Need help with 450 Bushmaster loads.

[ar15barrels]

I was looking at purchasing some bullets but had a question. I know that the 450bm uses .452 bullets. Why are some bullets .451 in diam.

Bullets for the 45ACP usually run 0.451 or 0.452 in diameter.
Use them interchangably.

[jagermaster]

thanks Randall

[Slash2]

Since I've never played with the Barnes copper bullets, any insights on what I might be alert for would be appreciated. From what I can tell, bearing area of the Barnes bullet should not be a problem, however OAL may restrict powder space available.

That's one wicked looking gun. Where'd you get the muzzle break?

As far as those Barnes bullets, I've loaded and shot a hand full, I don't have my notes with me right now but I can tell you that I sat one in an empty case and closed the bolt on it to see the length that would hit the rifling. I then subtracted .03" from the length and loaded a few. There was plenty room for powder and plenty bullet in the case. I'll post the OAL and other stats when I get home. I can tell you they grouped nicely.

[ar15barrels]

Woo Hoo, my AR15.com account just got locked.
I have now been banned from AR15.com, 65Grendel.com, Calguns.net and M4Carbine.net.
I only have two infraction points here right now so I need to work on that.

[AA-Bob]

What a waste of money.
Take one of the finest barrels available, then put an un-even layer of chrome inside the bore.
The resulting dimensions are no better than a typical bushmaster barrel.

Are you sure you did not get a chromoly krieger barrel?

Oh, and welcome to Calguns.

Hey, thanks for the welcome! This Krieger barrel was at my GunSmith's hanging around from a canceled big bore project. He shipped it to Bushmaster for chambering and hard chroming not sure why you'd assume it's an uneven layer of chrome. Air guaged perfectly.

That's one wicked looking gun. Where'd you get the muzzle break?

The muzzle break is a custom job from my GunSmith see http://www.alkalicorp.org/

[Slash2]

As far as those Barnes bullets, I've loaded and shot a hand full, I don't have my notes with me right now but I can tell you that I sat one in an empty case and closed the bolt on it to see the length that would hit the rifling. I then subtracted .03" from the length and loaded a few. There was plenty room for powder and plenty bullet in the case. I'll post the OAL and other stats when I get home. I can tell you they grouped nicely.

Barnes X 275 gr. OAL 2.225", 38 grs H110, 2097 fps.

[AA-Bob]

Barnes X 275 gr. OAL 2.225", 38 grs H110, 2097 fps.

Thanks very much. What were your starting loads?

[Slash2]

Thanks very much. What were your starting loads?

I started at 37 grs. with the 275 gr. Barnes X bullets which gave me 2000 fps, 37.5 grs. showed 2017, and 38.5 was 2077.

My crono is not a top end unit and this was the first time I'd used it, so I'd say these numbers are only in the ball park at best.

[jagermaster]

https://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t149/gibsonin/109_0961.jpg

https://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t149/gibsonin/109_0962.jpg

https://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t149/gibsonin/109_0963.jpg

Friday was my first range day with my 450, as you can see from the group pictures it was a good day. I was only able to shoot a little because of time restraints put on me by the range officers. They left 45 min early on Friday.

Light breeze from my back
88F

All of the above targets at 100 yds.

After 2 shots at 50yds to get sighted in I moved a new target to 100yds and made the first group. I did not clean the barrel for the first string and after firing the first string I noticed that the spent casings were oily so I cleaned the barrel.

The second target the group tightened up, but was slightly to the left, so I moved my scope for the last time.

The last target was just what I was looking for, two inches high at 100 yds and 1 3/4 in group. It looks like 3 holes but it is four.

I was able to recover 2 of the slugs you can see them in the first picture.
I recovered them from the berm at 150yds it was hard packed and dry.
the largest slug retained 219.9gr the smaller slug retained 207.4gr.
The two slugs were an average of .8 in, but at the longest point of the larger one was 1in.

The scope was a Nikon Pro Staff 3*9 BDC.
I used the magazine that came with the rifle and it fed flawlessly.

All rounds were factory ammo.

Slash
How have the FMJ flat points worked out for you?
Do you have any pictures of mushroomed barns bullets?
Funds have severely slowed down my reloading efforts.
I am also having problems finding loaded ammo.
the order i made for 10 boxes went bust the company called me back and said they only had 2 boxes.

[Slash2]

[QUOTE=jagermaster;1286397
Slash
How have the FMJ flat points worked out for you?
Do you have any pictures of mushroomed barns bullets?
Funds have severely slowed down my reloading efforts.
I am also having problems finding loaded ammo.
the order i made for 10 boxes went bust the company called me back and said they only had 2 boxes.[/QUOTE]

I've been distracted lately by my newest obsession, a Winchester M1 Carbine, so I haven't made it out to the range to check out the FMJ flat points beyond what I've already posted, sorry.
And no, no documentation on the expansion of the Barnes bullets, the ranges around here typically don't like you digging in the berms, or shooting at lined up water jugs. Darn, that would be a lot of fun with that 450!

If it helps, a little gun store in Newport Oregon has two boxes of 450, they're called Easy Money.

[jagermaster]

I want them do you have their #.
Did you get your carbine from the CMP.
I had one some years back, lots of fun.
I hate you cant retrieve your slugs. I have 3 places to shoot in ms, ms wildlife refuge range, private range, and 1000acre hunting camp.

[Slash2]

I want them do you have their #.
Did you get your carbine from the CMP.
I had one some years back, lots of fun.
I hate you cant retrieve your slugs. I have 3 places to shoot in ms, ms wildlife refuge range, private range, and 1000acre hunting camp.

Ron's Easy Money, how's that for a name. Their number is 541-265-4556. two boxes, $26.95.

I found my carbine from a guy in GA, through Guns international. James Antique Classic Arms. Nice guy and the gun was exactly what he said it was.

And I'm in a densely populated area so my only close options for shooting are the local ranges, which for the purposes of safety and common sense have to be strict about the conduct of the shooters. For every 100 safe, careful and polite sportsmen you get at least one yahoo that makes it tougher for the rest of us.
I miss my younger days when I could head out into the woods a few miles with a case of beer and just blow **** up! sigh. Hmmm, I guess I used to be one of those yahoos....

[jagermaster]

Im not a yahoo in public but some does come out when im in the woods by myself. Safety first yahoo second, beer and jager third.

I called Ron's Easy Money but they will not ship, o well i will have to wait on hornady to release the next shipment.

Im hoping wildcatter makes it back soon i have some questions for him about reloading and brass.

[Wildcatter]

Ok, I’m back, kinda-sorta. I’m on the mend from a couple of surgeries and thus will be on and off this site irregularly for another couple of weeks. I'll be shipping brass in a couple of weeks. In the mean time, let’s try a little to handle some of the issues.

Keep the OAL’s as long as possible. The magazine will handle 2.260”, so with room for dirt and such, make the max OAL 2.250”, which will easily be achieved with the longer bullets, like with the pointed Barnes 275gr. and many others. Keeping the OAL at max length will lower pressures allowing you to increase powder volume, just don’t get crazy. The loads I’ve seen here for the 275’s are somewhat light, you should be able to up the speeds “at least” 200fps plus quite easily, try AA1680 to do so, which will also lower pressures, compared to H110/WW296 ( which work well for the lighter bullets-btw, the data for these two powders are interchangeable).

If you want to recover real world expanded bullets, use one gallon milk jugs, filled with water. I get mine from a milk bottler, for something in the $.015 area, in bags of 50. Attach three 2X6’s in a “U” fashion and line the jugs up. The 1911 with 45acp Federal Hydro-Shock expands as advertised and eats up four jugs. A 230gr hollow point (450b @2800fps) barely does one jug and explodes into thousands of little pieces, good for home defense. All bullets and pieces are very recoverable and comparable to whatever standard you want to use, let’s say you want to compare your load to a 45-70 or 338mag or whatever, go ahead, shoot them into the jugs, you will be totally surprised at the results.

[Wildcatter]

PS- Hornady ran another half million rounds about a month ago. Ammo is all over the net or avaliable direct from Hornady...t