I've never fired a .45 acp 230 gr round from any firearm that felt like a hand cannon....

but oddly out of proportion analogies aside, no, firing a 165 gr will not degrade the felt recoil, it will increase it due to the increased muzzle velocity of the round.

The only .45 I have fired is my 1911's. And they just "push" its not nearly as bad as my xd in .40 that has much more felt recoil then the 45

I don't find the .45ACP any problem in the two guns I have chambered in that caliber. One is a 1911 and the other is an M&P with the 4" barrel. Both are quite manageable.

Just check the muzzle energy
The higher the muzzle energy the more recoil

Depends on the manufacturer and the powder they use.A fast powder will have a sharp recoil impulse,if they use a slower powder it will be mellower.That's where reloading becomes your friend.It is true though,the lighter the bullet the sharper the hit will be,in general.Ball 230s are mild,a SD round is cranked up so it will hit harder.There's also a tradeoff there,a sharper impulse can get you back on target quicker for a followup shot,but you have to learn it.

Originally Posted by u2robert

at 230gr rnd is like a hand cannon, if i use 165gr will the recoil be alot less?

I'm curious as to what pistol you have been shooting. I've got two .45ACP pistols (Ruger P345 and Colt 1911 Govt. model) and don't experience any problem with the recoil on either gun.

It isn't the gun, or the cartridge.
It's a matter of technique and practice.

The tighter you hold the pistol, and the more "locked" your wrists and elbows are, the less recoil you will feel.
The more loosely you hold the pistol, the worse the recoil.

Originally Posted by u2robert

at 230gr rnd is like a hand cannon, if i use 165gr will the recoil be alot less?

No, it won't.

ultra raptor ll, this is my first 45, i have been shooting 9mm's and the 1911 just so much more powerful,it was like holy sh%$.

thanks u all i guess it will take practice. and alot of it

so the slower the round the less recoil? i guess i'll start with subsonic rnds. but aint a 45 subsonic?

Yes basically,and yes and no.

The burn rate of the powder dictates the recoil,a fast powder will have a sharper impulse than a slow powder's push.You can have a slightly slower round with slightly more felt recoil than the faster one because of this,but an 800fps round will recoil less than one at 950fps.Many factors dictate the speed of sound,elevation,barometric pressure,etc.Basically the speed of sound is around 900fps,the original 45 load is subsonic but hotter self defense ammo breaks the barrier.

If cheap Remington ammo works in it,run that for a while,it's not quite target,or light loads,but it is wimpy.IIRC the Ultra line is a 3" barrel,they are harder to control than Commander or Gov't length guns.Recoil is a subjective matter,you have to learn to ignore it unless it hurts you.Lock in a good solid hold on the gun so the recoil is absorber through your shoulders,not the arms.You also might want to consider trading it off for a longer barrel/heavier model,that will tame it down some.

If you do go the Remington or light target round route,you may have to go a little lighter on the recoil spring,Wolff is about the best springs made.If the lighter loads eject,watch where they land,anything under 4ft means you should drop one spring weight.You want your cases to land about 6ft away,give or take.

Also depends on what "your" definition of recoil is. I have to agree with others that my .45s seem to push more than snap (like the .40 cal. does). And as stated earlier, hold that weapon tight, with both hands, and lock it into a "triangle" of sorts with your body, and two arms being the legs of the triangle. Take a class from some experience shooters and you may find you like the .45 more than the 9mm. Just my two bits.

To me, I find that shooting 230gr bullets has more felt recoil than a 185gr bullet BUT, the 185's are loaded just slightly faster than the 230's. The Glaser Safety Slugs that I carry definitely have less recoil than 230 gr hot loads but they are only 145 grains and screaming fast.

Have you considered reloading?Not only can it save you money,but you you can tailor the load to suite your needs.Factory target ammo can get expensive,if there's much available for 45.Most facory ammo is loaded to function in a stock gun,the Remington I mentioned gets iffy.Although it takes more powder to get a 230gr bullet down the bore,the lighter stuff is loaded hotter to offset the lighter bullet to gain energy for effectiveness.The 185gr is an old standard target round that's accurate and very mild to shoot,but I don't think it's factory made any more.If you reload,you can make a variety of light loads with any weight bullet you want,and a couple dollars worth of springs will have the gun working fine with them.185 and 200gr bullets will be your best choice at low recoil due to the shorter dwell time the bullet is in the bore.I had a light load for 200gr SWCs that were mellower than 9mm ball and functioned in a stock sprung 1911.Barely,but did.It probably wouldn't in yours though.

Here's your real problem though,you picked a gun suited to SD and carry over a range gun.As such you really need to learn to manage recoil if you're going to keep it,or trade it for a larger version that will offset the problem-you want more weight,as in steel frame,and a longer barrel to keep performance.If this is for SD,a 3" barrel needs a hot load to keep velocity up to keep the bullet in the good operating range.Too slow and a HP won't open up,too fast and it comes apart.They're loaded to operate in a short and long barrel,the short barrels are what pose the problem,hense the heavier powder charge.

i got the raptor 2 cause i got my cwp and liked the size. fits my hand perfect easy to carry. i am going to work with it, i aint givin up. and it's just a really cool pistol, and got a good deal on it. just was surprized by the big boom. i really should of figured that when i compeared the size of the 9mm to the 45.

Ok,she's a keeper.Just hang on to her and run standard ammo through it to get used to it.Shoot some of what you'll carry though so you know where it hits and aren't surprised by the extra recoil.By the time you get a couple hundred rounds through it to prove reliable to carry,you should be adjusted to it fine.These shorties can be finicky sometimes on feeding and ejecting,things are moving faster than the gun's original design intended.They work,just be sure before you carry it.

I'm going to repeat myself:

Originally Posted by Steve M1911A1

It isn't the gun, or the cartridge.
It's a matter of technique and practice.
The tighter you hold the pistol, and the more "locked" your wrists and elbows are, the less recoil you will feel.
The more loosely you hold the pistol, the worse the recoil.

The smaller the pistol, the more recoil, and the more difficult it is to shoot accurately and well.
Shooting a small, powerful pistol effectively requires lots and lots of careful, thoughtful practice.

Normally, one begins with a full-size, full-weight gun and, when really firm, good technique has been developed, one then switches to a smaller weapon.
Since you're doing it the other way 'round, you will have to work harder at your control and your accuracy.

Originally Posted by Steve M1911A1

I'm going to repeat myself:



The smaller the pistol, the more recoil, and the more difficult it is to shoot accurately and well.
Shooting a small, powerful pistol effectively requires lots and lots of careful, thoughtful practice.

Normally, one begins with a full-size, full-weight gun and, when really firm, good technique has been developed, one then switches to a smaller weapon.
Since you're doing it the other way 'round, you will have to work harder at your control and your accuracy.

What he said.

When the Officer's Model first came out I thought they were really cool. That didn't last long (neither did the gun) and I went back to a full size 1911. The smallest I'll go today is the Commander size steel frame guns, I just don't like the lightweights, I have a bad enough flinch as it is, I don't need any help from a really light gun.

I like all my Colt 1911s. I've got the full size rail gun, a steel Combat Commander, and a 3" Defender. I love shooting all of them and carry the Defender on a daily basis. Does the 3" "recoil" more than the others................absolutely. Shoot a lot of rounds through the weapon you want to carry. If it's too much recoil, get something else.

I like the way you think SGT45,I think the Commander is the perfect size and balance.Those short 3 and 3.5"ers really push the design to it's limits.The CCO is a nice design for concealed,I just haven't tried one.I have no problem hiding a Commander so it doesn't matter to me.