Author Topic: Hunting handloads for BIG game hunting ? For .460 S&W.  (Read 543 times)

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Offline craiginok

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Hunting handloads for BIG game hunting ? For .460 S&W.
« on: June 06, 2007, 09:26:50 AM »
This is about reloading , but it is for handgun hunting.
What dies are most of you using on they .460 ?,i noticed some of them are non carbide and require lubing cases,whats up with that ?
Is there a reason you can't use .454 casull dies.(other than pointed bullets)?
Is one brand of dies made different for cast bullets,as with mabe a larger od expander?
Any help with a load for handgun hunting elk in an area of Wyoming that has big grumpy bears around, the gun is a S&W .460 with 8 3/8" bbl, i have cast performance GC lead 360 & 395 grain bullets(big flat noses) and was wondering what would be the speed to try to zero in on for hunting elk and and the off chance (hopefully remote) defense against a pissed bear that won't go away.If it matters i don't use a scope.
Sorry to run on and on but thanks for help in advance,craig.
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Offline corbanzo

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Re: Hunting handloads for BIG game hunting ? For .460 S&W.
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2007, 10:20:58 AM »
The .454 casull case is quite a bit shorter than the .460 mag case, wouldn't fit in the die. 

What they make the die out of just depends on how much money they want to spend to make it, and how much they want to charge the consumer.  What the die is made out of isn't a huge factor in weather the case needs to be lubed or not.  You can have a stuck case in any type of die.

Dies are the same for cast/plated/gc, whatever it may be bullets.  You will change the settings on the die for different types of bullets though, if you are taking off too much lead upon seating, etc. 
"At least with a gun that big, if you miss and hit the rocks in front of him it'll stone him to death..."

Offline Redhawk1

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Re: Hunting handloads for BIG game hunting ? For .460 S&W.
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2007, 01:53:09 PM »
I use the Hornady dies for my 460 Mag.  No big deal to lube the cases in my opinion.  I use my dies for either cast or jacketed bullets.
As far as speed, I don't go by speed I go by accuracy. Any listed load will kill anything you are after, no need to have a 300 gr bullet going 2000fps.

As far as load data, go to the Hodgdon site. http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
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