adelmo wrote:Recently purchased Hornady Classic Reloading kit and will be receiving 500 .451 XTP 185GR Bullets as part of offer.
Looking to punch paper and new to Reloading.
Would this bullet would work and if so what is your recommendation.
Thanks, Alan
Alan-
If you're new to reloading, then the 185-grain bullets probably
are not the best way to start working with 450 Bushmaster loads. Hornady has published loading data only for their 250-grain FTX, 240-grain XTP/Mag, and 300-grain XTP/Mag bullets. There are good reasons why they limited their recommendation to those weights. Working with lighter bullets gets into some problems that are not easily solved. You can find threads on this forum where "wildcatter", the developer of the 450B round, has issued specific warnings about bad blow-ups that can occur with the difficulties that are common to light-bullet loads.
If you look at some of the early threads in this forum, starting in June 2009, you'll find 6 or 7 sequential reports of my attempts to work with a Hornady 185-grain SWC. If you care to muddle through them, post your questions here, and I'll try to answer them. Where I mess up, the other forum wizards can help get you straight.
--Bob