460 magnum reloading questions

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Dfish1247

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Are there any other options for this cartridge besides xtp mags and ftx? I see plenty for 1500fps or less, but can’t find anything for the actual magnum velocity loadings?

The launching device is the pc 14” model and the 225gr ftx hornady ammo is fun to shoot, it kicks, but nothing awful. The price of ammo on the other hand, yuck. That’s hurts way beyond the recoil.

I seen several recommendations using casull dies, is there that much extra room in the casull dies for the 460 case? Haven’t found a concrete answer there either.

Anywho, thanks in advance.
 
Here's some bullets from Lyman's 49th.
In addition Penn's PC coated lead bullets can be loaded stoutly.
We have them at 230, 255, 300 and 340grs and Barnes XPBs at 200, 275grs.

The Pros will be along shortly and provide more choices of bullets and powders.

The archives have a wealth of knowledge as well.
 

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I use the 300 grain XTP magnums for my 460's, I do have a box of 200 grain FTX Hornady factory ammo sitting in the safe. A year or so ago I found a box of 250 grain FTX bullets specked for 450 Bushmaster, I got a canalur tool and loaded some in 454's and 45 Colts (super redhawk loads) to use as self defense loads while wearing my 460V. I gave up trying to find replacements, several I tried resulted in long cleaning session with lots of lead or high tech coating in the barrel/compensator. I found the Magnum XTP's seem to hold up well for me and cleanup is quick and easy for the 460's. I haven't tried the 250 grain FTX's as a 460 yet, just haven't thought about it and I would have to move the FTX seating stem from the 45 colt seating die. Lazy is my middle name.

I have two sets of dies in 45 colt, one is for the 45's and the other is for 454's, I also use a profile crimp die on the 454's which has greatly reduced the shortened range visits due to a bullet lodged in the barrel of my 460V.
 
I only load 240 & 300 gr XTP Mags in my 460. I do like what @Imissedagain suggested, look at some of the reloading sources and see what they have data on. Hodgdon's website, for example, has 10 or so different bullets listed for the 460.
As far as dies- I use 460 dies for 460, 454 dies for 454 and 45 Colt dies for 45Colt. Not sure if you could full length size the 460 case in the others, I have not tried.
 
I looked at hodgdon’s site, as well as alliant. Wild to me how there isn’t a decent selection of jacketed bullets, not everyone wants to shoot 1700+fps either.

Matt’s bullets shows their 275+gr gas checked offerings are good for higher velocities, not opposed to lead at all, use it some in light 357 and 44 loads.

I have no desire to use 45 colt in this gun, it’s big and heavy enough that recoil just isn’t an issue, and 454 isn’t of much interest either. I’ve figured on using 2400 for reduced loads, sounds weird to say. Other than that, h110/4227 for the normal stuff.

I poured these powders at the book loads into three empty cases last night, case fill looks good, which is a lot of powder,lol. Also, poured some unique loads I found on a few forum posts, way way too much empty case for my liking.

I’ll order 460 dies and a casull crimp die, I don’t see and 460 crimp dies anywhere.
 
Western Powders publishes plenty of 460 data for a variety of bullets, including the 300gn Nosler Partition at over 2000 fps. You need some, I got some.
 
Dfish1247 said:
Are there any other options for this cartridge besides xtp mags and ftx? I see plenty for 1500fps or less, but can’t find anything for the actual magnum velocity loadings?
Click to expand...

Plenty of bullet choices that can be run at "Magnum Loading"

The 225FTX listed at 1900 fps max can be driven faster but bullet funtion becomes compromised and acts like a varmit bullet.

Sierra, Speer, Swift, and Hornady offer suitable jacketed bullets.
Cutting Edge, Barnes, Northfork Tech., and Lehigh offer a range of monolith copper bullets.

With Hard Cast I recommend you stick with Gas checked bullets untill you get a good understanding of lead bullet loadings.
Matt's and Beartooth both offer good products.

None of the bullets used to achieve top loadings are going to be cheap- as you are aware the operating pressure is very high compare to other 45 caliber handgun cartridges.

The have been a number of threads on loading 460 in the past.
I would suggest you search though my previous posts.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/search.php?searchid=13113352


Dfish1247 said:
....
I seen several recommendations using Casull dies, is there that much extra room in the Chttp://smith-wessonforum.com/search.php?searchid=13113352asull dies for the 460 case? Haven’t found a concrete answer there either.

Anywho, thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

The sizing die of most manufactures 454 sets are not capable of full length sizing of the 460.

I personally use Hornady, Redding and RCBS dies with 460 (depending what loading I am doing)

If you would like a more detailed bullet selection list PM me with your personal email as I cannot send XLS through this forums PM service.
 
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I use RCBS roll crimp die set for the 460's and load H110, I have the crimp set that any tighter and the case will deform on my single stage press. I have never had a squib with my 460', the 454's on the other hand were a real problem. I only shoot 460's in my 14 inch as well, not much need for the smaller stuff in it. Makes a nice show off piece at the range, almost always draws a crowd if they put me in the observation bay. Nothing like a big revolver with a bipod and scope to gain attention.
 
Sierra, Speer, Swift, and Hornady offer suitable jacketed bullets.
Cutting Edge, Barnes, Northfork Tech., and Lehigh offer a range of monolith copper bullets.

With Hard Cast I recommend you stick with Gas checked bullets untill you get a good understanding of lead bullet loadings.
Matt's and Beartooth both offer good products.

None of the bullets used to achieve top loadings are going to be cheap- as you are aware the operating pressure is very high compare to other 45 caliber handgun cartridges.


The only lead loads I use are reduced velocity, I’ve never tried higher velocity lead, always jacketed for those. That’s worked for me so I never dig deeper into lead loading.

The Speer 300gr gdhp looks nice, the 210gr is the best shooting bullet in my 629 so I’ll definitely try a box. And of course the xtp mag, had good luck with hornady as well.

I do want to try 300+ grain gc lead as well. Seems too cool to pass up. Maybe not at warp speed, but something worth my time.

Thank you guys a ton, I’ve ordered brass and dies. I’ll order some lead bullets and when they come available, the Speer and Hornady.
 
Dfish1247 said:
I see plenty for 1500fps or less,
Click to expand...

Dfish1247 said:
...not everyone wants to shoot 1700+fps either.
Click to expand...

I'm unclear on exactly what speed (or purpose) you're wanting to load for?

If you're not looking for full tilt 460 loads, but don't want overly reduced loads either, Hornady's 250gr & 300gr XTP bullets are rated to 1600fps & 1700fps respectively.

Far less than their XTP-MAGs at 2200fps but way cheaper too if that's the sweet spot you're looking for?

.
 
BLUEDOT37 said:
I'm unclear on exactly what speed (or purpose) you're wanting to load for?

If you're not looking for full tilt 460 loads, but don't want overly reduced loads either, Hornady's 250gr & 300gr XTP bullets are rated to 1600fps & 1700fps respectively.

Far less than their XTP-MAGs at 2200fps but way cheaper too if that's the sweet spot you're looking for?

.
Click to expand...


Just for shooting at the range. I like to have a full throttle load and a reduced load for any center fire revolver so I have the option to just shoot or rattle my brains and still be accurate.

Alliant’s site shows 31gr 2400 with 250gr gdhp, allegedly 1553fps. That would be around where I’d like as far as reduced loads in this revolver. Other side, h110, 4227, and blast off.

I understood I wasn’t going to be able to load some 800fps dinkers like 38 and 44 can do, and have no desire to do so. This gun is not for an inexperienced shooter, and I’ll never put in one’s hands, even as big as it is, but it doesn’t recoil so bad that I don’t want to shoot it. I’m not a recoil junky, but I’m not extremely recoil sensitive either. Recoil is decently stiff, but not awful for me. Others may absolutely despise it.

This is the largest caliber handgun I’ve ever owned. Never owned a 454, but when something makes 454 look puny in case size, that’s something. Even 240gr 454 in this gun kicks pretty stiff, but it’s not painful, to me anyway.
 
I've pushed 300gr Missouri Bullet PC hardcast to just under 1,600fps satisfactorily in my 460V. Cleanup has been not too difficult at all because I shoot the lead out at the end of my range session with cat sneeze FMJs. I load up the 200gr FTXs to go max velocity, but I haven't tested the XTPs yet.



Lee makes a very good collet crimp die for the 460S&W.
Dfish1247 said:
I’ll order 460 dies and a casull crimp die, I don’t see and 460 crimp dies anywhere.
Click to expand...
 
Did I mention I like snubbies?

Dfish1247 said:
Just for shooting at the range. I like to have a full throttle load and a reduced load for any center fire revolver so I have the option to just shoot or rattle my brains and still be accurate.
Click to expand...

I keep some of both around too.

My reduced loads, to get "warmed up" with, use 230gr JHPs, mostly Zero's or Hornady's 230gr HAP with Unique, Power Pistol, LongShot, or Bluedot in the 1300-1450fps range. These powders work fine with CCI-300 primers at these levels also.

Still plenty of flash & bang.:p

Hornady rates the 230gr HAP to 1650fps. No idea what Zero's rating are but they have a stout jacket too & I've never had any issues with them in my usage range.

I have the 460 Carry so it's lighter than yours.

.



.
.
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The 454 Casull is nothing to sneeze at, for sure. The 45 Colt can be loaded to starting 454C power (in the right revolver) & the 454C just carries on from there. The 460 Mag is just crazier still.

The only reason I've got the 460 is because I didn't like my Ruger SRH 454 & sold it.

.



.
 
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Several years back I loaded 300 grain hard cast Tennessee Valley Bullets .454 rated bullets at magnum velocities in the Casull. I was very pleased with their performance.

I haven't tried today's Hi-Tek coated cast bullets in anything more powerful than the .41 Rem Mag. So far I'm quite impressed with them. No smoke, no lead fouling, and excellent accuracy.

My next order will likely include some .452" to try at moderate Casull speeds. As I load for a SAA too, I'll likely start with something lighter, but ACME list some 350 grain projectiles for the .454 and .460.

45Colt
 
Here is a question for ANYONE, but I specifically hope that ruggyh sees it because he may be the most active .460 Magnum guy active around these pages.

I have (for years!) wanted to use Alliant Power Pro 300-MP for a full-blown max load behind the 240 grain Hornady XTP-Mag bullet but Alliant’s published data does not support it for a real deal hairy load.

Currently I’m using a near-max load of W296, 48.0gr with this bullet, and my chrono returns about 2,000 fps at the muzzle.

Alliant Power Pro 300-MP seems to be very much in the same arena as H110/w296, and the “experimenter” in me, the guy that is comfortable going off book in almost any handgun load (with proper load development of course), well I just can’t find the GUTS going off the reservation with a 65kpsi caliber.

Has anyone worked with 300-MP and the Hornady 240gr XTP Mag in the .460 Magnum? Published load data isn’t available from Alliant with this bullet, but the closest they offer is a full ten grains under what I’m loading with w296.

I want to get to 48.0 grains of 300-MP with the Hornady 240gr XTP-Mag, but I’d feel a lot better about it if someone else has traveled this road already.
 
My dies showed up Christmas Eve, i sized the 454 and 460. The dies are marked 454 casull, but the 460’s go all the way in without issue. They are Lee dies. I ordered an rcbs 460 shell holder at the same time and glad I did. 460 won’t fit a 454 holder.

I’ve acquired 200,225, and 250gr ftx, and a box of 240gr Xtp. That’s all I can find. I’ll try and load some tomorrow. I would tonight, but my right wrist needs a vacation from assembling my son’s rc monster truck kit.
 
For poster #17 just follow proper load development from what is a safe load and work your way up until extraction becomes difficult.
A similar thread on another forum, back around 2015, discussed this.

Long ago I bought two of the same pistols and treated each one separately, with load development, after running a mag of factory ammo in each one.

Even if the most prolific 460 Pistolero in the Galaxy gave me the hotter loads that worked in their guns, I'd still work my way up.

I learned to load and improve my shooting skills with the Air Force, in the last half of the '60s, and bought my own gear about a decade later. Still scoop and weigh every charge.
They even taught me how to make gunstocks.
Your tax dollars spent wisely. :D
 
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Is Alliant Power Pro 300-MP a fairly new powder? I don't see it listed on my powder burn rate charts.
 
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