Noticed the reference to someone shooting over 6000 rounds in a Searcy 470 Double. I believe that there reference was to me.

The particular gun was a early Searcy double before he started makeing his own receivers. I started a project of working on lead loads for double rifles. I did an article for African Hunter magazine on lead loads in the 470.

My best bullet was a 525 grain .477 with large meplat. No one had a really good bullet of that combination so I had Walt at NEI make a cherry. NEI still has this bullet in thier listing. I cast with wheel weights plus 2% to 4% added tin and water quench from the mold. I make up the metal in 600 pound lots in order to control consistancy of product.

I use two four cavity NEI molds alternating molds in order to control the heat build up in the mold. The only problems is that I only have a 20 pound RCBS furnace. I hope to go to a 90 pounder some day soon.

I logged in all my loads and range results for the first 6000 rounds. Velocity ranged from 1250fps to 2250 depending on how much recoil I wanted to suffer through.

I shot about 300 jacketed bullets, but the lead loads worked so well on game that I put jacketed bullets into a secondary position.

On one shooting session, I put 20 bullets from each barrel into a 3" group at fifty yards. This was from a setting position.

When Searcy came out with his new model, I had a President grade made up. My original gun is now somewhere in Africa with a professional hunter. When I last same this gun the barrels were in prestine condition from using lead bullets. A trip down the barrel with a bore scope showed no signs of wear on the leads and a consensus of high power rifle shooters regarded the barrel as brand new. The action was still crisp and tight.

I still have all the loading data on this gun.

I have been a little lax on using my new gun. It is the same story, that you get a pretty gun and then don't work it as much as you earlier piece.

I have had this gun about three years now and have put about 150 rounds a month through it with a load lever of approximately 1350FPS. Most of the shooting is done at steel plates at 50 yards. It is amazing how much damage that load will do on 1 inch steel plate.

If any one wants load date on the 470 or some sample bullets, drop me a line.

leadload
leo