powder testing in the White .451 model 97
12-08-2011, 08:05 AM
#21
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Bullet...Cavity-c-7289/
Lee makes a double mold and produces the 500 grain .457 bullet. I then could size that down to .451. I currently cast the .457 405 grain bullet and shoot them. You can also shoot them in sabots out of your .50 caliber rifles. They have a lot of down range thump.
Lee makes a double mold and produces the 500 grain .457 bullet. I then could size that down to .451. I currently cast the .457 405 grain bullet and shoot them. You can also shoot them in sabots out of your .50 caliber rifles. They have a lot of down range thump.
12-08-2011, 08:29 AM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,092
Some of that difference in weight is because Lyman (and most other mold makers) specify the weight of bullet produced by the mold when using #2 alloy. NitWit is probably using pure soft lead which would result in a heavier bullet. I have the same mold but haven't cast any for a long time. Bullshop ruined me so far as casting. 
The Lee .457-405 is a good bullet for the White .451 if sized properly. If you look at the image below, you can see a group near the lower left which was shot using the Lee bullet. I sized those bullets by driving them through a sizer die with a dowel and a hammer.
That bullet's little brother also shoots pretty good out of some of the Knights
ps: that mold Dan has for the .504 at 495 grains was a custom mold (I'm not sure whether he still has it). I believe it was made by Mountain Molds. Anything worthwhile for the .504 is probably going to be custom. That is one advantage of the .451 caliber - there are molds that can work well that are readily available.
The Lee .457-405 is a good bullet for the White .451 if sized properly. If you look at the image below, you can see a group near the lower left which was shot using the Lee bullet. I sized those bullets by driving them through a sizer die with a dowel and a hammer.
That bullet's little brother also shoots pretty good out of some of the Knights
ps: that mold Dan has for the .504 at 495 grains was a custom mold (I'm not sure whether he still has it). I believe it was made by Mountain Molds. Anything worthwhile for the .504 is probably going to be custom. That is one advantage of the .451 caliber - there are molds that can work well that are readily available.
Last edited by Underclocked; 12-08-2011 at 08:45 AM. Reason: text and pics
12-08-2011, 08:40 AM
#24
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
I like Lee molds also. I have both the 340 grain and 405 grain .458 molds. I use them as cast with sabots in my .50 calibers. But I hate resizing them down to .451. It takes a lot of effort and they don't seem to do well.
12-08-2011, 08:53 AM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,092
Semi, it shouldn't take that much effort if you are using pure lead. You do need to worry about smearing though so an .454 sizing die might be a good intermediate step in that process. Another trick is to run them through the sizer upside down.
12-08-2011, 10:14 AM
#29
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Livermore, maine
Posts: 17
Semisane:
We can do something I'm sure.Black powder season ends Sat night. I don't size them just suff them down the bore. I have a parker hale volunteer, I shot a buffalo with.451 bullets,moose die easier than buffalo for sure.
Nit Wit
We can do something I'm sure.Black powder season ends Sat night. I don't size them just suff them down the bore. I have a parker hale volunteer, I shot a buffalo with.451 bullets,moose die easier than buffalo for sure.
Nit Wit
12-08-2011, 03:05 PM
#30
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
I bought the sizer to bring my .457 405 grains down to .451 and they do shoot well out of the White. Never thought of sending them upside down through the sizer. I will have to try that next time out. And they weight 423 when they come in pure lead.
I was shooting them out of my CVA Staghorn Magnum with 80 grains of Pyrodex RS in a sabot. Very accurate. Then I realized, that technically they were to big according to the manufacturer to be shot out of the rifle. When they would hit that big steel wall and the end of my range, they really made it ring.
I was shooting them out of my CVA Staghorn Magnum with 80 grains of Pyrodex RS in a sabot. Very accurate. Then I realized, that technically they were to big according to the manufacturer to be shot out of the rifle. When they would hit that big steel wall and the end of my range, they really made it ring.