440 gr Lee Boolit in BPI Sabot load data ?

[Johnch]

I just got my order of sabots from Balistic Products the other day

Looked around and could only find data for the 350 gr jacketed Hornady bullet

I have the Lee 440 gr mould and have severl hundred cast , waiting to be sized

So I am looking for a place to start with them

Anyone have some data you are willing to share ?

John

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello John, let me ask you one question what powder do you have or plan to use?
You did mention waiting to be sized. What size are you planning to size them to?
Are these sabots the newer version blue in color or older version BLS 12 grey ones.
This way we can help you better.
Ajay Madan
Video Memories
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com

[Johnch]

Hello John, let me ask you one question what powder do you have or plan to use?
I have 800X , PB ,Herco, BlueDot , 2400 , Longshot ,Pro Reach and a number of other in the Med to slow shotgun powder range
You did mention waiting to be sized. What size are you planning to size them to?
I use them in the 500 S&W
But would like to use them unsized at the .505 they are now
If they will fit in the sabot properly
Are these sabots the newer version blue in color or older version BLS 12 grey ones.
New Blue Sabots
This way we can help you better.
Ajay Madan
Video Memories
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com (http://www.PreciousVideoMemories.com)

Thanks
John

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello John you got all the good powders that you need for the sabot. I would say go for Blue Dot, Longshot and Herco for your loads.
The bullets are a bit undersize for the sabot in order for the rifling to impart a proper spin for accuracy.
Can you please measure a sabot with your .505 bullet in it and check the outside diameter at the bottom where the bullet is and then the mid point and then measure the top.
You need it to be .728 to .730 so the sabot will grab the bullet and transfer the rifling spin.
If its under say .718 then it just might skid through the rifling and the accuracy will go out the window.
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee75/Dantebeowulf/PowderCupOPandFed12S4.jpg
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee75/Dantebeowulf/FinalBLS12Sabotcolumncopy.jpg
Try putting a hard nitro card between the sabot and overpowder wad like in the picture of at least .170 and better yet if you can incorporate a .250 nitro card from Circle fly.
Please check the measurements and write back.
Ajay Madan
Video Memories
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com

[turbo1889]

I would say that a 440gr. projectile plus the weight of the sabot is probably going to come in under 525gr. (I doubt the sabot weighs more then 85gr.) which means you can probably load that combination using the load data for the 525gr. Lyman Wad-Slug as "donor" data to work from as a starting point.

If it were me, my first attempt at a load would be 40gr. of Blue Dot then a gas seal cut from the bottom of a regular shot wad (just cut with a razor knife right at the top of the gas seal where the cushion crush section starts) and then a stack of however many nitro cards gave me the right crimp height with the sabot with boolit inside on top of that. Using the Lyman 525 wad-slug data as a reference point which gives me a top end "never exceed" load level a little under 50 grains depending on the source referenced so I would be awful cautious about approaching that 50 grain mark. With that in mind I would incrementally work upwards until I was satisfied. I've found that with many slug loads if I start low and work upwards the groups tighten up and then open back up again before I reach a max load. Obviously, that means the max load isn't always the best load.

Should warn you that the BPI sabots are under size and even un-sized your boolits might not be big enough to expand the sabot enough for it to get a good grip on the rifling so you will just have to try and see if they will give you the accuracy you want or not.

That's my $0.02 ~ And since we are talking unpublished and un-pressure tested loads your on your own of course as far as liability is concerned.

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello John, Turbo gave you a good starting point for Blue Dot and if you want to go with Longshot then start out with 32 grains of Longshot, X12X OP wad, .170 dark nitrocard from BPI followed by your sabot with bullet. If you are using .505 jacketed bullets then they just might be too slick
for the sabot to get a really firm grip to be able to impart the required spin for accuracy.
I would prefer a bullet much bigger in diameter of lets say .515 to .518.
You could go as high as 36 to 38 grains of longshot but it might kick like a mule and shoot both ways! You seem like a big guy so I cant say much.
Remember.728 to .730 OD measurement for it to work really well.
Ajay Madan
Video Memories
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com

[Johnch]

Thanks
Not looking for max velosity
Just good accurcy for the sub 100 yds shots

John

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello John its funny as you mentioned you carry a SIG, I use to work for J.P.Sauer & Sohns in Eckernforde when we were manufacturing the Weatherby Mark V and I was there when we designed the Colt Sauer cam action locking lug rifles.
John you still need to do your homework with the sabot load and find out the right combination that will work right in your shotgun/barrel combo.
Please measure the OD of the sabot with your .515 bullet, it just might be right.
Most deers are shoot between 30 to 50 yards. A velosity of 1400 to 1450 will be ample for shots upto 75 to 80 yards. 33 to 34 grains of Longshot will provide that or 42 to 43 grains of Blue Dot.
Ajay Madan
Video Memories
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com

[BABore]

I haven't been following the BPI sabot thing after the first one went south. I have a boolit cherry that I made for their original sabot. I'm making the assumption that the new sabot has the same internals as the old one. It was done in conjunction with James Gates at Dixie Slugs. I think he refers to it as the Dixie Tornado. I don't list the design on my site, but do have it available if anyone is interested. The design drops a 0.506+ slug at 480 grains with 50/50 WW-Pb. The HP version shown weighs in at 446 grains. I also have about 200 of the original BPI sabots if anyone is interested. Now that the new, blue one is available, I may have to get back into it again.

[eye shot]

johnch
I'm also from NW Ohio and here is my load that you could also use with a 440gr. bullet. Mine is for the old BLS12 but cut the cushon off and assume the newer RSS12 would then be about the same.

Fiocchi 3" primed hull
420gr. hard cast .511 bullet
BLS12 sabot with cushon cut off
1--1/8th nitro card- if the RSS base is thicker you may be able to do away with card
1--X12X gas seal
100grs. RE17 powder CAUTION USE ONLY IN HEAVY BARRELD SLUG GUNS!-USH,210,512, and others with at 1" dia. barrels.

Recoil is very managable it's a very slow burn powder. I've got some 1" groups at 50yds.

[Dixie Slugs]

Take a good look at what BaBore (Bruce) is talking about as for that bullet. That bullet has a truncated cone nose and is designed for the sabot petals to snap over the truncated cone nose.
We shot the new BPI sabot and the mentioned bullet from 900'/" to 1600'/" out of a Hasting 20" rifled barrrel.
The best accuracy seemed to be around 1400'/"/1500'/". We use Primex 513 (not avalable to the public), but Blue Dot seems about right. It is most important that a hard nitro card (1/4" - .250") is under the sabot!
Dixie sends a special thanks to BABore (Bruce) for his help in developing Dixie's Tornado round! The bullet he is speaking of was designed/developed for the BPI sabot! Quite frankly, that bullet is the best we tested and on Hogs!
Regards, James