Federal Gold Medal .45 ACP 185gr FMJ-SWC Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • FMJ-SWC • MPN: GM45B
Federal Gold Medal .45 ACP 185gr FMJ-SWC Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • FMJ-SWC • MPN: GM45B
Solved from this product's advertised 770 fps, 185gr bullet and G1 BC 0.071, with the sight 0.5" over the bore at standard conditions. Compare every zero for .45 ACP.
How to read it: filled circles are the near and far zero, where the bullet's path crosses the line of sight;the triangle is the peak (max ordinate). The shaded band is the 4" vital zone, ±2" either side of the line of sight. The dashed line marks the edge of the hold-dead-on window. The chart is zoomed to where the zero matters; the tables below run to 100 yards.
.45 ACP 185gr with a 10-yard zero
Zeroed at 10 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 10 yards without ever climbing above it (a tangent zero), and is -4.4" at 50 and -25.8" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 770 | 244 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.14 | -0.91 | 763 | 239 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.02 | -0.01 | 756 | 235 | 0.2 |
| 15 | 0.0" | +0.08 | +0.02 | 749 | 231 | 0.3 |
| 20 | -0.1" | -0.60 | -0.17 | 742 | 226 | 0.4 |
| 25 | -0.4" | -1.60 | -0.47 | 736 | 222 | 0.5 |
| 30 | -0.9" | -2.79 | -0.81 | 729 | 218 | 0.7 |
| 35 | -1.5" | -4.08 | -1.19 | 723 | 215 | 0.9 |
| 40 | -2.3" | -5.44 | -1.58 | 716 | 211 | 1.1 |
| 45 | -3.2" | -6.86 | -2.00 | 710 | 207 | 1.4 |
| 50 | -4.4" | -8.33 | -2.42 | 704 | 203 | 1.7 |
| 55 | -5.7" | -9.83 | -2.86 | 698 | 200 | 2.1 |
| 60 | -7.2" | -11.37 | -3.31 | 691 | 196 | 2.4 |
| 65 | -8.8" | -12.93 | -3.76 | 685 | 193 | 2.9 |
| 70 | -10.7" | -14.53 | -4.23 | 679 | 190 | 3.3 |
| 75 | -12.7" | -16.15 | -4.70 | 673 | 186 | 3.8 |
| 80 | -14.9" | -17.80 | -5.18 | 668 | 183 | 4.3 |
| 85 | -17.4" | -19.47 | -5.66 | 662 | 180 | 4.8 |
| 90 | -20.0" | -21.17 | -6.16 | 656 | 177 | 5.4 |
| 95 | -22.8" | -22.89 | -6.66 | 650 | 174 | 6.0 |
| 100 | -25.8" | -24.64 | -7.17 | 645 | 171 | 6.7 |
185gr G1 .071 at 770 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.45 ACP 185gr with a 15-yard zero
Zeroed at 15 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 15 yards without ever climbing above it (a tangent zero), and is -4.4" at 50 and -25.9" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 770 | 244 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.21 | -0.93 | 763 | 239 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.09 | -0.02 | 756 | 235 | 0.2 |
| 15 | 0.0" | +0.02 | +0.01 | 749 | 231 | 0.3 |
| 20 | -0.1" | -0.66 | -0.19 | 742 | 226 | 0.4 |
| 25 | -0.4" | -1.67 | -0.49 | 736 | 222 | 0.5 |
| 30 | -0.9" | -2.85 | -0.83 | 729 | 218 | 0.7 |
| 35 | -1.5" | -4.14 | -1.20 | 723 | 215 | 0.9 |
| 40 | -2.3" | -5.50 | -1.60 | 716 | 211 | 1.1 |
| 45 | -3.3" | -6.92 | -2.01 | 710 | 207 | 1.4 |
| 50 | -4.4" | -8.39 | -2.44 | 704 | 203 | 1.7 |
| 55 | -5.7" | -9.89 | -2.88 | 698 | 200 | 2.1 |
| 60 | -7.2" | -11.43 | -3.32 | 691 | 196 | 2.4 |
| 65 | -8.9" | -13.00 | -3.78 | 685 | 193 | 2.9 |
| 70 | -10.7" | -14.59 | -4.24 | 679 | 190 | 3.3 |
| 75 | -12.8" | -16.21 | -4.72 | 673 | 186 | 3.8 |
| 80 | -15.0" | -17.86 | -5.20 | 668 | 183 | 4.3 |
| 85 | -17.4" | -19.54 | -5.68 | 662 | 180 | 4.8 |
| 90 | -20.1" | -21.23 | -6.18 | 656 | 177 | 5.4 |
| 95 | -22.9" | -22.96 | -6.68 | 650 | 174 | 6.0 |
| 100 | -25.9" | -24.70 | -7.19 | 645 | 171 | 6.7 |
185gr G1 .071 at 770 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.45 ACP 185gr with a 25-yard zero
Zeroed at 25 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load first crosses the line of sight at 7 yards, peaks +0.3" at 16 yards, returns to zero at 25, and is -3.5" at 50 and -24.1" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 770 | 244 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.1" | -1.50 | -0.44 | 763 | 239 | 0.1 |
| 10 | +0.2" | +1.62 | +0.47 | 756 | 235 | 0.2 |
| 15 | +0.3" | +1.72 | +0.50 | 749 | 231 | 0.3 |
| 20 | +0.2" | +1.04 | +0.30 | 742 | 226 | 0.4 |
| 25 | 0.0" | +0.04 | +0.01 | 736 | 222 | 0.5 |
| 30 | -0.4" | -1.15 | -0.33 | 729 | 218 | 0.7 |
| 35 | -0.9" | -2.44 | -0.71 | 723 | 215 | 0.9 |
| 40 | -1.6" | -3.80 | -1.11 | 716 | 211 | 1.1 |
| 45 | -2.5" | -5.22 | -1.52 | 710 | 207 | 1.4 |
| 50 | -3.5" | -6.68 | -1.94 | 704 | 203 | 1.7 |
| 55 | -4.7" | -8.19 | -2.38 | 698 | 200 | 2.1 |
| 60 | -6.1" | -9.72 | -2.83 | 691 | 196 | 2.4 |
| 65 | -7.7" | -11.29 | -3.28 | 685 | 193 | 2.9 |
| 70 | -9.5" | -12.89 | -3.75 | 679 | 190 | 3.3 |
| 75 | -11.4" | -14.51 | -4.22 | 673 | 186 | 3.8 |
| 80 | -13.6" | -16.16 | -4.70 | 668 | 183 | 4.3 |
| 85 | -15.9" | -17.83 | -5.19 | 662 | 180 | 4.8 |
| 90 | -18.4" | -19.53 | -5.68 | 656 | 177 | 5.4 |
| 95 | -21.2" | -21.25 | -6.18 | 650 | 174 | 6.0 |
| 100 | -24.1" | -23.00 | -6.69 | 645 | 171 | 6.7 |
185gr G1 .071 at 770 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
Product Overview
Federal Gold Medal 185-grain FMJ-SWC is a jacketed semi-wadcutter .45 ACP load made for target shooting. The bullet carries a flat shoulder where a ball bullet is round, and Federal states a five-inch test barrel for its figures. It leaves the muzzle at 770 fps with 244 ft-lbs of energy.
Zeroed at 25 yards, it drops 3.5 inches at 50 yards, more than any of the ball loads compared. Estimated recoil in a compact pistol is 5.4 ft-lbs, against 9.4 for PMC Bronze 230-grain FMJ.
If you're cross-shopping, Winchester 185-grain FMJ is the other light bullet compared, 140 fps faster with 96 ft-lbs more at the muzzle. Ammo Inc Signature 230-grain TMC runs 120 fps faster with a bullet 45 grains heavier.
- Keeps 203 of its 244 ft-lbs at 50 yards, 83 percent of the muzzle figure
- The only semi-wadcutter among the loads compared, where the rest are jacketed ball
- The mildest load compared in estimated recoil, by a wide margin
- 161 ft-lbs behind Ammo Inc Signature 230-grain TMC at the muzzle
- The slowest load compared, and the one with the most drop at the far end of pistol distances
Similar Products Compared
| PRODUCT | WEIGHT | TYPE | VELOCITY | ENERGY | BC | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185 gr | FMJ-SWC | 770 fps | 244 ft-lbs | 0.071 |
$1.05
500 Rounds
|
|
| 185 gr | FMJ | 910 fps | 340 ft-lbs | 0.145 |
$0.40
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 230 gr | TMC | 890 fps | 405 ft-lbs | 0.185 | N/A | |
| 230 gr | FMJ | 860 fps | 378 ft-lbs | 0.184 |
$0.41
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 230 gr | FMJ | 830 fps | 352 ft-lbs | 0.133 |
$0.40
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 230 gr | FMJ | 835 fps | 356 ft-lbs | 0.163 |
$0.49
1000 Rounds
|
All Federal Gold Medal .45 ACP 185gr FMJ-SWC Ammo Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentry Ammo | 500 | $505.27 | $17.99 | $523.26 | $1.05 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 500 | $524.70 | $0.00 | $524.70 | $1.05 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 250 | $289.81 | $0.00 | $289.81 | $1.16 |
| Lucky Gunner | 50 | $47.00 | $18.43 | $65.43 | $1.31 |
| Sentry Ammo | 50 | $63.47 | $11.99 | $75.46 | $1.51 |
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