Range report 7mm 08 and 500 S&W

[cbourbeau32]

I finally got to the range yesterday afternoon with my 2 of my 3 handi's. My 7mm 08 which I have polished the bore with wheeler engineering lapping compound since I shot it last. I was shooting 140 grain bullets over varying amounts of H-380 powder. My groups varied from .72 inches with  39 grains of H-380 to 1.1 inches with 43.4 grains of H-380 all groups were at 50 yards so I will definitely work from the .72 group to try to shrink the group to down around an inch if possible. I am going to have a trigger job done within the next week or two before I get back out to the range the next time. My 500 S&W shot maybe a 3" group open sights from 50 yards with a 440 grain bullet over 10 grains of trailboss. The noise and recoil are very similar to a 410 shotgun. Very pleasant to shoot. I hope I can get a good group with that load since I mainly bought the gun for fun/plinking. I will give another report when I get a half dozen loads worked up from the most accurate load this trip. Thanks, Charlie

[quickdtoo]

Good work Charlie, nice shootin!!

Tim

[MnMike]

I seem to be getting pretty good groups (considering the iron..well plastic sights) on my .500, using Blue Dot. I am using cheap 335 gr Raniers over a 1250 fps load, that I worked up. It makes for a nice plinker (that's what I wanted too). Fun gun.

mike

[cbourbeau32]

Thanks Mike. Could I use Blue Dot in my 44 magnum also? Charlie

[quickdtoo]

Thanks Mike. Could I use Blue Dot in my 44 magnum also? Charlie

Greg Mushial has Blue Dot data for 240gr cast bullets at his web site. Alliant also has data for it.

Tim

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/RecipeList.aspx?gauge=&gtypeid=1&title=Pistols%20and%20Revolvers

[MnMike]

Blue Dot is not my favorite powder, but I buy it for a finicky 10mm 1911 I have. I wanted to find another use for it so that I could use it up before it rotted. Thus my nervous work up of a load, with no published data, for the .500. I see now others have done the same.

I see many loads in the books for .44 mag using blue dot.

I think the main down side is that it seems to be dirtier than other powders I use, and it is position sensitive.

Leaving the .500 for the weekend and shooting the .204. Ain't Handis fun!

mike