MP 200gr RNHP first tests

[Grandpas50AE]

Well, I got my first chance to test some of the MP 200gr. RNHP boolits last weekend. I had received my molds weekend before last and casted up about 500 of them, sized and lubed (sized to .4515), waited a week, and loaded and shot my first batch last weekend. They shot very well, and all casted out at 199.3 gr. These are some really fine boolits. I had loaded them at 1.200" OAL, and they did well in the Eclipse 5" and Super Carry Pro (4"), but had several "nose-dive" trying to chamber in the Ultra (3"). Last night I loaded some up at 1.190" and the nose-dive problem in feeding went away. Shot in all three 1911's again today and all fed and shot 100% reliable and very accurate. I had received my hardness tester from Cabin Tree week before last and tested them at 14.5BHN, so I think I am going to soften the alloy a bit. BAC is the lube I'm using. No leading, cleans up quickly, and shoots really well. I'm happy!

Also shot some of the MP 185gr. SWCHP, sized and lubed the same, seated at 1.240" OAL. Shoots superbly accurate and feeds in all three like a dream. One of these days I might actually try putting in the plug pins to make solids on both molds, but am having fun with the HP's for right now.

Miha's molds are really great; I'll rate them right up there with Accurate Molds, which are really superb molds as well. Both will be getting more of my business over the next few years.

[nwilson1024]

amen to that! I’m a college student and I’m graduating in may and can't wait to get a job and start making money so I can buy more of Miha's molds.

[MikeS]

Along with Mihec & Accurate, if you get a chance to cast with an NOE brass mould, do it, as Al's brass moulds are right up there in quality! I have one of the 454424 clones in a 2 cavity brass mould, and it's a really sweet casting mould, and makes boolits that have a really nice finish to them as well!

[birdadly]

I'm glad you tried the shorter OAL for that 3". That's all I've shot the 200gr RNHP in so far and I believe I set mine to 1.187" and is working quite well. I just made up some of the SWCs myself, lubed them and hope to load them this week. I'll see how your 1.240" OAL for that boolit fits my barrel! -Brad

[Grandpas50AE]

Along with Mihec & Accurate, if you get a chance to cast with an NOE brass mould, do it, as Al's brass moulds are right up there in quality! I have one of the 454424 clones in a 2 cavity brass mould, and it's a really sweet casting mould, and makes boolits that have a really nice finish to them as well!

Thanks MikeS, that's handy to know. I have looked at his moulds on the group buys, and based on the volume and schedule I have to assume they are very good since so many people are getting in on the GB's.

[Grandpas50AE]

I'm glad you tried the shorter OAL for that 3". That's all I've shot the 200gr RNHP in so far and I believe I set mine to 1.187" and is working quite well. I just made up some of the SWCs myself, lubed them and hope to load them this week. I'll see how your 1.240" OAL for that boolit fits my barrel! -Brad

I was wondering if anyone else had to seat that deep. It was a guess on my part to go deeper based on my understanding of the timing of the slide going forward versus the magazine spring pushing the nose back up before it got to the frame, so I went deeper to allow time for the boolit nose to recover its slight upward attitude.

[Michael J. Spangler]

i seat them to 1.190 and have shot a few hundred with no FTF perfect cycling each time.

[FireFly]

Hi Grandpas50AE,

Any chance you've come across the NOE 45-210BD in your search for a 200 gr HP?

Also, about how fast (F/S) would a 45 acp bullet need to travel for it to expand on impact?

[Grandpas50AE]

FireFly, I have not seen the NOE 45-210BD, so I can't comment either way on it. As far as velocity for expansion, the .45 ACP would be no different than any other in that respect, it would depend on the boolit alloy. Soft alloys can expand at 700 fps, while a little harder alloy may require 900 fps. A hard enough alloy won't expand at all. My load development alloy is running 14.5 BHN, which won't even begin to expand it at 900 fps, so I will be casting my next batch for the HP's with a lot more pure lead added back, hopeing to get to about 9 or 10 for hardness.

[Boolseye]

Also, about how fast (F/S) would a 45 acp bullet need to travel for it to expand on impact?

I've done some load development in this area. As mentioned, softening the alloy is key, down to around 7-10 Bhn max. At that point, anything 900 fps and up will expand nicely (these are ballpark figures, based on .45 tests I've done using a 200gr. SWC HP)

[huntrick64]

I have shot about 800 of these out of my SR1911. The only problem I have had (and a fairly consistent problem with the 7-round clip) is that when I shoot my first round, it ejects fine but when it loads the second round, it grabs the base of the second round and part of the base of the third round which jams the gun. I have to drop the clip, then it will let the second round go full battery. I set my OAL for these MP-200-HP at 1.208" which is where it headspaces perfectly flush when dropped in the breach of the removed barrel.

BTW, the best load yet I have found with this bullet/gun is:

MP-200 RNHP with the round pins
50% lead - 50% WW (bhn around 8)
OAL 1.208"
taper crimp .468
WLP primer
5.9 gr Unique

Will shoot 5-shot 1.5" groups at 25 yds with wrists on sandbags. Usually 3 of the 5 will be in one cloverleaf hole. I would love to see what this would do in a ransom rest, but my last name is not Rockefeller, Walton, or Gates, it's Scrimpnsave!

I actually though about changing my name to Rockefeller when I received my MP molds, but then I realized that the Rockefellers probably never had anything THAT nice.

[MtGun44]

The 200 gr MP HP is my MOST ACCURATE .45 ACP boolit, slightly eclipsing the old champ,
the 452460. Glad to hear of your excellent success - not surprising this is a great design
and MP are great molds.

And in addition to great accuracy - - - -



Expect double that penetration in normal 10% ballistic gel.
Bill

[LeadBrain]

You guys are killing me! I just received one of these molds and won't be able to try it out for awhile due to other obligations. Sure looks purty sittin there though!

[Grandpas50AE]

Huntrick64, I will be casting my next batch with 50%ww/50%pure lead to get a soft enough boolit for expansion. My load parameters are very close to yours except the OAL in mine are 1.190" to accomodate the feed issues I had with the 3" Ultra Carry. Also, my powder is different - I'm using 7.0 gr. SR4756.

MtGun44 - What alloy were you using to get that expansion - it looks just like what one would want to see. Have you chrono'ed those loads for velocity?

[MtGun44]

Alloy was range scrap, about 8 BHN or maybe 10. Not chronoed. Don't really care. Performance
is what counts and is very good. I would guess maybe 1000 fps, possibly more. Near max load
for this boolit, I would think.

Bill