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Thread: Mihec 455 220gr hollow base MANSTOPPER

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Mihec 455 220gr hollow base MANSTOPPER

    I cast about a hundred of these in poor light as soon as dinner was done last night. I have a S&W 2nd Model HE with enormous cylinders and bore (4585) so I went with the 457 flavor. With the 3:1 WW-to-softlead alloy I had at the time in the pot, these drop at 4585-459 with a 775F melt.



    Don't have a sizer in the right flavor; am going to double coat these in Lee Liquid Alox (LLA). Thoughts on Unique or Bullseye loads with Fiocci (small primer) brass?

    Going to need all the help I can get with loads.


    ETA: these are not the finest bullets I cast. Was getting dark on the back porch, and I see now I was swinging the sprue plate to early on the first 2-3 dozen after things got working well. I realize I should be using a 1:1 or softer alloy.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    Bullseye's going to be the better choice for the .455 MKII case's smaller volume. I tinkered with either Titegroup or Unique in my Webley with the 265 grain MKII bullet and was getting a lot of unburned granules and erratic velocities out of Hornady large-primer cases.

    The regulation spec for the MKII was 580fps +/- 30fps measured 30 feet from the muzzle. I ended up at 3.4 grains of Red Dot at 612 fps with the chrono about ten feet downrange, so I figure I'm right in there, if a little toward the top end. The spec for this MKIV wadcutter we just received is about 600 fps - I may just keep the same charge, or try dropping down to 3.2 for both.

    I would patently ignore the Handloads.com page for the .455 Webley, or at least back off those specs considerably, as it all looks to be too hot. I'm guessing there was a lot of confusion over the earlier black powder MKI load (which WAS 700 fps+) versus the cordite loads for the shorter MKII case which were all about 600 fps.

    Then again, if you aren't trying for historical accuracy, you aren't likely to break your S&W with any of those loads.

    I might get mine fired up this weekend. The official "King's Alloy" for that bullet is the same 12-1 they were using for Martinis. Seems a little extravagant for a 600fps pistol round (they probably had an active lobbyist from the Welsh tin miner's union working back in the day), but I may go that way anyway on one batch just for the sake of a more scientific jug shoot. I'll probably end up with my 30-1 analog rendered from jacketed range scrap or 40-1 from old shotgun slugs. I'm also pretty eager to drop the solid pins in for the Redhawk .45C - those will NOT be powder-puff target loads.
    WWJMBD?

    In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I cast my .455 inch bullets this morning. I like to use a soft alloy (97 Pb/2.5 Sn/0.5 Sb) with hollow base wadcutters. The bullets came out at .455" and weighed 228 grains. Lubrisized them with my .455" die and BAC lube. I loaded up some Starline .45 Colt cases with 6.5gr of Unique for a mild load out of my 25-5. Shot well, and more importantly, shot to POA. With heavy bullets and loads, even with the rear sight all the way down, loads shoot high. Very happy as I knew I would be with anything Miha produces.

    Don
    NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
    NRA Life Member

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Webley MKIV Fresh Cast.jpg 
Views:	96 
Size:	38.1 KB 
ID:	222444

    Fired mine up tonight using renderings from jacketed range pickups, estimated to be 25-1 or 30-1, pouring in the 885F ballpark. Needed to add some extra tin for fillout, so estimating it to be roughly 20-1. Dropping right in there for diameter and are weighing 229-ish grains.

    Hopefully going to line up a row of milk jugs atop the Altar of Science soon!
    WWJMBD?

    In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
    TheGrimReaper's Avatar
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    DANG!!! Those look awsome!!!

  6. #6
    Boolit Bub Steppenwolf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigslug View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Webley MKIV Fresh Cast.jpg 
Views:	96 
Size:	38.1 KB 
ID:	222444

    Fired mine up tonight using renderings from jacketed range pickups, estimated to be 25-1 or 30-1, pouring in the 885F ballpark. Needed to add some extra tin for fillout, so estimating it to be roughly 20-1. Dropping right in there for diameter and are weighing 229-ish grains.

    Hopefully going to line up a row of milk jugs atop the Altar of Science soon!
    Would you be interested in selling some of those? Thanks.

  7. #7
    Vendor Sponsor

    MiHec's Avatar
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    I still have some of this molds.
    PM me if you want one
    www.mp-molds.com
    --------------------------------------
    If you want to win, you must not lose

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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