I load Woodleigh soft nose 500gr bullets in my Searcy 470. (an old one built on a BSS). I load them over 106gr IMR 4831 and a Federal 215, which is the load Butch suggested. When I have loaded and tried a few FMJs they seem to shoot to the same poi, with no noticeable signs of overpressure. I just happened to look at Woodleigh's website, and saw that the FMJs generate higher pressures and that starting them at 5% below the load for the soft noses is reccomended. Anyone have experience with this?

I got my 470 this year and bought a box of Woodleigh solids to bring to Africa next week, but I changed to North fork.

Don't worry. If they shoot to POI of the softs without crossing you have your load.

BTW, its not a great idea to shoot a whole lot of solids in a double rifle. The driving band solids may be excluded from the above comment.

JPK

Thanks. I primarily shoot the soft nose, but want a few solids for the second barrel. Other than shooting a couple to check the poi, no need to shoot more. I have been curious about the NF cups, must try them. I'm going to Mozambique in six weeks for buff, so probably won't develope a new load between now and then. Better to spend the time shooting.

I don't profess to be an expert on this but I can tell you that with RL-15 pressures are significantly higher with the solids than the softs.

My 28" Evans regulates with 102 gr IMR 4831 with Woodleigh softs and 98 grs with Woodleigh solids.

I have noticed differences with lots of 4831 so once you find a load with a particular lot be sure you have a good supply of that lot. I had to go from 100gr to 102 for the softs when I changed lots.

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
Don't worry. If they shoot to POI of the softs without crossing you have your load.

BTW, its not a great idea to shoot a whole lot of solids in a double rifle. The driving band solids may be excluded from the above comment.

JPK

Marty, don't worry about shooting steel jacketed, lead core Woodliegh soilds in your double rifle, it will not hurt it. most of the big bore double rifles that are 100 yrs old have had little else shot through them. Your barrels on the Searcy BSS will handle them fine. The place you need to be very carefull is with mono-metal solids like the Barnes super solids, or the A-square monolithic solids. I will not shoot these in any double rifle. These two are hard, and may cause problems in the double. This warning does not apply to the North Fork square point, or cup point driveing band copper solids, which are fine in any double rifle, IMO!

The Woodliegh solids are a dirrect copy of the Kynoch solids of the 1920s, and are designed for double rifle use, so go ahead and use them. The advice to start a load 5% below your soft point load to work up a load for the solid is good advice when changeing to any bullet you have not used. Then work up one grain at a time till the rifle shoots to the regulation, or pressure sign shows. You just happened to find the right load by accident! However, from now on, always back off 5% when changeing to any bullet you haven't previously used in your rifle!

I use Rel 15 when loading 500 grain Woodleighs for my 470 NE. To produce the same velocity, I use 88 grains of Rel 15 with soft points and 87 1/2 grains with Solids.

In my 450 No2 I use 88 gr of RL-15 with 480 Woodleigh Softs and Solids, 500gr Swift A Frames and 500 Hornady Softs and old style solids.

Marty, I am leaving for Tanzenia this Thursday and have Woodleigh softs and the North Fork cup points loaded and ready to go, the cup point has got to be a devistating bullet! I hope to let you know.

I use 89 gr of RL 15 with the North Fork Cup Points and Flat Point Solids.