lkydvl
10-11-2014, 03:23 PM
Had an extra Dominator with a pitted 308 Win barrel. No sense if leaving it that way so grabbed a length of 458 barrel and turned out a heavy barrel for it. I know, I know...the 45 Raptor is SUPPOSED to be 451 bore. But I didn't have a short section of 451 barrel!
Borrowed a 45 Raptor reamer and ran it into the 458 barrel. While waiting for the 45 Raptor brass and 460 S&W Mag dies to arrive I made a couple poor replacement cases from 30-06 brass. They worked OK for 451 boolits but not with 458, even with neck reaming.
Once the proper brass arrived they were loaded with 458 boolits and worked perfectly! Starting loads using 350 gr HP cast boolits were stunning. To my hand anyway...that arched mainspring housing had to go. So removed it and ground it to flat contour and tried again. Even then those loads are almost brutal. I need to locate a set of recoil reducing gloves!
Next load with Trail Boss was far more shootable but would still slam any deer or black bear right to the ground. More load development is in the works.
Accuracy tests are on hold until I get another scope mount attached.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g5/lkydvl/Mobile%20Uploads/20140913_131017_zps2b919e43.jpg (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/lkydvl/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140913_131017_zps2b919e43.jpg.html)
Borrowed a 45 Raptor reamer and ran it into the 458 barrel. While waiting for the 45 Raptor brass and 460 S&W Mag dies to arrive I made a couple poor replacement cases from 30-06 brass. They worked OK for 451 boolits but not with 458, even with neck reaming.
Once the proper brass arrived they were loaded with 458 boolits and worked perfectly! Starting loads using 350 gr HP cast boolits were stunning. To my hand anyway...that arched mainspring housing had to go. So removed it and ground it to flat contour and tried again. Even then those loads are almost brutal. I need to locate a set of recoil reducing gloves!
Next load with Trail Boss was far more shootable but would still slam any deer or black bear right to the ground. More load development is in the works.
Accuracy tests are on hold until I get another scope mount attached.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g5/lkydvl/Mobile%20Uploads/20140913_131017_zps2b919e43.jpg (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/lkydvl/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140913_131017_zps2b919e43.jpg.html)