Winchester .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • FMJ
Winchester .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • FMJ
Solved from this product's advertised 835 fps, 230gr bullet and G1 BC 0.163, 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 230gr with a 10-yard zero
Zeroed at 10 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load crosses the line of sight at 10 and 19 yards, peaks +0.1" at 15 yards, and is -3.2" at 50 and -19.5" 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 | 835 | 356 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.38 | -0.98 | 831 | 353 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.04 | -0.01 | 828 | 350 | 0.1 |
| 15 | +0.1" | +0.31 | +0.09 | 824 | 347 | 0.2 |
| 20 | 0.0" | -0.13 | -0.04 | 821 | 344 | 0.2 |
| 25 | -0.2" | -0.88 | -0.26 | 817 | 341 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.6" | -1.79 | -0.52 | 814 | 338 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -1.0" | -2.80 | -0.82 | 810 | 336 | 0.4 |
| 40 | -1.6" | -3.87 | -1.13 | 807 | 333 | 0.5 |
| 45 | -2.4" | -4.99 | -1.45 | 804 | 330 | 0.7 |
| 50 | -3.2" | -6.14 | -1.79 | 800 | 327 | 0.8 |
| 55 | -4.2" | -7.32 | -2.13 | 797 | 325 | 0.9 |
| 60 | -5.4" | -8.52 | -2.48 | 794 | 322 | 1.1 |
| 65 | -6.6" | -9.73 | -2.83 | 791 | 319 | 1.3 |
| 70 | -8.1" | -10.97 | -3.19 | 787 | 317 | 1.5 |
| 75 | -9.6" | -12.21 | -3.55 | 784 | 314 | 1.7 |
| 80 | -11.3" | -13.47 | -3.92 | 781 | 312 | 1.9 |
| 85 | -13.2" | -14.74 | -4.29 | 778 | 309 | 2.1 |
| 90 | -15.1" | -16.02 | -4.66 | 775 | 307 | 2.3 |
| 95 | -17.3" | -17.32 | -5.04 | 772 | 304 | 2.6 |
| 100 | -19.5" | -18.62 | -5.42 | 769 | 302 | 2.8 |
230gr G1 .163 at 835 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 230gr with a 15-yard zero
Zeroed at 15 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load crosses the line of sight at 13 and 15 yards, peaks 0.0" at 14 yards, and is -3.4" at 50 and -19.8" 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 | 835 | 356 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.68 | -1.07 | 831 | 353 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.33 | -0.10 | 828 | 350 | 0.1 |
| 15 | 0.0" | +0.01 | 0.00 | 824 | 347 | 0.2 |
| 20 | -0.1" | -0.42 | -0.12 | 821 | 344 | 0.2 |
| 25 | -0.3" | -1.17 | -0.34 | 817 | 341 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.7" | -2.09 | -0.61 | 814 | 338 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -1.1" | -3.10 | -0.90 | 810 | 336 | 0.4 |
| 40 | -1.8" | -4.17 | -1.21 | 807 | 333 | 0.5 |
| 45 | -2.5" | -5.29 | -1.54 | 804 | 330 | 0.7 |
| 50 | -3.4" | -6.44 | -1.87 | 800 | 327 | 0.8 |
| 55 | -4.4" | -7.61 | -2.21 | 797 | 325 | 0.9 |
| 60 | -5.6" | -8.81 | -2.56 | 794 | 322 | 1.1 |
| 65 | -6.8" | -10.03 | -2.92 | 791 | 319 | 1.3 |
| 70 | -8.3" | -11.26 | -3.28 | 787 | 317 | 1.5 |
| 75 | -9.8" | -12.51 | -3.64 | 784 | 314 | 1.7 |
| 80 | -11.6" | -13.77 | -4.00 | 781 | 312 | 1.9 |
| 85 | -13.4" | -15.04 | -4.37 | 778 | 309 | 2.1 |
| 90 | -15.4" | -16.32 | -4.75 | 775 | 307 | 2.3 |
| 95 | -17.6" | -17.61 | -5.12 | 772 | 304 | 2.6 |
| 100 | -19.8" | -18.91 | -5.50 | 769 | 302 | 2.8 |
230gr G1 .163 at 835 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 230gr with a 25-yard zero
Zeroed at 25 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load crosses the line of sight at 8 and 25 yards, peaks +0.2" at 16 yards, and is -2.8" at 50 and -18.6" 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 | 835 | 356 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.1" | -2.47 | -0.72 | 831 | 353 | 0.1 |
| 10 | +0.1" | +0.87 | +0.25 | 828 | 350 | 0.1 |
| 15 | +0.2" | +1.22 | +0.35 | 824 | 347 | 0.2 |
| 20 | +0.2" | +0.78 | +0.23 | 821 | 344 | 0.2 |
| 25 | +0.0" | +0.03 | +0.01 | 817 | 341 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.3" | -0.88 | -0.26 | 814 | 338 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -0.7" | -1.89 | -0.55 | 810 | 336 | 0.4 |
| 40 | -1.3" | -2.96 | -0.86 | 807 | 333 | 0.5 |
| 45 | -1.9" | -4.08 | -1.19 | 804 | 330 | 0.7 |
| 50 | -2.8" | -5.23 | -1.52 | 800 | 327 | 0.8 |
| 55 | -3.7" | -6.41 | -1.86 | 797 | 325 | 0.9 |
| 60 | -4.8" | -7.61 | -2.21 | 794 | 322 | 1.1 |
| 65 | -6.0" | -8.82 | -2.57 | 791 | 319 | 1.3 |
| 70 | -7.4" | -10.06 | -2.93 | 787 | 317 | 1.5 |
| 75 | -8.9" | -11.30 | -3.29 | 784 | 314 | 1.7 |
| 80 | -10.5" | -12.56 | -3.65 | 781 | 312 | 1.9 |
| 85 | -12.3" | -13.83 | -4.02 | 778 | 309 | 2.1 |
| 90 | -14.3" | -15.11 | -4.40 | 775 | 307 | 2.3 |
| 95 | -16.4" | -16.41 | -4.77 | 772 | 304 | 2.6 |
| 100 | -18.6" | -17.71 | -5.15 | 769 | 302 | 2.8 |
230gr G1 .163 at 835 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
Winchester's 230-grain FMJ is middle-of-the-pack .45 ball: 835 fps and 356 ft-lbs at the muzzle. Its power factor of 192 makes USPSA major. Zeroed at 25 yards, it prints 2.7 inches low at 50 yards and 18.6 inches low at 100. In the same pistol its recoil energy sits between Independence Brass 230 and Armscor 230, and well above Winchester's own 185-grain load.
Independence Brass 230 is a near twin at 830 fps and 352 ft-lbs, with about 1 percent less recoil energy in the same pistol. Armscor 230 is the fastest 230 in this set at 849 fps and 368 ft-lbs, with about 3 percent more recoil energy than the Winchester. Among the three 230s the muzzle spread is 19 fps, too small to feel from one magazine to the next. Winchester 185 is the load that changes the feel. It leaves 75 fps faster at 910 fps, but with 45 grains less bullet it carries only 340 ft-lbs and is the softest-shooting load here. Its power factor of 168 still makes major, by a thin margin.
Buy this load for USPSA major, for practice with a 230-grain bullet, or as general range ball that runs alongside Independence Brass or Armscor without a change in feel. If you carry Federal HST 230 JHP, know that it leaves at 890 fps, 55 fps faster than this load, with about 11 percent more recoil energy in the same pistol, so none of these 230s is a true rehearsal for it. A new or recoil-sensitive shooter should start with Winchester 185 instead.
- Power factor of 192 clears the 165 major floor by 27 points, where Winchester 185 clears it by 3
- 16 ft-lbs more at the muzzle than Winchester 185, from the heavier bullet
- Sits between Independence Brass 230 and Armscor 230 at the muzzle, so it mixes with either in one practice session
- 14 fps and 12 ft-lbs behind Armscor 230, whose power factor of 195 is the highest in this set
- About 34 percent more recoil energy than Winchester 185 in the same pistol, the bigger step for a new shooter
- Only 5 fps and 4 ft-lbs ahead of Independence Brass 230, too little to choose one over the other on performance
All Winchester .45 ACP 230gr FMJ Ammo Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentry Ammo | 1000 | $466.49 | $22.99 | $489.48 | $0.49 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 1000 | $491.82 | $0.00 | $491.82 | $0.49 |
| BulkAmmo.com | 500 | $229.00 | $20.24 | $249.24 | $0.50 |
| Lucky Gunner | 500 | $230.00 | $20.30 | $250.30 | $0.50 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 500 | $259.11 | $0.00 | $259.11 | $0.52 |
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