Lino & 458 WM

[bikerbeans]

I have a cz550 in 458 WM that I want to shoot at higher velocity w/o GC boolits . I bought a Lee 500g .459 2-cav mold. I then cast using a mixture of mostly lino with a bit of mono (mixed because at the time I smelted I didn't know the difference between mono & Lino). Melting temp is 470F. The as cast boolit weight is 465g and is .463" @ base and .462" and the upper most driving ban. I pan lubed with Jake's scarlet (red) lube. Made up some dummy rounds and they chamber and eject fine in my rifle. Loaded up 12 test rounds with I3031 and crimped with the Lee FC. Range trip is planned later this week.

Any thoughts or comments appreciated. Please note regarding the "waste" of straight lino & mono, my friend owns a scrap yard and it only costs me gas.

BB

[Tatume]

While linotype will melt at 470F, it really should be between 518-545F for casting, if not more. You probably knew that.

I shoot bullets cast of wheel weight metal in my Ruger No. 1 458 Win Mag. They shoot great, and I expect you will enjoy them.

Take care, Tom

[bikerbeans]

I have been using the 100 degrees above melting point rule but that is overheating my mold fairly fast. I am going to try casting at 560 next run. FWIW, I ran some of these boolits through a .460 lee size die and they pushed through fairly easy. I expected more resistance knocking them down .003 inches. Range trip with chrony tomorrow, see if they show any promise.

BB

[bikerbeans]

Maybe these PB boolits will work?!?! I had four loads today with these lino alloy boolits. I chronied them at just under 2000 fps to just over 2100 fps. No leading of the gun but 12 rounds isn't much of a data base. Now the strange part. The boolits launched at just under 2000 fps keyholded at 50 yards. As I increased the velocity to about 2110 fps the boolits shot better, approx. 1/2 inch at 50 yards, but only a 2 shot group so doesn't really mean much. I would attribute the keyholes of the slower boolits to being undersized but I measured them all. Powder charge was correct as I hand weighed the powder for each round. Stability calculator says the boolits should be stable at the velocity I was shooting them. Checked my chrony with factory ammo and it was working okay. At this point I have enough information to justify, to me anyway, continuing in search of an accurate PB boolit at 2,000 fps or better.


BB

[bikerbeans]

Last time must of been a fluke. This morning was 17 for 17 on keyholes! Going to try one more thing to make these fly fast and straight and if a no go then I will be in the market for some 45 cal rifle GCs.

BB

[bikerbeans]

Last time must of been a fluke. This morning was 17 for 17 on keyholes! Going to try one more thing to make these fly fast and straight and if a no go then I will be in the market for some 45 cal rifle GCs.

BB