Author Topic: Stop The Presses!! New Bullet Breakthru for 45cal Rifleman! (Read 892 times)

Lane · « **on:** February 28, 2006, 06:03:00 PM »

Stop the presses!!!

I just figured out how to stabilize a Hornady .348 Win/200 grain round point rifle bullet using the PR bullet .357 sabot :shock: :shock:

This weekend will have 80-yard targets AND chrono results

Hope to get it to at least 2400fps.

oneshotonekill · « **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2006, 05:59:29 AM »

Lane,
I have been shooting .358 rifle bullets of several types using MMP's blue .357-45 sabots in a 1:20 twist 45 cal with pretty good results for the past 3 years. The Hornady 180 gr sp (single shot pistol bullet), and the speer 200gr RN have given me consistant sub MOA groups at 100 yards when propelled by 110 gr pistol pyrodex. I have not been able to stabilize the 225 gr nosler BT yet. It is much longer and with its boattail design I don't think the sabot grabs well enough to prevent slipping. I haven't run anything thru the chronograph so I'm not sure what kind of velocity I'm getting.

I started using the rifle bullets with the idea I could get a higher BC and better long range performance. With ML bullets like the SST/Shockwave and DC there is no real BC advantage using the rifle bullets. There is however, a cost savings, you can but 100 bullets and sabots much cheaper that buying the pre-packaged ML bullets.

oneshotonekill · « **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2006, 06:00:52 AM »

Deleted duplicate post

Lane · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2006, 12:17:24 PM »

One Shot

What rifle are ya shooting?

I like the PR Bullet .357 sabots cause they are Longer than the MMP's Blue. And I think they are rated/stronger for magnum loads above 120g loose powder.

I betcha if you try them with that boat tail bullet they would stabilize :wink: :grin:

oneshotonekill · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:06:33 AM »

Lane,

I'll have to try the PR bullet sabots. I haven't really put much effort into stabilizing the boat tails yet. I haven't gone above 110 gr of loose powder, I was thinking about using a sub-base but I don't know if they are available for 45 cal. The rifle is a T/C black diamond XR, I bought it specifically to try shooting the .358 bullets so I searched around until I found a 1:20 twist. I believe almost all the current production 45 cals are 1:28 or slower. When they first came out several were 1:20 but accuracy wasn't very good with the short pistol bullets so many manufacturers went to a 1:28 or slower twist.

Lane · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2006, 05:18:04 PM »

Well, I tried 4 different paper thickness patches with 120 grains by volume Pinnacle 3Fg, in the Disc Elite 45cal with the powerstem plug..Results are in:

Big Fat Failure :shock:

:?

Main problem was the sabot blew past the bullet--left a clean hole right through the Base of the sabot. Ened up KeyHoling every shot

So I improvised a type of "sub base" by cutting the petals off a spare sabot, and loading the cupped base first, then the loaed sabot. Shot about 5 of these and still keyholed. Then I added a balled up piece of cleaning patch on top of the improvised sub base, then seated the loaded sabot on top of that...result was a horizontal keyhole dead center of the 30 yard target :shock: :eek: :?

I guess this combo just can't be spun up right with my 1 in 30 twist rate. Or the .348cal bullet needs a stronger better fitting sabot

So I changed breech plugs to the Standard plug and tried 100-90-80-70-60 with same results with all 4 types of patched sabots. Then I tryied 50grains and finally got stabilized. :-)

However, my high speed hopes are dashed! I think I'll try once more with a really tight fitting paper patch, but I'm not hopeful. Perhaps the 200grain bullet is too long for my twist rate.

Guess it was a good thing, that I forgot to take the chrono :roll: