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Zee
Senior MemberPosts: 24,508 Senior Member
My .430 SJS lives!
Zee
Senior MemberPosts: 24,508 Senior Member
Got her built last Friday and spent yesterday making loads so i could hit the range this afternoon.
Took the barrel off my .308 Winchester Savage Hog Hunter and put the 20" Stainless Heavy Magnum Contour barrel on as a replacement. Topped it with a 10x Leupold mark 3 scope for load development.
The barrel is a right handy length and weight.
With a cool hole in the end.
First order of business was to find a viable load for the 240gr Hornady XTP bullet. Using QL, we decided to test the following charges.
38.5gr H110
39.0gr H110
39.5gr H110
40.0gr H110
Bore sighted the rifle and fired 1 round with the 38.5gr charge at 50 yards to make sure I was on paper. Yes........I was hoping I'd have a face left after that round. I wore eye protection.
It was rather anti-climactic and recoil wasn't nothing! Adjusted the sight and moved to 100 yards.
First group did NOT give me warm fuzzies. About a 2.5" group. I was hoping for better. So, I moved on to the 39.0gr load.
WOW! What a difference 1/2 a grain makes!! Now, we were on to something! Bullets were moving along at 2,354 fps.
Here is a video of the recoil.
http://vid26.photobucket.com/albums/c106/lovinmycaitlynn/Shooting/240gr%20XTP%20with%2039gr%20H110%202_zpsuokdf3ww.mp4
Not bad at ALL!
Then, I moved on to the 39.5gr load and groups went to crap again at 2.25" for a 3 shot group.
Finished the XTP bullets with the 40.0gr load and found the gem.
Suckers are moving at 2,419 fps!
And they shoot some FLAMES!!
After those loads, I moved to the 325gr WFN-GC bullets. First off, they load catiwhompus in the cases as though off center. Still chambered in the rifle, but looked weird. Anyway, accuracy was unacceptable for me at 2" for the 35.0gr load and 2.25" for the 35.5gr load. Those were 3 shot groups. But, both loads threw a 4th round way off course to the tune of 2.5" away for the first load and 6" for the second. Then, I tried the 36.0gr load and only fired 2 rounds. they were 4.5" apart. Called it quits at that.
I have a little more work to do and I'm gonna kill a pig with the 240gr XTP bullets. Next weekend, maybe.
Note: I DID NOT bell any of the cases before seating the bullet. We were concerned that we were getting inconsistent case mouth tension due to no crimp. So, I treated the case like a bottleneck cartridge and VLD chamfered the case mouth. Then, just seated the bullets like a regular flat base rifle bullet.
Might try to test some 265gr FN XTP bullets as well this week.
I.........like..........the project.
Took the barrel off my .308 Winchester Savage Hog Hunter and put the 20" Stainless Heavy Magnum Contour barrel on as a replacement. Topped it with a 10x Leupold mark 3 scope for load development.
The barrel is a right handy length and weight.
With a cool hole in the end.
First order of business was to find a viable load for the 240gr Hornady XTP bullet. Using QL, we decided to test the following charges.
38.5gr H110
39.0gr H110
39.5gr H110
40.0gr H110
Bore sighted the rifle and fired 1 round with the 38.5gr charge at 50 yards to make sure I was on paper. Yes........I was hoping I'd have a face left after that round. I wore eye protection.
It was rather anti-climactic and recoil wasn't nothing! Adjusted the sight and moved to 100 yards.
First group did NOT give me warm fuzzies. About a 2.5" group. I was hoping for better. So, I moved on to the 39.0gr load.
WOW! What a difference 1/2 a grain makes!! Now, we were on to something! Bullets were moving along at 2,354 fps.
Here is a video of the recoil.
http://vid26.photobucket.com/albums/c106/lovinmycaitlynn/Shooting/240gr%20XTP%20with%2039gr%20H110%202_zpsuokdf3ww.mp4
Not bad at ALL!
Then, I moved on to the 39.5gr load and groups went to crap again at 2.25" for a 3 shot group.
Finished the XTP bullets with the 40.0gr load and found the gem.
Suckers are moving at 2,419 fps!
And they shoot some FLAMES!!
After those loads, I moved to the 325gr WFN-GC bullets. First off, they load catiwhompus in the cases as though off center. Still chambered in the rifle, but looked weird. Anyway, accuracy was unacceptable for me at 2" for the 35.0gr load and 2.25" for the 35.5gr load. Those were 3 shot groups. But, both loads threw a 4th round way off course to the tune of 2.5" away for the first load and 6" for the second. Then, I tried the 36.0gr load and only fired 2 rounds. they were 4.5" apart. Called it quits at that.
I have a little more work to do and I'm gonna kill a pig with the 240gr XTP bullets. Next weekend, maybe.
Note: I DID NOT bell any of the cases before seating the bullet. We were concerned that we were getting inconsistent case mouth tension due to no crimp. So, I treated the case like a bottleneck cartridge and VLD chamfered the case mouth. Then, just seated the bullets like a regular flat base rifle bullet.
Might try to test some 265gr FN XTP bullets as well this week.
I.........like..........the project.
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Replies
The loads bleed off energy quickly, at over 3150 FPE at muzzle, down to 2200 FPE at 100 yards and 1450 at 200 yards. With a 100 yard zero the drop at 200 is just 6 inches.
Still at 200 yards it would put a hurtin' on almost anything.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Dad 5-31-13
I wouldn't even point it at anything beyond 150 yards, but that's about 75-100 yards father than most any deer I've shot in years. Now I have killed some hogs farther out, but that's the exception more than the rule. I could very well live with this cartridge. If I want to shoot at longer range, I have "OTHER"artillary.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
I do want everyone to note: The loads Zee is using are preliminary only. They may or may not be above the 62,000 psi maximum pressure that the .308 parent brass cases are rated for. Actually, the loads we have been using are predicted by Quickload software to be closer to 52,000 psi. I have a barrel being made that will be set up with a strain gage and I have a machine and software that can get me some fairly reliable pressure readings. At this point, there is no good reason to push our luck and take unnecessary risks. With the baseline loads we have been using, I can work up to a true max load from there.
That said, there may be a node that likes those cast bullets. We just haven't found it yet. Yet.
Good shooting Zee!
Win!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.444_Marlin
But Jerms creation is way more cool and has all kinds of possibilities from a bolt rifle that a lever can't and its best is yet to come.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I'd like to see the Lever Action .444 Marlin that shoots sub MOA at 100 yards. :devil:
A creation of our very own Jerminator.
.308 Win case cut down to 1.8" (Max) and blown out to accept a .44 cal bullet.
www.shawbrothersdistilling.com
I'll get a rifle weight tomorrow.
Yes, I had that covered..................
"But Jerms creation is way more cool and has all kinds of possibilities from a bolt rifle that a lever can't and its best is yet to come."
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/28
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
"The Un-Tactical"
Unless you have the financial and legal backing to defend a patent, one should shy away from them.
..............Right!!!! One of the first lever rifles I bought back in the early 1980's was a lever action marlin chambered for .444. I didn't reload back then just shot factory loads in it.. It wasn't bad for what is was.....Remember my sig. line: "It is what it is." Anyhow neat rifle Zee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Looks great!!!!!!
Accuracy wasn't as good as the 240gr XTP, but for a 200 yard gun..........MORE than acceptable! Velocities from my 20" barrel are still on par with a 24" barreled .444 Marlin.
The interesting thing is that, even with a 1/2 grain difference in powder, these two loads have the same velocity. Primers did not look bad and extraction was perfectly fine. I think they would do a good job of stomping anything I'd be likely to hunt.
But, science must go on. I've removed the 10x scope and mounted my AimPoint. At the request of the designer.........I've loaded some 240gr XTP bullets and am heading to the range now for sight in and water jug testing.
Will try to kill a pig tonight or tomorrow night if all goes well.
FULL MOON!!!
Dang Dude, you have opportunities that many of us dream of. In the name of Science, best of luck
:yuteseason:
Die piggie!!!!!