Looking for a Mid-range 450BM Load......

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Re: Looking for a Mid-range 450BM Load......

Postby Hoot » Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:28 am

papajohn wrote:I've been all over the Interwebz tonight seeking suitable bullets for further experimentation, there is a 300-grain Speer Soft-point that Graf's carries with a current listed price of $12.49 for 50, which is almost unheard of these days, so I'm going to order a hundred or more tomorrow and see where that takes me. I've always been a cheap so-and-so (just ask my exes....) and I appreciate a good bargain, but only if it shoots well and does the job I ask of it.

HOOT, like you I have a 20" Bushmaster upper, and I also tested some loads with 230 FMJ bullets.......44 grains of Accurate 1680 gave me far better accuracy than I expected, mostly because they were cheapo Armscor bullets, but I figured 2-3" groups at 100 yards were plenty good enough for my initial test loads. The other test loads were a mix of 230 XTP's and Sierra 230 JHP's, and none of those were significantly better. At that point I was worried a lot more about the mag issues I was having, of the three Bushmaster mags I had only one was reliable, and shooting good groups when you constantly have to deal with feeding/jamming issues is a study in frustration. Things are getting better with the mags, but I'd be a lot happier if I could figure out how to tear the mags down and polish a few things. In spite of what others claim, I'm not OCD. No, really, I'm NOT. Stop grinning like that. :roll:

I have a major love affair going with my Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun, and the primary reason for getting the 450BM was because it's kind of like a 45-70 in an AR Platform. I've had a dozen or more AR's, I like the platform a lot, and decided that in case wild pigs ever overrun St Louis, a man ought to have a Thumper, just to be on the safe side. That's my justification, and I'm sticking with it. I've certainly heard a lot sillier reasons for buying a gun than that, and so have you.

I appreciate the feedback I've gotten here, I love being a part of a forum where everyone is a handloader, because as a general rule we like to tinker and figure things out and try new stuff. For a dozen years I was the Reloading Forum moderator on a popular site, and fielding questions from new guys was always fun and challenging. Now I'm the newbie, dealing with all the weird variables in a round that isn't like what I'm used to dealing with, and it's comforting to know that y'all (or ALL y'all) have already been down the same road I've just stumbled across.

I don't hunt anymore, never hunted a lot, and denied my craving for big-bore rifles for years. Then one day I was offered a sweet deal on a 45-70, bought it, and realized all the fun I'd been missing for years. Adding the 450 BashMonster was just a natural next step. I'd love to get back to hunting, but I'm older and lazier and won't do it unless it's something I want to eat, and I really like venison and pork. If wild porkers ever get up this far north (I'm not talking about the inner-city hogs, they've been here for years) I would love to do some real hunting, a 200-pound sow would be the best target I could find in my crosshairs.

Sorry for rambling, I don't get online much these days, hip/back issues preclude sitting for long. But it's fun getting onto a forum where we have a favorite caliber in common.

I like it here. You guys are cool. ;)


Interesting that you use AA1680 with such a light bullet as the 230 fmj. I would never have tried that as QuickLoad says that 17% of the powder blows out the barrel unburned. Even I can still learn a thing or two. I've always just used Lil Gun (both the older and newer). My issue with the 230 fmj is that they are a dense bullet, not having any hollow cavity and as such, they're short for their weight. That doesn't afford much bearing surface down in the case, even when seated to 2.05 COL. Translation, its hard to get a good hold on them with just the taper crimp. Several members swear by the side (stab) crimp to keep them from pulling each time they're chambered, not to mention jumping too easily before the powder gets really cooking. If I were going to guess a candidate for hang fires, that recipe would be right up near the top. Again, you're never too old to learn. If you ever get tired of the "War of the Mags" and want to just buy your way out, the Bartz mags are custom made for the 450b, not re-tasked 5.56 mags and I've had great success with them, right out of the box.

While this caliber certainly has a few peccadilos, the bigger sense I get from it is its forgiving nature and the ability to make the shooter look like they know what they're doing on the firing line. Image

Off to the shower, then fight my way into work on the heels of an Historic April Snow Storm (20 incher). 2-1/2 years until I can retire and go shooting whenever I please. I count every day. :|

Hoot
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
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Re: Looking for a Mid-range 450BM Load......

Postby papajohn » Tue Apr 17, 2018 10:53 am

I ordered 250 of those Speer 300's yesterday from Graf's, so if it ever warms up here (30 degrees in St Louis again this morning) I should have some ammo ready to test by the time parka weather ends. It was 87 here one day last week, then back to freezing ever since.

Those AA1680 loads were just an experiment but I was using brand new brass and dies, so getting a hard crimp wasn't too difficult. I tend to do a lot of experimenting, especially with new calibers.

Image

I would have loved to chronograph them, but some fool shot my chronograph again, and until I get back back to work getting it fixed or replaced will have to wait. (I'd love to whoop his butt, but I beat myself up enough already. ;) )

The magazine issues are getting better, but I need to find a good way to lube them without taking them apart. One is the BM mag that came with the upper, the other two say "Stoner AR" on them. I've never heard of Bartz, but I'll give them a look.

Enjoy your snow......I have a friend in Grand Rapids I talk to every week, and it boggles my mind what kind of weather you have to put up with, I don't have the patience for all that mess. The worst part of Midwestern weather is that it tends to change about every 20 minutes. Furnace on in the morning, AC in the afternoon, and back to the furnace at night. It gets a little annoying, but not as much as two feet of snow in April! :shock:
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Re: Looking for a Mid-range 450BM Load......

Postby Hoot » Tue Apr 17, 2018 12:20 pm

Guy on the radio referred to today as January 107th! :lol: We have a pool going at work for when the local lake goes ice out. I'm down for May 19th. Kiss that dollar goodbye! The most recent boring showed the 100 acre lake next to our facility was still 22 inches thick. :roll:

Experimenting is the icing on top of the cake WRT shooting. Seriously, buy a new chronograph. Even the less expensive Chrony models work great. I too know a guy who put a 147gr LC .308 FMJ, end to end through his chrony. :oops: Besides groups, its one of the most useful metrics we throw around here.

Hoot
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Re: Looking for a Mid-range 450BM Load......

Postby papajohn » Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:15 pm

A new chrony is on the list, but I haven't worked since before Christmas and it may be awhile before I find anything I actually want to do. In the meantime I'm living on ramen noodles and fishheads. Nah, not really, but things are pretty tight right now. My honey got laid off six weeks ago so we're both on the prowl.

When I first started reloading all those years ago, I tried every load with every powder and every bullet I could get my hands on, in every caliber I started loading for. Probably could have bought a really nice house (and paid it off early) if I didn't have a hobby that eats dollar bills like a horse eats hay. But I sure have had a lot of fun through the years, and haven't blown myself up, either. And I even learned a thing or two......just enough to tell me I still have a lot left to learn.

I'll holler back when I get a chance to load some of those 300-grainers and try them out. Rumor has it 31.0 grains of Lil Gun is the beans with that bullet weight, we'll see if my rifle concurs with that assessment.

PJ
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