Hard Cast 454 question

[jim8115]

I have some 255 Gr cast bullets from thebulletworks.net . i believe they 17.5-18 BHN.
Anyone have any idea how hard i can push a bullet like this from my 454 casull?
Some folks say severe leading above 1200-1400 FPS. ANother guy locally here who has been loading 454's for years says he has shot plain hard cast with no gas check up to 1900 FPS. I would appreciate info from anyone with experience. Also, what if I do try to run them too fast? Is it just a leading issue, or can something catastrophic happen - bullet coming apart or whatever. Assuming I dont go over published load data.

JIM

 

[Hammerdown77]

The biggest problem you have in the Casull is the tremendous rifle like pressures you will be operating at from the mid to upper end of the load range. If the bullet is not hard enough, it can deform as it passes from the throat into the forcing cone which can result in leading, or worse, gas cutting of the top strap and forcing cone erosion. Freedom Arms has seen this in their guns and says that most often it is caused by using slow, ball powders with too soft bullets.

The leading in the barrel depends on bullet fit, lube, and hardness to some extent. Primarily fit and lube.

I wouldn't be afraid to use those bullets you have, but I wouldn't try to push them as hard as some of the harder jacketed bullets, like the Hornady XTP Mag (which has a thicker jacket specifically for the higher pressure of the Casull), and Freedom Arms's "hardcore" jacketed bullets.

 

[jim8115]

Right now I am using 36.3 gr H110, or 32 Gr #9. Both of which give me around 1780 FPS with a 240 gr XTP-MAG
I am thinking maybe 35.o H110, or 31.0 #9 for the cast
Any input?

JIM

 

[Hammerdown77]

I have not yet tried a 255 gr lead bullet, but I did try a 270 gr SAA bullet cast from a Mihec mold and 29 grains of H110 shot really well out of my Freedom Arms. Don't know the velocity.

I'd maybe start at 30 grains of H110 and work up. Hodgdon's range for a 250 gr Barnes X bullet is 27.5 gr to 28.5 gr H110.

Maybe someone else here has done some testing with the standard weight 45 Colt bullets.

 

[jim8115]

Well, havent messed with the 250 cast yet. But I just chrono'd some 240 XTP-MAG's loaded with 36.6 gr h-110
Avg 1818 FPS

JIM

 

[Hammerdown77]

Bet that's got some muzzle blast!

 

[jim8115]

Bet that's got some muzzle blast!

Heck yea.............Its great

JIM

 

[volshooter]

I'll have to look but I have pushed 320 hard cast WFP in the ,454 over 1500fps with out any problem. These were max compressed loads. Accuracy was outstanding. Recoil and muzzle blast sucked.

I realized that my .44 mag load, 290gr WFP over 21.5gr of WW296 measured at a 1550fps average could do anything my .454 could do. So I sold the .454.

 

[jim8115]

Got some Beartooth bullets 340 Gr gaschecked. loaded them with 25.0 grains H110. AVG 1355 FPS from SRH 9 1/2". Its a good start, though I will probably work up slowly , looking for 1500 or so

JIM