I have always used IMR 4831 in my 400.
81 and 83 grains shot good. 83 grains with a 400 woodleigh Soft gave 2215fps, but used 81 gr to keep pressure as low as possible.

Today shgooting with gal over his chrono I shot 400 gr Woodleigh Softs over 70.5 gr of RL 15 with a foam filler for 2159fps right bbl and 2139 left bbl.

71.5gr chronoed average right bbl 2190 fps left bbl 2137 fps. The right bbl of this double is always faster than the left???

Later with the scope I fired @ a 4" group at 100 yards with 2 400gr Woodleigh Softs, 2 400 gr Hawk with the.035jkt and 4 400 gr Woodleigh Solids, all with 71.5gr of RL 15 and foam filler.

No pressure signs and all cases resized very easily and did not require trimming.

I would like one more range session, but it looks like I will take the RL if loads to Africa.

I can easily notice a difference between the bbl heat when firing RL 15 vs IMR 4831.

RL 15 seems much cooler.

450:

I use 90 gr of RL 15 with the 500 gr Woodleigh soft and 89 gr of the same with the NF 500 gr cup point in my 470. They hit to the same point of aim at 60 yds and have chrono'd velocity of 2140 and 2200 fps, respectively. These loads head to SA then Zim next Monday.

Gary

The R-15 is a great powder period, it seems to really work well on straight or straighter case cartridges. My 375 H&H 68g 300g bullets, 458 Lott 72g with 500g bullets love this powder. Of course most Nitro Express calibers regulate well with it also. R-15 (faster powder) will not generate the barrel pressures that the IMR 4831 (slower powder) does. Another powder that has about the same burn rate is (H) Varget although you might lose a little velocity it is an extremely stable powder in extreme cold or heat, more so than the R-15.

My right barrel is noticeably faster than the left also... but you can see more wear in the rifling of the right barrel also... I'm guess less resistance of the shallower rifling is causing the speed diff.

GarBy
Those 470 loads should work great.
Try and recover all the bullets you can.

Tony,

My 450/400 3 1/4" is regulated with 69 grains of R-15, and 1/2" wide foam filler. It chronos at 2160 at my altitude. Good accuracy with both softs and solids.

At 8 paces my cape buffalo liked neither the soft nor the solid. It was nice to put that 1909 Greener to good use once more.

WY, as you have proven it is hard to beat a 450/400 as a DG round.
It is pretty good for deer, wild pigs, black bear, and caribou as well.

I may use it on elk this year. Possibly antelope if the 9.3 doesn't show in time. Overgunned on neither!

Howard

Never heard anything from you. I was wondering if you had got stomped or et.

Mike,

Had to make a trip back east after my return from Zim.

Used the 9.3 x 74 R w/Partitions on zebra and sable with good results. Should have used the same on the leopard instead of a Hawk. ALWAYS had some of your FP solids with me. Would have used them on buffalo under the right conditions. Ended up shooting a big old boy at 8 paces with my 450/400 3 1/4 loaded with Woodleigh soft/solid.

When you make the FP solid in .408 I will gladly use it!

Howard.

Unfortunately, the 408 is pretty much a nonstarter, except on a custom (expensive, min 10 box) basis. The "so-called" 408s are older guns and the barrel dimensions are all over the place. There is no one size mono that will work in all, or even a majority, of them.

Mike

I had a chance to do some "field plinking" with the RL 15 loads in the 400 a week or so ago.
The gun shot very well, with both Woodleigh Softs and Solids.

Sending this thread back to the top as there is a lot of 450/400 intrest.