Hello all. Thought some of you might get a kick out of this. I got a custom 45 Raptor from a member here several months ago. RWS built with a Defiance action, Kreiger 16in Palma, Magpul Hunter stock, very nice rifle. I don't hunt, just found it interesting and thought I would fool with it a bit. With the included 250gr XTP loads it was very accurate and a lot of fun. But I was curious about running very heavy subs through my Hybrid 46 can with it. As these rifles run a .451 bore, you are limited for selection. I shoot a lot of BPCR style 45-70 so I have lots of projectiles in .458. I used Lee .454 and .451 sizers to size down to the correct dia. Lead bullets are 500gr ACME, 500gr Montana gas checked spire points they sized to .452 for me and 635gr Creedmoor bullets. I also have a large number of 500gr Hornady DGX jacketed bullets. We'll lubed the DGXs sized with surprisingly little effort and came out perfect.
Loading these where they would chamber of course seats the bullets very far into the case, while this did work you just didn't have much capacity and it was easy to go supersonic. So I got a .452 throater, made a action bushing and a drive mandrel and set the rifle up in the lathe. I loaded my rounds to my preference, mostly max mag length except for the 500gr DGX which has a cannelure, I seated to it. I lengthened the throat slowly, checking to see if all rounds would chamber as I went. At right about plus .550 they all seated smoothly. I'm still in preliminaries getting a finished load, but have good luck so far. I tried a suggested 20gr of H110, which worked well on the 500gr DGX but had low case fill with the 500gr spire point seated out. Loaded up several of each over 10gr of Trailboss with hilarious results. I run 15gr under 500gr bullets in my 45-70 and gets right at 1000fps. With 10gr in the smaller case I think we are close, need time to chrono them. Definitely subsonic, very quiet and seem accurate in my very informal and quick testing. This should be fun to keep them subs or push them to maybe 12-1400fps and see how they do at long range. I've got a 5-25 Arken in a Warne gantry ring set, so elevation isn't a problem lol. In the attached photos, left to right: 250gr XTP, 500gr DGX, 500gr spire point, 635gr Creedmoor. Anyway, thought yall might find this interesting.
Loading these where they would chamber of course seats the bullets very far into the case, while this did work you just didn't have much capacity and it was easy to go supersonic. So I got a .452 throater, made a action bushing and a drive mandrel and set the rifle up in the lathe. I loaded my rounds to my preference, mostly max mag length except for the 500gr DGX which has a cannelure, I seated to it. I lengthened the throat slowly, checking to see if all rounds would chamber as I went. At right about plus .550 they all seated smoothly. I'm still in preliminaries getting a finished load, but have good luck so far. I tried a suggested 20gr of H110, which worked well on the 500gr DGX but had low case fill with the 500gr spire point seated out. Loaded up several of each over 10gr of Trailboss with hilarious results. I run 15gr under 500gr bullets in my 45-70 and gets right at 1000fps. With 10gr in the smaller case I think we are close, need time to chrono them. Definitely subsonic, very quiet and seem accurate in my very informal and quick testing. This should be fun to keep them subs or push them to maybe 12-1400fps and see how they do at long range. I've got a 5-25 Arken in a Warne gantry ring set, so elevation isn't a problem lol. In the attached photos, left to right: 250gr XTP, 500gr DGX, 500gr spire point, 635gr Creedmoor. Anyway, thought yall might find this interesting.
