Took the Ranch Dog for a walk last Saturday.

[littlejack]

Hey fellas and Ladies:
I bought a Ranch Dog mold from RobRoy a few weeks ago. It is in the 411-255 design. Actually dropped boolits at
about 260 grains. After checked and lubed, they were a solid 265 grains.
Anyway, I went out last Saturday to the club range to work toward my range dues as RSO, and then again this
Friday and Saturday just past.
I had cast up some of the RD boolits. I gc'd them with Blammers 416 checks, seated and sized in my Lyman 450.
Now, here is the difference in what happened. I had honed my .410 Lyman sizer to .412 for another project, so the sizer die was too big. I went ahead and put the gc on, run the RD through the .412, and lubed with 50/50 lube. That's right. I lubed the RD boolit with the micro grooves with 50/50 lube.
I then ran the boolit through a Lee push through .410 die that I had. The end size of the gc'd RD boolit was .4105.
These boolits just slipped into the front of all 6 cylinder throats, with a little jiggling. I crimped the boolits in the second microgroove from the top.
I was using H110 for my kicker, and the boolit base set .090 above the 18.7 grain charge. That particular charge came from what my Little Dandy #20 rotor dropped.
The boolits were accurate. Very good. The Winchester primers were flattening, the brass almost fell out the
cylinders when turned upside down. Recoil was very manageable.
There WAS a lot of soot on the cases, maybe hinting that the cases may not be sealing in the chambers. I believe that the Winchester primers are some softer than others, that may suggest the reason for the premature flattening.

Is there anyone else that casts and loads this particular boolit that would share there experiences, good or bad????
Regards
Jack

[Tatume]

Hi Jack,

I use a 0.411" die and LBT Soft Blue, followed by running through a Lee 0.410" die, just as you did. Works well, doesn't it?

Take care, Tom

[bhn22]

Primer condition has never been a reliable indicator of chamber pressure. Some companies make harder primers, some make softer primers. Then there are lot to lot variances.

[Southpaw 72]

I wouldn't worry much about flattened primers in a revolver. All but the lightest loads in mine will show flattened primers. As long as your cases extract easily, I wouldn't worry.

[littlejack]

I agree with you fellas on the flattened primers. I have (in one of my reloading manuals) a photo, and a small paragraph wrote about the visual appearance of a couple of 44 mag cases. One has a normal looking fired primer, and the other is badly flattened. Both were fired with the same load, (hence the same pressure) and the same primer. The load was safe, at SAMMI specs.
Regards
Jack

[littlejack]

If anyone is interested, there are a couple of GOOD articles on line about loading the .41 magnum.
PACO is the writer, and he does a very good job. Just type in PACO, "Heavy loads for the .41 Magnum", or "Sundays Child".
Regards
Jack

[littlejack]

Range update:
I done some range duty "again" today, to pay my dues up.
I loaded some rounds last night to try out while things were slow at the range today. These loads consisted of the same 265 grain Ranch Dog boolit, only with 20 grains of H110. I had used this powder and weight with the Oregon Trail Shure Shot .411 265 gc as my "tent" gun, when hunting moose in Alaska. My 57 was loaded with these as I slept, just in case we had an unwanted intruder.
Today, the loads shot very well with the upped powder charge under the RD boolit. There was approximately .035 air between the base of the boolit and the powder charge. As before, there were flattened primers, but fired cases ejected easily from the cylinders. The piece does "bark", but it is manageable.
I will crony some of the 20 grain loads when weather permits, and give a velocity update.
Regards
Jack

[Southpaw 72]

Range update:
I done some range duty "again" today, to pay my dues up.
I loaded some rounds last night to try out while things were slow at the range today. These loads consisted of the same 265 grain Ranch Dog boolit, only with 20 grains of H110. I had used this powder and weight with the Oregon Trail Shure Shot .411 265 gc as my "tent" gun, when hunting moose in Alaska. My 57 was loaded with these as I slept, just in case we had an unwanted intruder.
Today, the loads shot very well with the upped powder charge under the RD boolit. There was approximately .035 air between the base of the boolit and the powder charge. As before, there were flattened primers, but fired cases ejected easily from the cylinders. The piece does "bark", but it is manageable.
I will crony some of the 20 grain loads when weather permits, and give a velocity update.
Regards
Jack

I think you'll be pleased with that load. 20.5 gr of h110 out of my 5.5 bishawk gets around 1300 with a 250 gr boolit.

[Doc Highwall]

littlejack, what kind of accuracy are you getting and at what distance?

[birddog]

I'm shooting the same boolit lubed with liquid alox and over 17gr IMR-4227. Getting 1 1/2" groups at 25yds, and I'll blame that on my aging eyes. But I was shooting PB bullets and will try the GC ones next week. I've got to get this wrapped up b4 deer season here in Iowa.
Charlie

[littlejack]

Good evening fellas.
As for accuracy, I did not try the 20 grain loads at more than 12 yards. That is the shortest pistol target distance. I had only 12 rounds with me, and was just shooting to check pressure signs.
On 11/10, I shot some of the 18.7 grain loads at 25 yards. I will say that the groups were better than I had come to expect.
My eyes have gone away, but the groups with the loads would stay within a Copenhagen lid. That is very good for me at this time in my life. Way back 20 years ago, the groups would have stayed in 2". I just turned 64 on November 10th, and I do regret taking my good eyesight for granted for so many years. I do miss it so.
All you young fellas should take some photos of your groups while you can still see well. You can reminisce when you get my
age.
I will do some group testing with the heavier 20 grain loads maybe this coming week, when I chrony for speed.
Regards
Jack

[littlejack]

Range report:
I have loaded a few rounds this past few days, readying to Chrony the Ranch Dog boolit and the heavy 20 grain loads.
I just came back from the gun club with the results.
The information is as follows:

Firearm: S&W model 57 W/6" bbl.
Cases: 1x fired R-P.
Primers: WLP.
Powder/weight: H110/20 grains
Boolit: Ranch Dog 265 gn. gc.
COL: 1.660
Distance from Chrony: 15'
10 shots fired. Temperature 44*

Chrony data:
1. 1144
2. 1139
3. 1136
4. 1153--------------hi velocity
5. 1139
6. 1143
7. 1140
8. 1133------------- low velocity
9. 1145
10. 1149
-------------------
1142 ------------Average velocity

For accuracy, I decided to shoot at a natural rock face beyond the range where I was testing for velocity. The rock face is a solid 100 yards, "pardon the pun" There were plenty of natural chips, crevasses, spots of moss, and lichen to sight in on.
I did not go and try to measure the groups, as they would have been way too high on the rock face to get to. I really enjoyed seeing the boolits hit the rock, especially when they were mostly all going into very tight clusters. As for accuracy, lets just say that a soccer ball would have been "deflated" several times, and a soft ball would have been in "grave danger"
This was very pleasing, as my 64 year old eyes have really been deflating my ego these past few years. I do believe that there is a lot to be said for the repetition, and the constant handgun practice that one does year after year after year. One does learn how to hold, how to squeeze, allow the firearm to do what does upon firing, and how to follow through. If one practices enough, and instills these handgun basics, one will still be able to hit his intended target within reasonable distances, even with failing eyes. Just ask the rock wall.
Regards
Jack

[Combat Diver]

Littlejack,

I have the same RD mold without the gas check. My backup load for my 58 in Alaska was loaded with the bullet Alox lube thru a Lee push thru sizer (just got a .410 sizer for the Lyman) With WW mine weighs at 268 grs. I was using a stiff load of W296 to push mine. Going to try AA9 next as I'm almost out of W296. I'll run mine over the chrony checking several different bbl lengths 4", 6.5", 14" and 20".


CD

[littlejack]

CD, Thank you for your reply. I would be interested in the velocities you are getting in your 58.
The AA9 will be interesting also, as I have never used any of that in my 41. There are good reports about it in magnum loads though. I do like the RD boolit, as it seems to be very accurate and a lot of punch on the receiving end.
Look forward to hearing from you on you testing.
Regards
Jack

[Combat Diver]

Jack,

Ran a few over the Chrony today. Load was the RD-411-255-TL, these weighed 268gr with straight wheel weights. RD shows a max load of 15.3 grs of AA9 for the Marlin with a velocity of over 1500 fps from the 20". Didn't shoot the Marlin or the 14" TC so velocities are from 4" Smith 58 and 6.5" Blackhawk.

Powder-AA9, 14.0 grs
Primer-WLP
Cases-new Midway

4"- avg velocity 1038 fps/641 fpe
6.5"- avg velocity 1110 fps/733 pfe

No signs of excess pressure and cases ejected without pressure. Since this was my first loading with this bullet and AA9, I'll increase it to 14.8 grs next time. Bullet melpate is too long for the TC chamber as the action slightly won't close. You can see the chamber engraving on the bullets nose. Either I seat the bullet deeper or trim the case. I've have no problems with the Marlin and Win 296 and velocities are up there. Gives the performance of a 40-60 Winchester from a rifle out of a short carbine. :mrgreen: (similar bullet weight/velocity/ballistics).

CD

[Combat Diver]

Jack,

Check your OAL length. I'm getting 1.585"


CD

[littlejack]

CD, MY BAD, I'd better change that.
What I meant to post on the COL was 1.660. Now how in the heck did I get the other??????. Beats me. I am crimping the boolit on the second micro groove from the top. I could crimp on the third groove, but I don't feel comfortable with the boolit just a few thousands from the end of the cylinder. I have a good .080 clearance from the front of the cylinder, crimping on the second groove.
Anyway, those are pretty respectable velocities with the #9 powder.
Have you give any thought to sizing your boolit down some on the upper shank. This would allow you to seat the boolit out further and be able to chamber it in your contender? This would also give you more case capacity, and may allow you to use more of the slow (W296) powder.
I can feel my boolits rubbing on the forward section of the throat in my 57. I do like this, as I know that the boolit is being lined up in the throat, and will have a straight shot to the forcing cone. This only happens after the first cylinder full shot. It is the slight powder fouling in the throat that causes it.
. Thanks for the post.
Regards
Jack