450Bushmaster.net

Greeting! My first 450BM which is a replacement for a Marlin 1894 44mag.
Brand new CVA Cascade in 450 BM. Loaded up 200, 230 and 330 gr bullets with some unique just to see if it would stay on paper. (Long story here about that other rifle) Was pretty happy with the groups but not my bullet selection so I now have a new Lee cast bullet that’s casting to about 259 grains, I’m sizing to 452 and then powder coating them with final size being 454.

Starting with Hogdon Lilgun (new powder for me) and started with 10 of 31gr, 5 of 32 and 5 of 33. These may be under starting loads, hard to tell because load data has loads for 250gr and 275gr. Hope to shoot them this week.

BB

welcome aboard. Nice looking gun, have heard about the Cascade line in other calibers, looking forward to your cast reports.

CVA's building a nice looking rifle! Congratulations.

that'll getter done!

I did get a new mold from Lee with bullets casting at 259 grains. I sized them to .452 and then powder coated them with Eastwood paint. I didn’t resize them after the pc so I loaded them at .454 with Hogdon LIlGun, 31,32 and 33 grains. Not at all happy with the groups and not sure what the problem is, bullet, load (too hot for the lead bullet) or me. A lot of it could be me but I don’t think it’s all me...

I “had” a deteriorated disc in my neck that was causing severe pain in my left shoulder and I shoot left handed. This gun/load was kicking me pretty hard but I wanted to try them out before I had surgery to correct the bad disk knowing that I won’t be shooting rifles for awhile after it. I had the surgery on Dec 10th have a nice new piece of carbon fiber in my neck fusing 3 vertebrae together. But, I’m thinking it’s going to be a few months before I dare to shoot these loads again...

But, I might try some lighter loads using Unique (maybe 10grains) and see if I can get that bullet to shoot well. I may size them down again after painting so they are all a perfect .452. I also have a lot of the lighter bullets I can try again too just to get some trigger time and see what this gun will do with light loads. For now though, I’m still healing from surgery, not allowed to drive and have to be very careful about moving my head quickly. I think I can cast bullets though so I may “escape” to the shop this week and get some 45 auto bullets cast for my son.

But, I’m thinking it’s going to be a few months before I dare to shoot these loads again...

Lead sled?

Get well wishes to ya!

Just out of curiosity, did you slug your bore? If so, what did it measure?

Have you chronographed them?
What is the Brinnel hardness of the bullets?
Did you run them through the .452 sizer before or after you coated them?
Have you considered sizing them to .451 then coating them?
What is the rifle twist of your barrel?