Couple of questions for the 454 Casull shooters

[wlc]

I just this last week put money down on a SRH Toklat in 454 and am researching "best" loads, boolits, molds etc. What are your favorite loads? Not necessary to give specifics on loads if you are not comfortable with that. Mild to wild. Bullet/boolit weights, molds, powders etc. Any and all input welcome. Thanks for any help!

[dh2]

I am shooting a ruger in .454 Casull getting good results with the Lyman mould for the 45 cal. semi wad cutter in 255gr gas check, It does favor the max load of w296 by the Lyman cast bullet manual.
I have tried the Lee 300gr. gas check mould I was able to get a 6 inch group at 100 yards pushing it with W296, ok but not impressed. try pushing it with Unique and things only got worse.

[Adam10mm]

452651 325gr FNGC with as much H110/W296 as you can handle between 25.2-26gr.

I'm of the opinion the Casull shouldn't be a plinker.

[osteodoc08]

My favorite when I shot one was a MiHa Ruger Only WFNGC penta that was 305gr sized and lubed in front of 30gr 296. Usual precautions apply.

I ended up selling my SRH because it just didn't flip my switch. I preferred the classic BH with Bisley grip in 45 Colt at Ruger levels. Wanted to at least reduce my chances at carpal tunnel as I saw my father suffer from it. YMMV.

Great cartridge though

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Attachment 119023My favorite when I shot one was a MiHa Ruger Only WFNGC penta that was 305gr sized and lubed in front of 30gr 296. Usual precautions apply.

same boolit as osteodoc08 but i like 27gr of H110 this is at 50 yards with my Encore

[osteodoc08]

Attachment 119023My favorite when I shot one was a MiHa Ruger Only WFNGC penta that was 305gr sized and lubed in front of 30gr 296. Usual precautions apply.

same boolit as osteodoc08 but i like 27gr of H110 this is at 50 yards with my Encore

That boolit will put a hurtin on anything that needs a hurtin, won't it?!

Nice Grouping.

[saz]

I use the Dan Walker Hammer mold. It was a GB from here and resembles the original Lee 300. Lubed and checked it is about 335grs, and my lever gun loves Lil gun under it.

[Duckiller]

Use Lyman's 49th Edition not Hornady's 8th edition for reloading data. I don't know how anyone can get 33.5 gr of H110/W296 in a Starline Casull case.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Use Lyman's 49th Edition not Hornady's 8th edition for reloading data. I don't know how anyone can get 33.5 gr of H110/W296 in a Starline Casull case.

my XTP 240gr load is 35.7gr of H110

[osteodoc08]

Use Lyman's 49th Edition not Hornady's 8th edition for reloading data. I don't know how anyone can get 33.5 gr of H110/W296 in a Starline Casull case.

How deeo are you seating the bullet/boolit?

[wlc]

My favorite when I shot one was a MiHa Ruger Only WFNGC penta that was 305gr sized and lubed in front of 30gr 296. Usual precautions apply.

I've tried searching for this one in the group buy sections with no luck. When was it run? Do you have the mold number so I could email MiHa and see if one is gathering dust in a corner somewhere?

[LUCKYDAWG13]

its the 454-297 ruger only mold
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Loadings/page2

[jdt81]

I don't cast my own (yet) and about the only components I have been able to find are Cast Performance 335 gr WLN GC and IMR 4227 powder. I'm just about out of H 110 so I'm saving that.
Turns out 24.5 gr of 4227 is a real nice load. Exactly 1200 fps out of my 83 with a 4 3/4" barrel. Accurate, very manageable, will likely kill anything I would shoot at.

[osteodoc08]

I don't cast my own (yet) and about the only components I have been able to find are Cast Performance 335 gr WLN GC and IMR 4227 powder. I'm just about out of H 110 so I'm saving that.
Turns out 24.5 gr of 4227 is a real nice load. Exactly 1200 fps out of my 83 with a 4 3/4" barrel. Accurate, very manageable, will likely kill anything I would shoot at.

You could definitely do worse than that combo!

[osteodoc08]

I've tried searching for this one in the group buy sections with no luck. When was it run? Do you have the mold number so I could email MiHa and see if one is gathering dust in a corner somewhere?

It's the middle one
Left one is the RCBS 45-270-SAA and the right one is the MiHa ruger only plain WFNGC

[Cornbread]

I have a couple of Lyman and NOE molds that throw bullets in the 255 - 260gr range. I have heavier ones as well. I never use gas checks I just use water dropped COWW, Carnuba Red lube and make sure the cylinders, forcing cone and barrels on my guns are tuned for cast. I have 3, 454 revolvers. It is hands down my favorite caliber. My favorite H110 load sends a 260gr rnfp going out at around 1800fps. Let's just say that load isn't pleasant to shoot a lot of especially in my 2" snubby but it is accurate and will put the smack on any grizzly here in Montana that decides to take the "whose higher on the food chain" challange. My absolute favorite load hands down though is with IMR-4227 and pushes a 255gr Kieth semi-wad cutter at 1400fps. It is still stout but you can shoot it all day long and your hand doesn't ache like it does with my H110 load. For instance I loaded up 200 of them the other day and shot them all in one afternoon with no issues. I like plinking with my 454s and while this probably isn't a plinker load it is managable and it will kill anything in the lower 48 at 0 to 100 yards with a complete pass through. Not sure how it would do on an Alaskan brown bear but it will go through a bull elk from north to south and still have enough steam to go into a tree at 100 yards. You can't kill them any deader than that.

[osteodoc08]

I have a couple of Lyman and NOE molds that throw bullets in the 255 - 260gr range. I have heavier ones as well. I never use gas checks I just use water dropped COWW, Carnuba Red lube and make sure the cylinders, forcing cone and barrels on my guns are tuned for cast. I have 3, 454 revolvers. It is hands down my favorite caliber. My favorite H110 load sends a 260gr rnfp going out at around 1800fps. Let's just say that load isn't pleasant to shoot a lot of especially in my 2" snubby but it is accurate and will put the smack on any grizzly here in Montana that decides to take the "whose higher on the food chain" challange. My absolute favorite load hands down though is with IMR-4227 and pushes a 255gr Kieth semi-wad cutter at 1400fps. It is still stout but you can shoot it all day long and your hand doesn't ache like it does with my H110 load. For instance I loaded up 200 of them the other day and shot them all in one afternoon with no issues. I like plinking with my 454s and while this probably isn't a plinker load it is managable and it will kill anything in the lower 48 at 0 to 100 yards with a complete pass through. Not sure how it would do on an Alaskan brown bear but it will go through a bull elk from north to south and still have enough steam to go into a tree at 100 yards. You can't kill them any deader than that.

Now why do you have to go and make me want to try the 454 again.......dangit Cornbread. Ruger did just reintroduce their 480 Ruger in the SRH........Sure wish they offered it in a 5 shot Bisley NMBH ala Bowen Customs.......just sayin'

[Cornbread]

Now why do you have to go and make me want to try the 454 again.......dangit Cornbread. Ruger did just reintroduce their 480 Ruger in the SRH........Sure wish they offered it in a 5 shot Bisley NMBH ala Bowen Customs.......just sayin'

Sorry I can't help it, it's my favorite caliber

I know Rossi/Braztech doesn't have the best finish work on their rifles but my next lever gun is going to be a R92 454 casull by Rossi. It is going to be a riot having a rifle and pistol combo in 454 casull. it will be like a 45-70 lite

FWIW my second favorite caliber is 45 long colt in Ruger only loads.

[High Desert Hunter]

My FA M83 shoots the RCBS 270-SAA very well, loves the bullets from my Mountain Molds 325gr WGNGC, shoots the Sierra or Speer 300gr bullets equally well. I use mostly 3 powders, H110, HS6, and Unique, once in a while I use 2400, I load in Starline cases, and use small rifle primers, CCI or Federal. I would say it is a toss up between the 454 and the 45 Colt for favorite cartridge status, I do love the 454, does everything I ask of it extremely well.

[gknarf]

I'm shooting a NOE 454-285 over IMR4227 for almost 1400 fps from my SRH. Great accuracy and comfortable to shoot.