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Gentlemen, many thanks for your kind words of encouragement.

Rusty, wish I could join you on the Hog hunt, it would be a great opportunity to meet up with like minded folk.

1885, you must slug those bores to determine the exact bore dimensions, a 450/400 3 ¼” will probably take the .408” bullet but don’t count on it, some take a .411” bullet although I have never heard of a 3 ¼” taking the .411” over here. It’s the 3” rifles that seem to mostly take the .411” but again, not all. If you find it takes the .411”, the .408” will not work, I was advised by someone in the industry (not Simon, he advised the .411” but I had problems getting them) who really should know better that a solid of .408” in a rifle needing the 411” would be fine, it is not, 6” low and 7” apart is not fine, you cannot achieve the regulation velocity. The theory he told me was that by all means use the soft .411” in a .411” rifle but for “safety” use a .408” solid so as not to overstress the barrel when using solids. Just how safe would that back up solid be 6” low and 3 ½” off to the left? Just don’t use too many solids through your rifle and the consequences of using a .411” bullet in a .408” rifle doesn’t bear thinking of, so slug those bores.

I found powder critical; Reloaded 15 just didn’t work that well (3 ½” apart) where the IMR 4831 worked beautifully. I don’t know if they allow it at your range or if you can set yourself up somewhere out of the way but if you can reload at the bench as you test each load you will save so much time and costly Woodleighs. You don’t need 3 shots from each barrel to tell you you’re high and apart and need to increase velocity.

Good luck with the Andrews and regards Phil

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