Need help with 450 Bushmaster loads.

[Siringo]

I have been using Lil'gun for a while now. With the 240 gr., 36.2 shot well and with the 250 gr., Hornaday FTX 37.0 grs., All loads where shot at 200 yards and grouped into 2 to 2 1/2 inches. With the 275 grain Barnes, 33.8 grs to 35.0 grs all grouped into 2 inches at 200 yards. Meaning each shot was increased by 0.2 grs. The barnes bullet will not work in the Magpul mag. The center rib is in the way. Don't remove it -- then the mag is really unreliable. I used a dremel tool and shaped the follower as suggested and it works fine.

Also on a previsous reply, I used Lil'gun and a 458 diameter remington 300 grain bullet sized to .452. With 30.5 grs of Lil'gun, I get 2 1/2 to 3 inch groups at 200 yards. However, this bullet drops 8 inches more than factory ammo at that distance. Poor BC.

[jagermaster]

I need some help!

When i try to cycle some reloads through the chamber they are getting stuck, and i can not figure out why. I used the thunk test for the first reloads and they made a good sound when they fell into the chamber. my second reloads were ok but not as good as the first batch. This round will not eject when i cycle them i have to use a cleaning rod to tap the round to get it to dislodge Very carefully.

There is a bulge at the bottom of the bullet in the brass and i wonder if this is the problem. I have tried a few things and can not figure it out. First i tried not to use the flair die no help. I tried a heaver taper crimp but i belive that the case mouth was not seating. I tried using less taper crimp no help.
I tried resizing the loaded round but it drove the bullet deeper into the case.

[ar15barrels]

I need some help!

When i try to cycle some reloads through the chamber they are getting stuck, and i can not figure out why. I used the thunk test for the first reloads and they made a good sound when they fell into the chamber. my second reloads were ok but not as good as the first batch. This round will not eject when i cycle them i have to use a cleaning rod to tap the round to get it to dislodge Very carefully.

There is a bulge at the bottom of the bullet in the brass and i wonder if this is the problem.

If you are using longer bullets in this batch of loads, you may need to neck ream to account for the thicker brass below where you were seating before.

As usual, apply sharpie marker to the offending case and chamber it.
The sharpie marker will rub off where it's tight.

[Wildcatter]

If you are using longer bullets in this batch of loads, you may need to neck ream to account for the thicker brass below where you were seating before.

As usual, apply sharpie marker to the offending case and chamber it.
The sharpie marker will rub off where it's tight.

[ar15barrels]

Your cure is proably one of these thoughts ( if it turns out that Randal wins, then he owes me a loaded pizza and if I win he owes me two pizza's...I love this game)

Those odds don't seem quite right.
I'll buy you a pizza, but you gotta come to los angeles to collect it.

[Siringo]

Two things -- one, the reloaded cartridges are out of round. Factory stuff is pretty straight -- I have had issues with concentrity (spelling) with reloads. Also, I have reloaded some of mine stuff up to 5 times. The brass does grow. Factory says OAL to be 1.7" max. Trim to length per factory is 1.69". This can effect crimp.

[Wildcatter]

Two things -- one, the reloaded cartridges are out of round. Factory stuff is pretty straight -- I have had issues with concentrity (spelling) with reloads. Also, I have reloaded some of mine stuff up to 5 times. The brass does grow. Factory says OAL to be 1.7" max. Trim to length per factory is 1.69". This can effect crimp.

Generally speaking, if the crimp die is actually made to spec you can not over crimp, using a taper crimp die. 1.69" is way to short, in my opinion, and is Hornady's standard. That's .010" and is the standard for the 45ACP/9mm lugar (auto pistols) ect. My orginal standard to Bushmaster was 1.700" plus nothing, minus .003" or 1.697" and will make your groups even more accurate (as if accuracy ever was a problem).

You really need to do the sharpie test. Close-up pics labeled 12-3-6-9 o'clock would give us a chance to see what is going on. I'm intrigued about your run-out (concentricity). How much is it? What model of press do you use?

[Siringo]

Generally speaking, if the crimp die is actually made to spec you can not over crimp, using a taper crimp die. 1.69" is way to short, in my opinion, and is Hornady's standard. That's .010" and is the standard for the 45ACP/9mm lugar (auto pistols) ect. My orginal standard to Bushmaster was 1.700" plus nothing, minus .003" or 1.697" and will make your groups even more accurate (as if accuracy ever was a problem).

You really need to do the sharpie test. Close-up pics labeled 12-3-6-9 o'clock would give us a chance to see what is going on. I'm intrigued about your run-out (concentricity). How much is it? What model of press do you use?

I trimmed 100 cases last night. Before trimming, most of them varied between 1.690 and 1.697. The once fired Hornaday cases were 1.690 to 1.692. Most of the other cases had been reloaded 3 times. Seems that Hornaday is making these cases on the short end.

I am using an RCBS press w/Hornaday dies.

[Wildcatter]

I trimmed 100 cases last night. Before trimming, most of them varied between 1.690 and 1.697. The once fired Hornaday cases were 1.690 to 1.692. Most of the other cases had been reloaded 3 times. Seems that Hornaday is making these cases on the short end.

I am using an RCBS press w/Hornaday dies.

Well, .010" is not really short, just more than I like. There are production realities that we've just got to put up with, but we as custom reloaders can hold much tighter standards. Having said all that, Hornady really has made some mighty fine accurate fodder, you must admit.

As an after thought, make sure you full length resize before you trim and then trim to the shortest cartridge you wish to use, saving the rest for other uses.

[Slash2]

I used Lil'gun and a 458 diameter remington 300 grain bullet sized to .452. With 30.5 grs of Lil'gun, I get 2 1/2 to 3 inch groups at 200 yards. However, this bullet drops 8 inches more than factory ammo at that distance. Poor BC.

I'm impressed, and a little jealous at the groups some of you are getting, and I'm wondering if you've seen any decrease in accuracy as your brass gets re-used multiple times?

I'm still working off of my original 200 rounds, I've probably reloaded some of the cases over 10 times, and I'm wondering how much that's going to effect my accuracy.

[Siringo]

I'm impressed, and a little jealous at the groups some of you are getting, and I'm wondering if you've seen any decrease in accuracy as your brass gets re-used multiple times?

I'm still working off of my original 200 rounds, I've probably reloaded some of the cases over 10 times, and I'm wondering how much that's going to effect my accuracy.

My factory ammo groups that I shot this past weekend we less than an inch for a 4 shot group. I only had 8 rounds left and was fine tuning for hunting. I have not really be able to duplicate that accuracy with my reloads. BUT, in today's world -- factory ammo is really hard to beat.

Regarding the work hardening of the brass -- my black powder guns shoot much better when I anneal the necks of the brass cases. I wonder if it would help with the 450.

[Siringo]

Fun Pics

Here is a photo -- taken with cell, of a 240 gr Hornaday, Factory 250 grain, 300 gr. Remington (sized to .452) and 405 gr. Remington (sized to .452). The Remington's were orginally .457/8.

0928081309.jpg

[MudBug]

are those 405 gr bullets loaded to mag length?

[Siringo]

The 405's are loaded to magazine lenght. I have not done much testing and this is really a grey area. I use Lil'Gun and fire a couple with 25.0 grs. Bolt stayed back and they ejected fine. No pressure signs at all. I do not have a Chrono at this time so I have no idea on the velocity. If these work, 1400 to 1500 fps would be all that is needed. I shoot these in my 45-70 at factory velocities and they perform fine on deer. Although, this is strickly a 100 yard bullet.

Also, they feed (manual testing) fine from my sig mags.

[Slash2]

With the 275 grain Barnes, 33.8 grs to 35.0 grs all grouped into 2 inches at 200 yards.

FYI, I tried your loads with Lil Gun and the 275 gr Barnes, they worked great, and the 35.0 gr load chrony'd at 2200fps.

275 grs moving that fast, can you say bye bye to anything that hits?