A belted Sharps 2 7/8” BP would be pretty sweet. It could really bring down the costs of shooting Smokeless rounds.

A .45-2.875" Belted Sharps?
That cannot possibly be for a "Sharps" rifle.
Why not just use the flanged .45-2.875" Sharps Straight like Quigley?
Does the .458 WIN LongCOL not do plenty with a belted case?

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Paul,

Paul thanks for being such a great supporter of THE MISSION.
You Aussies have always been there with us Americans, fighting the good fight with shared values as close as any two countries.
Antipodean fraternal twins, mighty mates, aye.
You are a good friend, so don't take this wrong:
Being upside down on the globe does not mean your tang peep can work backwards.

YOU THINK ? was supposed to be dripping with sarcasm.
Of course you screwed up when you screwed down the base of your tang peep on the Model 1886.
Now go get a cup of coffee and a nonalcoholic screwdriver, and get that bassackward tang sight off your fine rifle.
Someday you might get one that works properly when installed properly.
Honestly I did not know that it would lock upright at the correct angle (perpendicular to bore) unless it was installed with the base in the proper direction.

Rip ...

Having got my mate to remove the safety, shorten the base, reverse guts and tap another hole ahead of the safety slot, Ron, removing the tang sight would be a bit embarrassing, as well as problematic. I might look into adding a stop of some kind to stop it tipping forward, though.

Paul,
Good. Make a stop in the proper direction.

Rip ...

Here is a well reviewed bullet mould by Lee for only $21.99 at MidwayUSA.com:

Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold 459-500-3R 45-70 Government (459 Diameter) 500 Grain Pointed Round Nose

https://www.midwayusa.com/prod...010199053?pid=214596

Get two of those double-cavity Lee moulds going for half to a quarter of the cost of some single-cavity moulds. Turn out 4 bullets with each cycle of a double-double pour.

Cast in hard enough alloy and it might be 480-ish-grains in weight and big enough diameter to work well in the .458 WIN.
Use powder-coat paint as the gas check on the plain base with smokeless loads in .458" to .459" barrel grooves.
That would be sizing to .460" to .461" bullet diameter after PC paint.
Back to .458 WIN LongCOL with 2.5" brass, thank you.

Rip ...

NICE! good shooting RIP, that doe will be fine eating, gravy made from fried loin skillet drippings, a pile of mashed potatoes and hot biscuits will make a man hurt himself 'real' bad! ; ]

Jerry,

I am headed to pick up the meat today from the meat processor.
Then I will get the biscuits and mashed taters whomped up and put the meat in the skillet myself.

Thanks again for the gift of the .45-2.6" Starline brass, I will use it henceforth like this:



Also want to use that .45-2.6" brass for a nice 480-ish-grain-bulleted load,
and those loads transfer directly to .458 WIN:


The 3-shot group shown above was done with bullets initially prepared as .461"/544-grainer for the .458 WIN LongCOL with COL of 3.475".
They worked very well like that in a .459"-grooved Shilen barrel with smokeless powders, AA-2460 and AA-5744.

Those same bullets were subsequently passed through a LEE .459" bullet sizer before loading into the .45-2.6" brass with COL of 3.575",
and fired in the .457"-grooved Ruger No.1 with Pedersoli barrel.
They still worked very well.
All of this was with smokeless.

I'll try the same with the plain-base "Pointed Round Nose" Lee bullet cast in hard alloy and powder-coat-painted, fired with smokeless powder.

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Paul,
Good. Make a stop in the proper direction.

Rip ...

The problem then might be if it does connect with my glasses, there'll be no give - maybe an extra spring is the answer.

That Lee bullet really looks good in the photo, but I have reservations about it. It may or may not shoot well. I have some issues with the apparent center of gravity, and the configuration of the driving bands and the grease grooves.

Assuming that it DOES shoot, my questions notwithstanding, I guarantee that it will be a miserable hunting bullet. That same nose and ogive that work so well getting it through the wind with as little drag as possible team up to do the same thing in flesh. It will zip through without imparting shock or trauma and the exit hole will close quickly. I have seen it happen on a cow elk with a 45-110 and a 540 grain Metford paper patch bullet from 35 to 50 yards. Five shots through and through in the right place in a group the size of your hand before she even reacted to the shot.

If you'r going to hunt with this rifle, I strongly suggest one of the other bullets. The PH is well tested and proven on game, and would be my choice.

sharpsguy,

Thanks for coming over to the farside to support THE MISSION.

I figured you would say that about the "pointed round nose."
But it might be useful for silhouette and small varmint pelt preservation.
Of course, for serious hunting, the bullet needs to be more like the ".457-475" PH.



In the alloy I want to use, it is indeed .457" diameter but only 462 grains in weight.
In WW/Pb-50:50 it is more like .456" diameter and 479 grains, excellent for BP.
I need .461" diameter and 480 grains for the .458 WIN with smokeless.
I am hoping to get that with the Lee pointed round nose and this PH-like one:



I will load the Lee pointy one for gong ringing out to 600 yards, if it will shoot accurately.
The RCBS FNGC will be for big game.
Hopefully they will have same weight when cast in my alloy, 480-ish grains.

Rip ...

RIP: I used a Parker Hale (that same bullet) to flatten a buffler with my 45-110. Full disclosure; I am a 200% disciple of Sharpsguy when it comes to BP and the 110. His knowledge on the subject is incredible. Years ago, I he invited me to his house and gave me a PhD level course on the subject and afterwards I was scoring on a ram target at 500 yards.

Jedi jorge,

Jedi you are if you trained in the ways of The PHorce with Master Bagwell.
No doubt you bagged well that buffler by PHorce.

At THE MISSION we allow smokeless powder, powder-coat paint, and gas-checked, hard-cast bullets, seated long.
I hope you agree that The PHorce is strong with the RCBS .459-500 FNGC.
Smokeless loads for that are coming soon.
I am next shooting a BP .45-70 by the recipe of Master Bagwell with the PH bullet.
May The PHorce be with me, as it is with you.

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Across the "arroyo" about 150 yards away, a tasty she-deer, is high-tailing along the side of the hill, about 10 degrees elevation above me,
going to the right near center of this photo,
she is the straggler in a group of four:



In my best imitation of Saeed, I instinctively threw up the rifle and snapshot through the timber at moving game ...

Hey RIP, how come I didn't run into you... It looks like you've been hunting in my area!

Seriously, good on you, that was excellent shooting through woodland like that. Congrats on taking that doe with the 400gr GS. As Keith would say "You can eat right up to the hole", and that was a nice, clean one.

Weather here has turned to an early winter, so I've only been out once.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

Bob,

Buy a donkey for your kind words. Thanks for the flowers.
I did not have any smart bullets for that shot, just plain dumb luck.
Carrying a .458 WIN is always a magical experience, however, so some magic could have been imparted to that bullet by the rifle, not by me.

Yes, if we opened a portal between Ontario and Kentucky and one of us staggered through to the farside,
it might be like two grizzly bears meeting on a street corner in New York City, and small talk might go something like this:



My favorite cartoon again !

Rip ...

New page:
We shall do some play with Trapdoor Springfield ballistics from the Winchester-throated fraternal twins:
The ZEBRA HAMMER ballistics of sharpsguy.



The PHorce was not with me on 11-14-2019.
It was more like the PHarce was with me !
I wiped the bore with an olive-oiled patch before shooting the clean bore.
I used 3 shots to get on paper without blowing or wiping the bore, adjusting the scope after each shot.
45*F chrono at 5 yards, 28"-barreled Highwall:
1258 fps
1253 fps
1289 fps !
Uh oh. The last shot was only about 2" low,
but I was out of adjustment on elevation !
I now need to shim the rear base by 0.020" higher after replacing the front base with one 0.060" higher !
Oh well, it is a better front base, just a little overshoot on the correction of height for the front base.

So I blew 5 breaths down the bore and patched out some BP fouling.
Then shot the next 5 shots with a dry patch between shots.
No, I do not know what I am doing here.



First two shots went into one hole, and the next three followed no rhyme nor reason, just went wild.
Now it dawns on me that I forgot to tickle the rifle with a duck feather before each shot.
Does BP fouling accumulation cause higher velocity on the third shot of three with no wiping ?
Does BP fouling accumulation cause higher velocity on the fifth shot of five with dry patch wiping between each shot?
Do I need to blow and wipe the bore after each shot?

The rifling of this Winchester/Browning/Miroku Highwall is as beautiful as I have ever seen, polished smooth and without tool marks.
I am only guessing about BP fouling being an issue here.
I do know that a lot of blowtube blowing and bore wiping goes on at BPCR matches.
This BP stuff may be too tricky for a guy so happy with smokeless powder and powder-coat-painted cast bullets in his breechloaders.
I do love the BP in my muzzleloaders.
They get bore-wiped before each shot when a greased-patched ball is loaded.

Rip ...

I am guessing that the first two shots from a clean barrel are good for my rifle with PH-bullet load, with no blowing or wiping required.
That is with 66 grains of GOEX FFFg, CCI BR-2 primer, and the .457"/478-grain bullet at 2.550" COL,
.457"-grooved, 28"-barreled .45-70 Govt.

I have 4 velocity readings at 5 yards that were first 2 shots from clean barrel or a freshly 5-breath-blown & wiped bore:
1258 fps
1253 fps
1261 fps
1257 fps

Average is 1257.25 fps.
BC = 0.243
For MV, add 9.5 fps to 5-yard velocity: MV = 1266.75 fps
rounds to
1267 fps MV

Hey, that is about what sharpsguy said he was getting in his .458"-grooved, 30"-barreled, Shiloh Sharps .45-70.
That is the ZEBRA HAMMER load with the PH bullet.
This load will be replicated with smokeless powder in the 23"-barreled .458 WIN and 22"-barreled .45-2.6"-SWT (the .458 Winchester Magnum Flanged),
just to show how versatile the .458 WIN can be.

Rip ...

Gee, that chapter turned over quick!

It wants to shoot. Notice that the first two are in one hole? It is a fouling issue, and you and the rifle haven't figured out how to deal with it.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Gee, that chapter turned over quick!

Paul,
Thus accomplished through your support of THE MISSION.

Here is a great shim made from 0.010" thick brass sheet from Hobby Lobby.
2 thicknesses make 0.020".





Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by sharpsguy:
It wants to shoot. Notice that the first two are in one hole? It is a fouling issue, and you and the rifle haven't figured out how to deal with it.

Blow and patch the bore after each shot,
or just switch to smokeless powder ?





Rip ...

Never fear!
Using a .461"-diameter bullet in a .459"-grooved .458 WIN with smokeless powder is good.
In a .457"-grooved .45-2.6"-SWT, the desired bullet diameter is obtained by simply sizing the .461" bullets to .459" diameter.
Smokeless loads are so easy !!!
Make all bullets .461" diameter.
Size down to .459" diameter as needed.

Will hope to get a .461"/480-ish-grainer running at all velocities from 1150 fps to 2300 fps.
That is about Mach 1 to about Mach 2.
So maybe we try for a .458/250-grainer approaching Mach 3, next ?

Rip ...

Easy remedy for BP fouling: Duplex the BP (54 grains of FFg) with IMR-SR4759 (5 grains), for the .456/478-grain PH.
Or go whole hog smokeless: 33 grains of AA-5744 with the .458/464-grain PH, in the .457-grooved .45-70 ?

If I were a BPCR competitor I would be stuck with a blowtube and patch after each shot of BP in this rifle.

Rip ...

Back to modern technology in the quest for .458 WIN perfection,
has anyone tried this varmint load?



I'll save it for comfort shooting in the 7.5# Ultima Winchester-McGowen .458 WIN LongCOL 3.6".
A range of velocities maybe,
Mach-1 squirrel loads, Mach-2 deer loads, and near Mach-3 stunt loads.

Rip ...

RIP (and any others who want to chime in);

When I owned the CZ550 in .458, a friend was making cast bullets for me in 465gr and 470gr (harder) from the same mould (don't know who made the mould). They worked great in an 1895 Marlin and NEF single-shot -- 1900 fps into MOA or better. I shot a nice 6' bear with one from the NEF. All that was reported in my blogs going back about ten years ago. In the CZ550, they were just OK, but I was pushing them faster and there was a long jump to the rifling. Plus, the twist-rate was 1 in 14" in the CZ and 1 to 20" in the .45-70s, as we all know.

Anyway, at my request, my friend ordered Lyman # 457671 and made a bunch for me. Most of them "keyholed". He made inquiry with Lyman and was told that the long unsupported nose was the culprit -- ergo, they were unstable. In all, I fired close to a hundred and despite varying this and that, I never got decent accuracy so gave up on cast bullets for the .458.

But I still have around 150 of the former batches (465s and 470s) that shot so well in the .45-70s. I've tried a few in the Ruger #1, .458 without great success using H4895, but think I was pushing them too fast, plus still leaving too much vacant space in the case, and too long a "jump" to the lands. (My thinking anyway).

So now I've loaded up three (3) seating the bullet longer (3.31" COL), exposing one grease groove, and nearly filling the case with the slowest powder in my possession -- RL-22 (73 grains), ignited bu WLRM primers. That cast bullet has a groove for crimping, then three grease grooves followed by a GC. Bullet length = 1.117" with 0.31" into the case. OD = .459". It is cast at 50% lead, 40% Lino, and 10% tin. (What would be the BHN?). Anyway, it flattened the bear from a front on shot under the chin and the bullet was never found. It did make exit.

So, my question (not to hyjack the current theme) is: Do you think a slow powder like RL-22 that nearly fills the case might give better consistency in bullet velocity which would aid accuracy? Any suggestions? Obviously, I think it might. I don't currently have IMR 4759, though I've used it quite a bit in the past. I want to get away from fillers if possible.

I do have a very good load for the 480 DGX at about 1810 fps, but that gets expensive, so I thought the 465s and 470s might be a good substitute. My calculations suggest that 73 grns of RL-22 should give around 1850 fps.

Thanks...

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

My Question is has anybody designed a black powder cast bullet for the 458 WinMag throat?
Maybe this is one of those situations where a switch barrel in the same cartridge but with a different throat and twist can make sense.

quote:

Originally posted by .458 Only:
RIP (and any others who want to chime in) ...

Anyway, at my request, my friend ordered Lyman # 457671 and made a bunch for me. Most of them "keyholed". He made inquiry with Lyman and was told that the long unsupported nose was the culprit -- ergo, they were unstable. In all, I fired close to a hundred and despite varying this and that, I never got decent accuracy so gave up on cast bullets for the .458.

I almost gave up too.
Then I discovered that if you size the bullets to .461" for .459"-grooved .458 WIN
and seat the bullets out LongCOL enough to be as much as 0.100" from contacting the lands
(0.050" or less might be more accurate)
then the world is your oyster regarding cast bullets,
grease lubed or powder-coat paint,
gas check or no.
Make that .460" for a .458"-grooved .458 WIN (minimum SAAMI spec).
Make that .459" for a .457"-grooved .458-WIN-throated rifle.
I am hoping that a .458" bullet is perfect in the .457"-grooved, short-throated, SAAMI .45-70 Govt.
for which the SAAMI minimum spec is .456" groove.

But I still have around 150 of the former batches (465s and 470s) that shot so well in the .45-70s. I've tried a few in the Ruger #1, .458 without great success using H4895, but think I was pushing them too fast, plus still leaving too much vacant space in the case, and too long a "jump" to the lands. (My thinking anyway).

Logical.

So now I've loaded up three (3) seating the bullet longer (3.31" COL), exposing one grease groove, and nearly filling the case with the slowest powder in my possession -- RL-22 (73 grains), ignited bu WLRM primers. That cast bullet has a groove for crimping, then three grease grooves followed by a GC. Bullet length = 1.117" with 0.31" into the case. OD = .459". It is cast at 50% lead, 40% Lino, and 10% tin. (What would be the BHN?).

Obviously it worked. Probably in the desirable 15 to 20 BHN hardness bracket and not brittle.

Anyway, it flattened the bear from a front on shot under the chin and the bullet was never found. It did make exit.

So, my question (not to hijack the current theme) is: Do you think a slow powder like RL-22 that nearly fills the case might give better consistency in bullet velocity which would aid accuracy? Any suggestions? Obviously, I think it might. I don't currently have IMR 4759, though I've used it quite a bit in the past. I want to get away from fillers if possible.

I do have a very good load for the 480 DGX at about 1810 fps, but that gets expensive, so I thought the 465s and 470s might be a good substitute. My calculations suggest that 73 grns of RL-22 should give around 1850 fps.

Thanks...

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

Bob,

My thinking too, look at this Lyman 457671 target that has three bullets in one hole at 50 yards, then a higher velocity flyer for the fourth shot:



The half-case-full loads of AA-5744 are prone to 1 flyer out of 4 shots, according to that target.
That's OK for plinking and practice loads.
But a full case load, jawohl, that is where it is at !
But with the really slow powders, pressures get so low and only 80% of the powder gets burnt: Your RL-22 probably.
I look for a full case and closer to 100% burn.
Amazingly, QuickLOAD says that AA-2460, H332 and AA-2230 will do that in the .45-70 Govt at 40,000 PSI
with 464-gr PH bullet at deep seated 2.550" COL,
giving close to 1800 fps with 28" barrel
and close to 1700 fps with an 18" barrel !

In a 24"-barreled .458 WIN at only 55,000 PSI the same powders with greater charges for about 95% filling,
ought to do close to 2150 fps with the 480-ish-grain bullets,
AND 100 PERCENT BURN !
The propellant burnt percentages in the 40,000 PSI .45-70 Govt. are only ~95% to 97.5% at best for those three powders.
I like those three powders for their excellent Thermoballistic Insensitivity.

If you want something a little different with a slow powder, extruded, and mildly compressed,
RL-17 might be tops for the .458 WIN.
104% load, about 55,000 psi, 99.1% propellant burn, and close to 2200 fps with 480-grainer bullet,
according to my old version of QuickLOAD, for what it is worth.
Powder lots change,
and QuickLOAD is useless for throat effects.
It routinely underestimates the velocities and overestimates the pressures of the SAAMI .458 Winchester Magnum.
Start with 72 grains of RL-17 and work up to about 80 grains, or more, in your .458 WIN with 480-grainer.
I mean to try that myself,
for THE MISSION.

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
My Question is has anybody designed a black powder cast bullet for the 458 WinMag throat?
Maybe this is one of those situations where a switch barrel in the same cartridge but with a different throat and twist can make sense.

Totally not necessary.
See comments to Bob above about how to make the cast bullets work in the SAAMI .458 WIN with 1:14" twist.
BPCR Hunting Rifle: Dealing with the rainbow trajectories, and the BP fouling, takes somebody with great talent and a nostalgia for the 1870's.
Flowers to sharpsguy.

Rip ...

AA-5744 is better in the .45-70 Govt. than in the .458 WIN.
In the .45-70 propellant table above, with 464-gr PH at 2.550" COL,
AA-5744 with an 81% volumetric fill is 99.8% burnt to produce the 40,000 PSI limit.
And it gives a good showing of 1724 fps in a 28" barrel.
That would make for about 1610 fps in an 18" barrel.

To make AA-5744 THE BEST in the .458 WIN might require a 95%-volumeteric fill with the Hornady .458/250-grain Monoflex bullet at about 3000 fps MV.

Some have had good accuracy results with that bullet in the .458 SOCOM.
Slow it down enough and it penetrates deer better.
Might disintegrate a deer at 3000 fps.



Rip ...

Here is the experiment to study QuickLOAD predictions as relates to the SAAMI .458 Winchester Magnum throat on the .45-2.6"-SWT
compared to the short throat of the .45-70 Govt:



QuickLOAD makes no allowances for throat.
I predict that it will be closer to reality for the .45-70 Govt.

Rip ...

The two loads above are crimped differently for the dummy photo.





I have 55 bullets left of that PH batch, as specified.
For the QuickLOAD comparison, both cartridges will have to be have to be crimped the same,
of course.
For THE MISSION.

Rip ...

Dang ! The bottoms of these bullets look like slices of my venison summer sausage, cooked up by Showalter's Custom Meats of Windsor, KY:



My latest batch of PH bullets were hurried through the oven, only 375*F for 15 minutes, cool and repeat for second coat.

The prettier paint job was achieved by doing each coat at 400*F for 20 minutes.

This process softens the 20 BHN water-dropped bullet to 18 BHN. That is with 92-521 alloy.

If I have gas-checked bullets, then after the second coat I put the gas checks on, and stand the bullets on a steel tray in the oven at 475 degrees for 30 minutes,
then dump the hot batch into a 5-gallon bucket of iced water.
That brings back the hardness to at least 20 BHN.
This is possible due to the approximately 1% arsenic content of the 92-521 alloy:
92% lead
5% antimony
2% tin
1% arsenic
Just like with the old clip-on wheel weights, arsenic content of a small amount allows heat-treat hardening.

I will never use grease lubes again except with BPCR loads. And by golly, I would prefer a grease cookie under a paper-patched bullet for that !

An 8-dollar pound of Harbor Freight Red powder-coat paint will do thousands of bullets.
An 8-dollar silicone rubber cookie sheet from Target will stand up to 450*F baking.
Support it on a steel baking sheet or pan when sliding it in and out of the oven, with bullets standing on their bases.
The silicone rubber is a nice release agent for the hot bullets.
If bullets are baked directly on a steel tray, they will be glued to the tray as if with epoxy.
Please do not ask how I know that.

Baking bullets is more fun than baking cookies,
for THE MISSION.

Rip ...

From reviews of the 250-gr Monoflex at MidwayUSA: https://www.midwayusa.com/prod...010481810?pid=651066

Accuracy potential:

rldel of TN thought it was accurate enough to take a deer at 35 yards with his 10.5" barrel length on an AR Short Barreled Rifle:

6 years ago Diamondback of El Paso, TX showed how it stood up to a dirt berm at 100 yards and reported 1600 fps impact from his possibly longer-barreled .458 SOCOM:

Mr. rldel of TN noted that the penetration of the 250-gr Monoflex at 1800 fps MV impacting at 35 yards
(BC of 0.155 0.175 would get velocity down to 1643 1661 fps at 35 yards)
was better than the penetration of the 325-grain FTX from a .458 WIN at 2650 fps MV, unspecified impact distance/velocity,
implied to be on similar game at similar range (?).
Whatever was left of that FTX was found under the hide of the deer.
IIRC, the 325-gr FTX is a cup & core bullet with polymer tip.
The 250-gr Monoflex is monometal gilding metal with polymer tip.
Even at 3000 fps, I suspect the petals of the Monoflex would fold back to a smaller frontal diameter or,
more likely, separate altogether,
leaving a stubby wadcutter-penetrator of monometal.
It would likely penetrate better if it was driven fast enough to lose its petals, eh?
Might cut a deer in half at close range.
But the FTX might vaporize at muzzle exit at 2800 fps,
like a cup & core Sierra .458/300-gr "Pro Hunter" has been shown to do, at 2800 fps.

Mr. Diamondback of El Paso, TX said his 1950 fps MV was down to 1600 fps at 100 yards,
but my calculation shows it should have been closer to 1507 1552 fps.
That is good, to show expansion at such a low velocity in "soft dirt."

(Edited above to correct BC.)

The pilgrimage to the bottom of the BC list might end with the .458/250-gr Barnes TSX-FN, with BC currently being advertised at 0.136 !
Length = 0.917":



If started off at 3000 fps MV,
at 225 yards it will be down to 1644 fps.

KE at muzzle = 4996 ft-lbs, just call it five-K ft-lbs.
KE at 225 yards = 1500 ft-lbs, call that one-point-five-K ft-lbs.

Zeroed 3" high at 100 yards,
it tops out at 3.24" high at 127 yards
back on zero at 213 yards,
only 1 inch low at 225 yards.

No danger of that one being unstable after impact like with the .458/500-grain Barnes TSX-FB at any velocity and spin rate from any sporting rifle.

Another daisy of a deer and varmint bullet,
though the Monoflex of same weight and caliber has better long-range performance with a BC of 0.155.
For THE MISSION.

Rip ...

Crap !
Hornady claims the BC of the .458/250-grain Monoflex is 0.175 not 0.155 as claimed at MidwayUSA !
It is even better than I thought.

Now I gotta correct the mistake in all THE MISSION support above.
On the bright side, this can add more support to THE MISSION.

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Gee, that chapter turned over quick!

Paul,
Thus accomplished through your support of THE MISSION.

Here is a great shim made from 0.010" thick brass sheet from Hobby Lobby.

2 thicknesses make 0.020".





Rip ...

When you need a shim to give more elevation, there may be a need to taper it in order to seemlessly align the rear base with the front one. My effort to do this recently got me cutting up an old 338WM case and placing the thicker bit from near the solid head to the back. The taper is not perfectly progressive but I think it's better than a flat shim.

Well, I could kick myself !
I forget to remember sometimes !
I did that once with a brass 12-gauge "cowboy" hull.
It had some taper in the sidewall and required very little hammering to flatten it out on an anvil.
You can even forge some more taper into it while you are at it.
Made a one-layer shim that way.
I patted myself on the back for that too.
And forgot about it !
Fingers crossed the no-taper shim works OK.

Rip ...