I recently assembled a AR10 chambered in .375 Raptor. While researching load data for the .375. I stumbled across the .45 Raptor, figured it would be a fun chambering to load for and shoot.

Bullet velocities from a 16" barrel per the Raptor Shooting Systems web site. Looking forward to getting it together and loading for it. I don't plan on putting a complete rifle together, I'm leaning towards just assembling a complete upper and just swapping uppers with my current .375 Raptor.

200gr Hornady FTX 2850 FPS
230gr Hornady FMJ 2600 FPS
240gr Hornady XTP Mag 2600 FPS
250gr Hornady FTX 2500 FPS
300gr Hornady XTP Mag 2300 FPS

Satern barrels, stainless, 16", 1-20 twist, mid length gas. I'm still waiting on the muzzle brake to be delivered.

.375 Raptor cartridge (Left)
.45 Raptor case (Center)
.308 Winchester case (Right)





ASC AR10 magazine converted to shoot the 45 Raptor.



Properly headstamped brass.



45 Raptor (Left)
.270 WSM (Right)



I plan on loading the Lehigh Defense 250gr Extreme Penetrators first.

Hey...very, VERY KOOLLL TOOLS.

Looked hard at the 45 Raptor last year and also at my slightly longer version(1.95" case OAL 375 MOFO) version of your 375 Raptor but I ran into too many cost problems...I'm CHEEP!!!...so I went with the 450 Bushmaster and the 6.5 Creedmore barrels for the different AR receivers. I have complete uppers for each also. By the time I added up the barrel, custom dies, custom reamer and time, one large went flying out the window and I start twitching when I see a fifty dollar bill start to disappearing.

I also had a set of very expensive 375 JDJ dies that been sitting on the shelf for almost 30 years...so I went with those and did a 26" swap barrel for an Axis receiver I had in my rat drawer. I thought about just doing my 375/308 version and grinding off the excess on the die bases...but again the problems of having a reamer and a barrel done out weighed the bragging rights...not to mention the time frame. I use mostly x57 or x62 brass for my JDJ AKA 375X62, AKA 9.5x62 MEANMOFO AKA 375 SPLATCAT.

I would have to have a reamer made that follows the standard JDJ taper so the grinding off of the sizer die matched...or not, I haven't made any dummies up to see if just using the ground off die as is would cause the redazz anywhere along the line...and I won't start waving any die bases at the grinder until I decide TODOIT.

I'm getting about 2400 fs with 200 gr bullets in the Bush which isn't bad considering the lower pressure and smaller case. Found some very nice swaged ones online at Fury Bullets you might just look at...he has several diameters and weights, bonded, cannelured, etc.

There is also the possibility of doing a 450 Marlin which has been done already or a something on a WSM case that looks feasible, but that's for someone way younger and with deeper pockets...and a 50 cal on the larger receiver would totally stomp the $%^&*( at BOTH ends.

One PROBLEM you might encounter with those funny looking penetraters, even if they DO LOOK KOOL, THEY DO HANG UP in the chamber locking notches unless they are oriented just so-so. Those bullet nose notches sides just fit the bolt notches and lock up the bolt tighter than a %^&*(. I gave up after futzing around with several tightly locked bolts ans just single loaded them. Dropping one INTO the chamber fully then going with a mag worked well...the bullet itself makes a BIG splash in my sand pile and I think will work very well in game.

Good hunting with your KOOLTOOLS.

I'll check out fury bullets!

I did consider the fact, that the Extreme Penatrators design and shape would probably at minimum damage the custom aluminum feed ramps on the converted magazine. May just end up shooting the vanilla 240gr XTP's.

Sounds like fun

There are several "pointy" 0.451" and 0.452" bullets out there with slightly higher BC's, some have cannelures and some don't...the Raptor and Bush NEED a cannelure AND a heavy crimp with the recoil and slapping around the rounds get in the cycle for certain, and any help that a higher BC can provide.

I worked my QL to death looking at bullets and powders, then the chrono's for velo's...to get the optimum in velo and accuracy...H110, WW296 and Lil'Gun with Horn 200 and 250 FTX's and Fury 250 and 275, but with the much lower pressure limits the velo dropped off quickly as the bullet weight went up.

Having both a 375 JDJ and 450 Marlin also keeps me from really attacking this kind of project for the AR-10 and having a relatively cheap 50 Beowulf barrel and dies available keeps me from going after a 50 cal plus a 500 S&W MAG T/C keeps me from doing a 50 cal AR10 which might just be a simple case rim mod as it can be loaded to the 10's MAP and give over 4500 ftlbs with 300 gr FTX's at 2600+ fs.

Just received my Accurate Molds 375 gr LFNGC double gang mold today. Gonna have a ball with those bullets as I designed them to have the flat nose drilled out to receive those plastic Cutting Edge pointy tips and brass pointy tips if I can get my loosy-goosy lathe to cooperate...

Ahhhh...the wonderful world of wildcatting.

Good Hunting

Love H110 in my S&W 500

Did I read somewhere that H110 and WW296 are the same powder and made by one manufacturer???

Hope that isn't the case as I bought 8 lbs of the 296 due to that scenario and the fact that 296 works so well in several other similar type/volume cartridges I have.

QL shows WW296 to be superior in velo and pressure to H110 but I haven't tried either one yet...

My barrel is off at Bellm's for some work...hopefully to keep the sight mount and forearm from flying off due to recoil. 296 vs H110 comparisons in my 44 Maggy and 450 Bush gives 296 the edge with some bullet weights and Lil'Gun with others with H110 just doing it's job as long as it has a tight crimp and I use Mag primers.

Basically the same problem when I rechambered my NEF Buffalo Classic to 45-120 and changed stocks then added some extra weight to the forearm...it came flying off after the 4-5 700 gr load when the spot welded mount that WASN'T spot welded to good broke loose.

Working through the variables does keep me out of the pool halls tho'


$%^&*(....you got me mucking about with my design programs and looking at barrels makers again.....

Good Hunting

45 Raptor (Left)300gr XTP
375 Raptor (Right)

Is that front block absolutely necessary???...look at all that room for a longer bullet like the 375 Raptor.

I tried 3-450 Marlin rounds from my BLR in a 5 rnd standard AR10 mag and it looked promising. The BLR has a similar block only about 3/16" thick or so...I started a project to remove that block and try some pointy bullets but it got sidetracked and a never got back to it...until now.

Not certain if any fidgeting round would add much velo but any additional velo adds up energy quickly.

Again...beautiful weapon..

Good Hunting