450-grain North Fork FP loaded with Varget Extreme and GM215 primer in "Dakota Arms 450" Brass:

95 gr.: 2412 fps.
96 gr.: 2440 fps.
97 gr.: 2475 fps.
98 gr.: 2493 fps.
99 gr.: 2520 fps.

3-shot averages at 92-degrees-F.

They move right along, don't they....

Forgot to say that the RL-15 and Varget seem to be equally good.

In my lots of the two powders, Varget is a little slower than RL-15.

450-grain North Fork FP solid loaded with GM215 primer in "Dakota Arms 450" brass, 25" barrel , 1:14" TWIST:

Powder Charge: Velocity

RELODER 15 (84 F)
86 gr: 2279 fps (filler used)
100 gr: 2594 fps (no filler)

VARGET (92 F)
95 gr: 2412 fps
96 gr: 2440 fps
97 gr: 2475 fps
98 gr: 2493 fps
99 gr: 2520 fps

There is a little shake room left in the case with the NF FP Solid seated to the second band, with 100 grains of RL-15 or Varget.

Seating the NF-FP-S to the first band (deep as it will go) will end the powder shake & rattle.

TSX-450-grainer or "Barnes Banded Solid" could easily be substituted for the NF-FP-S, all 450-grainers with same powder charges.
Your mileage may vary.

Use filler to eliminate shake-rattle-roll-air-space and go fast or slow, depending on how tender your shoulder is.

The "450-grain-whatever-monometal" seems to be the way to go in any "450-caliber-rifle" ... especially if the twist is as slow as 1:14".

Does the recoil with these loads feel less than a max load of IMR4350? RL-15 seems to have less recoil in the 470NE than H4831...even with similar velocities.

Have you tried the Northfork and Varget combo in a 458 WM? I have a stock pile of northforks and was thinking this morning about loading up some.

quote:

Originally posted by ROSCOE:
Does the recoil with these loads feel less than a max load of IMR4350? RL-15 seems to have less recoil in the 470NE than H4831...even with similar velocities.

Yup.

quote:

Originally posted by Mississippian:
Have you tried the Northfork and Varget combo in a 458 WM? I have a stock pile of northforks and was thinking this morning about loading up some.

Nope.

Rip,

How does the 450 TSX 86.0gr RL-15 load shoot in your rifle? In mine, not so good but 98.0gr and 100.0gr RL-15 will drive tacks and the velocities are spot on with what you're getting.

There is a little shake with the 100.0gr charge. Do you think a couple of grains of dacron is necessary or is there too little air space to worry about. I've had no issues with the load.

Andy

adrook,

All TSX loads shoot twice as large a group as the North Forks, and are about 25 to 50 fps slower than the North Forks with any powder charge, in my rifle.

I am still shooting with iron sights only.

My best loads for accuracy so far are the 95-grain and 99-grain Varget charges, with 450-gr North Fork FP.

That 86-grain RL-15 load with filler was very uniform over the chronograph.

Of course no filler is needed with the 95 to 99% loads, but it would be nice to use filler on a sliding scale starting with something like:

5 grains Dacron : 85-grains Varget or RL-15
4 : 88
3 : 91
2 : 94
1 : 97
0 : 100
+/- filler amount depending on the bullet.

It would not hurt, might help.

Thanks Rip,

I may try a grain of filler with the 98.0gr load. Both 98.0 and 100.0 gr will shoot into less than an inch at 100 yds for me, I am using a scope though. The TSXs are fussy for me, they seem to either really shoot or not at all.

Also, 106.0gr RL-19 gives about 2,260 fps in my rifle and is very accurate as well but seems to me to kick about as hard as the RL-15 loads while delivering a lot less velocity.

Andy

adrook,
It would indeed be very interesting to chronograph a 98-grain load of RL-15 with and without a grain of filler and see if there are any differences in velocity, uniformity, or accuracy.

I would certainly prefer the lesser recoil of RL-15 with filler (85 to 86 grains RL-15 or Varget and 4 to 5 grains of Dacron) over your harder kicking low-velocity load.

RIP, I was wondering, what made you select RL15? Wouldn't it make a bit more sense to select a bit slower powder like IMR or H4350, use a bit more and ditch the filler?

Dave

Dave,
That was a favor to another member who asked about using filler with RL-15 in the 450 Dakota, just like with 470 Nitro Express, etc.

I opined that it should be fine, and I proved that it was.

H4350 is too slow for 450-grainers unless you want medium velocity and/or compressed powder charges.

IMR-4350 or H4350 would be tops for 500-grain lead/jacketed-cup&core bullets, just like it is in the 460 Wby.

High Velocity: RL-15 and Varget are perfect for 450-grainers in the 450 Dakota, using full case loads with no compression to give 2500-2600 fps.

Low Velocity: With 450-grain monometals, the RL-15 or Varget with filler are a good way to get 2200-2300 fps with reduced recoil.
Full case loads of H4831 or slower powder would do well too: low velocity, no filler, more recoil for velocity achieved.

Andy has proven RL-15 many times, and the range, and on elephant, with 450-grainers in his 450 Dakota.

Thanks RIP