Alaskan velocities

[tsubaki]

A while back I arrived at a prejudgemental load for a Winchester 1892 and a SBH Bisley.
It consisted of using a 250gr Hornady #45200 XTP and a cast powder coated 255gr RF (actual weight 262gr) with 18.0gr of 2400, CCI350 primers and 45colt brass.

Now I wanted to see what the Alaskan thought of these loads.

The 24" 1892 spits the 250gr XTP out at 1440fps. The cast 262gr at 1510fps.
The 6 1/2" Bisley has the 250gr XTP at 1100fps. The cast 262gr at 1130fps.
I have not yet done any recovery of the projectiles from the 1892 or the Bisley but I have from the Alaskan.

The 2 1/2" barrel has the 250gr XTP at 890fps. The cast 262gr at 900fps.
Granted I didn't get the quantity of recorded velocities I really wanted but the numbers should be close.
These were recovered from a sand/clay media from about 30'.

 

[Mus408]

Bump it up to 20 gr. of 2400 and you should see around 1100 FPS with the 250 gr. XTP. out of that Alaskan. And if you like Unique.. 11.0 gr. will do about the same.

 

[tsubaki]

Interesting, that your 250 grain XTP's, going just under 900 fps out of your Alaskan, didn't give much thought
at all to expanding. Just a couple of them look like they might have had the slightest initiation of their hollow points
opening, but they were still quite a bit shy in the velocity department to do so.

I wonder what Hornady says about this particular bullet's characteristics regarding expansion. - DixieBoy

I have more chronograph time planned to see if the numbers change or if the few I recorded are the best averages. Either way some of the bullets in the picture were in fact doing 890fps, some more some less.

Hornady lists that bullet for muzzle velocities of 800fps -1600fps, the chronograph was 15' from the sifted sand/clay media held by a plastic 13 gallon kitchen trash can.
Granted that media is not by any stretch of the imagination what should be used to effectively test the expansion of a bullet. It appears to have concreted into the hollow point cavity and did a more effective job of catching the bullets than causing controlled expansion.

Years ago I did a similar test with 50lbs of modeling clay and their 180gr #44050 at 980fps with the 44spl.
Perfect and even expansion every shot, it was rated at 750fps - 1400fps.

I'll eventually migrate to another type of bullet catcher and we will see if I'm creating the problem.

 

[tsubaki]

Bump it up to 20 gr. of 2400 and you should see around 1100 FPS with the 250 gr. XTP. out of that Alaskan. And if you like Unique.. 11.0 gr. will do about the same.

I like your load after seeing what you did on the video!
If it was only for the Alaskan I'd have no problem doing so but I'm hesitant due to the possibility of mixing it up in the 1892.
I'll shoot this for a while and if need be I can get some 454 brass so it can't get mixed up.

 

[Mus408]

Yes you might want to keep those Alaskan only loads separate.

 

[5of7]

I have 2 Super Redhawks in 480 Ruger. One with a 7-1/2" bbl and the other is an Alaskan.

With 21 grs. of 2400, a 365 gr. cast flat point, a WLP primer and Hornady brass, I got 1276 average for 12 shots in the 7-1/2 inch gun and 1033 average for 12 shots in the Alaskan.

Other powders might result in different velocity differences with these 2 guns, but in both my guns, 2400 shoots so good that I am done experimenting with it, although I am now using Starline brass with essentially the same results. 8)

 

[Mus408]

I have 2 Super Redhawks in 480 Ruger. One with a 7-1/2" bbl and the other is an Alaskan.

With 21 grs. of 2400, a 365 gr. cast flat point, a WLP primer and Hornady brass, I got 1276 average for 12 shots in the 7-1/2 inch gun and 1033 average for 12 shots in the Alaskan.

Other powders might result in different velocity differences with these 2 guns, but in both my guns, 2400 shoots so good that I am done experimenting with it, although I am now using Starline brass with essentially the same results. 8)

How was the recoil with the Alaskan?

 

[paul105]

I'll add a data point.

.480 Ruger, 385gr Miha HP, 22.4gr H110, WLP, New Starline, 5 Long paces from muzzle:

2 1/2" Alaskan 75 deg F -- 1,021 fps avg for 5 rounds 27 es.
6" FA M83 at 50 Deg F --- 1,246 fps avg for 5 rounds 38 es

Paul

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I would bet that a water jug put in front of your bullet catcher would show those XTP's opening up more.

 

[dougader]

You do get significantly lower velocities with the Alaskan. My 454 load, 335 WLNGC/WW296 runs 1428 fps from a 7.5" SRH, but only 1147 fps from the Alaskan.

 

[Mus408]

Yes you do given the short 2.5 inch barrel,but it is a handy hammer to carry!

 

[5of7]

I have 2 Super Redhawks in 480 Ruger. One with a 7-1/2" bbl and the other is an Alaskan.

With 21 grs. of 2400, a 365 gr. cast flat point, a WLP primer and Hornady brass, I got 1276 average for 12 shots in the 7-1/2 inch gun and 1033 average for 12 shots in the Alaskan.

Other powders might result in different velocity differences with these 2 guns, but in both my guns, 2400 shoots so good that I am done experimenting with it, although I am now using Starline brass with essentially the same results. 8)

How was the recoil with the Alaskan?

Interestingly, it was no more than the 7-1/2 inch gun. I think that the 240+ fps velocity loss accounts for that.

The thing about the 480, and to a certain extent the 44 Mg., the recoil is not bad if one does not try to fight it. Just allow the gun to rise in recoil, wear a good leather glove to mitigate abuse from the trigger guard, and it ain't that bad. 8)