True big bore reloading

[cwtebay]

I was asked to look through a client's gun collection recently and it appears that he went through a love affair for big boomers. I know that some of you have extensive experience in this department - how different/ more difficult is it to reload for cartridges such as 577 NE, 600 NE, a whole slough of Jefferies cartridges...etc?
The biggest thing I reload is 50-90 - and that's in black powder!
Is it feasible to load these down for a more pleasant shooting experience? Does anyone cast for these? Is it possible to use a normal reloading press?
I must admit that I am intrigued by this collection!! And I'm sure at least one of my kids doesn't really NEED to go to college!
I'm sure this is going to be the first of many questions that I ask about this venture.
Thank you all in advance.

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[Winger Ed.]

The most common 577 case length is 3".

A .30-06 case is almost 2 & 1/2".
You might be able to wiggle it up into a standard press for seating, but it'll be a little snug.
As far as reduced loads, there is recipes for the original ones using Holy Black.
You might have to get it custom made, but surely a mold is available.
Same for dies--- I wouldn't count on them being on the shelf at Midway.

I think I'd ohhh,,, ahhh,,, and drool all over it for a few minutes,,, and then hand it back.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I love my "big bores" for shear fun and giggles. I built a 577 Snider on a Martini Henry action and load 92gns of FFG and a 620gn cast boolit.

[ndnchf]

I have some experience with a #1 rolling block in .58 Roberts. Fortunately its not a long cartridge, so its not brutal. It holds 60gr of 2F and uses a special, 500gr oversize minie ball. I'm able to load it with just a few simple tools.

[sharps4590]

I loaded a 500 BPE 3 in. and a 450/400 Jeffrey 3 in. for a couple decades with an RCBS Reloader Special 3 press. Yes, I did have to wiggle the bullets sort of up into the die to seat them. I loaded a 577/450 on the same press but had to remove the bushing as the dies were the larger size. No problem on my Rock chucker.

[elk hunter]

I load for some of the larger calibers including some that the cases are 3 1/4" long. You have to fiddle with them a bit to get them in to the dies using an RCBS rockchucker but it does work. The real expense after the guns can be brass and dies. I haven't seen any Bell or Jamison 577 brass for sale in several years and if you do find some expect to pay at least $8.00 each. You might be able to locate some Bertram brass from Australia for the bigger stuff. Dies from RCBS for the bigger calibers are quite expensive, like $600.00 for 577. CH4D should be cheaper. I was lucky to buy two used sets but they were still over $100.00 each. Some of the older British calibers were not standardized so they may require custom dies. Again very expensive. I have bullet moulds for all my big stuff which helps in cutting costs a bunch. Shooting the big stuff is expensive but where else could you spend your money and have so much fun.

[rbuck351]

The only big bore I have is a 69 cal rifled muzzle loader. Don't need brass or dies or a huge press so it should be cheap to shoot but I haven't finished it yet.

[cwtebay]

Update - he does have some dies that go with each caliber. But he said he had a friend do his reloading so no press. He does have several boxes of bullets and around 100 pieces of brass for each.
Sorry - should have put that in the first post.
He mentioned something about "British powder" that was good but tough to get. Any ideas on what he could mean there?
His memory is not fantastic these days.

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[dverna]

It is great he has brass as I imagine that will be very costly.

Funny how what is big for me is not the same as what is big for others. The .375 H&H seems big to me...LOL.

Should be an interesting project.

[Winger Ed.]

He mentioned something about "British powder" that was good but tough to get. Any ideas on what he could mean there?

Back in the old days, the Brits. used cordite for some loadings.
He might be referring to that.

[cwtebay]

Back in the old days, the Brits. used cordite for some loadings.
He might be referring to that.

I did consider that! Asked him if it looked like spaghetti, he said he didn't think so. But.....
Pretty sure I'm not up to the challenge of using that!

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[papalote]

I load for a 585 Nyati. I use the big RCBS press.

[Mk42gunner]

Didn't RCBS make a stretched version of the Rockchucker fairly recently? If not that, you could probably find one of the presses meant for loading the .50 BMG and use it. Getting the proper adapters to use the current dies in the press may be a slight problem.

I've kind of been pondering the bigbore question myself, one of the semi local fun stores has a Snider. He's got it priced a bit high for the condition, I think.

Robert

[Petander]

Didn't RCBS make a stretched version of the Rockchucker fairly recently?

Yes,the Big RC would work great. Luckily 470 NE is going good with my Redding Big Boss II. But it's about the max comfortable length.

Those big ones bring really big savings when you cast and reload. Brass will cost but it lasts forever especially if you load practise loads lighter and neck size. I save $250-500 every week when I shoot a box or two of cast 470 NE.

At least that's how l explained it to my wife.

[biffj]

I reload some 20mm and 24mm stuff though only the 20mm is truly shoulder fired. Its a bit over 600 gr of powder with a 1600gr projectile at around 3000fps. I use an RCBS Ammomaster press with the 50 BMG conversion. The conversion consists of the screw in shell holder for the 20mmX138B case, the shell plate extensions which are 3 steel columns that replace the shorter version on the regular press and removing the bushing for the 7/8 " dies so you can use the 1.5" diameter dies. For the little stuff you're talking about you may have 1.25" diameter dies and the rockchucker presses have a removable bushing so you can use them.

Frank

[15meter]

I did consider that! Asked him if it looked like spaghetti, he said he didn't think so. But.....
Pretty sure I'm not up to the challenge of using that!

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Pretty sure that Cordite isn't available anymore, and I certainly don't have the equipment to load it and I doubt if anybody in the US has the equipment.

The following video is pretty cool, the spaghetti, oops I mean the Cordite is "dropped" in the case at about 1:50.

[15meter]

I load for the 416 Rigby, the 470, 450, 450/400, 400/350 Nitro Express's, the Purdey 450/360 plus a couple more silly cartridges.

I cast for and shoot reduced loads in all of them. Dinger ringer loads.

As in take an old oxygen cylinder and cut it in half or thirds, hang the pieces up and play some music. They ring like the bells of Notre Dame.

All will fit in my 1974 Rockchucker. The 470 is a bit of a challenge(well they all are a bit of a challenge on the Rockchucker, the 470 just a bit more).

The 470 works better on the Lyman T-Mag, just depends if

[cwtebay]

Pretty sure that Cordite isn't available anymore, and I certainly don't have the equipment to load it and I doubt if anybody in the US has the equipment.

The following video is pretty cool, the spaghetti, oops I mean the Cordite is "dropped" in the case at about 1:50.

I purchased a TON of old 303 Brit mil surp at one point and thought I would salvage the brass and bullets. After I realized the potential for a truly memorable experience with aged cordite I elected to get some other use from them. It was horrible to get pulled out. I went on a deep dive into how they were loaded - not for the feint of heart!!
Oh, and wow! Did they ever make a pretty flame in the burn barrel!

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[15meter]

I load for the 416 Rigby, the 470, 450, 450/400, 400/350 Nitro Express's, the 450/360 Purdey plus a couple more silly cartridges.

I cast for and shoot reduced loads in all of them. Dinger ringer loads.

As in take an old oxygen cylinder and cut it in half or thirds, hang the pieces up and play some music. They ring like the bells of Notre Dame.

All will fit in my 1974 Rockchucker. The 470 is a bit of a challenge(well they all are a bit of a challenge on the Rockchucker, the 470 just a bit more).

The 470 works better on the Lyman T-Mag, just depends if

Now for the rest of the story, apparently my "token" expired while I was typing the above and the forum kicked me off.

Right when my wife decided it was time to go out for dinner.

I smell a conspiracy. But the prime rib sandwich was good, so I'll turn a blind eye. For now.

So continuing the narrative:

...if I am not too lazy to mount the T-Mag in place of the Rockchucker.

Pistol weight boolits will in most cases regulate at lower speeds. There are formulas out there to load these old boomers with 5744 and Reloder 15. The 5744 is a generic formula using a percentage of the weight of 5744 that fills the case to the base of the boolit. Much more pleasant to shoot.

The Reloder 15 is a specific Cordite for Reloder 15 conversion rate. Most of the old English doubles will be marked on the rifle the load that the rifle was regulated with. X amount of cordite for x% of Reloder. These will be pretty close to the original loads.

Buddy and I will take 150 rounds of my elephant caliber mouse fart loads out and ring bells and wonder why that's all we brought with us.

We shoot 2-4 rounds each REAL elephant loads and it's Miller Time.

Look for similar old 'merican calibers, 45-120 is sort of in the same ballpark as a 450 Nitro Express, there are cast loads out there for those that can be a start point.

Load and shoot them, it's the most fun you can have with you clothes on.

Unless you've got good ice and good wind.

[15meter]

Pretty sure that Cordite isn't available anymore, and I certainly don't have the equipment to load it and I doubt if anybody in the US has the equipment.

The following video is pretty cool, the spaghetti, oops I mean the Cordite is "dropped" in the case at about 1:50.

And it probably would have helped it I had actually put the link to the video in the post. Duh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXNXUpOozDg