Jim

Yes, between this 260 CEB and the 286 North Fork that really has the 9.3 Solids covered pretty well. Someone is going to ask about the 320 Woodleigh. Yes, it has always done very well, but there are two things about it, one, 320 grs, does not shoot to the same POI as my 250s and 286s. #2-Damn thing is still a modified round nose, and although it never veered, I am not sure I trust it 100%.

Michael

Also looking for the production run of the 450 North Fork CPS and 375 North Fork CPS for the .500s, along with the prototype 68% meplat Solids. Hoping they are here in the next day or so??

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
Jim

Yes, between this 260 CEB and the 286 North Fork that really has the 9.3 Solids covered pretty well. Someone is going to ask about the 320 Woodleigh. Yes, it has always done very well, but there are two things about it, one, 320grs, does not shoot to the same POI as my 250s and 286s. #2-Damn thing is still a modified round nose, and although it never veered, I am not sure I trust it 100%.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
Also looking for the production run of the 450 North Fork CPS and 375 North Fork CPS for the .500s, along with the prototype 68% meplat Solids. Hoping they are here in the next day or so??

Michael

Michael,

Your latest testing scenarios with the BBW’ Sam and #13 nose profiles, the BBW’ Hollow Base and HP Spitzer bullets, and the NF’ FPS and CPS bullets have completely demonstrated the non-applicability of Section Density to properly designed monometal bullets!

Agreed…The CEB’ Sam nose profile and NFs FPS have taken care of the 9.3/.366 solid issue with deep straight drivers and match up nicely with the available SPs from 250gr to 286gr and the NF’s CPS just adds another dimension to the mix.

The 500s…Many of us are waiting to see just how nicely the new .500s perform!

Jim

Hoping those .500s come in this week, along with the new #13s for the double rifles Sam designed.

And the North Fork order too! Lot's of work coming up when all these get in! Lot's and lot's of work.



Well guys, you know I am still in search of a good scope to put on the 50s. The little Weaver just is not going to work on the 50 B&M. It is just fine on the 50 Super Short and such, but not enough eye relief for the 50 B&M. So it's OUT.

The Nikon African is doing fine so far on the 458 B&M, it is growing on me. I still don't like the tall knobs and the big bell on the eye end! But it is clear, eye relief is good, field of view is good. So while I may not go to that exclusively, it's not a bad scope!

To refresh the memory a bit.





I have seen this before, advertised, but really never paid much attention to it, the Leupold 1X4 Shotgun Scope! Very reasonable price, $200 from Midway! Has heavy duplex, which I like a lot. Short, light, simple looking. So I decided to give them a go, I ordered 3 of them to try out. Two are on backorder. But one come in today. Wow! It looks great so far. Same size as the VX3 and VX2. I am hoping maybe the mechanics are simple, maybe it will hold up a bit better than the VX3. I like it so far, eye relief, field of view, clear, small, light, simple, and reasonable, buy two of these for the price of 1 VX3. Of course if it breaks in 50 rounds none of that matters eh? Well, we will give it a go and see!

Buffalo and I were talking on TBP thread, I think, about the laminated stocks. He has one coming from Accurate Innovations for his 458 AR. I am not much of a plywood stock fellow, but I have a few of them. I thought maybe if I dressed one up a bit with some engraving it might be a bit more appealing to me. Not really, Love the art work, but still not much on the laminated stocks. I had a fellow carve out some lions on one stock, bears on another. This has been a couple of years ago now.



Still, no matter what you do, it's still a plywood stock!

Michael

As stated on the TBP thread, the new North Fork CPS bullets are here, and they will be available from North Fork, designed specifically for the 50 B&M and the 50 B&M Super Short.






Michael

Reamers made it in for the 475 B&M, 475 B&M Super Short, and 410 B&M. I sent rifles up this morning.

Michael

Also, with the 410 B&M reamer in, anyone out there know of a left hand, Winchester M70 WSM classic anywhere????? We need a lefty for gun #1.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
Also, with the 410 B&M reamer in, anyone out there know of a left hand, Winchester M70 WSM classic anywhere????? We need a lefty for gun #1.

Michael

Great news!!!

I just found this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLwNGWJS3Ao

M

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
I just found this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLwNGWJS3Ao

M

Very nice!!! As the guy says, the 50 B&M Alaskan is a cream puff!!! And we have guys whimpering about shooting a 6.5# .500 caliber rifle!!

I was just doing a little search on B&Ms to see if the website was coming up on most of the major ones and found that on the 50 B&M AK. I was going to tell the guy what the B&M was for, but I have to sign in to you tube, and those people don't know me. HEh.

Yep, anyone that cries about shooting the rifles is a "sissy".

I admit however, that handgun hardly comes off the rest when he shoots it! Shooting the 385s at 2000 he says.

M

quote:

I admit however, that handgun hardly comes off the rest when he shoots it! Shooting the 385s at 2000 he says.

Has to be JD's muzzle brake taking care of the recoil...big sucker but it sure seems to work.

Also didn't sound excessively loud with the brake...but it was out in the open. I wonder if JD has ever checked the decible level difference with that brake on and off in a covered area.

Yes, I assume the muzzle brake is doing it's job very efficiently. JD not going to check decible levels, he does not hear so good anyway. But neither do I. Eye's gone, hearing gone, but ain't everything gone, still can do some things!

If that cartridge was around back when I shot steel targets in the 70s, I would have had to have one!

Dennis/Capo

Yes, there has been a lot of interest in the 50 B&M Alaskan lately. Sad, but it's the cartridge I have paid almost the least attention to, the 50 B&M Alaskan is just ahead of the 50 B&M SA as far as getting the most of my attention the last few years. With Layne Simpson doing an upcoming article on the 50 B&M AK, I have jumped on and going to work on getting some better bullets that will work in the lever guns, the 450 Bonded Core North Fork at the head of the pack on this. The North Fork solid and CPS won't work in the 50 B&M AK because of nose to mouth length, making the overall cartridge length too long. While they will feed and function in the M71s, the ones I have I can't get through the loading gate, and I am not sure that a modification could not be done on a M71 to make them work through it. As for fitting, they are fine in a M71. Of course they won't even begin to be right for the shorter action Marlins. With that in I am looking at having CEB make a custom BBW #13 solid to back up the 450 North Fork. This bullet will work in the Marlins and M71s. It's designed to do so.

Anyway.......keep plugging away at it.
M

We discuss lot's of things here, sometimes it does not have to be directly related to the B&Ms as far as I care, but you guys know I have been looking at some more scopes lately from having so many issues with the 1.5X5 VX3 Leupold, on the 50 B&M--not the others, just the damn 50! So I got the Nikon, but its sorta bulky, the Weaver 1X4 does not have enough eye relief. Love the 1X4 VX2 Leupold, but it does not come with heavy cross hairs as standard fare. I am trying out the 1X4 Shotgun Leupold now, has heavy cross hairs, and it's on a 50, great eye relief and fantastic field of view,like the VX3 and VX2. Will it hold, time will tell. But so far it has all the things I need in a scope so we see what we see.

Well the purpose of this post is to not discuss what I just said. Got an great email from my friend that just got back from Zim shooting buffalo with his 458 Winchester and the 450 Barnes TSX that I posted over on the TBP thread.

It seems I had given him advice some few years ago about using the QRWs, or other QR rings, and having two scopes sighted in for the rifle on a big hunt. Lot's of good reasons to do this, and never any downsides. I just wanted to share some of his recent experiences and a damn good thing he had an extra scope with him.

Below you will see the direct quote of my friend from his email!

Michael

quote:

There was another reason I shot more rounds than were really necessary. If you recall, we discussed the Leupold 1.5X5 VXIII being possibly a bit more robust than the newer VX-3 and I wanted to give it a thorough ringing out. I took your advice about not over tigentening the ring screws. It held up very well. That is to say, until I got got on a good buffalo track the very first hunting day.

I have had a dread of breaking a scope while on a hunt far from the nearest gun store. In my paranoia to be prepared for that event I had taken a second scope in QR rings already zeroed for my rifle. Well, this year it happened. I was in some rather large blackish rocks. I was jumping from rock to rock where the rocks formed sort of a V shaped wedge tapering tighter as they got closer to the ground. There was a piece of mopane branch that I either had to jump over or step on to get from one large rock to the other. I should have known the mopane was old and dead. When I stepped on it, it gave way and I fell backward between the rocks with the rifle slung on my shoulder. Never mind the hyde my knee and my elbow left on those rocks. The aluminum turret cap was smashed and I did not trust that the scope was undamaged or still zeroed.

A quick trip back to camp and about 3 minutes to pop one scope off and pop another one on and then right back on the tracks. When I got a chance to fire a shot with my rifle and the replaced scope while on a lunch break the following afternoon, the bullet struck dead center in the bulls eye we had drawn on a piece of a cardboard carton. I simply left the #2 scope on the rifle and finished the hunt while avoiding the possibility of shooting up a quantity of the precious hunting ammo I had brought in with me while trying to re-zero a potentially misaligned or even internally damaged scope. Having a second scope all sighted and ready to go was a blessing.

I haven't gotten around to trying the 1.5X5 since arriving home to see how far it may have been knocked out of zero (or not) but having a second optic already mounted in QR rings and pre sighted for my hunting rifle saved a lot of time and worry. I highly recommend this practice to any serious hunter who may also be tempted to fall over backward while on an expensive hunt in some distant place. The organization I work for stresses the importance of the 7 P's and they came in very handy. In case you are not already familiar with the 7 P's, they are: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. It worked this time.

quote:

A .500 makes a lot more sense today and you were just ahead of your time and it will take a few years for the rest of the world to catch up
A 2.25" rimmed case all taper to a .500 bullet for the longer oal for the 71's will be great and use the same reamer and dies as the 50 B&M!!!
The new bullets you are making for the .500 are making these carts a lot more affective to boot!

I wonder what would happen if Hornady began offering the 50 B&M with their "rocket science" loadings? Of course it would have to be with the bullets developed on the Terminal Bullet Performance thread, not the Hornady type.

quote:

Originally posted by I Bin Therbefor:
I wonder what would happen if Hornady began offering the 50 B&M with their "rocket science" loadings? Of course it would have to be with the bullets developed on the Terminal Bullet Performance thread, not the Hornady type.

Fortunately Michael has proven that the B&M cartridge using powders available to the handloader with a properly designed bullet will "out penetrate" anything that is currently commercially offered by ammunition manufacturers. But it would be interesting to see what Hornady could come up with.

Hey IBT---Sorry, I can't allow Hornady to do anything with the B&Ms--They would partner with Ruger, and then we would have feeding issues!

Would have to have 50% meplats to feed in the Rugers--And there goes our terminal stability!



Yes, Jim, I think you might be right. At 2150 fps with a 500 gr .500 caliber #13 or BBW profile, we get all the penetration needed, and then a good bit more! Once again, the 50 B&M cartridge, the Winchester M70 platform, and North Forks, or #13 or BBW profiles--the 50 can hold it's own or out perform anything on the market--and do it in a tiny small package that one can tote all day long without issue!

Sam and I have been working today! Testing "Double Rifle" BBW #13s by CEB, coppers! Two bands! Once again, EXCELLENT results in 500 Nitro and 470 Nitro---almost as good as a 50 B&M!

Oh My--You are telling me, that 50 B&M is now the "Benchmark" at which things are compared to?

Hmmm? Well, I'll be damned!

We did some really good work today. And we are making a plan now to do some really wild work this week. We hope to learn some really outstanding things this week!

Thanks guys, hell of a compliment from both of you!

Michael

quote:

Oh My--You are telling me, that 50 B&M is now the "Benchmark" at which things are compared to?

Certainly.

What else offers the complete package of cartridge, bullet and rifle for DG hunting?

NOTHING!

Everything else has to compromize somewhere.

Bettin' it would work great on these little Black Bears!

IBT

Not to toot horns, or anything of the sort, but today I have to say your statement is 100% spot on. The 50 B&M has turned into EXACTLY what I wanted during a flash moment in Tanzania in 2005.

Probably told this story, but I am getting older, and you know how old people are, they forget they have told something a 100 times, and go ahead and tell it anyway again.

2005 in Tanzania I had a hippo that wanted to bite me. As these things happen pretty quick in reality, but at the moment it seems time slows down. During this encounter, watching Mr. Hippo coming I had a full size Winchester M70 458 Lott-24 inch barrel. I was not thinking "Oh Crap" this hippo is going to bite me, stomp me, swallow me or anything like that. I am thinking, JHC, this damn gun is too long, too heavy, to bulky and unwieldy for this sort of work. This is not a "fighting" rifle, it's just too big! Damn, I wish I had something shorter, faster, lighter, and more handy to work with? But how can I get the power that is needed in such a smaller package? It would have to be more than just adequate, it would have to be a stopper, and how to do this in a small package that one could "fight" with, in the field?

This is what I was thinking the entire moment, and then I woke up when the PH decided it was time for me to shoot, and said, "Shoot Him". Which I did, end of story.

The photo below, sorta, almost gives you an idea. But really until one lays hands on it's hard to understand what the 50 B&M is all about. Within seconds of throwing it up the very first time, once in your hands, then everyone understands it at that point!

At the time this photo was taken, only a few months ago, the big top load was that 510 gr solid at 2130 fps. Today, that has changed again, as progress marches on, it's now a BBW #13 500 gr Brass solid at 2160 fps, more trauma, deeper penetration, with higher reliability of straight line penetration at the end. So we keep marching forward, and now with the new North Fork FPS and CPS, again, the cartridge and rifle have been enhanced far beyond anything I could have imagined in Tanzania in 2005---But I am there-I have exactly what I wished I had then, and even better than I could have hoped for!

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

IBT

Yes, I do in fact love it when the plan turns out right! In fact, far better than right, and better than I expected! Thanks!


Now, back to the scope deal! Yesterday my two back ordered 1X4 Leupolds came in. I could not wait to try them out, so I put the "Dark Earth" colored one on the maple 50 B&M and the matte finish on one of the 500 MDM. I thought they looked pretty good to me! Matte finish has heavy duplex which I like these days,and the "Dark Earth" as Leupold calls it, has a "Turkey Plex", duplex, with a circle in the middle, pretty neat. Not sure if it's worth a damn on a DGR, but it's interesting anyway, and will put these to the test and see how long it takes before they bust, if they do? I like them, they look good, small, eye relief and field of view excellent, light weight, clear, no real downsides I can see so far. Of course they may explode this morning when I start shooting them, who knows! We will see!

Got a question for all you experts out there, and a little help maybe.

My wife she is working on something for the B&M website, a logo for the rifles/cartridges. I am the worst in the world for things like this. To me the origin of the B&Ms come from .500 caliber, so to me it's like the home of 500 caliber--5 cartridges, for nearly every rifle action? So anyone got any better ideas???

B&M Rifles and Cartridges
HOME OF THE 500 CALIBER

Of course she has it looking better than that, but I could not copy/paste what she has.

M

B&M logo:
Try to work in a Myrtle leaf silouhette,
framing a bold "B&M" lettering.
Also use an African big five critter as a designator
for each of five select B&M cartridges.
Can you keep it down to only five? Just some ideas to hash over with all the others to come.
... Or the 3D drawing of a streaking BBW #13 FN ...
... All of the above and more embellishments ...

RIP

She is a graphics designer, but very particular. She came up with an idea of a speeding bullet, I gave her some photos of the North Fork expanded CPS. Photo is not quite good enough, a BBW #13 is good too, so she is working on it. Since you mention critters, maybe a cape buffalo looking forward and the logo over that some how??? I do love a damn buffalo! That would be pretty good, I must go tell her!

Thanks Good Idea--Can always count on you for those snappy ideas, and names of things!

Excellent show!

M

Another suggestion for Mrs. M to consider sketching:

A buffalo skull and horns with crossed B&M rifles below it?
Like a "Skull and Bones" Jolly Roger (skull and cross-bones).
Like a "Buff and Munitions" (B&M) Jolly Michael (skull and cross-bores).

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Another suggestion for Mrs. M to consider sketching:

A buffalo skull and horns with crossed B&M rifles below it?
Like a "Skull and Bones" Jolly Roger (skull and cross-bones).
Like a "Buff and Munitions" (B&M) Jolly Michael (skull and cross-bores).

Ohhhhhh, I like that! I just sent this to her, see what she comes up with!

Excellent

M

RIP

Ehhhhh, might have a little problem, this was her response to our suggestion;

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

On Oct 12, 2010, at 5:29 AM, Michael McCourry wrote:

Another suggestion for Mrs. M to consider sketching:

A buffalo skull and horns with crossed B&M rifles below it?
Like a "Skull and Bones" Jolly Roger (skull and cross-bones).
Like a "Buff and Munitions" (B&M) Jolly Michael (skull and cross-bores).

M

Doc M,
Ask her to reconsider doing the "Jolly Michael" logo as a simple silhouette in black,
with a gold or white "B&M" in the center of the buffalo skull.

That would be simple. Use the A-Square buffalo skull logo shape.
Even a caveman like me could do that.
Later ...

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Doc M,
Ask her to reconsider doing the "Jolly Michael" logo as a simple silhouette in black,
with a gold or white "B&M" in the center of the buffalo skull.

That would be simple. Use the A-Square buffalo skull logo shape.
Even a caveman like me could do that.
Later ...

Hey, I am just the in between guy here, I will do my best, but she is determined on some things!

LOL

M

quote:

She is a graphics designer, but very particular.

quote:

Ehhhhh, might have a little problem, this was her response to our suggestion;

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

quote:

Hey, I am just the in between guy here, I will do my best, but she is determined on some things!

LOL

Hum….I believe I see a pattern here! I highly recommend immediately stop pestering the expert while she’s designing.

Perhaps you should sweeten the pot with flowers and nice dinner out…but even then I doubt she’ll pay attention to the peanut gallery…but it should at least get you out of the dog house. Perhaps then you won't get those “looks” when you saddle into the room with “helpful ideas”.

Yeah I think I am going to leave the boss alone, let her do her thing! See what she comes up with on the logo.

Well, been on the range today a good bit. No real exciting tests, like pressures, or terminals, but none the less a little test that I have been meaning to get too anyway.

Brass on the 500 MDM has been an issue. That little stupid ghost shoulder is far more aggravation than it's worth, but it does look good! I think it actually has little use other than to aggravate me however. With 375 RUM brass expanded and trimmed to 2.8 even, don't size down to that shoulder, size some above it. Set it back just a tiny bit, and the RUM brass will give head separation in 1 or two firings at best! So this has been a concern of mine, just have not had time to mess with it.

I have some 375 RUM brass that I blew out with cornmeal. So I sized it, above the ghost shoulder. Flops in and out of the rifles with maybe just the very slightest hint of a bump, but not even sure of that, pretty slick. So loaded up 515 gr solid with 94/IMR 4064, gives a very consistent 2260 fps. Not a top load, but more than enough to do anything you will ever need.

I took 3 pieces of brass and intended on shooting them until they split. I got lot's of exercise today, it's 77 steps from the lab to the 50 yd bench. Round trip at least 10 times for sure, and that's approaching a mile! Whew, now I am useless for the rest of the day. Procedure was load the 3 pieces and shoot, and repeat. I made it to 10 firings and pretty much figure if you get 10 firings out of a piece of brass then you are good to go. I did nothing special, I did not clean them, I did not trim them, just load and shoot until they were fired 10 times, and they are still good to go, no splits, no issues, zero problems. I have them, will probably continue the test another day and see how long they do last. I was pretty pleased with that. Rifle shoots pretty good, this was the new stainless English stocked 500.

Here is the ugly brass, after 10 firings.



Here is a decent group of 3 at 50 yds, would be better if I could shoot better, but this also is with that little 1X4 VX1 Shotgun scope with the heavy duplex, so far it's not busted yet.



I got really tired of changing targets after a while, so I just shot the last 18 rds in one target. I was not being too careful either, especially at the end it was just shoot the 3 and get them loaded again and go. And as you can see I pulled a few out of group.




Michael

Michael,

The RUM brass has certainly eliminated the head expansion issue you were having with the QC 500 MDM head stamped brass. Any word yet on the delivery of your Horneber 500 MDM head stamped brass?

Jim

Yes, finally got around to a good through test on the brass and of course as suspected the RUM brass is just dandy, as that is what the cartridge is based off of.

Lot's of communication issues with Horneber, Dieter does not check his email except on Sundays, and not every Sunday. HEH. The issue now with the brass is that I sent $$ over to have a 1000 pieces of 500 MDM done and the $$ have not arrived in his account yet? That was a month ago, I did not know until a week ago, and so now the bank is looking for the $$ that was wired.

Schedule hopefully on the new run of brass will be January right now. As long as the $$ get there? I am sure they will find the money!

I sent specs to Dieter, so this brass will be premium brass I have no doubt. When that gets sorted out, 500 MDM has priority, then I am going to do a run of 9.3 B&M brass too.

These brass guys are all alike, communications is difficult regardless of who.

But we have an ace in the hole, we have Michael over in Germany to handle any communication issues that are a problem if need be, which I have called upon a couple of times already!

Waiting on two new wire connections to come in for the pressure trace and will start doing pressures on the 500 MDM, 458 Super Short, and some loads in the 50 B&M. Received 12 new strain gauges yesterday, to keep me in supply with those. Already have gauges attached to the rifles for the new pressure work. Should have been doing the 500 MDM a long time ago, but have let some things slide from doing so much work with the terminals.

M

Some interesting things today. I did get the new wires for the Pressure Trace, so did not unhook from the 470 Nitro. Started with the 50 B&M today. IMR 4198 has become my favorite powder for the 50 B&M, but the last time I hooked up the pressure trace to a 50 I was not using IMR 4198 at that time, so had little or no data, even though that's what I have been shooting for a couple of years in the 50s. Time to get some new pressure data, and update it.





My standard big solid load for the rifles has been 70/IMR 4198 and a 510-515 solid, either by SSK or now by CEB. I knew it was at the top end.

515 SSK Solid 70/IMR 4198 2116 fps 66282 PSI
510 CEB Solid 70/IMR 4198 2130 fps 66177 PSI
510 CEB Solid 69.5/IMR 4198 2117 fps 65654 PSI
510 CEB Solid 75/H-322 2094 fps 63142 PSI

470 SSK HP 70/IMR 4198 2194 fps 61885 PSI
426 SSK HP 72/IMR 4198 2262 fps 55891 PSI
350 SSK Brass HP 75/IMR 4198 2462 fps 48170 PSI

Pretty close to what I expected, was hoping the heavy 515-510 would be around 64000 but not.

Now here is where it really gets very very interesting! Remember our new .500 caliber 450 gr North Fork Cup Points???



Well I have been running those with 71/IMR 4198, at 2225 fps, and figured that was top end or close. I was very wrong! See below;

450 North Fork CPS 71/IMR 4198 2225 fps 51625 PSI
450 North Fork CPS 73/IMR 4198 2281 fps 55721 PSI
450 North Fork CPS 74/IMR 4198 2314 fps 59215 PSI

Holy Cow, just broke 2300 fps with a 450 gr North Fork Cup Point in this little gun and still have not touched 60000 PSI! Let's go 1 more grain and see what happens?

450 North Fork CPS 75/IMR 4198 2341 fps 61414 PSI

Wow--Those bands on the North Fork are really working now! Just one more grain and let's see!

450 North Fork CPS 76/IMR 4198 2366 fps 63298 PSI

I stopped there, I could not hardly stuff anymore powder in the case anyway!

Think back just a second 70 grs IMR 4198 was top load with the 470 HP at 2190 fps and almost 62000 PSI. Now we have the 450 North Fork at 2366 fps at only 63298 PSI. I like these new North Forks!

I believe this low pressure, hi velocity is a result of those micro bands on the North Fork! Which now leads me to believe that in the 470 Nitro test this week with the North Forks that they will do very well in the barrel strain test, but will they do as good as the BBW #13??? We will see I suppose!

Michael

Now talking about a BBW #13, I had to run some pressure tests on those too while I was at it.

The new Prototypes came in from CEB this week, .500 caliber, 500 gr Brass BBW #13.




I was very pleased with the bullet. Prototypes come in with a large meplat at 71.6%. I will drop that to 68% meplat. Also, edges were a little sharper than the test bullets Sam did too, so must knock a little of that edge off.

Well again, my favorite load for this is 70/IMR 4198. In Sam's test bullet it gave me 2160 fps.

500 CEB Brass BBW #13 71.6% meplat 70/IMR 4198 average 5 2188 fps and 67727 PSI

Please with the velocity, but pressures a tad up. I have plenty of extra velocity I could bleed off if I wanted, but I decided to do something else instead!

Instead of dropping to 69/IMR 4198, I decided to drop some bands off this bullet! It has 8 driving bands as it is. I am dropping 4 of those out. Keeping the top wide band and a top narrow band, 2 in the middle, and the one wider band on the bottom. I made the new changes this afternoon and having 50 more prototypes run to see what happens.

I believe based on our previous tests with the 2 bands, that this change with this bullet will reduce pressures, keeping velocity up, without doing anything else, not dropping the load any. We will see when I get the new prototypes I think! And if it does, and everything else holds true, like accuracy, then we will take this to other calibers with the same band configurations. I am thinking bolt guns guys, not the doubles, still working on those too.



Michael