My Heym is regulated with Hornady ammo,26" barrels,I can barely get about 2050 -2090 fps before my loads cross,I am using H4831,any one else reloading for this caliber? would appreciate to hear from you,especially what speeds you are getting?Thanks.

Hi, Bal.

Remember that the 450/400 is a 2050 cartridge... not 2150. Hornady ammo is only going 2050 fps, so you should expect the crossing with higher velocities.

My regulated velocity ranged from 2000 fps to 2075 fps in the three that I have had.

I think 2050 fps is spot on.

Thanks for your comments guys,Kynoch loads this cartridge to 2125,it would be nice to get a little more velocity than 2050,so was just wondering if anybody had gained more velocity with a different powder etc ?


470Evans,
what make were your guns?

Bal, if you want more velocity, use a bolt rifle :-)

At that velocity, with a CEB 370 gr Safari Raptor, will kill anything on the planet quite nicely.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Bal, if you want more velocity, use a bolt rifle :-)

Don't blaspheme dude,next you will be asking me to shoot a blaazzer

In doubles regualted for 55 grains of cordite I use 80 grains of IMR 4831. I use 83 grains for 60-grains of cordite.
I only shoot Woodleighs and am learning about cast bullets and powder coating now.
Cal

Mine were 2 Jeffrey's and a Webley built Manton.

The Jeffery's had 24" barrels and the Manton had 26" barrels.

Jeffery #1 regulated with the following:
H4831 at 2050 fps
R-15 at 2020 fps

The Manton regulated at 2055 fps with IMR 4831

Jeffery #2 regulated at 2005 fps with IMR 4831, I believe this rifle had been re-regulated for the first batch of Hornady factory ammo predating the DGX and DGS

Interestingly my only 450/400 3 1/4, an Evans built by Webley with 26" barrels regulated at 2145 fps with IMR 4831

quote:

Originally posted by 470Evans:
Mine were 2 Jeffrey's and a Webley built Manton.

The Jeffery's had 24" barrels and the Manton had 26" barrels.

Jeffery #1 regulated with the following:
H4831 at 2050 fps
R-15 at 2020 fps

The Manton regulated at 2055 fps with IMR 4831

Jeffery #2 regulated at 2005 fps with IMR 4831, I believe this rifle had been re-regulated for the first batch of Hornady factory ammo predating the DGX and DGS

Interestingly my only 450/400 3 1/4, an Evans built by Webley with 26" barrels regulated at 2145 fps with IMR 4831

Jim,
very interesting,I always took Kynoch velocities to be kind of like a benchmark to go with when looking at older NE calibers,but your first two guns regulated at slower speed than Kynoch ? what was the ammo back in those days? what were the standard velocities for this round?

your 450/400 3 1/4 seems spot on with the Kynoch load.

Those Jeffrey's had 24" barrels so that is some of the velocity loss vs. 26".

They were also 55 cordite guns, I suspect that is the other reason.

I never worried about a velocity difference of 100 fps and neither did the pigs I killed with those rifles!

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
In doubles regualted for 55 grains of cordite I use 80 grains of IMR 4831. I use 83 grains for 60-grains of cordite.
I only shoot Woodleighs and am learning about cast bullets and powder coating now.
Cal

Cal,
my first DR was a Merkel470,I shot a lot of pigs using cast outta that gun,I was using a cast performance 400+ grains of weight @ about 2150 to 2200 & it dropped pigs like a hammer of thor ha ha,I remember going to my first DR shoot in Brady Texas with that gun & loads,it was good for a few laughs.

quote:

Originally posted by 470Evans:
Those Jeffrey's had 24" barrels so that is some of the velocity loss vs. 26".

They were also 55 cordite guns, I suspect that is the other reason.

I never worried about a velocity difference of 100 fps and neither did the pigs I killed with those rifles!

The shorter barrels will definitely slow her down some,I was not aware of the two different loadings,55 & 60 gr cordite,interestingly Butch Searcy loads & regulates his 450-400's at 400 @ 2250.

Bal,

Stop worrying and come on down to Texas and shoot some pigs with that Heym, or better yet schedule that Cape Buffalo hunt.

quote:

... 450-400's at 400 @ 2250.

I wonder if any pressure testing has been done on that load?

All of Hornady's loads are CIP tested, which means they'll be at/under max allowable pressure.

Didn't Mike Brady do some 450/400 pressure testing several years back? Maybe that was with a strain gauge?

quote:

Originally posted by 470Evans:
Bal,

Stop worrying and come on down to Texas and shoot some pigs with that Heym, or better yet schedule that Cape Buffalo hunt.

we need another get together for sure,those were good times,not sure that I would take my 450-400 on a buff hunt though? my 500-416 is deadly on buff.
but seriously we gotta get the DRSS crowd back in the game,our DR shoots were the best,maybe Chris can re-organise them again

If I recall correctly my Heym 400 regulated at 2060 or so with RL15 and some stuffing or backer rod.

quote:

...not sure that I would take my 450-400 on a buff hunt though?

I can think of four Australian buffalo and at least five cape buffalo that I've taken with the 450/400. None have gone more than 50 yards from the first shot.

Here's a video of how events usually unfold.



I think too much can be made of velocities in big bore doubles. The original published velocity of a 470 NE was 2150... from a 30" barrel (that was in small print and probably had a little "blue sky" factored in too,) but that's the number everyone associates with the 470.

If your rifle had 24" or 26", then you certainly weren't getting 2150 (as you would have with 30" barrels.) I suspect 99% of African game taken with a 470 was taken with bullets going much closer to 2000 fps than the "published" 2150.

With today's powders, 2150 can be safely obtained in 24" barrels, but that's not what they were doing 100 years ago.

Don't get me wrong, more velocity isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I all too often run into reloaders that somehow seem under-gunned or short-changed if their loads aren't all going 2150 (or faster...)

Nice video & good shooting,buff just don't know when they are dead,they can sure soak up lead.