Best .45 ACP Ammo
Every load we price, sorted by cost per round delivered to your state
We track 16 .45 ACP loads from 5 dealers. The cheapest delivered to AR, shipping included, is CCI Blazer .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo at $0.37 a round. By use: Target & Range from $0.37, Self-Defense from $0.64, and Competition from $1.08.
The .45 ACP is a full-size and compact pistol cartridge that fires a .452" bullet, usually 230 grains at 830 to 890 fps. John Browning designed it in 1904, and the US Army adopted it with the M1911 in 1911. Today it runs in 1911s, the Glock 21 and 30, SIG P220s, and similar pistols. The 230 grain loads are subsonic, so they work through a suppressor as-is.
For range practice, buy 230gr FMJ, which makes up most of this table. For carry, pick a 230gr hollow point like Federal HST, or a lighter, faster 185gr load such as Speer Gold Dot. The Federal Gold Medal 185gr semi-wadcutter is a bullseye target load. Loads marked +P, like Hornady Critical Duty 220gr, are rated to 23,000 psi instead of 21,000; use them only if your pistol's maker approves +P.
All .45 ACP Loads
Compare ballistics and prices across 16 products
| PRODUCT ↕ | GRAIN ↕ | VELOCITY ↕ | ENERGY ↕ | BC ↕ | USE CASE ↕ | BEST PRICE ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CCI Blazer .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo
230gr
• 830 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 830 | 352 | .156 | Target & Range | $0.37/rd |
|
CCI Blazer Aluminum .45 ACP 230gr FMJ
230gr
• 845 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 845 | 365 | .156 | Target & Range | $0.40/rd |
|
Federal American Eagle .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo
230gr
• 890 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 890 | 404 | .195 | Target & Range | $0.52/rd |
|
Federal Gold Medal .45 ACP 185gr FMJ-SWC Ammo
185gr
• 770 fps
• Competition
|
185gr | 770 | 244 | .071 | Competition | $1.08/rd |
|
Federal HST .45 ACP 230gr JHP Ammo
230gr
• 890 fps
• Self-Defense
|
230gr | 890 | 404 | .19 | Self-Defense | $0.64/rd |
|
Fiocchi Training Dynamics .45 ACP 230gr FMJ
230gr
• 860 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 860 | 378 | .184 | Target & Range | $0.40/rd |
|
Hornady Critical Defense .45 ACP 185gr FTX Ammo
185gr
• 900 fps
• Self-Defense
|
185gr | 900 | 333 | .14 | Self-Defense | $1.38/rd |
|
Hornady Critical Duty .45 ACP +P 220gr FlexLock Ammo
220gr
• 975 fps
• Self-Defense
|
220gr | 975 | 464 | .18 | Self-Defense | $1.43/rd |
|
Magtech .45 ACP 230gr FMJ
230gr
• 837 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 837 | 358 | .194 | Target & Range | $0.39/rd |
|
PMC 45 ACP Bronze 230gr FMJ Pistol Ammo
230gr
• 830 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 830 | 352 | .133 | Target & Range | $0.38/rd |
|
Remington Ammunition UMC .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo
230gr
• 835 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 835 | 356 | .161 | Target & Range | $0.51/rd |
|
Sellier & Bellot .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo
230gr
• 853 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 853 | 372 | .213 | Target & Range | $0.39/rd |
|
Speer Gold Dot .45 ACP 185gr JHP Ammo
185gr
• 1050 fps
• Self-Defense
|
185gr | 1050 | 453 | .109 | Self-Defense | $1.56/rd |
|
Speer Lawman .45 ACP 230gr TMJ Ammo
230gr
• 830 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 830 | 352 | .153 | Target & Range | $0.45/rd |
|
Winchester .45 ACP 185gr FMJ Ammo
185gr
• 910 fps
• Target & Range
|
185gr | 910 | 340 | .145 | Target & Range | $0.45/rd |
|
Winchester .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo
230gr
• 835 fps
• Target & Range
|
230gr | 835 | 356 | .163 | Target & Range | $0.49/rd |
.45 ACP Trajectory Calculator
Calculate drop, velocity, and energy at any range
Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros
- Heavy 230gr bullets are already subsonic, so you don't need special ammo to shoot suppressed.
- The .452" bullet starts wider than a 9mm's .355" before any expansion.
- Low operating pressure gives a slow, pushing recoil that is easy to control in a steel-frame 1911.
- Defensive hollow points come in 185gr and 230gr weights, so you can trade bullet mass for velocity.
Cons
- Fewer rounds than 9mm in the same size gun: 7 or 8 in a single-stack 1911 magazine against 9 or 10 in a 9mm 1911.
- More recoil than 9mm in lightweight compacts, which slows follow-up shots.
- Double-stack frames like the Glock 21 have a thick grip that is hard for small hands to wrap.
- Older or alloy-frame pistols may not be rated for +P loads, so check before buying them.