: I am not a gunsmith or shooting expert nor do I claim to know everything) :eek:

Thanks. I was wondering.
Pete

I had heard using Wolf ammo in some brands of AR-15s will void their warranty.

For what you pay for a Kimber I would thing it would digest any commercial ammo you feed it!!!:confused: If not I would be VERY upset!!!:eek:

For what you pay for a Kimber I would thing it would digest any commercial ammo you feed it!!!:confused: If not I would be VERY upset!!!:eek:
I was told while looking at .45s one day at a local store that the more performance oriented Kimbers (in terms of accuracy) are quite finicky about the ammo you feed them.

I have a friend who shoots almost exclusively Winchester White Box. His reasons are simple - it's decent but inexpensive ammo, and the brass is good. He doesn't yet reload (although he and I have been discussing that quite a bit too and I think he's going to start soon.) but he saves all of his brass so that when he does start, he's got a heap of brass to use.

Personally, I like shooting reloads through my .45. (Not a Kimber) My reasons are pretty simple - I can control the load, it functions fine, and it's considerably less expensive than shooting virtually any kind of factory ammo - even the infamous Wolf ammo.

not many answers for ya so far. I have tried a bunch in my Kimber and have to say so far accuracy is more about the shooter than the ammo in my case. The only ammo I am shying from is the Winchester Ranger ammo ( in the cool looknig red boxes) because it is absolutely filthy. For reliable inexpensive ammo I find it very hard to beat Magtech. $18.99 for a box of 50 at Midwayusa. Sellier & Belloit may be worth a try too.

My Kimber gobbles up anything I put in it. I have yet to have a failure with it at all. I mostly shoot reloads these days although that has not always been the case. For defense I shoot the 230 Remington golden sabers.

To paraphrase Lyman’s new 49th Reloading Handbook: “Another reason for reloading is increased accuracy. Factory ammo seldom matches the accuracy of carefully developed and assembled reloads. The best proof of this is to look at the sport of benchrest shooting… What kind of ammo do these folks use? It’s 100% reloaded… Long-range varmint hunters are another group that demands great… Again the choice of ammo is nearly 100% reloads”.

Almost all of the serious pistol target shooters that I know use reloads.

Midway USA says: “Black Hills produces factory new ammunition equal to some of the best handloads”… Midway USA 8-05-08.

Their NEW ammo is only equal to some of the best handloads.

From the right Personal Manufacturer of factory New and Reloaded ammo you get a more precisely manufactured product than available from the “majors”, with a diversity of bullets and powders that cannot be matched.

for super accuracy, Federal's GMM is by far the best target ammo I ever used.

Here's a comparison of the 230 and 185.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/compare/handgun_compare.aspx