Best Loads

[MarkCO]

simpleman, I have been using CCI 41 primers in my 450BM loads. When I first started my load development, and after reading everything here, I played with a bunch of powders, primers, crimps, etc. at about 2000 fps with 230s. The CCI 41s, in my .223 loads give about a 60 fps increase in velocity and a much higher ES and SD, so I use them for the low power hoser 55 FMJs. However, with the 450BM, not only did I see the velocity increase (about 35 fps) but my ES and SD dropped. The cups are a tad harder, but they are essentially magnum primers. Be sure to back off your loads by 10% and work back up. Might be worth trying.

[Hoot]

I still have part of a bottle of N110. All I can say is it is a strange powder. I too thought the slight burn rate edge would help with the 200s, but it only delivered performance a little short of Lil Gun in terms of accuracy and it threw granules of what appeared to be some kind of saw dust downrange. It wasn't unburned powder, but some inert substance the consistency of grains of salt all over my chrony. To this day, I don't know what to make of it. I've have never shot a powder either before or since then, that left whole burned granules in ample quantity that got sprayed downrange like that.

2400 will light off with a cooler primer. It worked well for me several years ago along with the 200 FTX and CCI BR4s. In the case of Lil Gun, I don't think you'll find or reduce your sooting with primers hotter than the 7 1/2. Seat those 200s to the cannelure and lay more taper crimp into it before trying a different primer. A mil of additional taper crimp makes a large difference in our application. Take one of your loaded 200s and see how many whacks it takes with an inertial puller to dislodge it. With a proper crimp, mine take between 6 and 7 good whacks.

I know it's easy for me to say, but it gets easier over time. Try not to let the sooting bother you or try a bottle of 2400. If you only have 7 1/2 primers, go with them and 2400. They're not going to detonate or anything. You will feel the difference in how it lights off immediately over what you feel with Lil Gun. You can sense the rapid rise in pressure. Unfortunately not only does it rise up to pressure faster, but it burns past peak faster, long before the bullet leaves the barrel and for that reason, you can get higher final velocities from Lil Gun, which uses more of the barrel to develop it's pressure. Annealing your cases will enable them to seal off a little easier and that does help with the sooting that accompanies lighter bullets.

Hoot

[Texas Sheepdawg]

I'm using WSR primers and once I got the pressure up a bit, the sooting went away. But even the factory loads by Hornady soot up in my rifle... But once I got to 41-42 grains of LilGun and using the 230 Grain FMJs, my sooting started to go away.

[simpleman]

I will up the load from 38 lil gun and see what happens. I am about 2300 fps right now with this load with no pressure signs. 41 seems like it would be pretty hot load. I will up 1/2 grain at a time.

[Texas Sheepdawg]

The LeGendre Crimp, I believe, is the key.

[simpleman]

What is the measurment I should shoot for in the Taper and Le Grendre Crimp

[Texas Sheepdawg]

What is the measurment I should shoot for in the Taper and Le Grendre Crimp

The answer is in this this thread during my tests with the Hornady 230 Gr FMJ FPs when using the LeGendre Crimp, I think.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8633

[simpleman]

Take a look at these pics. 200 yard 10 shot target with 2.5-10 power scope. 67 Degrees
200 FTX
39.5 Lil Gun
OAL. 2.187
Taper crimp first in Canular .470
LeGendre Crimp .468
Velocity 2308
10 shots 5 at a time with clip loading being the only cool time.
I like this load. Didn't see any pressure signs and sooting not much worse that a factory load. Accuracy still great at 200 yrds. The two low shots could have been shooter error maybe.

200 yard target.jpg (104.58 KiB) Viewed 12056 times

I think I will try a little more Lil Gun as it improved from the 38 Grain load.

[Hoot]

So you taper crimped the forward cannelure and LeGendre crimped the rear one or did you taper crimp the front one and LeGendre crimp it again?

I'd bet if you look at your chrony string, the two low ones were the two slowest. Vertical dispersion pretty much tracks velocity, especially the further out you go, all else being equal.

Hoot

[simpleman]

image.jpg (90.45 KiB) Viewed 12031 times

image.jpg (95.96 KiB) Viewed 12031 times

Here are some pics. No second cannelur pic on box shows it. Pic of shot string as well.
LeGedre crimp is about .110 from mouth of case.