My First Handloads 230 Grain MagTech FMJs

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Well here is the result of my first time trying to handload the 450 Bushmaster. First, I gotta say, Even after all the cleaning of the Hornady Dies, They seem to be very finicky, especially the seating die. I have had much smoother and precise function with other Hornady dies, but this set seems very touchy and rough. Maybe its just the newness or something. I did a close inspection and could not see any obvious problems, so I put it all back together and kept going. Here are the specs of my first lot of 20.
Brass is Hornady Factory new brass, never fired.
Bullets are MagTech 230 Grain FMJ
Primers are WSR
COL 2.13 inches.
Taper Crimped to .475
Poweder is Lil Gun
38 Grains

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Yeah, it's a homemade Powder trickler.

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The MagTech next to a factory round

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See next post.

[Texas Sheepdawg]

And of course, I just had to trash one case!!

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Arrgh! I was trying not to expand the case mouthes too much.
I guess I just don't have any flair..... I went back and expanded them just a bit more and had no more issues.

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So I ended up with 19 total.
So now I have my first set of handloads for the 450 Bushmaster. Now to wait out this heatwave we are in.
We have had 30+ days of temps at or over 100 degrees and no rain. Today at work, it was 106 with a heat index of 116,
but on the way home, it got up to 110 and I would suspect the index up around 120. Tomorrow, they say it is going to be hotter.
That 3/8" steel plate is going down!

[Stealthshooter]

I do not envy you with the heat!! But those loads look nice!! They def look like a steel plate perforation tool!!

[Hoot]

You may just find that you punch through more plate thickness with some form of HP either with or without a BT in it due to the sharper edge presented before deformation, stamping a ring in the steel before the mass behind it plows into that stamped circle. Structural failure is a funny business. Changes in the surface consistency, however slight can lead to failure along the inconsistency. Then again, the rounded surface could peen a spot thinner before the mass plows into that thinner spot making it fail easier. I drilled a nickel with five .17 HMR BTs shots at 100 yards that cut near perfect holes through the nickel, with very little metal displacement on either side of the nickel, like a cookie cutter. When metal plate season opens, consider trying the same load with different form factor bullets to see what is more effective.

That's the fun part of experimentation.

Hoot

[commander faschisto]

Hoot, you just gave me an idea...I think I'll just have to see what the new Centurion 5mm Mag rimfires do to some coin of the realm. They're 30gr JSP/JHP coming out the tube at 2300/2400fps respectively. Should be enough to make it through some fake silver. It'll make a nice break from the big-boomer. Thanks for the idea!

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Right now, it's so hot, that plate can't be handled without gloves, and I don't even want to shoot in the heat. The barrel would never cool down below 106.8 degrees, (current temp), if I was to shoot right now. This afternoon by 4PM, it's suppose to be 110+.

[wildcatter]

Right now, it's so hot, that plate can't be handled without gloves, and I don't even want to shoot in the heat. The barrel would never cool down below 106.8 degrees, (current temp), if I was to shoot right now. This afternoon by 4PM, it's suppose to be 110+.

Holy Cow! With that heat the bullet must be going 300fps, before you chamber it! Talk about Cook-Off!!..

..t

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Right now, it's so hot, that plate can't be handled without gloves, and I don't even want to shoot in the heat. The barrel would never cool down below 106.8 degrees, (current temp), if I was to shoot right now. This afternoon by 4PM, it's suppose to be 110+.

Holy Cow! With that head the bullet must be going 300fps, before you chamber it! Talk about Cook-Off!!..

..t

Texas....

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Currently unfit for human habitation.....