True big bore reloading

[15meter]

And anneal the brass before starting. Older brass with unknown number of firings, it's time to anneal.

At the cost and difficulty of finding some of the old brass it hurts to lose just 1 piece to a split neck.

Ken Waters had several articles on loading some of these old cartridges.

I know an early Accurate manual had a chapter on loading obsolete American calibers.

Perhaps edition #1. Full sized, red cover manual. Also Phil Sharpes' book from the '40's has some usable data.

I've been loading some of these for several years now, always on the lookout for load data.

[toot]

I guess that FAT IS WHERE IT IS AT!! bigger is better, for sure.!!!!

[Good Cheer]

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.

There's much to be said for caseless ammo.

[Petander]

I got my 470 NE plinker data from Vihtavuori.

I called them and told what bullets I have, they called me back the following day with data. You can not safely go below certain fill percentage on these.

This here I just confirmed today, regulates @ 50 meters. Mihec 405 grains, Vihtavuori N135, velocity 2000 fps. Fun to shoot claybirds on a 25-35 meter berm ,fast. Fun to shoot pretty much anything to be honest.

[sharps4590]

Doubles are just fun, period. I sold the 500 BPE mentioned earlier but it's been replaced by a Vierordt SXS in 8 X 65R Brenneke and a Merkel O/U in 8 X 60R Magnum. I still have my old Goldmann from the 1870's in 43 Mauser. It will be the starter for opening day again, this coming Saturday. After that I'll start sending in the relievers..

[toot]

WOW! that looks like a family port rate of shell's! I like it!

[Rapier]

Reminds me of my 458 Lott, I built on an MRC action, it seemed like a good idea at the time. My rhino gun, since I built it, I haven't seen a rhino out on the beach, works pretty good.

Every once in a while I have someone ask me to build one for them. I just hand them the rifle and a cartridge and invite them to go out back and shoot it, end of that curiosity.

[414gates]

Is it feasible to load these down for a more pleasant shooting experience?

You can reduce the load, but be mindful of case fill. I don't like the powder to slosh around in a big bore case, so I keep it down with dacron. My cast loads for 500 Jeffery use 1 grain of dacron.

Is it possible to use a normal reloading press?

The press needs to accomodate the die body. Whatever that is for the particular die. Different manufacturers use different die body sizes.

There are three sizes - normal dies are 7/8"-14 threads, next size up is 1 1/4"-12 which Lee calls large body dies, and then you get the 1 1/2" x 12 dies for 50BMG case diameters. If you want one press to load everything, get either the RCBS or Hornady 50 BMG press.

does anyone cast for these?

The biggest I cast for is 500 Jeffery. I cast for 416 Ruger and 375 H&H as well. You can have custom moulds made if not commercially available. I recommend push through sizers, from Lee or NOE.

http://ysterhout.net/docs/big-bore-casting/index.html

[Petander]

470 NE with a short 400 grain bullet and Redding Big Boss:



Standard Rock Chucker with the same bullet / cartridge.



I prefer Redding here, for obvious reasons.

[Tonto]

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

Very cool video. Cordite is strange stuff.

[Rich/WIS]

Hornady loads some of the British big bores, although how available ammo or brass is I don't know. They list 450/400 NE, 416 Rigby, 500/416 NE, 404 Jeffrey, 450 Rigby, 450 NE, 470 NE and 500 NE. Not sure if the brass could be reformed for other calibers or not. at one time there was apublication soley for the old British calibers, but don't recall it's name. Google might help.

[Petander]

Norma loads 470 NE as well.

Finland price US$ 290/ ten rounds. Ok?

[15meter]

Here they are about half that. When they are in stock. Makes a set of dies and a boolit mold kinda cheeep.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001980291

And even with the cheap domestic ammo it doesn't take long to justify the mold and dies.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001965694?pid=972726

[cwtebay]

It actually isn't that difficult to find ammunition for these as I've found. Norma, Hornady, Kynoch all have it - for a price. But he does have brass and bullets and loaded ammunition and dies as I mentioned.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[lar45]

I use RL15 for my 470NE with 5gn of dacron and a 500gn cast bullet. I load to 2150 with good results. I've also loaded the Lee 400 and 325 just for fun...
I load on a Lee classic cast press.

[eastbank]

my big bores are the american 45-70,s, 400 gr bullets at over 2100 fps in my rugers and 500 gr bullets at over 1800 fps.

[15meter]

my big bores are the american 45-70,s, 400 gr bullets at over 2100 fps in my rugers and 500 gr bullets at over 1800 fps.

I shot a similar load out of a Ruger #3.

Once.

It was a buddy's rifle and load. He has since passed away, I was storing some of his reloading stuff when he died. His girlfriend told me to keep it.

I've still got a partial box of the 45-70's in the shed. Should disassemble them.

I'll shoot them right about the time we get porcine aviators.

[Petander]

I use RL15 for my 470NE with 5gn of dacron and a 500gn cast bullet. I load to 2150 with good results. I've also loaded the Lee 400 and 325 just for fun...
I load on a Lee classic cast press.

My (factory regulated) J-load is a 500 grain Woodleigh @ 2150 fps. N160.

But I like these 400's @ 2000 fps / N135 for plink & practise for now. That fast & accurate second shot you know... these 400's regulate up to 60 meters ,crossing there.

Bench is tough with full house 500's... I've been on glucosamine for some years now. Shoulder pain stays away almost miraculously,... knock...

Nowadays, I'm cheating with the excellent PAST recoil shield. Should have gotten one 30 years ago.

[BrassMagnet]

I have 500 NE 3" brass somewhere. No gun.

[rrob692326]

I reload monster sized, .585 Hubel Express cartridges on my RCBS Rockchucker. You have to remove the top bushing, and get a proper sized one, which in my case uses the 1-1/2" dies. I use a standard shellholder and it sizes and loads the big 3 inch cases with no problems. I load 780 grain and 1150 grain hard cast powder coated bullets with no problem.
P.S. the big 1150 grain bullet is 1-1/2" long by itself, yet the press still gets the job done! Top loads make even the vaunted .577 T Rex cartridge sit up and take notice, as I have a doozy load that generates 7 and 1/2 foot tons, (yes, that's right that's 15,000 ft lbs) of muzzle energy load, that gently nudges my shoulder with 248 ft pounds of recoil to let you know you just fired something different.