Remington's UMC 230-grain FMJ leaves the muzzle at 835 fps with 356 ft-lbs, a power factor of 192 that makes USPSA major. By 50 yards it has slowed to 800 fps and sits 2.8 inches below a 25-yard zero; at 100 yards it is 18.6 inches low and still carrying 301 ft-lbs. In the same pistol its recoil energy is within 2 percent of every comparison here.

All three comparisons leave within 10 fps of this load. Magtech 230 is the closest match, 2 fps and 2 ft-lbs ahead at the muzzle, with recoil energy less than 1 percent higher in the same pistol. It holds speed a little better, 12 fps ahead at 100 yards with 0.3 inch less drop there, a difference that will not show on a pistol target. New Republic 230 is 5 fps slower with 4 ft-lbs less and about 1 percent less recoil energy. CCI Blazer Aluminum 230 is the fastest of the group at 845 fps, 10 fps and 9 ft-lbs over the UMC, for a power factor of 194.

Buy UMC for high-volume practice in any .45 that runs 230-grain ball, especially if you reload; it mixes with Magtech or New Republic in one session without a change in feel. It is not a stand-in for a hot carry load. Federal HST 230 JHP leaves at 890 fps, 55 fps faster than this load, with about 11 percent more recoil energy in the same pistol. None of these three comparisons matches it; CCI Blazer Aluminum 230 comes closest at about 8 percent under the HST.