In the 45 I would also use LSWC or JHPs. I have watched lead round nose bullets glance off the hard skin of the pins. Once a .38 158 went up the neck and back hitting the shooter right on the tip of the nose...he didn't miss a beat and set his personal best time right then. it bloodied him some but he was ok.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

force. As mentioned, the hard plastic skin + radius at just about every approach angle tends to deflect round nose bullets. They skitter left and right and wallow around on the table unless well hit on centerline. Your SWCs would be a good choice if they have well defined shoulders.

I wouldn't go under 950fps. 45acp @ 850fps is notorious for bouncing back from hard surfaces. Hard maple covered with hard plastic will shoot back, especially when the pins get chewed up some. Enforce eye protection rules - bullets bounce off those pins at odd angles...

I think both calibers, 44 Spl & 45 ACP will top out at around 5.0 grains of Bullseye at best with 250 gr bullets. 4.0 to 4.5 may be more practical for the ACP at that weight. Personally, I don't use 44 Spl cases in 44 magnums, my current favorite light load is a 250 Keith (RCBS or H&G 503) with 6.0 gr of Red Dot in 44 magnum cases. This is good for around 850 FPS. My goal is around 900 fps for light 44 mag loads. I use 5.0 gr of Bullseye in 45 ACP with a 230 gr LBT LFN that I cast myself. I don't know the velocity, but I do know there is a lot more room for power in my 1911s than using this combination, but I haven't felt the need for it yet. Honestly, I rarely use Bullseye, preferring slightly slower powders for the lighter loads.

My research online came up with mixed results, so I was dumb enough to test it myself.

One shot and an immediate face full of bird shot. Across the face, neck and chest, nothing got under the skin, but lots of bloody spots.

Don't do that.

I haven't shot in a pin match in a few years. But I had good luck with a modified .45 acp hardball mold. It basically looked like someone ran an end mill into a 230 gr mold. It had a big, flat meplat and added about 15-20 gr of weight. It knocked the pins straight off of the table!

The guy who often won (when he beat me) used an 8" 629 loaded with Keith level .44 Special loads. He was a good shot and often went five for five, but is hits would drive the pins straight back off of the table. Good center hits with a heavy bullet are the key to knocking pins off the table versus chasing them down as try roll around I've seen guys empty multiple 17 round mags bouncing pins all over the table!!

When I shot pins, I used 45 ACP loads with 230 TC cast bullet and 5.5 gr 231 from my 7" AMT Hardballer which was good for 900 fps. Always took the pins straight off if I hit center, would skid off usually if I hit slightly off-center.

Solid center hits are very important. We had a new guy show up one day with his duty 4" 38 Special S&W just to have some fun. He scored good center hits and did not fail to take a pin off the table using his duty 38 Special ammo. Accuracy first, thump second.

Fps. Of course the 40s are flat cone shape.

Finally developed a 255 SWC load, using a slug with a large meplat, loaded in ACP cases over a load of Unique I won't post because it was a bit hot. Modified a 1911A1 to reliably feed them and handle the recoil impulse, but it undoubtedly shortened it's life some. The load was amazing, with any decent hit the pin was driven straight back off the table like it had been hit with a baseball bat wielded by Babe Ruth.

I have often wondered about a full wadcutter out of a 44 or 45 caliber revolver at 900 to 1000 fps. Might have to play with that idea some day. I can also attest to it being unwise to shoot at pins with low velocity loads, bounce-backs can be very painful.

I shot 255 gr in the 45 and it worked well.