Rooster59 wrote:
I don't clean the 92 action as much as my 336/1895 Marlins. That much bleeding, wailing, and cursing coming from the basement scares my wife and dogs.
Jeff
That's funny...but kinda true.
I remove the magazine tube plug, spring and follower and swab out the tube, along with the barrel, but otherwise, the action itself normally just gets some brushing with a mil surplus M16 brush and then wiped out with a few cleaning patches, and maybe wipe down the exposed portions of the locking lugs and recesses.
It seems to work just fine with that level of maintenance.
I've been studying some load data for 300 gr Lee RNFP with Lil Gun. Hodgdon data shows 18-20 gr should be in the ballpark for the 92 action. I have read some people have experienced very hot guns with Lil Gun but Ranch Dog seems to use it exclusively. And at heavier loads than most.
Any Lil Gun users experience this?
"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Willard Duncan Vandiver
Rooster59 wrote:Any Lil Gun users experience this?
What I have noticed is with Lil' Gun over pressure trace equipment, is that it is no different that H110. You need to make it work hard. You try to go easy with light loads and the pressure variations are all over the place, wide, wild swings. Pack it tight and it is very uniform and will always have a velocity advantage and group size advantage over H110. I have stopped using H110 in all my short cartridge rifles, despite having 3 pounds of it on hand, and have switched to Lil' Gun.
Do you have a OAL that you are going to use with the Lee? If it is 1.60", 24.6-grains would provide 1725 FPS and 34.7 KPSI at 70°. I would and a little bird shot to your alloy mix for the arsenic (hardening agent) and water quench the bullets at the drop. This won't be grandma's 45!
Thanks RD. I had intended to load a few by today but haven't. I don't have a COAL in mind. Thought I would crimp in the groove and see where that puts me first.
A handloader/caster tutor gave me these to try. We are looking for a stout deer load and he prefers my shoulder gets the testing duty as opposed to his shoulder. We will probably also try some of the bullets from my Lee 457-340 mold sized down to .454 if they look OK after sizing. Just a little extra experimentation.
I am interested in using Lil Gun because you seem sold on it. Otherwise I might be using 2400 as I did for my Nosler 250HP load.
"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Willard Duncan Vandiver
I'm another one that is using LilGun over H-110 in the magnum cartridges and the 45 colt with hot loads. I have just started working with it in the 45 colt with 300 to 335 gr. bullets, not going to list charges until I work with it more in that case. Just about out of 44 mags loaded with H-110, and going to work up loads with that one as well. In the 357 mag, is seems like a marriage made in heaven with bullets weighing 158 and heavier. One of my favorite loads for the 357 is 19.0 under a 158 gr. JSP or XTP, accurate in most of my rifles and very flat shooting. That load is 1.0 gr over Hodgdons top load, so use at your own risk, their top load is rated at 25,800 CUP, the loads for H-110/W 296 is 40,700 CUP at the top. Brian Pierce has down a few articles in Handloader Mag. on the pistol caliber rifles and is quite fond of them, the 357 for his family in particular. I believe he has worked up to an even heavier load for some of his rifles with the 158 gr. weight. DP
Good morning
I use the Lee 255 RNFP in all my 45 Colts. Been shooting it in the Rugers a long time.
My first 45 Rossi is an Interarms import from numerous years ago. It shoots the Lee bullet with 17-19 grains of 2400 very well. My basic go to load for any strong 45 Colt firearm is 18 grains 2400.
The other Rossi is somewhat newer but also likes that 17- 19 grains of 2400. They simply shoot that combination very well.
Have tried 280 and 300 grainers with 2400 and would not hesitate to hunt big piggies and black bear with them. White tail (except grill door shots) just do not need that much horsepower in the river bottoms I hunt up north there. 33 yards is my longest firearms shot to date.
Mike in Peru
Loaded 15 of the Lee 300-454 bullets today. The top crimp ring ended up making a COAL of 1.57" with my brass at 1.285". I don't have a lathe type brass trimmer so I had to sort through my brass to get 15 within a few thousandths of an inch. I use the Lee case trimmers.
My Lee dies must be pretty darn tight. The .454 bullets were getting seated further by the crimp die. I'm sure it wasn't the sweater plug because the crimp insert was making marks on the bullet. Since the FCD is a roll crimp I tried it. The LFCD must be a bit larger diameter as it crimped without seating the bullets deeper. The LFCD still catches a bit as the bullet passes about half way in but it crimped nicely.
I have five each with Lil Gun (18.5, 19.5, 20.5 gr) per Hodgdon's Freedom Arms load data.
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"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Willard Duncan Vandiver
Rooster59 wrote:My Lee dies must be pretty darn tight. The .454 bullets were getting seated further by the crimp die. I'm sure it wasn't the sweater plug because the crimp insert was making marks on the bullet. Since the FCD is a roll crimp I tried it. The LFCD must be a bit larger diameter as it crimped without seating the bullets deeper. The LFCD still catches a bit as the bullet passes about half way in but it crimped nicely.
Good looking cartridges! A couple of questions Rooster.
I haven't slugged my 92. These are sized at .454 because my buddy made them for his Marlin 1894 in 45Colt he intends to shoot them in.
I used the FCD because it would allow the .454 bullet inside. My regular seater/crimp die was hitting the outer diameter of the bullet rather than the brass.
"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Willard Duncan Vandiver
Rooster59 wrote:I haven't slugged my 92. These are sized at .454 because my buddy made them for his Marlin 1894 in 45Colt he intends to shoot them in.
I used the FCD because it would allow the .454 bullet inside. My regular seater/crimp die was hitting the outer diameter of the bullet rather than the brass.
If it is a new rifle, the groove diameter is probably .450" so you could use a .452 bullet which probably relieve the issue you are experiencing with your dies.
