1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help...

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1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help...

Postby Tripplebeards » Wed May 31, 2017 8:29 pm

I am kinda confused with the crimp process with my hornady custom die set. I just loaded up my first batch of 300g lee cast bullets I made last week.. They Are powder coated, water quenched, and gas checked. I Weighed the projectiles and there is a 1 grain variance.i loaded them at 2.075", used rem 7 1/2 primers, and worked h110 powder from 27g to 34.5g in .5g increments for group testing.

I seated them to the bottom crimp groove. Hornady told me to crimp them with a light roll crimp first and then a taper crimp.

I read on the posts here to taper at .476 if I remember? Sounds confusing to double crimp...is this correct?

Any help would be great.untill then my loads will sit uncrimped till I figure it out.
If my groups show promise I'll work them up to 460s&w data as long as no signs of pressure show. Sounds like cast bullet
Groups open up at higher speeds and most shooters have better groups when running them slow?

Image
Last edited by Tripplebeards on Thu Jun 01, 2017 5:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 1st crimping my 450BS need help...

Postby Hoot » Thu Jun 01, 2017 5:05 am

I would have recommended seating them longer myself, but again, I have zero experience with cast boolits. There are two reasons. I woulld have recommended loading them so the groove that is buried was barely peeking out over the mouth and then taper crimping only down into that groove to a resulting mouth diameter of .474. That has worked well for copper bullets with driving bands such as the Barnes XPB. The other reason is for smooth chambering as they are quite blunt. I realize that chambering does n0t involve such an extreme journey in a bolt action as it does in a mag fed AR platform. Historically, since this was an AR platform caliber for so many years, we have strictly avoided using the roll crimp, opting for just the taper crimp. Then the side crimp emerged and has worked well also. Definitely run those blue blunts over a chrony when you test them. I look forward to your range report.

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Re: 1st crimping my 450BS need help...

Postby Tripplebeards » Thu Jun 01, 2017 5:29 am

Sweet, I'll tapper crimp only tonight. Bad pic, the bottom crimp groove is just barely out.I originally was going to leave the bullets out longer....2.140" which exposed part of top band above lube groove was exposed but it just didn't look right. I wanted to make sure there was enough bullet sitting in the case for better consistent release pressures . I was getting hung up on leaving the bullets out farther as well trying to seat just off the lands but to be honest I get just as good of groups(cloverleafing with jword rifle projectiles...I realize cast is a whole different world) by just loaded to suggested max length.

I'll make sure to whip out my chrony. I want to get these babies trucking and keep working up to 460 load data as long as I don't see pressure signs but from all my readings not expecting tight groups with velocity gains at faster speeds....guess we will see. I have to get an optic mounted on the rifle yet, clean the barrel, and double check Rugers free float job before I head to the range. It's my first try at casting so I'm excited to see what happens. MOA is my goal...don't care how fast or slow being hard cast is going to going through anything in its path.
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Re: 1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help.

Postby Tripplebeards » Thu Jun 01, 2017 6:08 am

Image
Here's a better pic...the bullet is seated just above the bottom tapper groove. My plan was to follow hornadys instructions and put a light roll crimp on it first and then tapper it. If I don't like the looks of the tapper groove by itself being how deep I seated them I might do both.
I polished my trigger and removed about a coil and a half from the spring. It's approx a Crisp 2.5lbs. I will be shooting
Out of my lead sled. Trying to remove as many variables as possible to keep groups tight.
Last edited by Tripplebeards on Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:50 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: 1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help.

Postby BW460 » Thu Jun 01, 2017 8:36 am

Let us know how those flat points feed in that bolt gun. I have heard of some guys reporting they had problems with flat points.
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Re: 1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help.

Postby Tripplebeards » Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:39 am

I've heard the same from non powder coated bullets only. I guess the PC acts like a lube to aid in feeding. I guess ill find out soon.
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Re: 1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help.

Postby Hoot » Thu Jun 01, 2017 12:08 pm

tripplebeards wrote: snip... I was getting hung up on leaving the bullets out farther as well trying to seat just off the lands ...snip


Speaking of loading to the lands, did you chamber one of those and close the bolt? Blunt tips get into the lands at fairly short COL's. The Hornady 300gr XTP Mags can not be loaded to 2.26 COL and chamber in my Bartz barrel.

IIRC, a jword, flat base bullet loaded backwards in a 450b case hits the taper at 1.96 COL!

Image

Just sayin'...

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Re: 1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help.

Postby Tripplebeards » Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:35 pm

SOB! The length is good but They don't feed! Guess I'm pulling bullets. Now I know why no one has tested cast in these yet...they don't feed!!! How frustrating. I crimped a dummy round without a charge for testing. Well, I'm not using it as a single shot. I guess I'll save my monster pile of cast bullets for the vaquero chambered in 45 colt. If I run the dummy round out of the clip it goes up at a 45degree angle and I dent the case with the bolt.
Last edited by Tripplebeards on Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help.

Postby Tripplebeards » Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:43 pm

Image

Guess that pipe dream is squashed. Been working on casting bullets for it for a few weeks now.
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Re: 1st crimping with 450 bushmaster cast bullets need help.

Postby Al in Mi » Thu Jun 01, 2017 4:54 pm

where is that bullet hitting in it's travels to the barrel?
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