Developing a 404 Jeffery Plinking / Practice Load

[Fuj]

Some time back, we made plinking loads for a .375 H&H. We used
.380 pistol cases with a 9mm bullet pressed in upside down and to
the very bottom of the case. We learned quick about putting them
in upside down since the cases were bulging when bottom out right
side up. Back then, Dupont IMR 4064 was put into everything so that
was used. Either way.....Never let a bad idea go to waste. They tumbled
nicely !!

 

[big5ifty]

I cast for close to full power loads in 500 Jeffery, 450 watts and 416 ruger.

I powder coat, which makes the whole exercise much simpler. The lead hardness is less critical in big bores this way, up to 2000 fps.

My latest plinking load was 600 grains in 450 watts at 1800 fps, also the limit of my recoil tolerance in a standard weight Brno.

Your experiment is a fine one, although 300 grains is a bit of a powder puff load. The big bores are very forgiving with pc cast, no gas check necessary.

 

[Scrumbag]

Some time back, we made plinking loads for a .375 H&H. We used
.380 pistol cases with a 9mm bullet pressed in upside down and to
the very bottom of the case. We learned quick about putting them
in upside down since the cases were bulging when bottom out right
side up. Back then, Dupont IMR 4064 was put into everything so that
was used. Either way.....Never let a bad idea go to waste. They tumbled
nicely !!

Sounds "interesting"

Scrummy

 

[Scrumbag]

I cast for close to full power loads in 500 Jeffery, 450 watts and 416 ruger.

I powder coat, which makes the whole exercise much simpler. The lead hardness is less critical in big bores this way, up to 2000 fps.

My latest plinking load was 600 grains in 450 watts at 1800 fps, also the limit of my recoil tolerance in a standard weight Brno.

Your experiment is a fine one, although 300 grains is a bit of a powder puff load. The big bores are very forgiving with pc cast, no gas check necessary.

I was thinking that might be the way to go. Lots of historic / milsurp guys here shoot cast bullets at those sorts of speeds with powder coated bullets so I wonder if the bullet maker of the 300grainers would do them with out any lube.

Scrummy

 

[ebb]

Maybe you should ask some of the residents if casting would be so impossible. If you had a mold or two to cast some lead soldiers and hand out a few to create goodwill you might find less resistance than you thought. And maybe ask about casting before casting bullets comes into the conversation. My neighbors are very tolerant of my indiscretions. But when one decided she needed a handgun, I found her a nice armaloyed S&W 38 for a price so cheap I wanted it for myself.

 

[Ray123]

I try to find jacketed pistol bullets for plinking. But used my first lead 500 gr at 1810 fps in 45-90 they were not exactly plinking fun...in the 86 Win it never had a cast bullet before. The 416 Rigby only gets full power loads ...but the 50 BMG get subs with Trail Boss or Red Dot powder...behind a 650 gr bullet FMJ, or APIT for explosive sub fun, just too much plinking fun, and accurate too. Trail Boss works in every cartridge 223 to 50BMG I've tried it in.

 

[Gettingbetter]

I love reduced loads for plinking and fun target shooting.

My favorite to load for is my .480 Ruger.

I cast 385gr Lee SWC tumble-lube and Miha Large Hollowpoint bullets here at my house on the back porch with my son.

Tumble lube both kinds with this 45-45-10 from LS stuff: https://lsstuff.com/store/index.php...oducts_id=14&zenid=ivucodok5837oej1kv2fud8sc7

Much drier and nicer to work with lube than pure Lee Alox, and no leading even when turned up pretty fast.

I then load these with Trail Boss and enjoy 650fps Target loads that I can usually put into one single larger hole of about an inch or so offhand at 15yds. The .480 Ruger is apparently known for very impressive accuracy.

It is fun to go from those trail boss loads to a moderate loading with 2400 powder to turn it up. This is still my favorite large handgun. I think I could be happy with just this one large caliber revolver and a .22 handgun for all purposes for the rest of my life.



In saying that, I plan on using H4895 for reduced loads for my planned 7SAUM build (one rifle to replace many). I hope to do some practice and light loads to get familiar with the rifle and setup(and also not waste rare H1000 powder) while doing so, and to keep from burning through this rare brass and $$$ barrel on trigger-time loads.

Have you looked into H4895 for your Jeffrey?

Downloaded rounds greatly increase barrel and brass life.