Does anyone shoot .411 Bullets or Round balls?

[Matt3357]

I know that lyman and RCBS makes a mould for .411 bullets but what do you shot them in? I am trying to come up with a 410 shotgun slug and I want a 400 grain bullet that I can hollow out the base with a drill press and attach a plastic wad. I will be shooting it out of an NEF 410 with the choke cut off.

Also, who shoots a .411 round ball?

Thanks,
Matt

[Leftoverdj]

The .41 Mag shoots bullets in the .410 range, but normal weight is 210-220 grains or roughly half an ounce. Dixie Gun Works did and may still make RB moulds to order.

[Matt3357]

I have some 41 mag SWC to start with to see how they perform, but I was looking for a heavy rifle bullet to drill out the base and attach a wad. Oh btw I don't cast right now.

Thanks,
Matt

[dakotashooter2]

Depends if you're talkin rifle or pistol bullets. Most of the pistol bullets labeled as .410 to .411 are for the 41 mag. But many of the rifle bullets using the 410-412 code are actually meant for the "40 caliber" rifle carttridges and actually drop .405 to .408. A 400 gr slug ( 400 gr = 0.91 oz) is a pretty hefty load for the 410 and likely unsafe as the largest commercial 410 payloads are generally 5/8 or .63 oz.
A 260-270 grain slug would be closer to 5/8 oz but I'd still have some reservations because the slug can't compress like a shot load can.
Keep in mind you need to work with fairly low pressures compared to handgun and rifle loads and shotshells tend to be more sensitive/ suceptible to pressure spikes than brass cartridges. I'd guess even if you could get it to work safely you're probably looking at a 700-800 FPS or less load and not much accuracy.

BPS sells a wad and ball for a roundball/slug load. $4.99 for 25.

:brokenima

[Matt3357]

I am talking 400 gr rifle bullets. I will then, just like in the original post, drill out a hollow in the base (ie romove weight) and attach a plastic wad. From everything I have read, a slug can be treated just like the same weight of shot and in reality it produces less friction than shot = lower pressures. I know there are loads up around 3/4 of an ounce in 3" shells so if I could get it down to there it would be a place to start.

Thanks,
Matt

[45 2.1]

It won't work............. The foster type slug you are thinking about flies like a shuttlecock. Too long of a slug will not stabilize in a smoothbore. The Lyman slug is about 138 grs., not the 238 grs. as stated in their manuals.

[Matt3357]

I know all about the foster slugs and about the error in the weights. I am not interested in that bullet. Why won't a long bullet stabilize in a smooth bore? I am intrigued. It would seem that with a heavy nose and a long tail, it would stabilize better than a short squat SWC. Kind of like an arrow? I don't know.

Thanks,
Matt

[45 2.1]

I know all about the foster slugs and about the error in the weights. I am not interested in that bullet. Why won't a long bullet stabilize in a smooth bore? I am intrigued. It would seem that with a heavy nose and a long tail, it would stabilize better than a short squat SWC. Kind of like an arrow? I don't know.

Thanks,
Matt

Thats what is interesting about the foster type of slug, which is basically a deep hollow based slug. They only work for a certain length/weight ratio. We've already tried this out making a 410 slug mold. Since there isn't any rifling to spin the slug, it is dependent on balance, fore to aft, to fly point forward. Longer isn't better for this either.

[Matt3357]

Is there a thread or somewhere that you guys posted all of your results and designs? I would really like to read it.

Thanks,
Matt

[45 2.1]

Is there a thread or somewhere that you guys posted all of your results and designs? I would really like to read it.

Thanks,
Matt

No, it isn't posted anywhere. The whole exercise started from one of our group and developed from that.

[Matt3357]

I hate to be a bother, but I am very interested in what designs you tested and what happend with each design.

Thanks,
Matt

[BABore]

Yep, I'll back 45 2.1 on this as I did the molds for that little project. The first mold was based on the typo that the Lyman slug was 238 grains. Cut a cherry to that spec. Didn't fly worth squat. Played around with deeper and deeper HB pins to compensate for what we all knew was happening, instability. No luck. Did a bunch of internet research and found out that it was really 138 grains. Built to that and bingo, accuracy. 357Max has done the most shooting of this slug, that I know of. I built 3-4 molds from the final design. I didn't offer them in my BRP products listing as HB designs are labor intensive and cost much more to do.

[45 2.1]

I hate to be a bother, but I am very interested in what designs you tested and what happend with each design.

Thanks,
Matt

The boolit, so to speak, started out around 250 gr. and had a deep hollow base. Initial trials showed it was unstabile and tumbled/whisled thru the air. We shortened the length and tried various hollow base pins until it shot well. Present trials show about 1 to 1.5" groups at 100 yds. out of a smoothbore scoped boltgun. The load is quite specialized from its desciption that I received also. I have the original mold and the 5 hollow base pins that were part of the trials as i'm the only one of us that can use all five pins/weights in various firearms. A couple of other members of the forum have the final mold version which isn't too different in length from the Lyman slug except it doesn't look like it. More of a minie type configuration.

[Matt3357]

hmm, so a short squat hollow based bullet shoots better out of a smooth bore. Just out of curiosity, did the 410 have a choke on it? and what was the final diameter of the slugs u made?

Thanks,
Matt

[Matt3357]

I have been searching for info on this for a while and all I could come up with were a few inconclusive websites and a couple of threads on it. All offered something, but nothing really substantial. Do you happen to have a picture of the beast and what was the final weight that shot the best?

Thanks,
Matt

[45 2.1]

PM sent..........

[leadman]

I shoot a 400 gr. Lyman bullet out of my 40-65 Roller, mould #2640663. Length would be a problem as the bullet measures 1 1/4" long approx. measured with a ruler. I suppose part of the long tapered round nose could be cut off and the base hollowed out.

Seems like it might be easier to get and old Lee single cavity mould and drill it for what you wanted.