Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

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Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby Ramson22 » Wed Aug 22, 2018 5:21 pm

I'm looking for a plinker bullet and powder charge for my ruger bolt action, until I can get my cast bullets working. I found a lot of data for AR rifles but none for bolt actions and want to be safe thus I'm looking for specific bolt action data. Ive looked at a lot of the 230gr fmj bullets but have yet to purchase any because, I read that they come apart, or may cause extreme pressure in bolt actions
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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby Hoot » Wed Aug 22, 2018 7:15 pm

If you're looking for a "Getting to know you" plinking load, consider the Hornady 200gr FTX over 36gr of Lil Gun. A modest recoil will allow you to work on your style and get a feeling for what works and what doesn't. The bullets run around 22 cents each. If you want to jazz them up, you can go up to 38gr of Lil Gun and still be no where near max safe pressure. Another good bullet for boosting your confidence is the 225gr FTX. To date, the most accurate bullet I've ever shot in my 450b. Same powder charge range as the 200 FTX. The 225's run about 26 cents each. Both can be had cheaper by watching sales. Neither is the absolute cheapest bullet for this caliber but performance comes with a few cents per round premium.

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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby Al in Mi » Thu Aug 23, 2018 4:17 am

Ramson22 wrote:I'm looking for a plinker bullet and powder charge for my ruger bolt action, until I can get my cast bullets working. I found a lot of data for AR rifles but none for bolt actions and want to be safe thus I'm looking for specific bolt action data. Ive looked at a lot of the 230gr fmj bullets but have yet to purchase any because, I read that they come apart, or may cause extreme pressure in bolt actions


Any AR load will be safe in the bolt gun and as far as FMJ's them coming apart in a 16T barrel I'd have to see that first hand or come from a extremely trusted source. I can say plated bullets haven't worked well for me or a lot of us for that matter.

When I got my #1 Ruger with it's 10T barrel, I did the initial sight in with 250gr XTP over 40gr Lilgun. That bullet has a thin jacket intended for 45 Long Colt velocities but they all hit the target and actually grouped decent. I have some 230gr Nosler flat points loaded the same, if I make it out this weekend I'll try them from my guns for accuracy and maybe get some chrono data.

as Hoot noted, those FTX can be had at a decent price on the blem sales,
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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby pitted bore » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:57 pm

Ramson22-

Here are a couple of postscripts to what Al and Hoot have written.

Eight years ago on this site and on the calgun's notorious 450B thread there were some concerns expressed about bullets at high velocity vanishing in a puff of leaden smoke. After I worked up loads to 3000 fps with my bolt rifle I decided to try to get bullets in the 450B to do a vanishing act. I got some of the cheapest and presumably flimsiest bullets then available. I couldn't make them go poof.

Here's the thread from May 2010; it's not exciting: Trying to Blow Up a Bullet

If you have read reliable reports about bullets coming apart in the 450B, would you please post the source here? I would like to see for myself how this happened, so as to accomplish what I tried to do eight years ago. As Al noted, plated bullets have a reputation for shedding their plating when pushed much above handgun velocities, but they don't disintegrate like a thin-skinned 22 bullet out of a 220 Swift.

Grafs currently had a sale on Magtech 230-grain round nose .451 bullets at about 14 cents each. I recall that forum member Texas Sheepdog used Magtech bullets successfully for some of his trials. Your shoulder and pocketbook will be strained minimally by loading them with a recipe recommended for 250-grain bullets.

--Bob
Last edited by pitted bore on Fri Aug 24, 2018 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby MOOSE EARS » Fri Aug 24, 2018 5:07 am

I have a very accurate and reliable load for the 230gr FMJ bullets from Rocky Mtn using 43gr of LilGun, running these in one of my AR15 450BM. No signs of excessive pressure but they are being shot from an AR15 platform.
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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby SAGURLEY » Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:07 pm

Ramson22, here is the work up I did for my Ruger 450 Bushmaster bolt action for plinking.

I just finished working a load for my Ruger 450 Bushmaster. I have yet to see any real pertinent data on 300 grain lead bullets, so I thought I would share. I use these for plinking and have 1.25” groups at 50 meters. Use at your own discretion.

Missouri Bullet Co. .452 diameter, 300 grain, 18 brinell, coated flat point lead bullet.

Starline brass trimmed to 1.69”

CCI 400 Small Rifle Primer.

34 grains Hodgdon H110 Powder.

OAL - 2.065”

The pic is from my chronograph and gives all pertinent data. Any questions, just ask. Good day!
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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby Ramson22 » Fri Aug 31, 2018 5:53 pm

pitted bore wrote:Ramson22-

Here are a couple of postscripts to what Al and Hoot have written.

Eight years ago on this site and on the calgun's notorious 450B thread there were some concerns expressed about bullets at high velocity vanishing in a puff of leaden smoke. After I worked up loads to 3000 fps with my bolt rifle I decided to try to get bullets in the 450B to do a vanishing act. I got some of the cheapest and presumably flimsiest bullets then available. I couldn't make them go poof.

Here's the thread from May 2010; it's not exciting: Trying to Blow Up a Bullet

If you have read reliable reports about bullets coming apart in the 450B, would you please post the source here? I would like to see for myself how this happened, so as to accomplish what I tried to do eight years ago. As Al noted, plated bullets have a reputation for shedding their plating when pushed much above handgun velocities, but they don't disintegrate like a thin-skinned 22 bullet out of a 220 Swift.

Grafs currently had a sale on Magtech 230-grain round nose .451 bullets at about 14 cents each. I recall that forum member Texas Sheepdog used Magtech bullets successfully for some of his trials. Your shoulder and pocketbook will be strained minimally by loading them with a recipe recommended for 250-grain bullets.

--Bob


Thanks for the tip, I will look into the magtech bullet, strangly magtech does not list them on their site.
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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby Rastewart14 » Wed Sep 12, 2018 7:40 pm

Are there any .450 BM FMJ ammo for sale out there?I’m looking for something relatively cheap to shoot at the range and feel like there may be a cheaper option than hHornady Black or their FTX ammunition. Thanks.
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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby Hoot » Wed Sep 12, 2018 8:45 pm

Rastewart14 wrote:Are there any .450 BM FMJ ammo for sale out there?I’m looking for something relatively cheap to shoot at the range and feel like there may be a cheaper option than hHornady Black or their FTX ammunition. Thanks.


Welcome Aboard OM;

I'm afraid the only way to get cheaper than factory 250's is to reload your own. Many members reload the 230gr FMJ commonly found in 45 ACP Hardball ammo. Not particularly tiny grouping ammo, but fine when you just got to burn some. Reusing recovered factory ammo brass, you can get your cost down around half what factory 250's cost. Maybe a little less if you really watch for sales. Lately, powder has gone through the roof around these parts. Powder I used to buy for $20.46 per pound including sales tax and not that long ago either, is now $34.45 at the brick and mortar reloading store. That's around $.20/round, depending upon what weight 450b bullet you're loading. Figure on-sale 230 fmj's, a decent primer, sizing lube and electricity to tumble and you're looking at $10.00/box using recovered brass.

It helps i you can join forces with other 450b addicts near you to buy larger quantities including your powder, splitting the hazmat fee between you.

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Re: Recomend a plinker bullet for ruger bolt action 450b

Postby cwlongshot » Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:13 pm

I agree, with Hoot.

The 225 ftx has been VERY, VERY accurate. This is from a rifle that shoots nearly everything I have fed it quite well!

The 200 also shot well with a couple powders for me. I have allot of 451/452 slugs and I have tried most of them, cast, jacketed and I'm overall super pleased!!!

The old Speer 260G HP's shoot very well as do the Hornady HAP 230's. If I had to choose one single "plinking" bullet it would be my LYMAN mold 295G SWC this is a PB bullet that I powder coated and load on top of moderate charges of 4227 powder.

This 225G FTX for me is a LASER for me, shooting flat and accurate with a very stiff load of AA#9 powder seated long for extra case cap and lower pressures. I wont be without this bullet ever again as long as Im shooting the 450 Bushmaster.

CW
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