450 bm

[MGySgt]

Anyone have luck with the 450 Bush Master and cast?
Appreciate what mold and powder worked for you.

[hporter]

I have only shot my Ruger Ranch in 450 BM one time since I bought it last year - I started off shooting some sub-sonic fun loads.

I posted about them in this thread.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?462667-Anyone-shooting-185-200-gr-in-the-450-bushmaster

What are you considering trying first?

[26Charlie]

What rifle are you using, Master Guns? An AR platform has different requirements than hporter's bolt action. For a lightweight rifle of heavy caliber, I loaded some .45-70 with pistol-type 250 to 350 grain SWCs for a Ruger #3 Single Shot. There is no reason .458 cast bullets could not be run through a .452 Lee sizing die easily. The targets have the recorded loads, which are not immediately to hand, but I could look them up.

[MGySgt]

This actually my son's upper on an AR 15. I am in VA and he is in TX. We are going down the end of the month for his twins graduation.
I am looking at 2 different boolets.
A clone of the RCBS 230 CM and a LBT LFN ate 360 gr.
I will PC them and size them to .452.
Been playing on Quick Load to see about powder charges.
I don't know if they will feed or not.
I will make a dummy round of both and check them for feeding from the mag.

[26Charlie]

I was able to find some of the targets shot with the .45-70 ruger #3 single shot, but not all the ones i was looking for. One series was with Lyman 457196 300 grain HB. 10.0 gr UNIQUE grouped well, 3" at 100 yds, but 14.0 gr opened up, and 15.0 gr was 8". Another load with a faster powder, 12.0 gr Red Dot, grouped poorly.

Another target with NEI 325-454 SWC, 325 grain, 28.0 gr 4198, put 5 in 2 1/2 " at 100 yd. The bullet looks kind of like an enlarged Keith style. Recoil is getting near 'stout' in the #3.

These loads, although for the .45-70, may help as guidelines.

[Dantiff2]

Love the 450 BM! Casting a 405 gn round nose flat point (solid base) 45-70 boolit at .458" diameter. Drops out of Lee mold at .4585 and 413-414 grains with wheel weight alloy. I then powder coat and size to .453 and load over 10.8 grains of Unique for a velo of 1050-1060. I seat them very short in the case, putting the crimp groove just below the case mouth, then follow up with a Lee Factory Crimp Die to just snug up the case mouth. These shoot outstanding from a 16" Ruger American and quiet through a Silencer Co Hybrid 46 suppressor! I run this with a Primary arms 2moa red dot but with a scope, I can shoot these at 1.5" groups at 100 yards.

[MGySgt]

Question: When you use Unique or 2400 do you use a rifle primer or pistol primer?

[Dantiff2]

I found the CCI #400 worked best. I tried the mag version (#450) Ironically, the speed went down, so I had to add more powder to get it back up to 1050 fps, giving me more muzzle pressure, making it slightly louder. I opted for less powder and the standard 400 primer. This also happened to me with 300 black out and same primers. My theory is that the hotter primer flashes and burn up the powder faster in the case, so it does not have the length of burn. Only my assumption. ;)
Dan

[MGySgt]

Thank you Dan, Saves me some testing and Primers when primers, like powder are at a premium.

[Texas by God]

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[Moleman-]

If you're shooting them in an ar15, a GC base usually shoots better as it protects the bullet base as it passes over the gas port. I have the NOE 454-280-RF and their 454-307-RF molds.