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Thread: S&W 500 Bullet (improved for PP)

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    S&W 500 Bullet (improved for PP)

    As previously mentioned in my .492-550 Thread, I followed through with what i said i was gonna do and sent 2 S&W 500 bullets from my Lee Mold to Tom at Accurate molds and had him make a few changes to it, the biggest one being the body Diameter, i had him shave it down to .494 from .503 (My Lee mold dropped bullets at .503) The other change i had him make was to lose the Gas Check, no need for the Gas Check since its being Paper Patched. I will be testing this bullet heavily when the mold arrives, anyone looking at a more Custom approach to a Well Proven Big Game bullet design might wanna check this one out. It is now in Tom's Catalog

    Attachment 193313 Attachment 193314

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    Boolit Master
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    These should shoot very very well!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by idahoron View Post
    These should shoot very very well!!
    High hopes for it Ron!! I will send you a bunch of these to test, and or the mold. This S&W .500 Bullet design is a WELL proven Big Game Hammer by you!!

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    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    Nice! That ought to do the trick. You could even drop the lube grooves and make it a slick, it would work fine in muzzle loaders.

    -Nobade

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nobade View Post
    Nice! That ought to do the trick. You could even drop the lube grooves and make it a slick, it would work fine in muzzle loaders.

    -Nobade
    I wanted to keep the weight as close as possible to the original bullet, by reducing the overall body diameter, but filling in the Gas check closely equaled it out. I wanted to keep the bullet as close as possible in every way to the Original Lee C501-440-RF bullet, Except the Body Diameter and Gas Check. If you were to go with a solid walled PP bullet it would get HEAVY, heavier then i wanted it.

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    Boolit Grand Master
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    What cast weight are you expecting?

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    This new bullet should Paper patch like a dream, and at .494 you will NOT be sizing the actual bullet itself at all, depending on your sizing die, all you will be doing is 'snugging' the paper up to the bullet good and tight, I STRONGLY believe in a .498-.499 sizing die, to me these numbers are about as ideal as you can get, with the .498 being the safest bet to work in ANY 50 Cal. You need to know your bore diameter before trying the .499, for example i have 6 different 54 Cal barrels, all of them EXCEPT 1 barrel accepts the .539 absolutely perfect, but the 1 barrel the .539 is to tight and comprimises the Paper trying to shove it down, i have to drop down size to .538 for this particular barrel, No big deal, just something to keep in mind. I have found this applies to .45, .50, and .54 Cal, Go with the 8s for a for sure fit, examples 45=448, 50=498, and 54=.538, go with 9s if you know your bore and want an even snugger fit.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 725 View Post
    What cast weight are you expecting?
    Im thinking 450ish, my old Lee S&W mold was throwing about 460. It should be SUPER CLOSE

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    Boolit Man
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    Looking forward to the results of this bullet. How many cavities are you having your mold made. Also what cast alloy did you specify for a .494 bullet.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saxtonyoung View Post
    Looking forward to the results of this bullet. How many cavities are you having your mold made. Also what cast alloy did you specify for a .494 bullet.
    I'm hoping i get it this week. I will start pouring bullets the day i get it, and be shooting the next day weather permitting. I went with a single cavity Steel mold, they cost a little more but they are a lifetime mold. I stated Lead, and 40:1 as my cast alloy

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    Boolit Man
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    In another thread you were experimenting with a .492-450 bullet, did you find These bullets to be to loose and that is why you are going with .494 with this bullet ? Where did you come up with your .498 and .449 Sizer dies ? Lee ?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saxtonyoung View Post
    In another thread you were experimenting with a .492-450 bullet, did you find These bullets to be to loose and that is why you are going with .494 with this bullet ? Where did you come up with your .498 and .449 Sizer dies ? Lee ?
    The .492-450s are stil sitting here ready to go, just haven't had the chance to shoot them yet, Its been raining here nearly everyday. My push through sizers are Lee, you can get a custom die from them for 38 bucks now days. My reason for .494 is to 'snug' the paper to the bullet a little tighter than you get with .492 (Remember you are NOT sizing the bullet at all, just tightening the paper up) The .492 is a great size bullet, but you have to be careful or you will slide the bullet out of the paper jacket, 2 Wraps of my onion skin paper ads 8 thou to the overall body diameter, .492 turns into .500 on the dot, then push that through a .498-499 die you barely feel anything. Out in the field hunting i prefer the paper to grip the bullet a little bit tighter.

    As I previously stated you have to be careful with sizing die size, i have found the 8s (448, 498, 538) to be a near Gaurantee to work in ANY Muzzleloader, But I personally prefer the 9s (449, 499, 539) i only have 1 .54 Cal barrel that wont accept a 9 without persuasion (to tight) so i have to size to .538 for it. My other 5 .54s love the 539, in other words if you have a tight bore you will need an 8, otherwise i would personally go 9

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    Boolit Man
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    Thank you for the information. I'm looking forward of your report on both of these bullets. I noticed that the .492-450 bullet is longer and may or may not perform ok with the 1-28 twist.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saxtonyoung View Post
    Thank you for the information. I'm looking forward of your report on both of these bullets. I noticed that the .492-450 bullet is longer and may or may not perform ok with the 1-28 twist.
    I am anxious to shoot the .492-450s, while they are a little longer than the S&W 500 bullet, they have less bearing surface, it will be interesting to see how they do? I stripped the paper from this S&W 500 bullet so you can see the bearing surface

    Attachment 193404

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    As ive mentioned previously, The one complaint i have with the Buffalo bullets is the sharp edge at the base from the Swaging process, you MUST remove that or it will cut your paper like a razor blade. I use a piece of 600 grit sand paper and slide the base across it lightly, then grip them in a paper towel and twist, you can feel the sharp edge disappear. This is not a big job, but something that needs attention, If you dont, i feel there is a HIGH probability of Paper failure when loading and you might not catch it? If you seen my thread on my 45 Cal Hotrod Hawken where i shot the group with the Buffalo .444-400 Grain bullets, i had something go wrong on my very last shot? I am confident this is what happened, i think the bullet pushed through the base of the paper jacket (due to the sharp edge cutting the paper) somewhere down the bore and I didn't feel it? The new Vegetable Fibre wads i am using load fairly stiff, i was starting the wad an inch or so down the bore, then the bullet on top of the wad and pushing them together to the powder, It's unlikely i would have felt the paper fail due to the resistance from the wad, as anyone that's shot many paper patched and sized bullets know, they load EASY with very little resistance. When i shot, it was TOTALLY different? Hardly any Recoil, and just sounded wrong? That bullet was either in the center of the group, or it didn't even touch the target? My guess is the latter
    Last edited by 54bore; 04-16-2017 at 11:19 PM.

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    Boolit Man
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    I did read your thread on the 45 Hotrod and the problem you were having with the paper tearing. I hope you don't have the same issues with this redesign bullet from Accurate , I like the fact you got rid of the gas check but wonder if it should have a small bevel.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saxtonyoung View Post
    I did read your thread on the 45 Hotrod and the problem you were having with the paper tearing. I hope you don't have the same issues with this redesign bullet from Accurate , I like the fact you got rid of the gas check but wonder if it should have a small bevel.
    I am confident it won't be a problem with this new bullet design since it is being poured, the swaging process of the Buffalo bullets is a totally different process, the swaging process is what leaves a super sharp burr around the base edge. They get their lead in wire form on a spool. I also shoot the same RCBS 11MM bullet in my .45 GM LRH That Idahoron Pioneer Paper patched, this bullet has NEVER been a problem and it has no bevel at the base.

  18. #18
    Boolit Man
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    That's great to know. I have been following the paper patch threads and recently acquired both the Lee 500 and RCBS 11mm molds to try them myself but have yet to do so.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saxtonyoung View Post
    That's great to know. I have been following the paper patch threads and recently acquired both the Lee 500 and RCBS 11mm molds to try them myself but have yet to do so.
    JUMP IN and do it!!! Its addicting fun!! I can't imagine ever going back and shooting greased Maxi Balls again after shooting PP and sized bullets.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saxtonyoung View Post
    That's great to know. I have been following the paper patch threads and recently acquired both the Lee 500 and RCBS 11mm molds to try them myself but have yet to do so.
    You have 2 awesome proven bullets! I am not a big fan of the Lee S&W 500 bullet mold, i love the bullet design but dislike having to size the lead itself (hence why i had the custom mold made) but the simple fact is the Lee S&W 500 bullet shoots REALLY good EXACTLY the way Ron advises it to be shot!! I will be bummed if this new bullet doesn't shoot as well. Here is an 80 yard target shot with my Stainless .50 Cal GM LRH, Lee S&W 500 Mold, 5 shots, 3 in a clover leaf

    Attachment 193427

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check