Request. No clue yet what the chamber is like on this rifle. I do not have a 500 grn 45 mold, but would like to try a 500 grn bullet in this rifle. If anyone has 100 cnt 500 grn ~.459-.462" bullets I could buy to try, I would appreciate it. Thanx
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Request. No clue yet what the chamber is like on this rifle. I do not have a 500 grn 45 mold, but would like to try a 500 grn bullet in this rifle. If anyone has 100 cnt 500 grn ~.459-.462" bullets I could buy to try, I would appreciate it. Thanx
Big heavy bullets seem to be popular these days, but don't fall into the myth that lighter bullets wont get you to 500 yds. accurately! I've had no issues getting there with 360 gr. and 405 gr., and hitting consistently too. And your shoulder will appreciate that and allow you to shoot a lot more, and a lot longer!
Unless your barrel is rifled 1:18, great accuracy with 500+ weight bullets is doubtful. 1:20 may work 1:22 probably not. Your 405 grain bullets will kill anything that walks and should give satisfactory results to 5 or 600 or further.
I have newer barrels in 1:18", and originals that run in the 1:20"-1:21" twist rates. The lighter bullets are my favorites, even in the faster 1:18" twist rates.
ok, ok... so maybe I just stay with my Lee 405 RNHB! just that this is a new to me rifle, and no clue what it really is or likes. And inside 150 yds, sure it would probably do ok with 500ish.. just keeping my options open!
I'd start with the 405 you have, and work up a good load for that bullet. Then start moving out farther and see how it does. No reason to abandon it for a heavier bullet before you even give it a good work out.
So one of my DILs saw the rifle for the first time last night. Then showed her the 45-70 round with the 405 grn RN. Eyes got even bigger, with a matching grin! She siad she couldn't wait to shoot it! Me either!
From the description of your barrel you might have a common centerfire barrel intended for a .458 Win.
If so the twist will be one turn in 14 inches.
i like rollers lots, and yers is real nice. at the least, do a rifling twist check; 1:18 would be nice. for anything beyond 200 yards, i'd wanna load some good design flat based bullets in the 500+ grain range for starters. as we know, the actual bore and groove diameters will be key to the diameter for either greaser or paper patched bullet, along with the casting alloy. do enjoy that fine roller!
nothing like a .45-70 528 grain ppb BACO on top of 80+ grains of swiss 1-1/2 ... it's my 300 yard and out cartridge load ... in the back row are my 408 grain 200 yard cartridges.
https://i.imgur.com/n9zmmlD.jpg
About 10 years ago, or a bit longer, an outfit brought in a bunch of those Scandavian rollers, that had been back thru the arsenal with the receivers hardened up , barreled and chambered in the 8mm Swede. They were selling for 250, and a lot of us snapped those up, spun those 8mm barrels off and had them fitted with barrels from Badger or Green Mountain.
If you end up wanting to try a heavier bullet than the 405 , take a look at the saeco 645.
Stay with the trapdoor loads your shoulder will thank you , and there really isn't anything anywhere that those lowly trapdoor level smokeless loads won't take out anyway.
Rusty, sorry I missed your question but it was a re-barrel. I had a Douglas 40-65 barrel from a C-Sharps that I upgraded to a Badger barrel in 16 twist and put that barrel on the Roller. This was one of the rifles that Don mentioned. I gave $225 for it IIRC. The 8MM actually shot pretty well but this is what I had in mind from the start.
Bob