Reloading S&W 460 Magnum

[Dark Mod]

Just started last night and have a few questions ( i know this is a rare round and hopefully someone out there loads this)

- Im using Large rifle primers, Should i use large magnum pistol primers?

- Any powder suggestions? i see h110 listed in all the load data so im gonna go pick up some of that today unless someone has a better idea.

-Any pet loads? using hornady Flex tips

any help would be appreciated.

[Cowboy T]

Originally, large pistol magnum primers were spec'ed, but the high pressure of the round called for stronger cups, so the spec was changed to large rifle. Given the size of this case, H-110/W296 is probably your best bet. However, given the case capacity (similar to .444 Marlin), it would be intriguing to experiment with H322 as well out of, say, a Ruger #1.

[Bongos]

Just started last night and have a few questions ( i know this is a rare round and hopefully someone out there loads this)

- Im using Large rifle primers, Should i use large magnum pistol primers?

- Any powder suggestions? i see h110 listed in all the load data so im gonna go pick up some of that today unless someone has a better idea.

-Any pet loads? using hornady Flex tips

any help would be appreciated.

Use Winchester Large Rifle! (do not use the Magnum large pistol as it will not sit correctly in your primer hole and possibly will not detonate).

296 and H110 will give you the dramatic fireball.

Bullets:
if you use anything other than the Hornady 200gr FTX the economic solution is the Hornady XTP Mag 240gr HP (only reasonably price bullet for the 460S&W)

Load and crowd pleaser : 460 S&W Mag = 44gr of 296 240gr xtp-mag
this load is accurate in my 8 5/8" 460 S&W, if shooting indoors you can actually feel the heat of the massive fireball!!!

[Whiterabbit]

My load book says use large rifle magnum. Combined with PLENTY of anecdotal writings on the internet (which is always right and true) for people who have had fail to fires and other issues with H110 (almost always a lighter load), I will always use LRM, especially for H110 loads. The recoil is stout in the 460 load.

I've used H110 and trailboss (hilarious cowboy round for the 460, try 11 grains with any 250 grain cast bullet), but I asked the same question you did and got a good recommendation for #9 which I'll be trying next.

[Whiterabbit]

Load and crowd pleaser : 460 S&W Mag = 44gr of 296 240gr xtp-mag

http://www.reloadammo.com/460sw.htm

44gr is a starting load?

[Dark Mod]

Use Winchester Large Rifle! (do not use the Magnum large pistol as it will not sit correctly in your primer hole and possibly will not detonate).

296 and H110 will give you the dramatic fireball.

Bullets:
if you use anything other than the Hornady 200gr FTX the economic solution is the Hornady XTP Mag 240gr HP (only reasonably price bullet for the 460S&W)

Load and crowd pleaser : 460 S&W Mag = 44gr of 296 240gr xtp-mag
this load is accurate in my 8 5/8" 460 S&W, if shooting indoors you can actually feel the heat of the massive fireball!!!

So i loaded 50 cases all using large rifle primers (hope thats ok) and Hornady FTX 225 grn flex tips and varying amounts of H110. I made 10 batches starting at around 36 grn up to about 40 grn.

i saw that about 41 grn was the max load so i didnt really want to push it, this thing is beastly as it is

[Whiterabbit]

Not trying to be a negative nelly here, BUT...

FTX 225? I'm 95% sure I emailed Hornady about that bullet and was recommended not to exceed 1500 fps on it.

Beyond that, I'm struggling to find load data for it, do you have anything? Only thing I have is Barnes copper 225 grain load data, which states max load with H110 is 42 grains. Which REALLY would make me nervous, as I am told that the all-copper, longer bullet design of the barnes all-coppers requires less powder because hte increased bearing surface really spikes pressures.

All which suggests to me that 36-40 grains of H110 would be a REALLY light load for a 225 grain bullet.

My resources are limited and I hate being negative, but does anyone else have have the same data as me? different data?

---------------

Bongo's pet load for a heavier bullet than you is more powder than your heaviest load. Seems like more red flags to me (for your FTX loads)

Is this load data based on downloading pressure/speed for the FTX so as not to exceed 1500 fps/cause bullet damage? That would make sense to me but flies against everything I've read about going light with H110.

[Dark Mod]

Not trying to be a negative nelly here, BUT...

FTX 225? I'm 95% sure I emailed Hornady about that bullet and was recommended not to exceed 1500 fps on it.

Beyond that, I'm struggling to find load data for it, do you have anything? Only thing I have is Barnes copper 225 grain load data, which states max load with H110 is 42 grains. Which REALLY would make me nervous, as I am told that the all-copper, longer bullet design of the barnes all-coppers requires less powder because hte increased bearing surface really spikes pressures.

All which suggests to me that 36-40 grains of H110 would be a REALLY light load for a 225 grain bullet.

My resources are limited and I hate being negative, but does anyone else have have the same data as me? different data?

oh crap, this worries me now, i should have gotten the 200 grain bullets instead that were made specifically for the 460....

Should i pull these things or risk it? If i loaded too light i might be right around 1500 fps

http://www.reloadammo.com/460sw.htm

Hornady says 44.5 grns of h110 will get you 1900 fps on a 200 grn bullet

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/ftx_load_data/460_sw_magnum_ftx.pdf

[Whiterabbit]

So, I'm a pretty gung-ho person, and more likely than most (based on threads in here that I've posted in) to just go for things. I remind myself people an Appalachia do this every day.

I won't say don't shoot them yet BUT

I'd REALLY be double checking my notes here, even for a gung-ho guy like myself, I'm still seeing red flags. Where did you get your load? Did your load specifically state a 225 grain jacketed bullet? Or did you extrapolate from the XTP mag load data? Or from the 200 gn ftx?

As for shooting light loads I say don't take our words for it. Search google for light H110 loads, there are some wonky stories out there. All I'll say is there must be a reason that starting and max loads for H110 are super tight. And after a google search I'm not gonna bother to find out why by experience. I'll just follow published loads.

[Dark Mod]

got load data from http://www.reloadammo.com/460sw.htm

Specifies 225 grain Barnes X bullet which apperas to be copper. 39 grn of h110 gets u just over 2000 fps.

I messed up here, im gonna pull these and get new bullets. Im also gonna buy some large rifle magnum primers

Thank god Whiterabbit chimed in because i was blissfully unawares i had done anything wrong. I was gonna shoot them tomorrow

Anyone wanna buy some 220 grn hornady flex tips?

[Whiterabbit]

I like that resource there and reference it frequently. If that was your load source for the 225 grain bullets I think you're making a good decision to pull them.

May I make a recommendation? Try to find a full house 45 long colt load using H110 and the FTX bullet. Hodgdon load data puts you at just over 1400 FPS with a 250 grain bullet and is to date my favorite load (around 26 grains of H110). If something like that could be matched for the 225 grain FTX-ers, you might have yourself a fun load to use the bullets you've paid for.

[22popnsplat]

I shoot a Freedom arms in 454 and have actually had the jacket and bullet core seperate on hornady 240 grain xtp , i stopped after the first one that seperated and then spoke with hornady and found these to only be rated to only 1500 fps . be sure to check on the what the bullet is rated for !!

[Dark Mod]

Ok i pulled all the bullets, i went to fowlers and they didnt have the 200 grainers

settled for Hornady XTP Mag 240gr HP, hope they work out.

What a pain in the neck, i have to go work those loads up again. Much better than having my gun blow up though

[Bongos]

Not trying to be a negative nelly here, BUT...

FTX 225? I'm 95% sure I emailed Hornady about that bullet and was recommended not to exceed 1500 fps on it.

Beyond that, I'm struggling to find load data for it, do you have anything? Only thing I have is Barnes copper 225 grain load data, which states max load with H110 is 42 grains. Which REALLY would make me nervous, as I am told that the all-copper, longer bullet design of the barnes all-coppers requires less powder because hte increased bearing surface really spikes pressures.

All which suggests to me that 36-40 grains of H110 would be a REALLY light load for a 225 grain bullet.

My resources are limited and I hate being negative, but does anyone else have have the same data as me? different data?

---------------

Bongo's pet load for a heavier bullet than you is more powder than your heaviest load. Seems like more red flags to me (for your FTX loads)

Is this load data based on downloading pressure/speed for the FTX so as not to exceed 1500 fps/cause bullet damage? That would make sense to me but flies against everything I've read about going light with H110.

No you are correct, when I started loading for the the 460S&W, I spokle to the Hornady Technician and he said the other choices other than the 200 FTX, was the 240gr XTP MAG or any other XTP MAG designation bullets for the bullet not to seperate. I just went with Hornady, they are economical compared to Barnes in this caliber. I'm punching paper after all.

In defense of my pet load, I was told you really do not want to underpower the round in the 460SW brass case as the pressure spike will be different and can be a problem. I asked him about my load and he said it is what he uses, so I just went it and it shot fine. I believe it is also printed in the Hornady current reloading manuel

[Dark Mod]

Thank god for you guys. I ended up having an EPIC day at the range. The XTP MAG's performed very well out to 100 yards, i loaded alot more than i needed for testing and shot steel the rest of the day at angeles.

Tests were done at 25 yards from a benchrest, and it looks like i loaded a little too hot for accuracy, it seemed the lighter the load got the more acurate it was (at 25 yards at least)

None of the loads had trouble hitting steel at 100 yards