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Old August 12, 2013, 08:25 PM   #1
Mike / Tx
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Accurate 454-280C

Well I simply couldn't help myself. I saw a slightly used 3 cavity brass posted for sale and had to pick it up. I figured it might come in handy being plain based and I can either use it in the 45 Colt or the 454.

It sure does throw a pretty one, don't ya think....




I can hardly wait to try a few out.
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File Type: jpg Accurate 454280C01.jpg (80.4 KB, 266 views)
File Type: jpg Accurate 454280C02.jpg (111.6 KB, 394 views)
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Old August 12, 2013, 09:13 PM   #2
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It sure does look like a thumper! I love my Accurate mold.
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Old August 16, 2013, 07:02 PM   #3
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Well the first batch was only around 150 or so, just what leftover lead I still had in the pot.

I took the mold down yesterday, and polished, and lubed her up a bit, and then proceeded to pour up around 30# worth or so of them.

Then after the last pan had cooled off, I was somewhat spreading them out and didn't notice I had the pan sitting somewhat off the little table. Before I knew what was happening my pan, with somewhere around 200 or so freshly cast and beautiful bullets hit the cement, spilling them all over the place.

I looked at them for a minute or so, said a few very unkind things about myself, and started picking them all back up. Then spent the next hour or so looking each and every one of them over and sorting out around 20 that were banged up from the fall.

The best part about the whole episode, at least I can throw them right back in the pot, and in a couple of weeks pour them back into that same pan all new again.
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Old September 9, 2013, 05:00 PM   #4
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Update on these awesome thangs...

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.


Well it has been a few weeks since I poured up a pan and then poured it on the floor. So I managed to get a couple hundred lubed up and ready to load. I spent half a day trying to figure out what I wanted to load them over before finally just throwing my hands up and loading them over 13grs of W540.

I loaded a hundred rounds priming 50 with CCI-300 and the other half with Wolf LP's. I figured since this same load shot the 45 270 SAA so well I would give it a try with these as well. I wasn't disappointed.

I must point out that this load should only be used in a RUGER or similar strength type firearm. Another source of load data is the Brian Pierce article in Handloader Magazine.

I have a few pictures I will try and get up as soon as I can. I am having issues with my old PC and the NEW digital camera we have not really wanting to work together. I will have to save them on a memory stick at work and either post them from there or bring the stick home and do it from here.

Anyway the groups were great at 25yds offhand and I tried few while in the country this weekend and at 50yds. I managed to keep 4 of the 5 I shot on the target shooting offhand. The revolver isn't sighted in for them so my first shot hit the lip of the 55 gallon barrel I had my target bucket sitting atop of. Trust me when I say it rocked it pretty darned good too. Once I knew where to hold however they grouped around 6" which is plenty good for hogs. I will be working on loading up plenty more in the next couple of weeks and hopefully have them dialed in once the cooler weather hits around deer season. I won't hesitate to drop the hammer on a nice deer or hog at all.

Anyway I'll try and get the pics up tomorrow.
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Old September 18, 2013, 01:20 PM   #5
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Well I know it has been too long since I said I was going to put up some pics, but I been busy.

So anyway barring anything else getting in the way, here are some that I shot at 50yds. I'm pretty happy with the expansion I got and looking forward to putting some to task on the hogs in the not so distant future, I hope.

This first one is pretty much a straight down shot just to show the expansion compared to a new bullet,




This one is just showing off a bit more.

Oh, and I am not nearly as concerned with the finer points of photography as I am with the performance of my loads...just sayin
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File Type: jpg DSCN0120.jpg (89.4 KB, 1195 views)
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Old September 18, 2013, 06:10 PM   #6
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Quote:
Oh, and I am not nearly as concerned with the finer points of photography as I am with the performance of my loads...just sayin
No fair postin' a disclaimer before we even get to take a shot at ya!!!
***************************************************


Now, back to the bullets.... did I miss it, or did you not tell the alloy?
Them's some pretty 'shrooms!!

I wanna grow some of those with my new 3-cav as well!!!!
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Old September 19, 2013, 04:24 AM   #7
Mike / Tx
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Quote:
Now, back to the bullets.... did I miss it, or did you not tell the alloy?
Them's some pretty 'shrooms!!

I wanna grow some of those with my new 3-cav as well!!!!
Well I poured these up using straight 1/3/96 iso core alloy. It was what I had in handy so I figured why not. Still haven't had a chance to run them over the chrony yet but guessing it at around 1050 - 1100'ish on the top end.

My hopes are that they will shoot well out of the 454 as well, but I'm still looking over data to see where I want to start. I'm thinking of going with AA-9 or 2400, but just don't seem to have the time to do the proper load work up right now. There ain't no way I am going to try and load them over my standard load of WCC-297, it pushes the Lee GC'ed 300RF out at 1550'ish. Might be a little bit of leading involved with these. Might have to use a different alloy, but I would wager I can get some up into the 1350 range pretty easily.

As for the Colt though, I think these will see plenty of time in the field in the upcoming months, along with a couple of others. I would have been working on it already but I just hate messing with pork in the heat. Just WAY to much hurry up for a nice slow look at how well things did.
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