Casting for a 460 S&W

[sigep749]

I recently purchased a 460 S&W and am looking for some advice on what kind of boolits to cast. Anyone have any experience or suggestions?

[Markbo]

Tag for reference

[saleen322]

I have a 460 and I got a NOE 265 FNGC mold. I just started fooling around with it but it is showing promise. With 40 gn of H110, I was getting 1828 FPS out of my 8 3/8" and groups around 2" @ 25 yards with iron sights.

[DrCaveman]

I did a lot of messing around with cast boolits from 255 gr up to 500 gr in a 460v (5"). My favorite is probably the 405 gr @ 950 using sr 4756. Also the lee 340 gr shot around 1300 fps was pretty accurate for me.

Even though the lore for the cartridge says: light bullet, super fast, you might have just as much fun (with less leading) if you shoot heavies a little slower. I got the 405 going 1200 fps with 2400, less pressure signs than a 300 gr gc boolit at 1500 fps showed

Its a fun cartridge but you blow through a LOT of powder! That is why i havent been reloading it or shooting mine as much the last few years. Gotta keep the 357 and 44 fed.

[Markbo]

Hehe heh heh. That's how I feel about the 475L. And 458 SOCOM. And .45-70. DOH!!!! I gotta get more powder!

[Whiterabbit]

Do you have a BFR or an X-frame? They are completely different beasts.

[Tatume]

I have a 460 and I got a NOE 265 FNGC mold. I just started fooling around with it but it is showing promise. With 40 gn of H110, I was getting 1828 FPS out of my 8 3/8" and groups around 2" @ 25 yards with iron sights.

My molds are an LBT 320 grain LFN and an Accurate 265 grain LFN, both gas check, and my gun is a 454 Casull Ruger SRH. The 320 is by far the easier to load for with slow-burning powder (Accurate No. 9, H110, WC820), as it is less sensitive to air-space-related failures to ignite. Any load that produces less than 1400 fps will squib. The 265 is more finicky, and will produce squibs at 1550 fps. I keep them above 1450 and 1600 fps, respectively. Both molds work well and safely with Unique at 1100 fps.

[Whiterabbit]

Tatume, you squibb below 1400 fps with certain powder? Have you considered pushing the boolit deeper in the case? If your case tension is good, you won;t need the crimp groove (or a crimp for that matter, even on the 460. Especially if your speed drops below 1400)

[Markbo]

Do you have a BFR or an X-frame? They are completely different beasts.

Me? I have a BFR in .475L and an x frame in .460. My .500 went down the road.

[saleen322]

My 460 is a Smith X-frame

[Whiterabbit]

I was asking the OP, since he was interested in cast boolits. What works well for a 16" twist BFR may not work *as* well for a 20" gain twist S&W. Furthermore, the 3" cylinder of a BFR allows for MUCH, MUCH heavier boolits to be used than the 2.3" cylinder X-frame.

I know you guys got yourselves covered already :)

[RobS]

Yeah, a bit more info. from the original poster will help us out. What are the intentions, is this for hunting and for what? Will there be long shots where flatter trajectory is desired? If for hunting then thin skinned such as deer or used in thick skinned critters like moose, elk or bear? Just for poking holes in paper etc. range fun. Are you accustom to recoil already? Also as another poster mentioned what firearm are you working? The very topside of this round is punishing to say the least.

[Whiterabbit]

I don't need to know any of that. Just twist and cylinder length. Up to OP if our recommendations or experience apply to his goals and plans. I don;t need ot sit in judgement of that. And drives me crazy when other people think they can judge over my intentions and goals when I ask my own questions.

But a general sense I get from the X-frame, that it likes 200-300 grain boolits better than the real heavies. If anyone here is shooting 100 yards with an over-400-grain boolit in an X-frame, correct me if I am wrong. As for the BFR, I get the sense that it is not picky with boolits, but kinda picky on powders. That said, sweet spot seems to be between 300 and 400 grains. Myself, I shoot a 425 grain boolit to 100 yards and do OK. 1430 fps on the chronometer, and cases will fall from the cylinder via gravity if the gun is clean. I'm pretty sure I could get 1-200 fps more out of it. no need when the accuracy is there and the power is "enough".

If you pick and choose, you can "probably" find a 500 grain bullet that will fit. I believe ranger rick designed a 535 grain bullet to just clear the 2.3" cylinder. But you can't go and pick whatever BPCR boolit you want and rock out, it's just not going to fit.

I've fit a 740 grian boolit in my BFR. 9 out of the 10 test rounds I fired even flew straight. You wouldn;t believe the perfect sideways hole I punched with #10 though. It is very silly looking.

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I've shot H110 up to 540 grains. I imagine it could go farther, but heavier than that I switch to a slower powder. It's a meaningless gesture anyways, because a heavier bullet is just not needed.

The BFR seems to tolerate and prefer slower powders compared to the X-frame. That's just a general sense I get. I don't have as much trigger time on the X-frame as I might.

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Pretty sure that 425 grain boolit won't work reliably in an X-frame, but it'll fit. If you drive it hard it might stabilize. Dunno how far it'll go and be accurate.

I can go into more detail, but doesn;t make sense to wax philosophic about the BFR if OP has an X-frame. Also my post will be much shorter if OP has the X-frame.

[Tatume]

Tatume, you squibb below 1400 fps with certain powder? Have you considered pushing the boolit deeper in the case? If your case tension is good, you won;t need the crimp groove (or a crimp for that matter, even on the 460. Especially if your speed drops below 1400)

Hi Rabbit,

That would work, but I like bullets seated out into the throats because I believe it enhances accuracy. The slow powders are for full power anyway, and Unique satisfies my reduced power needs. Thanks for the suggestion.

Take care, Tom

[Whiterabbit]

No worries, and understood. It'll be worth trying late 2016 when unique is unobtanium :)

[saleen322]

My X frame has shot everything well that I tried so far. I do stay below 300 grain bullets but only because I like the flat shooting.

[saleen322]

..it also has done well with the 45 Colts I tried...

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt98/saleen322/Center%20Fire%20Pistol/45%20Colt%20Tgt_zps00sn4emf.jpg

[sigep749]

Sorry for the delayed reply, been out of town. As for the gun, it's a 10.5" S&W X frame. Plans are for whitetail at 200yds.

[Whiterabbit]

200 yards is past my goals with 460, so none of my work is relevant. I'll let other folks who know better chime in. I DO know that if I wanted to take my BFR to 200 yards, I would be running barnes bullets (maybe hornady 200 grain FTX) over 50-52 grains of H110 and looking for a solid accuracy node there. Cast? no idea.

[Doggonekid]

I have an X frame and I cast RCBS 300 GR SWC. I have loaded some PC and lubed with no GC and I loaded some lubed and GC. Same powder charge. I need to get out and shoot them and see the difference. I will post when I have done some more field testing.

[Whiterabbit]

what powder are you using, and are you expecting mid speed or warp speed?

[saleen322]

FWIW, I have not found anything that does better than H110.

[sigep749]

I'm open to suggestions on powder an speed most loads I've seen push H110 so figured I would start there.

[Tatume]

I recently purchased a 460 S&W and am looking for some advice on what kind of boolits to cast. Anyone have any experience or suggestions?


I'm open to suggestions on powder an speed most loads I've seen push H110 so figured I would start there.

Don't buy more than a pound of it until you know it works for you. I recently tried it in the 44 Rem Mag with plain based bullets and it didn't shoot very well in the gun for which it was intended. In another gun it shot very well, the same cartridges from the same box of ammo. The gun I was loading for likes Alliant 2400.

That said, http://www.hodgdon.com/ shows some very impressive data for the 460 S&W and a 325 grain cast bullet.

[Markbo]

Like this?


BULLET WEIGHT325 GR. CPB LFN PB
ManufacturerHodgdon
PowderLil'Gun
Bullet Diameter.452"
C.O.L.2.200"
Starting Load
Grains39.0
Velocity (ft/s)1,843
Pressure43,700 PSI
Maximum Load
Grains42.0
Velocity (ft/s)1,925
Pressure46,400 PSI

[Tatume]

Yes, like that. I have an unopened pound can of Lil'Gun; just never got around to trying it.

[Markbo]

325gr @ 1800fos. That is some pop right there!

[Tatume]

325gr @ 1800 fps. That is some pop right there!

Yep, more than I want to be subjected to!

[Whiterabbit]

I'd stick with the commercial load data (powder suggestions) for the S&W pistol. My BFR seems to prefer to be treated like a "baby" 45/70, seems to like 45/0 powders (as long as they are faster than 4895). But what seems to work for the S&W gain twist are the H110's, lilguns, 2400, etc.

[bbailey7821]

Saeco 454