Hey everyone! (50-140 discussion-range report added)

[knight0334]

Thanks Richard, I'll do a follow-up range trip as soon as the bruise goes away!!  It's not as bad as the 9.3x62 did me tho, that little puppy really whipped me, Since I have to make two trips down the hill into the pit with the sled, I'll take it on the next trip also, gotta get it ready for deer huntin. Next load for the 50-140 will be 300gr Barnes at about 3000fps, they be really tough to seat since they're so short, they tipped too much before entering the seater die, were a real PITA, I had to use the expander die to slightly enlarge the case mouth so they'd stand straight on the case, otherwise they'd tip sideways, then crimp to get rid of the slight bell so they'd chamber. 

Tim

Now thats my type of load..   We're fresh out of elephant and dinosaur around these parts..  ...but high velocity big bore slugs make great groundhog pills.

[quickdtoo]

QL says a 90% load of 3031 will push it 3150fps, but I don't have much 3031 left after loading it up in the 499HE with 350gr XTPs, but I have lots of H4895 which QL says will do 3050fps in the 32" barrel, so that's what I'm using. 

Tim

[AtlLaw]

Sounds like a good "Plains Game" load for the smaller stuff... Impala and such!   

[quickdtoo]

Yupper, a great beanfield Whitetail load too! 

Tim

[LONGTOM]

Sounds like my idea of light for caliber 300/350 grain loads may be what we are after all along! 
 
 
LONGTOM

[quickdtoo]

I've got some Barnes 325gr and 375gr XPBs left over from the 500S&W that I'll be trying in the 499HE next, they'd make an excellent fast and light load for the 50-140 if they weren't too small in diameter, they drop right thru the bore.  They make a 275gr also, but it's got a bigger hollow point and not so pointy. QL says the 499HE will push the 325gr 3000fps in the 22" barrel. 

Tim

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/359569/barnes-xpb-handgun-bullets-500-s-and-w-500-diameter-325-grain-solid-copper-hollow-point-lead-free-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/160549/barnes-xpb-handgun-bullets-500-s-and-w-500-diameter-375-grain-solid-copper-hollow-point-lead-free-box-of-20

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/479370/barnes-xpb-handgun-bullets-500-s-and-w-500-diameter-275-grain-solid-copper-hollow-point-lead-free-box-of-20

[LONGTOM]

Tim:
What does QL recomend as a starting load for a 350 gr JSP bullet useing 3031, 5744, and H4895?
 
 
LONGTOM

[quickdtoo]

LT, I need the bullet length and the COL you intend to load them to, that Hawk bullet isn't listed in the QL data base, the only light bullet I could find other than the 300gr Barnes is 450gr which won't work, I'll have to add it to the Hawk bullet file.

Tim

[LONGTOM]

Bullet lenght is .775
COL 3.85 to start with.
May be able to seat out farther.
 
 
LONGTOM

[quickdtoo]

PM sent. 

Tim

[AtlLaw]

I got my 570 grain Hornady's yesterday and I tell you what be da troof!  Dem's some BIG bullets!!!    They's gonna be fun when I get around to working up my elephant load!   
 
I also slugged the barrel and checked the rate of twist.  Close as I can tell, and I used my caliper rather then my micrometer, the bore is .511, plus or minus a few 10,000ths.  The jacketed .510 slugs should work fine but I'm worried about even a .511 cast.     I'm gonna pour a few bullets from my new RCBS mould this weekend and see what they measure "as cast."  I will probably give them a shot  unsized.  I'm also going to order some Barnes 450 gr. jacketed bullets for comparison with the cast and maybe deer season.
 
I measured a 1 in 17 for the twist rate.  Not the 1 in 15 I ordered and which I actually thought might be a little fast, but also not the 1 in 20 I didn't really want.  So I'm happy with the 1 in 17.
 
NOW!  I got to get this baby set up and ammo loaded so I can see about detaching the retina in my good eye!   

[quickdtoo]

I have some .512" 600gr SPGC for ya to try if the lighter bullets don't work out, I certainly ain't gonna shoot em all!  The 50-140 round sure makes the 45-70 round look miniscule! 

Tim

[AtlLaw]

The 50-140 round sure makes the 45-70 round look miniscule! 

Yup... I think we done out did our own selfs!      They was just gettin to be to many 45-120s around anywho!  Oh I'll still build mine into a light express rifle, and the 45-70's if I want a "popcorn" round, but for a big bore... 
 
Wait!      What's the operating pressure for the 600 NE!?   

[quickdtoo]

600NE runs ~36kpsi CIP, but the ~.700" case head produces well over 13k lbs breech thrust, so it wouldn't work in a Handi......of course you could always run ""reduced"" loads!! 

Tim

[gcrank1]

Functionally the 600 would pretty much be the 20Ga. rifled with as long a case as you can get to reload, wouldnt it? I know there have been 3" shells, maybe even 3 1/2", then load up a big cast bullet of your choice that fits the throat pretty close?

[quickdtoo]

Sorta.

Tim

http://stevespages.com/jpg/cd600nitroexpress.jpg

[AtlLaw]

I went to the website of a former sponsor here and found that he is now producing  monty carlo stocks with a left hand cheek piece as regular item.   

[jeepmann1948]

Personally I would rather have a gun carriage with all terrain wheels than a monte carlo stock on a 50-140

[quickdtoo]

That's great news Richard, a walnut monte is prolly as good as a walnut rollover!! I've always been impressed with stuffit's BC, yours would be every bit as good lookin, I'm sure. 

Tim

[AtlLaw]

I've always been impressed with stuffit's BC,

Me to!  I always thought it just looks like a long range target rifle!  And ya know, that might be a nice suit of cloths for my 38-55!   
 
But the 450 and 500 Sharps Expresses need to be fashioned after English single shot express rifles!    And this supplier's stocks and forearms are meaty enough to allow some artistic license in design.     I did notice that he doesn't catalog the target forearm anymore though.     Kinda glad I have the one I do.  I think I'll hold onto it rather then carve most of the wood away to get what I want.
 
I reslugged the bore on the 50 yesterday.  The results were kinda strange.  The largest diameter readings were .5111 and came from the edge of the grooves.  If I measured from center of groove to center of groove I got .506 plus or minus a couple a 10Kths.     It's a 4 groove barrel so measuring should be easy...  The bore was a nice even .500 though...
 
I also cast some bullets from my new RCBS 450 gr. FN mould.  Cast from WW's sweetened with some 95-5 solder they weighed in at 470 gr unlubed.  "As cast" they measured .512, though the front driving band sometime reached .513.  Pretty good match with the barrel if I have a .511 bore!   
 
Oh!  And I got my GuickLoad disk!  I'm gonna install it today and see if I can come up with a cat sneeze load for deer season.  Something using this bullet at around 2K fps.   

[quickdtoo]

4-groove huh? Mine's 5-groove, wonder why he did that? Maybe something to do with having to rebore twice cuz of the smaller original bore, or he used different tooling?  The grooves are deeper on one side than the other on all three of mine, the odd number of grooves and the different depth makes it hard to get an accurate measurement, I had a hard time measuring the barrels, but they're all very accurate, so I can't complain a bit.

Can't wait to see your artistic talents let loose on the stock set!!  Have fun with QL, it's real interesting to work with.

Tim

[AtlLaw]

5 groove huh?      That's strange...     I'll check again, but I'm posative... 
 
I noticed that the grooves appeared shallower on one side then the other myself.  But I thought it was just me.  But like you say, if it shoots, who cares!   
 
I think I'll give the bore a few strokes with JB Bore paste today after I do my final assembly. 

[quickdtoo]

I polished all of mine with Flitz or JB Bore Brite, when ya can see the tooling marks, ya know it needs it! He mentioned in the note that came back with the barrels to do the shoot-clean, shoot-clean routine at first, I knew it might need it. I made an aluminum sheet metal cap that I can C-clamp over the muzzle so I can do full stroke without exiting the muzzle, that way I could short stroke any spots that felt rougher than other smoother parts of the bore. I use a large diameter rod so it doesn't flex, and a muzzle guard that fits the chamber opening to center the rod in the bore.   

Tim

[gcrank1]

Richard, dont get too hung up on the bore/groove, its the throat dia. you want the bullet to fit, as long as its at least the groove dia. of the barrel. Use the biggest dia. bullet you can get to chamber up and extract clean and it should shoot great.

[AtlLaw]

when ya can see the tooling marks, ya know it needs it!
 
Shoot!  When you can see the tooling marks in the slug you know it needs it!   
 

I could short stroke any spots that felt rougher than other smoother parts of the bore.

I felt a few of those... 
 

Use the biggest dia. bullet you can get to chamber up and extract clean and it should shoot great.

I hope so!      I lubed the bullets as cast (say .5125) and feel pretty confident they'll chamber.  Can't wait to find out!    

[quickdtoo]

When I made up the 600gr .512" dummy round, I had to put a good crimp on it to allow it to chamber, it was tight right at the end of the brass without the crimp.

Tim

[AtlLaw]

Good to know!  Thanks for the tip Tim!   

[gcrank1]

Generally, with lead I prefer no crimp, but a snug fit in the case mouth, so I dont 'upset' that lead (angry lead is not conducive to accuracy). I like to trim my brass so the loaded round fits without any need for such expedients, though sometimes it may be necessary if you have a loaded round and need to make it fit.

[quickdtoo]

My brass is already trimmed to the length of the shortest piece of brass which was 3.225", basically all the crimp does is get rid of the bell from the expander die, I was able crimp in a grease groove with the bullet slightly into the rifling. 

FWIW, AA's 45-120 data specifically states that a firm crimp is required for their 5744 loads.

Tim

[quickdtoo]

BiMart has powder and bullets on sale this week, so I picked up a new bottle of IMR3031....AND a bottle of Trailboss, the TB is for some light loads with the 365gr Montana Precision bullets! I also bought 20 more 50-140 Jamison cases (unfortunately the last 20 they had until they run some more, sorry Richard and LT. )  from the new Jamison company, Captech Intl.   

Tim

http://www.captechintl.com/