For the more experienced Lott shooters, what MV do you try for with a 450 grain slug?

Barnes TSX and Banded solids to 2320 (ish)fps. That penetrates just fine and has just enough less recoil than 500grn at the same speed not to knock the bejabbers out of me - and it is not a compressed load with S321. %00grn mon's at 2300fps are a compressed load with South African Primers.

Right out of the Barnes manuel number 3. 76 grains of H4895 MV 2203 fps. Tsx Shot thru both shoulders Of water buff. and lodged in the skin of the off side. 450 grain Barnes banded solid thru and thru no recovery. What more do you need?

quote:

Originally posted by BobS:
Right out of the Barnes manuel number 3. 76 grains of H4895 MV 2203 fps. Tsx Shot thru both shoulders Of water buff. and lodged in the skin of the off side. 450 grain Barnes banded solid thru and thru no recovery. What more do you need?

I would say that is plenty of penetration! Nice buffalo, Bob!

87-89 grains of VV-N540, plus or minus, depending on your rifle - do please back off 10% and work up - will get you 2,400 fps with 450s out of a 24 inch barrel in the .458 Lott.

That's what I like.

Edited: Went back to my records and saw that I needed to reduce my previously posted charge range by two grains. The key of course is to start low and work up.

I got an easy 2350 FPS with 500 grs. in my old Lott, so I am sure I could get another 100 FPS with a 450 gr. bullet. My chronograph told me that IMR-4320 was the only powder I could safely do that with..along with a well written article in an old Rifle magazine..

I would use the same load for the 450gr bullet that I use for the 500gr bullet. Your MV would be a little faster.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
Barnes TSX and Banded solids to 2320 (ish)fps. That penetrates just fine and has just enough less recoil than 500grn at the same speed not to knock the bejabbers out of me - and it is not a compressed load with S321. %00grn mon's at 2300fps are a compressed load with South African Primers.

I would love to know how you seat these 450 X bullets without distorting the case. I tried every trick in the book and can not expand the case mouth deep enough allowing me to seat these properly.

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I would use the same load for the 450gr bullet that I use for the 500gr bullet. Your MV would be a little faster.

I found with medium calibers that a lighter bullet asks for a higher charge to keep the speed the same. To increase speed with a lighter bullet takes more powder in a medium caliber. Does this apply to big bores or is there something different with them?

rule of thumb, on bigbores, you can trade FPS for grains of bullet weight .. so, if 2275 is a good safe load for a lott with a 500gr bullet, expect about 2325 AS A MAX ...

But, gentlemen, the 450gr TSX is a VERY VERY long bullet, and will consume alot of capacity

If theres no load DADA thats what I do for a lesser weight bullet. Thats safe.

My Lott runs Northfork 450 grain SS and 450 grain CPS. I won't use Barnes bullets. Just don't like them. I think I'll have the powder capacity to get where I need to be, just looking for the desired velocity with 450 grain slugs, if there is such a number to look for.
I have been practicing with 450 grain Swift A-frames and they shoot very good. So far I have tried 4064 and it is working fairly well. I plan on 4320, but haven't gotten the time for that yet. Soon.
I'm growing very fond of my Lott. I think the Rigby will have to find a new home.

Does anyone here actually load those 450 or 500 gr X bulets in a Lott?

I load alot of Lott ammo with .450grn Barnes Bullets both for myself and other PH's in the Industry.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
I load alot of Lott ammo with .450grn Barnes Bullets both for myself and other PH's in the Industry.

How in the world do you get the case mouth expanded deep enough to permit the long XXX bullets to seat without distorting the case?
So far I tried 4 different sets of Lott dies and have failed.

Snow wolf - I don't try. I size cases in Harnaday dies and then run an expander plug in to a depth of about 1/4". This creates a slight bulge in the case. I then seat the bullets which pushes said bulge back a bit, then crimp.

Yes there is a slight unsightly reverse neck on the case at the base of the bullet, but it does prevent the bullet being pushed back any more into the case- and with a 450grn X and 8O grns S321 that is a possibitily.

It looks really cool when you just neck up 375 brass and seat a 400 gr bullet

So far I am up to 2300 fps w/450 gr X , headin for 2400 fps

Sounds like a plan to me...a 450 gr. monolithic at anything over 2150 FPS should be a good killer and at 2400 FPS should be hell and damanation on anything.