OT- What would happen? (Reloading)

[oic0]

Lets say I loaded to 50,000psi behind a non gas checked 18bhn bullet? That would be about 1900fps from a 400 grain bullet in my rifle. Horrible leading and poor accuracy I assume?

[O.S.O.K.]

Poor accuracy for sure - in my experience. Leading depends on the lube, alloy and quality of the boolit. You say 18 BNH... I would guess if you have a good amount or a good lube, then you'd probably not get much leading other than in the throat.

In my experience, in rifles, beyond about 1500-1600 fps, you want a gas check.

[Catshooter]

I would agree with OSOK at least in my limited experience.

However, there are those on the CastBoolits forum who would disagree. Some are getting 2400+ fps with plain base bullets.

However the only way to know is to try it. Every gun, every bullet, and particularly every operator is different and the only way to know is to try.


Cat

[oic0]

Some of it is I just want to see what the rifle can do. I am fairly new to reloading and wanted to make sure there wasn't some glaring safety reason I shouldn't load hard cast to jacketed levels. I was thinking majority loaded for plinking with unique and a few hot ones loaded with progressively more and more W296 up to what hogdon lists as the max for the weight (which is actualy 10,000psi bellow SAAMI, that bothers me for some reason lol).

I shoulda mentioned in first post, its for an .500 handi rifle. I'm sure you guys figured that out though since what else fires a 400 grain at 50,000+psi

[Chas.]

From my experience, it's not as much the lube as the bullet fit. It should be at least .001 larger than max. groove diameter. If it's the same size, or smaller, you're going to get leading at even modest velocities. You'd do well to read some of Glen Fryxell's articles over at lasc.us .

[Griff]

I shoulda mentioned in first post, its for an .500 handi rifle. I'm sure you guys figured that out though since what else fires a 400 grain at 50,000+psi

Glad ya clarified that point. I don't know that a "Handi-Rifle" can really handle that 50,000 psi... but even an 18Bhn coolit is going to leave some leading at that speed. Getting your Bhn over 20 might save ya that chore, but yer boolits are going to a tad brittle for anything but punching holes in paper... and even then don't overlay new targets over the old ones, they might even grag on the carboard backer! Just kiddin' about that last part!

[oic0]

Not much choice in sizing on .500 S&W, nearly every bullet I've seen is .501. Not sure why. Probably something to do with the revolver.

I'm going to go ahead and cross my fingers and try it though. I have some gas checked .460s and 700s coming in case I find myself scrubbing out lead until the cows come home.

I've never shattered a bullet in an animal though. Only against steel targets. How do they act once inside? I wonder if you could refer to a very very hard ~400-600 grain bullet as long range buck shot? lol

[O.S.O.K.]

Boolit fit is important! Good point!

I have the same NEF and it shoots great. You are going to notice the recoil if you run any bullet up to 1900 fps out of it I promise you And they are designed and safe for the 500 S&W at the cartridge's standard pressure.

The action on mine would open with each shot before I did a little work on the locking latch - to get it to engage more.

After loading and shooting some max loads with a 440 grain Lee gas check, I've decided that 1500 fps with that same boolit will do anything that I want it to

Here's a youtube of me shooting mine a couple times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5UiG3NRb7s

Have fun!

[oic0]

Never been tempted to push it on up to the SAAMI 60,000 (20% more than the max loads in my manual)?

[Tycer]

If you fit that bullet to your rifle and the barrel is clean and smooth, it will not lead. BHN is unimportant at that velocity with regards to leading.

[Cast Bullet Hunter]

Lets say I loaded to 50,000psi behind a non gas checked 18bhn bullet? That would be about 1900fps from a 400 grain bullet in my rifle. Horrible leading and poor accuracy I assume?

You didn't provide the most basic information, and it amazes me anyone presumes to answer the question without knowing. WHAT CALIBER ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT?

[Griff]

Lets say I loaded to 50,000psi behind a non gas checked 18bhn bullet? That would be about 1900fps from a 400 grain bullet in my rifle. Horrible leading and poor accuracy I assume?

You didn't provide the most basic information, and it amazes me anyone presumes to answer the question without knowing. WHAT CALIBER ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT?

...I shoulda mentioned in first post, its for an .500 handi rifle. I'm sure you guys figured that out though since what else fires a 400 grain at 50,000+psi

Yep, in his 2nd post.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

If you fit that bullet to your rifle and the barrel is clean and smooth, it will not lead. BHN is unimportant at that velocity with regards to leading.

That's a big part of it. Hard tight fitting bullets, and a smooth as glass bore will get you high vels without leading. One of the points they made was it generally takes about 200 to 300 rounds of normal shooting with jacketed bullets to season one. At one time they offered a really fine firelapping compound to help you get the barrel seasoned. Using their firelapping method will speed that up considerably.

[oic0]

Well it worked. Kicks pretty good but not unbearable. My friends commented that it kicks like a 12 gauge except it frogs you instead of pushing. Also not as loud as I thought it would be.

Not good for shooting cans though. They do this on the first shot. The can was empty, I think it went through it and in to the dirt, and the dirt blast hit it like a shotgun (it flew 15ft straight up).
Me thinks on the little whitetail around here I better aim away from the good meat or load it down a little bit.

[w30wcf]

oic0,
Once you exceed the strength of the alloy, leading will result. 50,000 psi is more than any cast bullet can stand (wit the possible exception of Zinc) for too long. One may get away with a few shots but not a bunch.

A bullet with a gas check (copper or a poly wad or case filler) will definitely work better at higher pressures.

.......Some are getting 2400+ fps with plain base bullets.
Cat

Catshooter, as I recall, I believe the thread at Cast Boolits was about how fast one could push a cast bullet accurately. Some of the posters were using gas checked bullets.

w30wcf

[pdawg.shooter]

You might want to try paper patching 50K is no problem with paper.

[oic0]

Update:
I didn't know a mere 10 shots could take so long to clean up after. Wish they made a Lewis Lead Remover for .50 cal.

All that time lookin at my rifling didn't make me happy either. I swear I can see banding from the machining tools in it . Doesn't look flawless like my 1894's barrel.

[AJMD429]

Me thinks on the little whitetail around here I better aim away from the good meat or load it down a little bit.

From what I've see the factory JSP .44 Mag, and the .45 Colt 'semi-warm' loads from leverguns do to large Indiana bucks (they pretty much DROP in their tracks or bolt 25 yards or so max.), if I had to use a .500 S&W on them, I'd not want that slug going more than 1200 fps. There's nothing to gain other than a bit flatter trajectory, and for that, there's always 180 grain .357 Mag loads...! It's nice to have the potential power for other stuff, but the .500 S&W from a rifle/carbine is unnecessarily powerful for whitetail. Of course if you like shooting the gun/cartridge, there's nothing wrong with down-loading it to the point you need.

[Glenn]

As w30wcf said, adding a plastic wad can cut the leading considerably. I prefer GC bullets for loads like that, but if all you have is plain base, keep tinkering.
Glenn

[Catshooter]

One of the things I have learned over at CastBoolits is that I've got leading nine out of ten it's something I change change with the bullet.

To clean leading go to a store like WallyWorld and get a copper "Chore Boy". Cut off a strand or six and wrap it around your brass bristle bore brush (say that three times fast!). Stroke away. That will get rid of leading faster than anything else I know of.

w30wcf,

There's been more'n one thread over there about that sorta thing. No personal experience here with those sort of efforts.


Cat

[oic0]

Its just a fun gun mostly. I own a lot of .22s, .357s, .38s, etc... I didn't have any "big" guns. I figured why buy a 30-06, .270, etc... Might as well go all out and at the same time get something that can shoot lead.


Anyhow, I got some 460 grain gas checked bullets. I loaded some of them up. I'm not real happy with em though. I had to bell the cases way more than I like to keep em from shaving lead and I swear I can see a bulge in the case where its seated (they do chamber). One of em flat out went in crooked or at least the bullet looks cockeyed to me. Maybe its just my imagination but I'm not shooting it. As much as this .500 brass costs, I need to find a .50 cal kinetic puller for such flubs.