Worked up a great shooting load with nice but expensive jacketed bullets that copies 400 gr.factory loads in my 450/400 (.410), thanks for the input guys!

Now, I am trying to cut down on expenses, and am considering .411 hard cast GC lead 300gr. bullets as practice loads. Are these safe to shoot in Sxs's from anyones experience (I have read both sides on this one), and if so, how does one start working up a load? Does your starting point vary because they are lead vs. jacketed, or do you just apply the 75% rule here?

Forgive my ignorance, but I have no experience with cast bullets, and what I have read on them I am not sure applies to big bore double rifles.
thanks

Rick

My personal experience has been very good.
Merkel 140 dbl rifle.
LBT 250 grain LFN Wheel Weight alloy + 1% Tin
LBT lube, sized .367 in star sizer .375 gas check. Pushed out by 2 grains less of my IMR 4064 250 grain Accubond and 250 grain Swift A-frame load with a velocity of 2400 fps. NO Leading what so ever.
Regulate close enough for practice
Carl

Try this. Use some Hornady .300 grain 405 Winchester .411 bullets. They make a flat nose and spire point. Economical. They'll shoot just fine in that .410 caliber double!

You can find them at Grafs, and Midway to name a couple of places!

MUCH better idea--that sounds great. Thanks Rusty!

Rick

Foxhound: Rusty's is an elegant solution, but don't give up on trying cast bullets as they can be even cheaper if you cast yourself, and with a wide range of available rates you are sure to find a bullet that regulates in your double and is useful for deer, elk, hogs, whatever. If I manage to get my hands on a Sabatti, finding good cast loads will be near the top of my priority list.

Jensen,

Are you using a filler with your Accubond/IMR4064 loads?

I've used the LBT 265 Cast with AA5744 and got close to the same velocity as you.

Also, I've used 350/360 Montana slugs with the same powder with good results.

Sorry forgot to mention I am shooting a 9.3X74R.
Big detail to leave out.
Jim, no filler in my 9.3X74R.

Rusty,do you have to size the .411 bullets down to .410 if you have a .410 size bore like a Krieghoff?

Zambesi

I don't.

In fact, before the US market started to ask for .408 bullets,
most poeple shot the .411 Woodleigh's.

So all those guns with bores from .408 and up have shot .411 for years.

My rifle is a vintage .408 caliber. I have a Corbin die and I re-size (draw) .410 & .411 to .408.

When Hornady first introduced their .410 ammo they told me that they felt there would be not problems shooting the .410 in my .408. With my vintage rifle I chose to re-size. The bullets work just fine!

Rusty is correct, with the 75% rule I recommend jacketed bullets. Velocities should be around 2330fps.

However I have had excellents with 300gr cast bullets using Nitro for Black loads.

In my 450/400 3 1/4" double with 300gr cast bullets, I use 44gr of IMR 4198, and 12 gr of polyester filler.

This load regulates well and hits to the sights at 50 yards. Very plesant to shoot.

Velocities should be around 1700fps.

One thousandth is nothing to be concerned about here. Maybe with solids or solid copper bullets in a thin barrel, but lead cored bullets cause no problem. And certainly not lead alloy bullets; we routinely shoot them .001-002 over groove diameter. I shoot .405 300 grainers all the time in my Krieghoff and Ruger. I use a 400 grain .410 cast bullet in my 450-400 in front of 29 grains of 5744. No filler but I use a .062 fiber wad under the bullet. Very accurate out of my Ruger. I have not tried it in the K. Gives 1390 fps.