Is my alloy too hard?

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
Kevin, if you're concerned about recoil, try dropping you bullet weight to around 300-325 grain. In the BM you can go down even further in weight if you wish, Lymans 255 gr 452490 comes to mind, it should feed pretty slickly in a rifle. IIRC, you're shooting a Savage aren't you? If so you can experiment with practically any .452 pistol bullet. My SOCOMs in the shop right now, but my utility bullet for it is the RCBS 300 gr .458 rifle bullet, I'm still searching for a reasonably priced SAECO mould for the bullet I really want #017. I'd only use the heavy bullets if you're running a suppressor, or at longer ranges. BTW, my first cast bullet deer was shot with RCBS 325 gr bullet at really moderate 15-1600 fps, at under 50 yards and I have yet to see another deer as impressed with a bullet as that particular white tail was. It was a side shot, and penetration was complete, as expected.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
reasonably priced saeco mold you say
a 129$ 2 cavity mold isn't good enough for you.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Just PM'd .
Recoil moderation mostly .

I have fussed with several 45s and "enjoyed" the full power enough to not do that anymore .
 

Kevin Stenberg

Well-Known Member
Well i have some SOWW cast and PC on some 405 gr. and 310 gr. bullets. The shooting will have to wait till we return from the city for the wifes eye checkup.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
SOWW will be about the same as your last cast so probably little difference. I tested some 1% Sb AC (30/30) on a pig carcass. 30 in 45 out - gut shot. Shoulder shot never exited. 185gr GC 16gr 2400 from 5ft.
 

Kevin Stenberg

Well-Known Member
Am i glad i experimented with the 450 BM and a 310 gr. PC bullet. I can get 2K velocity with no problems with recoil. Accuracy is 2" or less at 50 yards with a 50%/50% alloy. Now i have to test for any expansion. But like you guys said 310gr at 2K PSI out of a 45 caliber rifle doesn't need much expansion.
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
I thought i had a good hunting load in my 450 BM. I am running 1100fps with a 450gr bullet cast with 50%WW/50%Soft +1% sn PC and AC. Yesterday i dug a bullet out of the backstop i shoot into that was at 50 Yards. The backstop is a 20 gallon drum laying horizontally filled with sand and a little top soil. The bullet traveled 24" but it never expanded at all.
Will i have to shoot into water jugs or wet newsprint to see if the bullet will expand?
Would it help. If i left the nose free of PC? Or if i went to an even softer alloy say 1/3 WW 2/3 soft

If, it doesn't expand in 24 inches of dirt and sand, it not going to expand in water or anything else.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
You may need to go to PB with just some tin. It takes energy loss to do the expansion, a larger bullet needs to lose MORE energy than a smaller one. It's a matter of the work function. The extra dia. adds strength to the bullet. Lube grooves collapse before the driving bands. Cup point do the same vs a large meplat.