dancingbear41
11-17-2012, 05:50 PM
When I first joined I asked advice about using H870 with cast bullets. At the time I had been given a quantity of H870 and I had no realistic application for it. The only calibre I shot that may have worked was .375 H&H. The suggestions made to me coincided with my thinking that the best use was to fill the case and apply a helathy crimp. I figured that the slowness of the powder would render a load that fell within safe pressure limits. But all, including myself, reckoned the biggest problem would be unburned powder.
Well today I finally plucked up the courage to give it a go. I filled the case to just below the neck with powder, 78 grains to be precise, and loaded an RCBS 378-312-BPS (sized to .375" and lubed with Jake's Ceresin scarlet) on top.
Recoil was a little harsher than I was expecting, in fact not far short of factory ammo. But the really big surprise was the unburned powder. Or rather the lack of it! In fact, I finished up shooting my rifle with my standard cast bullet load of 16 grains of Herco and there was just a much unburned powder with that load.
I didn't do any accuracy testing becasue I had just enough ammo for the other guys with me to join in with the discomfort of shooting one of the hottest lead loads I have ever produced.
At least I now have a method for producing a ferocious load at a fraction of the cost of factory ammo for those who wish to exerience a big game cartridge.
Simon.
Well today I finally plucked up the courage to give it a go. I filled the case to just below the neck with powder, 78 grains to be precise, and loaded an RCBS 378-312-BPS (sized to .375" and lubed with Jake's Ceresin scarlet) on top.
Recoil was a little harsher than I was expecting, in fact not far short of factory ammo. But the really big surprise was the unburned powder. Or rather the lack of it! In fact, I finished up shooting my rifle with my standard cast bullet load of 16 grains of Herco and there was just a much unburned powder with that load.
I didn't do any accuracy testing becasue I had just enough ammo for the other guys with me to join in with the discomfort of shooting one of the hottest lead loads I have ever produced.
At least I now have a method for producing a ferocious load at a fraction of the cost of factory ammo for those who wish to exerience a big game cartridge.
Simon.