Heavy Bullets ??

[randyf]

Well I went ahead and bought some .452 395gr hard cast gas checked bullets and some .458 Hornady 350 gr. round nose soft point interlock bullets ( will need to resize).

I am thinking of using a powder a little slower than Lil Gun, maybe..........Accurate 5744 or 1680........Alliant 410.......Hod. 4227 or 4198

Any suggestions??

[Siringo]

Well I went ahead and bought some .452 395gr hard cast gas checked bullets and some .458 Hornady 350 gr. round nose soft point interlock bullets ( will need to resize).

I am thinking of using a powder a little slower than Lil Gun, maybe..........Accurate 5744 or 1680........Alliant 410.......Hod. 4227 or 4198

Any suggestions??

Give me the OAL loaded length and I will see what Quick Load says. Quick Load was pretty close in the velocities versus my results in that bullet weight range.

Accurate 5744 is very dirt and does not burn well for use in an autoloader. I used it during my tests and the action jammed all the time because of unburned powder in the chamber. I have used it in 45 LC, 45-70 and 45-90 with the same issue. Accurate, but best used in manually operated arms.

[wildcatter]

I've been fiddling around with the same thing as Al in MI...Buster 325s and A1680, and I admit to being a total noob at this, but they sure seem to be close to the ultimate Bang-Flop load.

Been meaning to enquire of WildCatter as to how he got his 325gr/A1680 loads up around 2100fps...I suspect one has to have the Bushmaster 20" upper; plug the original gas port; activate the faux rifle-length gas port/block shipped on the Bushy 20" uppers; and mess with the BCG timing... Then again, what do I know....really.

Any legally-expressible help WC?

I can't keep any secrets from the Commander.. Yup, you pretty well have it down..

..t

[wildcatter]

I've been fiddling around with the same thing as Al in MI...Buster 325s and A1680, and I admit to being a total noob at this, but they sure seem to be close to the ultimate Bang-Flop load.

Been meaning to enquire of WildCatter as to how he got his 325gr/A1680 loads up around 2100fps...I suspect one has to have the Bushmaster 20" upper; plug the original gas port; activate the faux rifle-length gas port/block shipped on the Bushy 20" uppers; and mess with the BCG timing... Then again, what do I know....really.

Any legally-expressible help WC?

What Overall Length are you using with that bullet?

I forget just now, but fill the magazine up, somewhere around 2.3"+..

..t

[Siringo]

I've been fiddling around with the same thing as Al in MI...Buster 325s and A1680, and I admit to being a total noob at this, but they sure seem to be close to the ultimate Bang-Flop load.

Been meaning to enquire of WildCatter as to how he got his 325gr/A1680 loads up around 2100fps...I suspect one has to have the Bushmaster 20" upper; plug the original gas port; activate the faux rifle-length gas port/block shipped on the Bushy 20" uppers; and mess with the BCG timing... Then again, what do I know....really.

Any legally-expressible help WC?

What Overall Length are you using with that bullet?

I forget just now, but fill the magazine up, somewhere around 2.3"+..

..t

Mag length would be 2.26", but make sure the rounds will chamber (do the thunk test).

[wildcatter]

Well I went ahead and bought some .452 395gr hard cast gas checked bullets and some .458 Hornady 350 gr. round nose soft point interlock bullets ( will need to resize).

I am thinking of using a powder a little slower than Lil Gun, maybe..........Accurate 5744 or 1680........Alliant 410.......Hod. 4227 or 4198

Any suggestions??

Randy,

5744, though a little slower, is a very bulky powder, thus you can't get enough powder in the case, if the goal are for speeders.

4198, is way too slow. Your mag loads will fall off, in the 500fps area.

I like 4227 alot, but for bullets in the 275-350gr area, you-all, can't beat 1680.

Couple of FYI's here..

1). Originally, I designed the 45 Professional for the 350gr Hornady .458-RN. Swag'em down and go for it (in fact the combo looks like a scaled-up, 30 Carbine round)..

2). After you hit 350grain bullets everything starts going into Diminishing Returns, real quick (the heavier the bullet, say after 375gr or so, the greater the diminished results). Same for the Socom and Bewulf, so all this hype, they hyper-ventilate over, 500gr-600gr-700gr-OH-MY, is for naught. Let me give you a little ditty, that will explane the results.."I can make a Bowling Ball leave the Barrel of an AR, but the only thing in any real danger, are my toes"!! Get it? There-fore, by the time you hit 405 grains +- with any of these cases, things don't become better than you can get with a 275-375gr bullet, from any of these big bore AR's, and hitting at unknown distances over 200yds can become a real serious bugger, using those heavies, Simplistically Speaking. If you want the ultimate, go for the Barnes Busters, if going on the cheap, is also a goal, then get ya one of these and start Swaging (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/116429 ... 2-diameter). Or possibly cheaper yet, is any of the .452" 300 grainers, designed for dangerous-game, at our speeds. And Cheap, here, doesn't mean, crummy or ineffective, at all. Also consider the 230gr FMJ's, I have a customer, who some years ago, did a San Fransisco Shot, on a large Bull Moose and also killed a Cow Moose standing broadside, in front of the Bull, with the 230gr FMJ-FP at 2800fps +- or so. That's right, the bullet traveled the length of the bull and after exiting the breast area, killed the cow, standing broadside, to the Bull's nose.

Ya got choices my man, the likes of which we've never-ever have had and none of them are bad, at all. Some "Might" just be better than others, or not..

..t

[commander faschisto]

Thanks, WC for the expert advice, yet again! You da man!!

Sounds like Beowulf fans should wear steel-toe boots. My own personal self, I don't see the point in anything heavier than the 325s other than as a load curiosity.

Siringo...I'll need to cook up a few more Barnes 325s and get a good OAL on them...let you know.

[randyf]

Well I went ahead and bought some .452 395gr hard cast gas checked bullets and some .458 Hornady 350 gr. round nose soft point interlock bullets ( will need to resize).

I am thinking of using a powder a little slower than Lil Gun, maybe..........Accurate 5744 or 1680........Alliant 410.......Hod. 4227 or 4198

Give me the OAL loaded length and I will see what Quick Load says. Quick Load was pretty close in the velocities versus my results in that bullet weight range.

I don't have the bullets yet, but I would say OAL should be around 2.24..........also what about using N120 (Vihtavuori) ?

[wildcatter]

Well I went ahead and bought some .452 395gr hard cast gas checked bullets and some .458 Hornady 350 gr. round nose soft point interlock bullets ( will need to resize).

I am thinking of using a powder a little slower than Lil Gun, maybe..........Accurate 5744 or 1680........Alliant 410.......Hod. 4227 or 4198

Give me the OAL loaded length and I will see what Quick Load says. Quick Load was pretty close in the velocities versus my results in that bullet weight range.

I don't have the bullets yet, but I would say OAL should be around 2.24..........also what about using N120 (Vihtavuori) ?

Using the Barnes Busters, the minimum should be 2.26", which is spec, but let the mag be the regulator of OAL. I have an out-of-spec Magazine, where in I can seat to 2.4" and is great for those Barnes 325's at 2100fps, using AA1680..

..t

[commander faschisto]

More great info...thanks again!....I've got several mag variations; will check for which one allows max OAL with reliable chambering. Gee, I almost feel like I'm learning something here...? The ballistics school of hard shooting!