450Bushmaster.net

A couple of observations on the above posts:

In June 2009, I reported some hangfires in working with light-bullet loads, including with CCI BR-4 primers and Lil'Gun, . These went away when I switched to Win SR primers.

On their first, handwritten reloading data sheets (see Knowledge Base in this Forum), Hornady shows Win SR primers being used with all powders, including 296. I have not checked larger cases extensively, but Hornady likes the regular Win SR primers for smaller cases like 22 Hornet, 218 Bee, and for the 30 Carbine; I recall reading that 296 was developed for the Carbine.

The results in the first post are puzzling, and are worth exploring. If ebg3 switches primers for the next set of loads and gets no hangfires, we're still left wondering whether the hangfire problem was caused by the primers, or by a glitch in reloading that did not happen when loading the new primers. I'm not suggesting that ebg3 do further trials with the CCIs, because there is some possible hazard with hangfires.

--Bob

good info here... just my two cents 296 is best suited for smaller charges in straight wall cases of magnum pistol designs with the magnum primers. H110 is a little easier to ignite and more consistant in the larger doses but then lil gun has all that covered even better just sayin'

MOUNTIN DU wrote::!: good info here... just my two cents 296 is best suited for smaller charges in straight wall cases of magnum pistol designs with the magnum primers. H110 is a little easier to ignite and more consistant in the larger doses but then lil gun has all that covered even better just sayin'

MOUNTIN DU-
H-110 and W296 are the same powders, according to Hodgdon.
--Bob

maybe today... but 10, 20, 30yrs ago, commercial w296(& surplus) was NOT a gr for gr substitute. h110 is faster on the burn scale and required a 2-5% reduction of max loads with heavy bullets and yielded higher velocities, less deviation, better groups. a visual inspection of the two (in my stock) shows the difference. i'm not a fan of w296, it's just too hard to ignite; but i use h110 in all my magnum handgun loads; except +p 45lc with great success, despite what the late great elmer keith advised

For egb3-

I should have recalled an earlier thread that dealt with almost exactly the same problems with 296. Forum member "the_mad_rshn" had some partial burns with 296 and 200- and 230-grain bullets. The thread from almost exactly a year ago is worth reading. (Maybe October is a bad month for 296.):
http://www.450bushmaster.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=159

He also started a thread on the beartooth bullets forum with the same problem. The good folks there came to about the same conclusion. On that thread, Rocky Raab provides some important warnings about the hazard of the situation. These underscore those issued here by Wildcatter on the same topic.
http://www.shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=60405

--Bob

Ditto, on all that's being talked about now. H110/ww296 have interchangeable data and need mag primers. I use fed 215's if I have large primer pockets. The 215 is way hotter than anything else and there is no equivalent in small primers, that I know of, but as Hoot has shown us there are some good one and you will need them to light 296/110. Last week I had to revisit and stoke up a 45 pro (remember its case is .071" longer), with 296, a 230grainer over 52gr of 296 (don't try this load in our cartridge), fed 215, and a LeGendre-Side & Taper Crimps, used together. This recipe yielded 2875fps, no sooting and a case head expansion of .0015" ( 1½ thou), which is normal max and was not yet a compressed load. This is the kind of thing we need to use if large amounts of 296/110 are trying to be lit-up, but the benefits can be exponential Horse Power. 3000fps can be had in the Bushy, provided you are up the the safety signs, otherwise leave it alone, but accuracy sometimes suffers and 2 to 3 MOA might be normal, I call this Minute of Grizzle, which at 6" to 9" groups at 300yds is just fine and chest shots on deer+ sized animals are absolutely decisive, regardless of what the energy-charts say, that large diameter pills is very decisive at 300+ yds, wither you start life out at 2200fps or 3000fps. However, Hoots argument is also valid, which is in basic form, lower the speeds, increase the accuracy and still kill everything in sight, hands down! So, your only question is how dead do you want the target. I tend to go for speed, kinda like having a ZR1 Corvette, but never putting the pedal-to-the-metal. The reality is, Hoot is probably more correct, he doesn't have to worry about pressures, as much as I do, thus his loads are safer, he can light up his powder column easier and cutting one hole groups have a great deal of appeal, but I sure do like seeing all those zero's on the chronograph..t

To keep from losing important information re 296 and hangfires:

Poster MOUNTIN DU replied to some of the statements in this thread with a post on the "Dangerous Loading Practices" thread: http://www.450bushmaster.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=73.

--Bob

Wow, it's been almost a year since I've had a chance to load for and shoot the .450. I decided to get away from 296 and go with Lil'Gun as others here seem to be having good luck with it. I loaded 38grs of Lil'gun behind a 240gr XTP Mag and a CCI Mag primer and went to the range. I don't have pics of 100yd groups but they are MOA or a little less, no hangfires and no real pressure signs on brass or primers. I zeroed the carbine with the 240 XTP load and then fired a factory 250 Hornady load and it hit to the same POA. It's nice to know I can use either round with the same zero. As an aside, the 240gr reload has noticably more recoil than the factory 250gr Hornady load.
EG