Range Report Cast Boolit 470 Nitro

[TedH]

Finally got to the range for the maiden voyage with my Krieghoff 470 Nitro. I had five loads to try out. I loaded four each of five different charges of 5744 with my cast bullets. They were just air cooled wheelweights from my custom mold I designed and had Mountain Molds cut. The bullet is 500 gr. gas check design with a 70% meplat.

It was interesting to watch the regulation come together as the velocity increased. Some other guys had reported their doubles regulated well with 45.0 gr. of 5744, but that seems to be a very mild load and I wanted something more mid range, so I started at 48.0 gr. From my results, I don't think my rifle would like 45 grains anyway. As you can see, the lighter loads actually had the barrels crossing.

I shot two from each barrel at each target off the bench at 50 yards. The sweet spot was found with load #3. Two shots from each barrel measuring just 1 5/8"

Load #1) 48.0 gr. @ 1500 fps
Load #2) 51.0 gr. @ 1610 fps
Load #3) 54.0 gr. @ 1751 fps
Load #4) 57.0 gr. @ 1849 fps
Load #5) 60.0 gr. @ 1960 fps














After I reached the 57.0 grain load I think the pressure may have been too much for my alloy, because the regulation still looked pretty good, but accuracy from each barrel began to open up. Where with the lighter loads, individual barrel accuracy was good, even though both barrels weren't hitting the same point. I'm going to try those last two loads with a Lyman #2 alloy and see if they tighten up any. Although I'm tickled to death with the #3 load, I'm somewhat surprised it was that easy to stumble on a good reduced load. I say reduced, but that dude has about all the recoil I would want for punching paper. Should make a dandy whitetail load too. Don't laugh, bambi's in deep trouble this year!

After I got home I inspected the bore. Not a trace of leading, just some light streaking that a couple wet patches took right out.

Overall a very good trip to the range. I guess the next project will be to come up with a full power load (2150-2200 fps) using RL-15 and my cast bullets with a harder alloy.

[JeffinNZ]

FANTASTIC. I am regulating my .380 Rook right now to get a load that matches the leaf sights. All good stuff.

[Buckshot]

..................Hey Ted, bet you were glad to be done with the testing for the day, huh ?

.................Buckshot

[Southern Son]

I see pictures of targets, and a picture of a loaded round, but what about a piture of the boolit and even more important, one of the rifle?

[copdills]

Great targets , but we got to see those boolits LOL

[TedH]

Here's the bullet next to a 22LR for scale.



The launching device,

[bobk]

Words cannot begin to express how envious I am!

Bob K

[725]

That is beautiful.

[mstarling]

I have an old Searcy Field Grade rifle. 45.0 gr of AA 5755 w a 500 grain bullet cast from a Ballisti-Cast (1431 I believe) GCLFN bullet sized to .476" regulates in my rifle. Carnauba Red is the lube! Very little metal fouling. They made the mould to 500 grains for me at no extra cost.

Have shot a couple of two barrel groups from sticks at 100 yards that touch each other. It's luck as my old eyes can't see that well!

Yes ... whitetails fall very nicely to this load. React like they've been hit by a truck.

Bigger bores are fun with cast bullets. Recoil is much reduced and cleanup is easy. I shoot'm in 9,3x62, 9,3x74R, .375 H&H, .376 Steyr, .458 AR, and .470 NE. And the cost is VERY attractive compared to Nosler Partitions, Barnes X's or TSX's, Swift A Frames, or Woodleighs (which are more than $1 each in .474").

[TedH]

And the cost is VERY attractive compared to Nosler Partitions, Barnes X's or TSX's, Swift A Frames, or Woodleighs (which are more than $1 each in .474").

I hear that! The Woodleighs are the cheapest of the lot, and they're a buck fifty a pop. I'll recover the cost of this mold with one more trip to the range.