450Bushmaster.net

250 grain FTX measures out at .950" in length

250 grain MonoFlex measures out at 1.086"

What is a good accurate load in your rifle for the .452 250 gr Monoflex (GMX ish muzzle loader bullet) with Lil'gun

How does the increase in length (bullet encroachment on powder) effect the posted charge weights in Hornady's loading manual for the same weight FTX ?

Thanks

According to my QuickLoad program -- inserting the bullet length (because the bullet is not listed) --- the max LG load would be 35.3 grs. Essentially, 2 grains under hornadys book. Velocity is 2100 fps.

Much appreciated ! I'll start 1 grain short of that and use a chronograph to verify speeds.

If anybody else has already gone to the range with LilGun and Monoflex please provide your results as well.

Have a good one

That sure is an interesting looking bullet. Would love to see how it performs. Before you get into a jam, no pun intended, you really need to use a Hornady OAL gauge and determine at what OAL that bullet engages the rifling. This is doubly important in all copper bullets. Some 300gr hollow points when loaded to just fit in the magazine, say 2.26 OAL, turn out to be jammed into the rifling. Don't get me wrong. Bullets seated to just engage or even push into the rifling a little bit are some of the most accurate loads you can produce. Not always, but more often than not. The key factor is the increase in initial pressure early in the ignition cycle. That phenomenon has to be allowed for in choosing a starting load. For smooth sided bullets, it also introduces an additional concern and that is not having the bullet pull out of the case when you extract it unfired, leaving a mess. Every reloader should have an OAL gauge, especially those who use bullets without much of a track record in the caliber they're using. From a real world standpoint, I have yet to encounter a 450b bullet with a ballistic tip, that engaged the rifling without being too long to fit in an AR magazine.

Hoot

Hoot , copy the good advice, back when shooting 270 win using Berger VLDs it became clear and apparent that the distance to the lands was critical to accuracy with that pill.

Sure enough Berger released a bulletin later acknowledging this and ended up redesigning a Classic Hybrid VLD for those trying to use them further away from the lands (semi auto mag limited group).

Ever since I always check distance to the lands and aim for a couple of thous off the lands with any bullet.

I'll report back my COAL, load, and results here as I get underway.

The Tromix barrel is due to arrive today

that's the bullet I wish Hornady would add to their lineup, and maybe a 200gr version!!

notes from a couple years ago show I shot 5 of those thru my 16" factory AR for accuracy, 38gr Lilgun, CCI450, no problem, as accurate as FTX, need to look into more.

I have since dedicated that gun to 1680 and 300gr XTP mags, but need to put them on the radar for the 45R and 460 Encore.

I settled on 34.8 grains of LG with Win WSR primer, coal 2.2250.

Here is a 4 shot group at 100 yards off of double bags

Excellent performance!

Is that a 1:16 or 1:24 barrel?

I ask because experience showed that the additional pressure afforded by the 1:16 allows you to use a little less powder than the 1:24. Add to that, the additional resistance of a monolithic copper bullet adds to that effect a little more. Interesting results. As to whether the difference in 2100 vs 2200 vs 2250fps matters all that much, the answer is not as much as you might think. The overall diameter of this round make it pretty deadly at any of those velocities. IMHO, recovering quickly for a second shot (if needed) along with precise shot placement, are both worthwhile trade-offs for 100fps less velocity. jist sayin'...

Hoot

Hoot -

The Tromix barrel is 1x24 twist .

I was on the fence on the bolt action Ruger but when I saw 1x16 twist for that I decided against it as I'm just starting to learn the 450b ways and don't need to over complicate my process at the moment.

I did try 35.3 grs and 35.8 grs but stopped there as the fps were creeping over 2300 and accuracy was degrading.

I now have 12 rounds of 36+ gr loads that I need to disassemble - I bet the kinetic hammer puller is fun with this round...

Pig_Popper wrote:...snip...

I bet the kinetic hammer puller is fun with this round...

I have pulled my share of 450b cartridges with one. Finally broke down and got a collet pulling die for the press. Slick as sliced bread and not nearly as irritating to the spouse's ears. That translates to not as irritating to my ears.