latest project

[onesonek]

and so little time,,,,,,
Sooner or later I'll get them all dealt with.

As for the latest,,,I picked up this slightly used Encore 21" .375-444 by MGM.

I decided I would try casting for it as well, and had Accurate Molds build me one for it.

I hope to get to 2300fps, (Encore would likely do more, but that suits my needs) with it. I had a good deal of advice on alloy's and such. But there are no hard set rules, I'll just have to play around and see what works. I did cast some this morning.

The alloy figures about a 95-3-2, of which is soft for those speeds (as I understand it), but will heat treat tonight and see how it goes after they have a few weeks of age on them.

I guess if all else fails, I will just load with 260 gr. Nosler Partitions and keep the range within their velocity envelope.

 

[DrMike]

That is a pretty fair velocity for a cast bullet, I should think. One thing seems certain, it will smack hard and put game down quickly.

 

[JD338]

onesonek

Congratulations on the T/C 375x444, also known as the 375 JDJ. It is a hammer on game. I have shot one in the Contender hand gun and it is a bit of a handful with 270 gr. full power loads. I was amazed with the accuracy, one ragged hole at 50 yds!

JD338

 

[onesonek]

Yes it is Mike. From what I hear or understand,,,,the more above 2000 fps with cast, the more everything has to match up. Bullet fit in this situation, I don't think will be an issue, finding an alloy that will perform the way I want is another matter. But I know of some that are pushing above 2500 fps without leading and getting good accuracy. I'll just have to play around till I find a combination that works as I hope. Advice I have gotten so far is mixed, between casting fairly hard, to fairly soft and water quenching and or heat treating.
If I can an alloy to handle that launch speed and not strip the lands, give 2 moa accuracy, and still have the nose rivet to full diameter at 200 yds., I will be more than happy.
Just hope I ain't asking too much of it!!!

Thanks JD...I would have put 375JDJ had SSK made it. JD wouldn't likely have cared,being it is a used MGM. But JD most definately deserves credit for the rounds development. among the other's he has come up with on the .444 brass.

 

[JD338]

Thanks JD...I would have put 375JDJ had SSK made it. JD wouldn't likely have cared,being it is a used MGM. But JD most definately deserves credit for the rounds development. among the other's he has come up with on the .444 brass.

I agree with you 100%. JD Jones is a prince and a gentleman. A friend of mine that introduced me to the hand cannons is actually a very good friend of JD, they have hunted together many times.
I have a SSK barreled 6.5 JDJ and one of these days I will also have a SSK barreled 375 JDJ. :wink:

JD338

 

[onesonek]

Well, I got all the components together, although I'm waiting on another custom sizer. The lee I got was a bit more out of round than I cared to see. Made it work for the time being by opening it up some and then rotating and running the bullet through twice.
Loaded up a dummy to check and set measurements. Now giving the one's I poured and heat treated some time to age harden. Hope they will be shootable Sunday.
Be lubing them later this evening and load up a 2 load ramps using R-15 and Varget. Most advice I received said to go a tad slower powder than H4895 in this with cast,,,we'll see. Need to fix that seater first abit.

 

[SJB358]

Man, that is one deadly looking bullet! Wow, seems like a thumper for sure. Scotty

 

[JD338]

Dave,

That is an awesome looking round! That hard cast bullet looks like it will penetrate into tomorrow.
What velocity are you striving for?

JD338

 

[taylorce1]

I'm running the .375 JDJ and .260 Accubonds, unfortunately I wasn't able to get my Chrony to work last time I went to the range there just wasn't enough light as it was snowing. Hoping I can get some loads across it this weekend, by my figures I should be going over 2300 fps using 49 grains of H4895. I'm using this load for my bear hunt in a couple of weeks.

I had some 300 grain hard cast bullets I shot out of it for a plinking load pushed by 14.6 grains of trail boss. Sure turned that rifle into a pussy cat, and I have no doubt that load would still do an number on a deer at 100 yards. My buddy sent me the bullets from Montana Bullet Works.

It is a neat round that is for sure. I'll probably part ways with my barrel, brass and dies after this hunt. I've got a .375 Ruger that I've been neglecting and I do like that cartridge a little better.

 

[onesonek]

Dave,

That is an awesome looking round! That hard cast bullet looks like it will penetrate into tomorrow.
What velocity are you striving for?

JD338

I'm hoping to get 2300 fps JD. I don't think getting that will be an issue. Finding an alloy that will handle that speed cleanly and accurately, might prove more the task. I loaded up a load ramp last nite with slower powder than what is listed for jacketed 270 gr. Most advice I have received, states that a slower pressure curve works best with cast. So I started with R-15 rather than H4895, of which Hodgdon list for the Contender.

This being in the Encore, I will have some room for increase in pressure. And all else being equal, cast develope less pressure than jacketed as I understand it. I started out the ramp with 50 grs. of R-15 and went to 52 at .5 increments. Slight compression at 52 grs. If that don't work as hoped, then I'll try Varget, with the same charge weights. I can live with less velocity if need be, just a hope is all. Main goal is just a good clean shooting load, that will shoot 2 moa or better and smack elk nicely out to 200 yds or so. I still may try H4895 as well.
I heat treated some of these to about 19-20 bhn, then annealed the nose's back down to bhn 11 hoping to get some riveting. I would like to see some riveting a down range velocity of 1700 fps or so. If not, well there is always the option of breaking down the critter with bone impacts.

We'll see, I doubt very much I would be so lucky to have it all come together with the first attempt. The alloy is going to be the key I think. Hopefully the weather is such, I can get this first run shot tomorrow.

 

[SJB358]

375 sized hole should stomp about any elk walking. Can't imagine needing too much expansion to really kill well. Scotty

 

[Guy Miner]

Really neat little rifle & cartridge. Thanks for sharing this project with us!

How heavy are those cast bullets you're making? They look good.

If you do try jacketed, the 260 AccuBond worked real well for me last year, and is an exceptionally accurate bullet. I was only running them at a shade over 2600 fps from the H&H. Also worth checking on the 235 gr SP Speer - I was really impressed with how well that relatively light, conventional bullet held up to penetration & expansion tests. An old friend used to use the 235 Speer on mule deer & elk and was very happy with the performance of that bullet, describing it as a "train wreck" when it struck game.

Guy

 

[onesonek]

Thanks Guy,,,,,those cast weigh 260.6 avg. without the gascheck when I did weigh some to see how they were running. I haven't weighed the gc's, but imagine they will add 4-5 grs.. Mold was setup to throw 265 with a 95-2.5-2.5 alloy with gc on. Alloy I'm using is close to that, being a 95-3-2. It took me a couple sessions, to figure out how the mold liked things. But from my second pouring, most were running between 260.3 and 260.9. I had a couple heavier and a couple lighter. I think I can get rid of those, once the mold has had it's break-in period. I found these brass molds like 3-4 sessions, before they start dropping consistantly. Consistant timing and pouring technique, make for consistant weights. But I will happy with a +/- .2-.3 of a gr. avg..

If I decide to shoot jacketed bullets, I will likely keep both the 235's and 260's around. May get some just to have anyhow.
My other thought is, if I don't reach my wants with these cast,,,,is to have another mold made that throws a .368". It would shoot sized to .367" in my 9.3x74R, and then paper patch it as cast to .376" for this barrel. I'm almost certain that I could get 23-2400 fps ( or close) with a 265- 270 gr. PP bullet, as they also develope less pressure than a jacketed of the same weight. So there is a couple ways to skin this cat, just trying this method first.

I would think so too Scotty, just would like to see it deform enough to make that .200" meplat into more like a full wadcutter.

Dave

 

[onesonek]

Well my intial load testing using R-15 proved 2300 fps was possible. Actually got to 2400 fps no problem, other than accuracy wasn't what I hoped. Going to give Varget a try and see. Even though I had no leading, I may have to tweak the alloy somewhat. Or go to a slower powder yet, and back the velocity off some. I still hope to find an accurate load near 2300 fps, but would settle for less. Then again, there is still the paper patch option.
dave

 

[SJB358]

Nice, glad it is working for you Dave. That is alot of hitting power for sure! Scotty