Range Report: Barnes XPB Part I

Talk about your 450b reloading experience, ask questions, etc...

Moderator: MudBug

Forum rules
Please try and keep it safe!

This information is the responsibility of the community, not the forum. 450bushmaster.net is not responsible if you blow yourselves up.

Re: Barnes XPB Range Report Final Edition

Postby pitted bore » Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:54 am

Hoot, T-, and c.f.-
Thanks for writing the clear description of your techniques. I'll see how it works, probably in a couple of days,
The materials are already in-house.
--Bob
edit for spelling
User avatar
pitted bore
 
Posts: 700
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:05 pm
Location: The U.P.'s U.P.

Re: Barnes XPB Range Report Final Edition

Postby Hoot » Thu Jul 07, 2011 8:15 pm

Here's a brief follow up regarding how the new brass behaved. If Hornady had chosen to make them all 1.70 at the start, at least not as many would ultimately fall out of spec after several reloads. My experience with the many I've reloaded in the past, is that they shrink less drastically each reload and eventually reach a fairly stable length. Albeit they all reach a fairly stable out of spec length, except for one that I keep close track of due to it's uniqueness. Five reloads and it has held 1.697 through all of them. Sure would like to have it analyzed to maybe know what is different about it. Looks like maybe one of this batch may have similar properties. I won't know for sure until 5 reloads from now.

Image

It's a game you never win. You just play it. ;)

Hoot
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
User avatar
Hoot
 
Posts: 5083
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Barnes XPB Range Report Final Edition

Postby commander faschisto » Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:07 pm

Suggestion: Send the above data to Hornady tech guys? Or maybe wc could do it? Depends on how they would "take it", I guess.
Isa Akhbar!
NRA Life Member
Oklahoma Rifle Association member

Heavily armed; easily pissed.
User avatar
commander faschisto
 
Posts: 1484
Joined: Tue May 31, 2011 6:32 pm
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Barnes XPB Range Report Final Edition

Postby BD1 » Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:04 am

Jeez Hoot, it looks like they're getting shorter all the time. The last new Hornady brass I bought was in 2009, and they were all between 1.697 and 1.699. I've been "retiring" them when they get below 1.690.
BD
BD1
 
Posts: 523
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Northern Maine, Working on the coast, but home is still Moosehead Lake.

Re: Barnes XPB Range Report Final Edition

Postby Hoot » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:48 pm

BD1 wrote:Jeez Hoot, it looks like they're getting shorter all the time. The last new Hornady brass I bought was in 2009, and they were all between 1.697 and 1.699. I've been "retiring" them when they get below 1.690.
BD


Yes, I bought two boxes in the course of last year. Dimensions in one varied from 1.694 to 1.7 and the other was horrendous, like 1.688 to 1.697. Having seen videos of brass being manufactured, my guess is Hornady has brass forging pellets of a size the yields 1.69-1.70 when run through their forging tooling for the .284 Winchester. The end forgings may pass along a visual inspection belt to cull obviously malformed ones and into sorting bins, faster than the eye can see. Depending upon the accuracy of the pellet size, hardness, forging press force, etc, the final length varies within a certain AQL yield. I doubt they are scrutinized individually. Remember, profit margin is job 1.

FWIW, the other box that came with the one I just used, measured out the same. Probably from the same manufacturing lot.

There is of course an argument to be made for how important final length is. In my chamber, With a 1.704 case chambered, while being held back against the bolt face, the mouth still did not touch the chamber lip, so tolerances are somewhat negotiable. I suspect 1.685 works just as well and just as safe as 1.695. The key specification being not so long as to prevent the bolt lugs from engaging and rotating into locked position. Too short has been the source of a lot of debate in the 1911 forums for time in memoriam.

That doesn't make it right, but you got to pick your battles.

There is an argument for not loading them light. My experience has been that the worst shrinkage comes from the lowest chamber pressure loads. They just can't hold on tight enough. Thank you Bushmaster for a polished chrome chamber in a non-combat weapon. :roll:

Hoot
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
User avatar
Hoot
 
Posts: 5083
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Barnes XPB Range Report Part I

Postby Hoot » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:47 am

WARNING! SOME LOADS IN THIS THREAD EXCEED RECOMMENDED CHAMBER PRESSURE FOR THE 450 BUSHMASTER. DESPITE MY BRASS AND RIFLE NOT SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF EXTREME PRESSURE, YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY. IF YOU CHOOSE TO REPRODUCE THESE LOADS, DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Hoot
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
User avatar
Hoot
 
Posts: 5083
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Range Report: Barnes XPB Part I

Postby Handgunner » Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:28 pm

Hi Hoot
I am 67 and have reloaded since I was 16. I have been reading a lot of your posts on your experimentation with a number of loads and bullets for the 450 Bushmaster. What is your suggestion for a starting load in Lil Gun for the 200gr FTX In my bushy? I am looking at Hornady's recommendation for their 240 XTP Mag bullet. It ranges from 25.7-38.3grs. I thought about a start load of around 30-32 grs.
Here in Michigan we just allowed straight walled cartridges in the shotgun zone in Southern Mi. Case size is limited to 1.16-1.80. Bushy fits right in there YEA!
Thanks
RETIRED
US ARMY VET. 1966/1968
Deputy Sheriff & Fire Fighter
Life Member NRA/1976
Firearms Enthusiast
Handgunner
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:11 pm
Location: GOOD OLE USA

Re: Range Report: Barnes XPB Part I

Postby Hoot » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:54 pm

Handgunner wrote:Hi Hoot
I am 67 and have reloaded since I was 16. I have been reading a lot of your posts on your experimentation with a number of loads and bullets for the 450 Bushmaster. What is your suggestion for a starting load in Lil Gun for the 200gr FTX In my bushy? I am looking at Hornady's recommendation for their 240 XTP Mag bullet. It ranges from 25.7-38.3grs. I thought about a start load of around 30-32 grs.
Here in Michigan we just allowed straight walled cartridges in the shotgun zone in Southern Mi. Case size is limited to 1.16-1.80. Bushy fits right in there YEA!
Thanks


Using Rem 7 1/2 primers, 38gr of Lil Gun drops you smack dab in the middle of the sweet zone. 36gr makes for a very soft shooting, yet deadly load. Great for quick followup shots. Of course the best followup shot is one that is not needed. As always, I recommend seating the bullet so that you can drive the taper crimp into the cannelure. The lighter the bullet, the longer you need to hold onto it before it breaks free of the case, especially with Lil Gun, which is more at home with slightly heavier bullets. The 200 FTX bullets open up quite a lot at 2k fps and beyond into water jugs. Good Luck and have fun.

Hoot
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
User avatar
Hoot
 
Posts: 5083
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Range Report: Barnes XPB Part I

Postby Hoot » Wed Jul 15, 2015 5:06 pm

I finally repaired the broken image links due to changing ISP a few years back. On to repairing the other parts of the article.

Hoot
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
User avatar
Hoot
 
Posts: 5083
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Minnesota

Previous

Return to Reloading for the 450b

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests