458 SOCOM and cast

[JTC]

I’m new to reloading and casting my own. I’m hoping to find info about 458 SOCOM and cast bullets. First off is it safe to load cast bullets with the same load data that matches the same weight but for a jacketed bullet. If I have a 300 gr cast but only data for a 300 gr jacketed bullet can this data be used to load the cast bullet?

[Chris S]

You can get close, but I'd start lower than the book says. I load a NOE 315 grain slug with a gas check and 27 grains of Lil'gun, which is below the max data for the 325 grain Hornady FTX bullet of 30 grains. This load is plenty potent, and in my AR feeds and cycles perfectly.

Chris

[JTC]

Thanks Chris for that so is it safe to cross reference the data like with you using the 315 gr is there direct data for that round or did u make the decision to load revenging the 325 hr load and going lighter

[RugerFan]

In my AR I'm shooting the RCBS 45-300-FN with 33.0 gns of IMR 4227 (1,683 FPS). That's a starting load off the Nosler web site.

[wv109323]

Technically, it would be safe to use the same data between cast and jacketed. But there are some parameters that need to be meet before you get the best resukts. First the bullet must be properly sized to the bore it is being fired in. Second you may need a gas check to prevent leading..
Always work up to a max. Load. Don't start there.

[BNE]

I think the answer is,,, You have to make that determination yourself.

Start at or a little below the minimum load.
Shoot them and check for signs of over pressure, function, accuracy.
Then increase the powder charge in small increments and test again.

I think this approach is more important in rifles. Lots of factors go into it. Bore size, chamber size, brass volume, powder type, primer type, how you lube / coat the bullet etc.

I have more experience with pistol loads. I use the jacketed data for many of my pistol loads with no problems, but I didn’t start there.

Take your time. You put a lot of $$ into that 458. It’s worth taking some time to get a good load.

BNE.

[BNE]

I think the answer is,,, You have to make that determination yourself.

Start at or a little below the minimum load.
Shoot them and check for signs of over pressure, function, accuracy.
Then increase the powder charge in small increments and test again.

I think this approach is more important in rifles. Lots of factors go into it. Bore size, chamber size, brass volume, powder type, primer type, how you lube / coat the bullet etc.

I have more experience with pistol loads. I use the jacketed data for many of my pistol loads with no problems, but I didn’t start there.

Take your time. You put a lot of $$ into that 458. It’s worth taking some time to get a good load.

BNE.

[Chris S]

Well, when I started with the 458, none of the books covered it, so I had to gleen what I could from the internet. Now, there are several manuals that cover the cartridge. But the data is largely the same. My best recommendation is the same as mentioned above. Determine what slug you want, I'd recommend something in the 300 to 350 grain range with a gas check. Can't say for sure, but my opinion is that the gas check "just" might do good things for your gas port, mine has never shown any buildup at all. Go ahead and look up a jacketed bullet load of a similar or slightly larger weight than what you intend to use (if that's all you have). Then go 10% under the minimum charge and work up. Don't forget too that the 458 SOCOM uses large pistol primers, so I would imagine you will see signs of pressure rapidly as you approach the limit for your setup. That said, I never have. Something else to consider, without a good brake and a decent recoil pad, the SOCOM kicks like a friggin mule on that tiny little AR frame and even the weakest loads will cycle the action.

I've been known to just fill the case to the bottom of the slug with Trail Boss and have at. Not a bad load actually.

Oh yeah, start by slugging your barrel and size appropriately.

My $.02
Chris

[dogmower]

i shoot a 500 grain pc design over 26 grains or imr 4198

[Sig556r]

26g of 4198 or R7 behind 550g PC mostly subs

[JTC]

i shoot a 500 grain pc design over 26 grains or imr 4198

That sounds cool I plan to also make some of these up I got a 500 gr mold and I wanna powder coat but my manual didn’t have data for cast just jacketed. Where did u get this load data if u don’t mind me asking.

[rcslotcar]

Tag for info.

[dkf]

I base all of the .458soc loads for cast off an educated guess using jacketed data as a guide.