460 sw reloading problem

[patvin]

Hi all i am realoding 460 mag. for 1.5 years now with no trouble at all....since a week ago. Same bullet (260gr magtech) same powder load, same powder brand (VECTAN) ...but a new primer: winchester large rifle instead of cci 200 and a new case (starline vs hornady); the result was all cases stuck very much in the cylinder after shooting. The primer was somewhat flat, but no sign of bad pressure. Accuracy was good as usual. What do you think ? Need to go back with CCI primers ?
R.

 

[Skip Sackett]

A Marine in France, wow!

Well, what is the golden rule when handloading? Change one component, start over from the minimum and work back up.

You changed two components and didn't reduce at all!

Sometimes, the brass is thicker from manufacturer to manufacturer, sometimes lot to lot. If it was me, I would say that the brass is thicker in the web and there is less room for powder. Since I don't have your setup, I can't be sure but, you can check this out pretty simply.

Fill one cast to the top with powder, weigh it. Do the same with the other brand, weigh it. If there is a difference, you will know that one is thicker, given that they are both the same length.

Remember the golden rule of handloading: Change one components, start over from the minimum charge and work back up. It may save some of your vital organs!

Semper Fi

p.s. Welcome to the forum!

 

[buck460XVR]

Where does you load fall between min and max? I have never loaded Vectan powder, but I have loaded a lot of .460. One thing I have found is it doesn't take much of change in anything to make extraction difficult in the X-Framed .460. Hunting loads that cases fall outta the chambers in 30 degree weather need to be driven out with a dowel when it's 90 degrees. Loads that extract well for me become sticky with as little as a 1/2 grain of increase in powders. I suspect the difference for you is the Starline cases......they are in fact thicker walled than Hornady. I doubt the difference was the primers, cause in my experience, CCIs are hotter than Winnies. I do not load to max.....see no reason to with the power and speed the .460 cartridge delivers with moderate loads. I load Hornady and Starline brass with the same loadings with very little measurable difference in speed and accuracy. Download the Starlines a grain and see what happens.

 

[pbcaster]

EXCELLENT POST!

A Marine in France, wow!

Well, what is the golden rule when handloading? Change one component, start over from the minimum and work back up.

You changed two components and didn't reduce at all!

Sometimes, the brass is thicker from manufacturer to manufacturer, sometimes lot to lot. If it was me, I would say that the brass is thicker in the web and there is less room for powder. Since I don't have your setup, I can't be sure but, you can check this out pretty simply.

Fill one cast to the top with powder, weigh it. Do the same with the other brand, weigh it. If there is a difference, you will know that one is thicker, given that they are both the same length.

Remember the golden rule of handloading: Change one components, start over from the minimum charge and work back up. It may save some of your vital organs!

Semper Fi

p.s. Welcome to the forum!

We all need to be reminded of that.(Ask me how I know...somewhere around 1980)

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Where does you load fall between min and max? I have never loaded Vectan powder, but I have loaded a lot of .460. One thing I have found is it doesn't take much of change in anything to make extraction difficult in the X-Framed .460. Hunting loads that cases fall outta the chambers in 30 degree weather need to be driven out with a dowel when it's 90 degrees. Loads that extract well for me become sticky with as little as a 1/2 grain of increase in powders. I suspect the difference for you is the Starline cases......they are in fact thicker walled than Hornady. I doubt the difference was the primers, cause in my experience, CCIs are hotter than Winnies. I do not load to max.....see no reason to with the power and speed the .460 cartridge delivers with moderate loads. I load Hornady and Starline brass with the same loadings with very little measurable difference in speed and accuracy. Download the Starlines a grain and see what happens.

Both Smith Crazy and Buck gave you good info and advice.
I am betting on it being the brass too. Starline has an outstanding reputation for high quality brass that lasts, and one reason is it is thicker in the critical head/web area.

Only rarely will switching from one primer to another brand of equal strength (meaning from one LR to another brand of LR, or one MLR to another brand of MLR primer) cause that much variance in case extraction.

Back down a grain, or better still two, and try it again. I bet your pressure problems go away.

BTW- you mentioned that you didn't have any signs of "bad pressure". The cases being hard to extract is a definate warning sign of too high pressure in a gun that you said normally extracts fine with Hornady brass and that load. In other words, it isn't a problem with the gun, or it would do it with all brands of cases.

 

[patvin]

Ok thx all for reply! I am under the max. load with this new brass and primer (2.90 grammes vs 2.95 grm usually with the hornady and cci). I am going to check my starline' brass with your trick Crazy Smith...because i am afraid you're wright....and i have few cci 200 (not much, but...) in stock. I just bough Winchester primers because my gunsmith didn't get no more CCI....
I will keep you informed.
Thx again.
BTW, it's "infantrie de marine" her in France !!! of course i was not a US marine.....

 

[patvin]

Ok, you'were wright....
The starline cases are thicker than hornady.
I have filled both case with my powder (to the top) and the result is there : starline: 3,90grm vs hornady: 4,08grm.
I weighed both cases (empty) too : 1,32 grm between them!
So i am going to down the load again a little bit.....and try the same load with a cci 200...
Thx all.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I want to reiterate something. This is not a "slap" at anyone but even the best of us need to be reminded from time to time of simple things.


"Handloader's Golden Rule"

Change any component, any, reduce charge to minimum and work back up, um, period.

Glad to be of help!