450 Bushmaster

[badgeredd]

Anyone shooting cast boolits in one?

I shot a friends last week and now I am re-thinking the Black Rifle thing. It surely is fun!

Considering the cost of commercial ammo, it is only logical for me to wonder if anyone is trying to shoot cast boolits.

Edd

[Jailer]

Hey Edd. They guys over at 450bushmaster.net have been down this road. Apparently it's possible but no one has been able to get acceptable accuracy. The theory being that the gas check shank is too short causing gas cutting as it passes by the gas port. Reports of random fliers are very common. One of the very active members over there is Tim the guy that created the cartridge so there is plenty of knowledge in the posts.

Of course all this is just what I've read, I haven't tried casting for mine yet.

I have swaged a few bullets for mine and have had fair results so far but more testing is needed for conclusive results.

[BD]

I have a couple of thousand cast boolits through mine. It will hold a 2 1/2" group @ 100 yards all day long, but I haven't found the magic combination to do better that that. Still working on it though. Shooting the 250 grain FTX I've kept 25 rounds in an inch more than once off a rest, and that's no BS, so I'm thinking I should be able to do better than 5 rounds in 2 1/2" with cast.
Sure is fun!
BD

[rockrat]

I can get just under 2" with my Bushmaster. One caveat is that I use 45 RIFLE gas checks. They are longer and keep the gas port covered for a longer time.

Course, I have always wondered about the theory of gas cutting at the gas port. You have a rapidly expanding column of gas traveling down the bore. It has velocity and momentum so does it really have the time to turn 90 degrees AND affect the boolit, before the boolit is long past the gas port?

Oh, I was using the Lee 310gr

[Moonie]

Isn't a problem with any of my AR's in other calibers, not even with the plain base ones. Wonder why it would be with the 450?

[Drphilwv]

See you just need to get one built on a bolt-action platform. My 450 Bushmaster project has finally been completed. This was built on an 1891 Argentine Mauser platform. The .452 blank is a heavy barrel. Thats a good thing apparently as the gunsmith said the test firing was ferocious. Will post some pics when I get the bugger home. Hoping to be able to shoot CB's in it.
Phil (still a newby)

[badgeredd]

Jailer,

Those swaged bullets are looking good! That is at least one alternative to the commercial ammo. I'm thinking the cartridge may be just the ticket for those of us here in the lower Michigan hunting zone if they change the legal firearms rule for us.

Rochrat,

Your experience is making me wonder if custom gas checks might cure the problem. It doesn't seem like it would be a problem to make longer gas checks with a custom gas check die.

Drphilww,

I've thought about a bolt action a bit. Here in lower Michigan, they've (DNR) thought about allowing us (not yet though) a rifle with limited cartridge dimensions, to use a rifle (we're limited to shotguns and hand guns with a 35 caliber or larger bore in a non-bottle neck cartridge.) They've propsed a straight wall cartridge, 1.8" or shorter 35 caliber or larger. IF I were to build a bolt gun for a 45 caliber, I believe I'd build on for a wildcat I have in mind. It is similar to the 458 American but shortened to the 1.8" case length.

Thanks guys for the input. Now I have to think this thing thru.

Edd