Marine Corps Bullseye Load

[merbeau]

I was doing a web search and found one article about the Marine Corps using 4.2 or 4.3 grains of Ramshot Competition powder for their Bullseye shooting. Apparently the article said if the gun they are building does not work with this load, the gunny goes back and retools the pistol.

Does anyone have this article (I thought I had saved it on my internet page but apprently did not) or was I just dreaming.

 

[BE Mike]

I was doing a web search and found one article about the Marine Corps using 4.2 or 4.3 grains of Ramshot Competition powder for their Bullseye shooting. Apparently the article said if the gun they are building does not work with this load, the gunny goes back and retools the pistol.

Does anyone have this article (I thought I had saved it on my internet page but apprently did not) or was I just dreaming.

The USMC originally were given the load for Bullseye shooting by a former Marine and high master bullseye pistol shooter named Al Dorman. Al, in conjunction with a gunsmith, Dave Salyer, after observing the success of jacketed hollow-point bullets in bench rest shooting, thought that jacketed hollow point bullets might work well in the .45 ACP for bullseye pistol shooting. Al and Dave found that the Nosler 185 gr. JHP was exceptionally accurate at 50 yards. The powder they settled on was Vihtavuori 310. The Nosler bullet also flies well with Alliant Bullseye. It is quite possible that the USMC has discovered that the Nosler bullet flies well with Ramshot Competition powder as well. The Ramshot powder may be cheaper and more available than some of the other powders I mentioned.

 

[TSQUARED]

I believe the 50 yd. bullseye pistol load was 4.2 gr. VV N-310, WLP behind the Nosler 185 gr. JHP.

 

[merbeau]

Thanks guys for the information. I now can rest much easier.

 

[boatbum101]

I believe the original USMC Nosler load was 4.7gr VVN 310 , which is pretty warm for Bullseye . Late Allan Fulford used 5.0gr of AA N100 . 4.5 grs BE to 5.0 BE works for some . When I played with the Nosler I found 4.8 WST , Win LP primer & .469 crimp , Starline brass shot the best in my 2 Salyer built wadguns . I now use the Zero 200 SWC (swaged lead ) with 3.8 BE or 3.6 VVN310 due to cost . Groups @ 50yds just slightly larger than the Nosler for less $$$'s .
Andy Brunt

 

[BE Mike]

I always use Starline or Winchester virgin brass or once fired with the Nosler. Many years ago, Dave Salyer told me that the Nosler bullet with 4.5 grains of Alliant Bullseye would shoot very good groups at 50 yards. He also said that COAL wasn't critical. I settled on 1.20". I use a .470" taper crimp and WLP primers.

The best group I have ever seen fired from a Ransom rest with any .45 ACP load was with a new Rock River wad gun owned by a shooting buddy. I passed along the Nosler load him. He loaded the Nosler with 4.6 grains of bullseye and got a .9" 10 shot group at 50 yards. I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen it.

 

[Homie]

The original "Marine Load" was documented by the NRA 12 years ago as 4.1 gr of VV N310. The Marines also established that new WW primed cases were slightly more accurate than once fired cases in USMC spec'd Bar-Sto barrels. It seems only natural that their R&D would find ways to tweak the gun/ammo combination in the past 12 or 13 years.

After the initial reports, a lot of shooters experimented with the Nosler bullet and found that it also gave outstanding accuracy with several of the more "common" powders, including BE.

Good shooting.

 

[merbeau]

Much appreciation. I lost all my Bullseye reloading materials including a Star loader, Ramson rest, powders, primers, notes, etc. in Hurricane Katrina. I am now doing some catching up after 5 years to 'start again'. I found a box of 185 gr. nosler bullets in my attic, which triggered my memory and the search/questions.