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-   -   458 SOCOM plinking loads (https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1569577)

pacmule 11-07-2019 11:25 AM

458 SOCOM plinking loads
 
I have 458 upper I need to get assembled. Already have brass. Will be getting 300gr. Barnes TTSX for pig killers. What are good range bullets? Copper plated or PC ok?
Thanks for any info you can provide, Pacmule

lewdogg21 11-07-2019 11:45 AM

If your on facebook there are some really good 458 socom groups.

.458 SOCOM
458 SOCOM reloaders group
458 SOCOM misfits

I've learned a ton since finding ammo in person isn't possible typically, especially copper.

pacmule 11-07-2019 12:01 PM

Thanks Lewdogg21, good tip

anyracoon 11-07-2019 4:12 PM

Just starting to load for 458 Socom.
Was thinking of powder coating some of my cast 45/70 bullets.
Also Berry's has a 458 Bullet.

pacmule 11-08-2019 6:40 AM

Anyracoon, kind of what I was leaning towards, but didn’t know if leading or plugging the gas port would be a concern.

secondwind 11-08-2019 7:37 AM

a lot of good info on 458socomforums.com as well

hermosabeach 11-08-2019 8:00 AM

The Socom forum is not very active... but lots of great loading tips and tricks... load data too

M1NM 11-08-2019 9:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondwind (Post 23583915)
a lot of good info on 458socomforums.com as well

Registration closed

Bisley 11-08-2019 4:03 PM

"Plinking" with the .458 SOCOM? Are you going to take it to the range in your 12" lifted 1 ton truck & 44" tires that has never even seen a dirt parking lot? Find a load that will take whatever you plan to HUNT with it and shoot it. The cost, recoil, and result will be about the same. If you set it up to cycle with a light plinking load you will beat the tar out of it with heavier loads. And if you expect consistent reliability with a hunt load you will most likely not get a "plinking" load to function.

You could buy a cheap rifle in .223 and tons of ammo just with what you save "plinking" with a .458 SOCOM. Even if you reload for yours, as I do.

RiskyBusiness 11-11-2019 2:21 AM

i use the same 45-70 you get from the Lee mold just pc it. pretty accurate for a plinker that comes out to about 6 cents per bullet

pacmule 11-13-2019 5:41 AM

RiskyBusiness, sound like a pretty good plan. Do you just shake and bake? I did that about a year ago and have been meaning to get back to it. Will have to check out the Lee molds.
Bisley, I guess plinking was not the best term. Full power loads are fine, just looking for cheaper bullets to blast off in the backyard when I get the itch.

BrassCase 11-13-2019 8:03 AM

Working on loads, springs and buffers tonight. I have an 18" barrel with RIFLE length gas. I started with a variable gas block from Wilson but ended up taking the valve out and running it straight through. Still have some cycling problems with new loads. Had it working well with new LAX 300 gr flat nose. Now loading Berry's 350 flatnose which feeds better that the LAX. My bolt wouldn't flinch with 26gr of Lil' Gun but it does cycle at around 29 gr. I'm using Starline brass and Rem primers. Tonight I'll have a load set of 29, 30, 30.5 and 31 gr and a variety of springs and buffers. Currently using a flat wire spring for a Grendel.

I do know one thing, Don't use polymer mags!

anyracoon 11-13-2019 5:03 PM

Just order some of the Berry's 350gr, looking forward to see how they will perform. BrassCase, keep us all posted.

morthrane 11-14-2019 2:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrassCase (Post 23598839)
I have an 18" barrel with RIFLE length gas. I started with a variable gas block from Wilson but ended up taking the valve out and running it straight through. Still have some cycling problems with new loads.

Why rifle length gas? I'm pretty sure I read multiple in-the-know people on 458socomforum that said no no hell to the no at doing that...

Bisley 11-14-2019 4:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morthrane (Post 23602966)
I'm pretty sure I read multiple in-the-know people on 458socomforum that said no no hell to the no at doing that...

And you would be correct. Only problem (s) I ever had was the stupid damn O ring (every manufacturer puts in) made the extractor so tight the bolt sometimes wouldn't even close on a full pull of the charging handle. It also messed with the ejection because it was holding so tight. The other problem was the last round always seemed to jam. Once I ground the follower flush it has never done it again.

M1NM 11-14-2019 5:26 PM

Somewhere I found a source for these projectiles. They were the cheapest at the time. https://www.blackbutterflyammunition.../ctx-migration I ordered 500 and they got lost in the mail. They sent another 500 and about 4 months later 497 of the original order were delivered.

RiskyBusiness 11-15-2019 5:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacmule (Post 23598457)
RiskyBusiness, sound like a pretty good plan. Do you just shake and bake? I did that about a year ago and have been meaning to get back to it. Will have to check out the Lee molds.
Bisley, I guess plinking was not the best term. Full power loads are fine, just looking for cheaper bullets to blast off in the backyard when I get the itch.

Shake and bake! I actually pick them up by hand and drop them in a 50rd ammo tray then flip it onto one of those baking sheets layed over a tray then into the oven. I run them up to 1500fps and their pretty accurate at 50yds without gaschecks

anyracoon 11-15-2019 5:29 AM

According to BlackButterFly's web site they helped developed Berry's 350gr Socom bullet; Berry's Superior Plated Bullets are swaged and plated to final weight and re-struck for accurancy and precision. The are more affordable than jacketed rounds and won't foul your barrel with lead. Can withstand velocities up to 2,000 FPS. Black Butterfly Ammunition assisted Berry Manufacturing in the development of this fine projectile.

BrassCase 11-20-2019 9:24 PM

I've known that I had a gas problem since shortly after I built it which is why I gutted the adjustable gas valve. Next step after that was to change recoil spring. That improved things but I still couldn't get it to load reliably or lock back on an empty magazine, that was with new LAX 300 gr flatnose rounds. I bought rifle length gas because I wanted to reduce recoil and up velocity, I had not heard the comments about gas length for the 458. A guy at the range mentioned the extractor issue but he thought the spring was too stiff, but I'm in the no O-ring camp on this.

The 458 and a couple Valkyries I built this year got me off the fence and into reloading, the 458 ammo cost was the main driver. Using Berry's flatnose 350 gr plated bullets, Starline brass, Rem large pistol primers-2 1/2. Lil' Gun seems to be a preferred powder. I thought accuracy was very good with this powder. Last Wednesday night I shot a ladder of 29 to 32.5 gr. in 1/2 gr. intervals. Ejection was OK but I couldn't get the bolt back far enough to grab the next round. Primers looked OK but the gun kicks like a mule. Didn't look like I was getting any powder burn at the muzzle. I also tried a variety of springs and buffers with no change. So it needs more gas.

Tonight I shot another ladder; 3 rounds each from 35 to 40 in 1 gr. intervals. I switched to Reloader 7. I had seen several references to RL7 including one from Barnes. I stayed low on the charge as I think I can load to at least 42 gr. First thing I noticed was noticeable reduction in recoil. The 35 and 36 gr rounds would load the next round but not lock back on an empty mag, 37 did but not 38. Both 39 and 40 locked backed. I'll go back and refine the load around the 39 gr. I did find a reference about the heavier bullets, 300 gr +, benefiting from using rifle (RL7) powders instead of the faster powders like Lil' Gun. I do get some powder burn at the muzzle now.

About loading the Berry's bullets: A good chamfer on the inside of the case mouth and be careful to keep the bullet as straight up as possible while seating. I suggest checking each in a bullet checker.

Whiterabbit 11-21-2019 6:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrassCase (Post 23621634)

About loading the Berry's bullets: A good chamfer on the inside of the case mouth and be careful to keep the bullet as straight up as possible while seating. I suggest checking each in a bullet checker.

Lyman M die. For every cartridge you shoot cast bullets in.

Problem solved. :)

morthrane 11-22-2019 9:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrassCase (Post 23621634)
I bought rifle length gas because I wanted to reduce recoil and up velocity, I had not heard the comments about gas length for the 458.

https://458socomforums.com/index.php...19831#msg19831:
Quote:

Throw in a rifle gas length and you can kiss function good-bye.
https://458socomforums.com/index.php...22442#msg22442:
Quote:

He even tried a 20 with rifle gas, but had very poor results with the .458 SOCOM and rifle gas lengths regardless of what powder was used so only a very few (6 IIRC) 20 inch with rifle gas were ever made and the owners never got them to work properly.
Even mid-length gas seems to be too much for a .458sc, unless you go to a very long barrel.

BrassCase 11-28-2019 6:37 PM

Got back to the range yesterday to check how 39, 39.5 & 40 gr. loads of RL7 did so I could refine the loading a bit. For the moment, the 40 gr did best with the best grouping. All load levels of RL7 fed and ejected well and locked back the mag. These were Berrys 350 flat nose, no crimp, Rem 2-1/2 primer

So an 18" barrel with rifle gas does work with the right loading!

Happy T-Day all!

anyracoon 11-28-2019 6:56 PM

Sweet, just picked up a pound of Reloader #7 on Monday. With weather coming in this week end, I'll load some Berry's up.

BrassCase 11-28-2019 8:10 PM

I'm loading to an COAL of 2.10"+.01. Accurate 2200 has the same burn rate as RL7 and LEE has some load data that came with the die set using Accurate powder. Here is a link to the Accurate complete load data including the 458 SOCOM:
www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WPHandloading-Guide-7.0-Web-REV.pdf

In looking for a powder for the longer gas length I had to look for a larger volume of gas than I was getting with Lil' Gun. I'm thinking that I may be able to move up to a slightly faster powder later. I also think that the RL7 could be loaded up to 42.5 gr.

anyracoon 12-04-2019 9:27 AM

So any of you using either a Dillon 550/650 to load your Socom ammo?
I see Dillon recommends their 458 Socom powder funnel # 21440 plus a XL powder die.
Was thinking of using my 45/70 powder die and wondering if that will work?

pacmule 12-07-2019 1:32 PM

Update.
So I put the rifle together a couple days ago, swung by Sportsmans Warehouse to get bullets and powder on way home from work.
Not much for bullets, they sell Berry’s plated but only found handgun bullets. Ended up with Hornady 300gr HP. Not cheap, but cheapest there, and a pound of Lil’Gun.
Raining hard here today but loaded up 5 rounds. 1@29gr, 2@30gr, & 2@31gr. Guessing I would end up around 32 later.
Like I said raining hard but I was impatient, so stepped out on the back porch to function test. All loads functioned well, however there was ejector swipes on 1 of 30gr load and both 31gr, one actually raised a burr.
So no need to go over 29 for plinking.
Side note:
HOLY CRAP THAT WAS FUN. Certainly puts a big smile on your face.

pacmule 12-07-2019 1:44 PM

Btw, looking to order the Acme 350gr coated bullets next. Once I feel they work well, will get the Lee .458-340gr mold to make my own and PC myself.
That and need to get those TTSX to dial in a load with them

anyracoon 12-07-2019 4:05 PM

Scored a pound of Reloader #7 and some Berry's 350gr .458 Bullets. so plan on reloading some up this weekend.

BrassCase 12-07-2019 4:53 PM

I ran some more of the Berry's 350 gr flat nose at 40 gr RL7, all ran well. This is a 50 yd for function testing. I also loaded up some Hornady 325 gr FTX at 37.8 gr RL7. All functioned well, I just wish these weren't so expensive. I loaded some Hornady 300 gr HP. I tried to use Lil' Gun again @ 34.5 gr but it wouldn't fully function, I also loaded 39 gr of RL7 and it did not fully function. I will load some @ 40 and 41 gr of RL7 and see how they run. I have a Lab Radar coming so I will be providing more data.

pacmule 12-07-2019 7:51 PM

I loaded up 20 more rounds, hopefully we get enough of a break from rain I can sight the scope in. I just bore sighted it before shooting but was blowing holes in the hillside very close to my aiming point at 140 yards.

Sailormilan2 12-08-2019 7:51 AM

Do you have any W296/H110 to try? I've got a few rounds loaded to try, but I'm waiting for the weather to clear to try them.

pacmule 12-08-2019 10:52 AM

Sailormilan2, I think I may actually have a little bit of both from long ago buried in the barn somewhere, will have to look.

anyracoon 12-08-2019 1:05 PM

Curious what primers are you guys using?

pacmule 12-08-2019 1:43 PM

I used CCI large pistol primers. I might try magnum pistol though. I did not set up the chrony, but suspect I am getting pressure spikes, at 50 yards, 2 shots less than a 1/2” apart, high left. Made adjustment, 1 shot low right. Back half way. 1 shot less than 1/8” from center of bull. Checking my cases I noticed one had a small swipe. Moved to 100 yards, 3 shots. 1st 2 are low, slightly left, last one felt harder and goes 5-6”!higher. One of 3 cases has swipe and burr.
Need more work with this powder, or just try a different one. Found an old can of 296 and a newer H110.
Might need more spring or buffer but don’t want to start messing with that yet.


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