405 gr and HS6 / W231 / H322

[Spokerider]

Can anyone offer up some load data for a 405gr bevel base hard cast with either HS6 and W231 powder for the 45 70 GG please? I have these powders and would like to try some plinking loads.

I was at the range today trying out some loads with H322 starting at 40 grains and working up to 48 grains. The 40 grain loads were more accurate than the loads with 42, 44, 46 and 48 grains. I'll need to start at a lower baseline load with the H322 and these bevel-base bullets I guess. Just how low a powder charge can I safely go with H322?

Thanks.

[Dr. A]

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

Should find what you want under 45-70 405gr. bullet.


Max loads of H322 should be able to be halved safely.
31gr. of H322 should yield around 1200fps

34gr. of H322 around 1300fps. This figured using my Lee software, which historically is fairly accurate.

Lee's latest gets into this in chapter 10. I didn't experience any slow fireing.

[Dr. A]

H322 would not be my powder of choice going that far down the velocity ladder. I would start out at 40gr, which would immediately begin challenging the integrity of your bullet choice. I use 52gr.of H322 in a 405gr. gas checked load giving me 1980fps. . In a call to Hodgden last year, I found this decrease in powder charge could be done, but the 4198's are probably superior as well as 2400, XMP 5744 etc. when shooting these lower velocity loads.

[Spokerider]

Dr. A,
Thanks for the info. I loaded up some 405's with 36gr. of H322. I'll see how that does for accuracy. I also loaded 16gr of Hs6 with the same .458 405 gr bullet as per http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm.
I realize the .458 405gr bevel base bullets I have may not be the best for pushing fast in the GG. The groups really opened up with the 46 and 48 gr H322 loads. If I can find and accurate plinking load, they will be relegated to that....plinking.
My next powder purchase will likely be one of the 4198's, but I just bought 2 lbs of H322 that I'll burn first.

[35remington]

Spokerider, you may want to try that light H322 load with powder near the bullet, then with powder near the primer. Observe the velocity differences over your chronograph.

One of H322's faults is that it is very position sensitive in less than full charges, so check your velocity swings before settling on it as your powder.

Either that, or use it with dacron to eliminate positioning problems, which might not be a bad idea with a plainbase bullet anyway.