Lehigh .400 caliber 215 grain CF
05-24-2017, 06:38 PM
#11
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Sabotloader, wouldn't just cutting the petals off a .45 sabot be the same thing as a sub base? Just seems like that would be better than any over powder card or veggie wad for sealing the bore on firing. Especially with the harder solid copper or brass bullets that more than likely wont obturate quickly. There is no need for anything when I use the full sizing die but the smooth sizing die or, just knurled to fit, will leave a lot of gas leakage until or even if the bullet obturates.
I have always been somewhat concerned about cutting the petals. Not sure I could cut them off equally. I worry about creating an unequal amount of pressure one place or another might cause some deflection in the bullet.
Depending on which bullet you use you might not get any or very little obturation.
05-25-2017, 01:31 PM
#12
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 995
Do you have a free standing scroll saw? I just made a sub base using one. There is a line where the petals meet the base. Just follow that making sure you keep the base flush against a flat back stop and rotate the sabot. Petals sheer right off with the MMP ones. Nice and even. That is probably what I will do with the tan MMP ones if they wont hold up for those .400. When the smooth sizer gets here, I will size some of those .458 220 grain Lehighs my sister has to ride the lands and will make a couple of those tans into sub bases. If that works accurately then I'll have a really good set of options of bullet choices for here in Illinois.
Last edited by hunters_life; 05-25-2017 at 03:09 PM.
