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To Grenadier:
My compliments on your work with the 41 caliber 400 grain bullets and on your explanation and presentation of your results. There does seem to be good interest in your project and I look forward to reading anything further that you publish.

To 93x64mm,
Good question and in a nutshell:

Factory 300 grain Hornady .405 WCF ammo in my Miroku/Winchester 1895 runs 2225 -2250 fps. My 300 grain reloads with Hornady, NF, Barnes, Woodleigh, bullets and N133 powder run 2225-2250 fps and shoot to the same point of aim as Hornady 300 grain factory ammo.

It is easy to hand load the 300 grain bullets to 2350-2400 fps if desired, but my experience with my 1895 is that higher velocity is not needed for hunting unless the shooter wants to prove something other than how well he can shoot and take game. With a scoped Ruger #1 in .405 WCF, the hotter loads could provide an extension of useable range while the added weight would help dampen the increased recoil.

My 400 grain .405 loads for the Woodleigh .411 bullets were loaded for a Cape buffalo hunt to equal or exceed factory velocities of 450/400 ammo; 2050 fps and 3732 foot pounds energy. That load in the 450/400 double rifle has taken every large and dangerous land creature on the planet.

My research suggests that with N530, I can reach 2100 fps from a 24 inch barrel at much lower pressure than the TAC loads. In fact, N133 loads (at much lower pressures) reached the same velocity as with TAC, but with less consistency (due to the loading accuracy of the TAC ball powder?). N530 grains are the same physical size as N133, but with a higher energy per grain. This research was largely for my .405 double rifle whose 400 grain proof loads were at the same 49,000 psi as my 400 grain TAC loads. I thought to not shoot proof loads as a practice.

Mid power N133 loads at 2020 fps show great accuracy potential in the double rifle (one inch groups at 100 yards from the right and left barrels) and when my double returns from some reregulation work, I will proceed with both N133 and N530 experiments to see which performs best.

By the way, you appear to be a fan of the .405 WCF. Do you have one ?
I have some friends down under that shoot the 1895 .405 and really are competent with them.

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CRS,NRA Benefactor Member, TSRA, DRSS, DWWC, Whittington Center
Android Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/

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