I promised GM54-120 (Scott) ages ago that I would get out and get him some information on some lead Conicals that he sent me. These are a .406/260 grain Heavy 40 cal bullet. I was a bit worried about how tight they might be - but they were perfect in the Blue Harvester Crush Rib.

My charge was to get Scott some velocites so I decided to try some different powder volumes. I shot T7-3f powder as i am getting low on 2f, somehow some way I have shot up 5 or 6 pounds of it from December to April... I can not believe I have shot that much - but it is gone + I am down to my last box of 180 Gold Dots and 200 grain XTP's and I started with 3 of each...
Thank gosh Rondy season is on us - those PRB's are lot less expensive to shoot.

Anyway, Scott the target was set at 50 yards because I get a little nervous shooting over a chrono. But the bullets did very well. I think I might have tightend the groups a little more if I had cleaned the conicals up and removed the bullet lube. The only ones the spread out were the BH loads - pushing that 260 that hard might have set up some pretty tough barrel harmonics in the 45.

After shooting Scott's 12 conicals, i got down to some serious work... 180 Gold Dots and clay pigeons - then shooting the pieces of the broken birds - gosh! I love that.
I have also posted some picture of the breech are of the gun. I was shooting a NFPJ (modified). I am really getting spoiled shooting a clean Knight... I do not even want to go back to FPJ's...

Here you go Scott...

Thank you SabotLoader. They were originally made for the 40/xx series of old west black powder rifle cartridges. This sabot load moves them a bit faster and they are supposed to have a hardness of about 15-18 BHN.

I was guessing about 1950fps with my 100gr BH209 load. They do a bit better in my Acurra with the slightly faster twist than in the Elite. I used 100gr BH209 and the Havester Smooth until i got them resized to .401. Now i use the MMP tan but i need to adjust the powder and primer combo again.

At 100grs its hell on the MMP sabots powder cup and the Harvesters dont group as tight now. I should have left them at .406

One thing is for sure...they are pile drivers. They have blown though all my test media and buried deep into the tree stump behind it.

Running it through the calculator, its still good for over 1100fpe at 200 yards and 14" low with a 50yard site in.

Thanks a bunch

Scott

GM54-120

I never even tried an MMP - probably should have... I kninda thought I might be stressing the Harvest Crush with the BH, that is pretty heavy bullet for such a heavy bullet and decent force pushing it. Harvester never designed it for that weight. 200 grains was probably the upper end.

The fster twist certainly could not hurt but the length/weight should do just fine in 1/30 according tho the Greenhill. As I mentioned the lube could have been a part of it and then when i am shooting through a chrono I am more concerned about the chrono than the target.... so that takes a little concentration of the target....

What are you using for a BC on that bullet? Can not imagine it is to high.... + the BC you have might have been calculated for the velocity expected from 40 cal black powder pistol. Changing the velocity will change the BC also.

It was fun to shoot them... I should haveshot some @ at the 100 yard birds just for drill.

I really have no clue about the hardness... would they work in a thin skinned deer or would they just push on through??? It seems to me they are harder than my Bull Shop conicals...

http://www.handloads.com/calc/

Sectional Density is roughly .231. I dont use BC since it is fps dependent and often inflated. SD is a constant value only dependent on profile, length but mostly diameter and weight.

Its roughly 14" low and 1387fps/1111fpe@200yd estimated at 700ft above sea level and a 1.5" scope height above the bore center with a 50yd sight in.

Ive had good luck with it and its been very close to POI for me in the past. I usually shave off a little on the SD too.

GM54-120

10-4 - gottcha.... I just shoot em

As far as punching on through...probably but you use a shoulder shot instead. I bet it would plow through both bull elks shoulders and drop it like a rock.

The meta plate area (flat part) on the front will deliver a heavy shock on impact but expansion will be minimal. I going to try and stop one again this weekend with a few more dry phone books behind the soaked ones.

I dont really intend on shooting deer with them but feral hogs might be nice or on game you are concerned about minimal pelt damage.

Ringing homemade steel gongs at long range was my main intention

Gm54-120

That I doubt very much.... Elk are a lot stronger that you give them credit for especially through the shoulder bones and during the rut. Shoot a few with a 300 Win Mag and you will understand... Cows on the other hand might go down easier in some cases.

Ya that would be a good use - but why would you use such a heavy projectile for gongs?

Because i got them for $25 for 500 and a high SD bullet has a bit less wind drift. When/If i start shooting BP silhouette at the STL BR shooters club i need a bullet that will knock over the rams too. They have strict rules on what type of bullets are allowed so you dont damage them. Lehighs or any non lead solid are a BIG NO NO.

The penetration is amazing though.
1) Water jug
2) A soaked compressed phone book
3) Over an inch of particle board
4) Through another wet phone book
4 And roughly 3" into a hard tree stump

Nice wound channel too...not great but nice.

I havent been able to retrieve one yet. A bull elk is probably an exaggeration but i wouldnt be surprised if it did.