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I realize I’m late to the party, but I’ve got a Holland Royal 465, serial 19,1xx, that was proofed in 1908 so I read this thread with considerable interest.

I’ve recently made the switch to Reloader 15 from IMR 4831 for my softs, I’ve fired a fair number of rounds over a chrono by now so I’ll share some of my observations for what ever they’re worth.

The original factory Kynoch drawing for the .500/.465 has a handwritten note on it that says: “Charge adapted Feb 1926. About 72gr MDT ordinary & tropical charge. Cartridge loaded to ballistics ~ charge.” So using the 1.19 x 72 (cordite) formula, it suggests a load at 85.68, minus a couple of grains for safety (per Ross Seyfried’s article). In my rifle (Royal, 10lbs 13 ounces, 26 inch barrels), charges between 84 grains and 85.6 grains give velocities ranging between approximately 2040 and 2120 using Woodleigh softs, foam wads (kynamco), Bell brass (MAST) and Federal 215 primers. A few years ago I did try 86 – 89 grains of Reloader 15, without wads, based on the 75 grain assumption. I wasn’t using a chrono back then and ultimately quit because I hadn’t yet discovered a good wad solution.

Elevation with the 84 – 85 grain load are right over the top of the very small bead at 100 yards. They cross a bit at 100 yards and the right barrel groups a little below the left, although the right barrel is consistently a little faster. The 84 grain load is the best for me, but I’m not sure too many conclusions can be drawn from that. In the factory ledger entry for my rifle, it notes that my rifle was regulated with a 420 grain bullet (?) and 75 grains of cordite (tho engraved on the rifle is the 480 bullet 75 grain cordite load) Five inches at 100 yards is a great composite group for me using softs, and that usually happens around 2040 – 2070fps. With IMR 4831 it regulated a bit slower still. Woodleigh solids are more accurate in my rifle, but I use H4831 with them and they regulate around the 2040 velocity with the best 100 group measuring 2 ¾ inches.

I’m not at all suggesting that 88 – 90 grains of Reloader 15 blew up CFA’s Holland, so please don’t misunderstand. I’m saying that those loads would have produced velocities in my rifle well beyond what was needed, and the cordite charge for the 480 grain bullet was probably never 75 grains.

I’m really interested to hear where this investigation bottoms out. I’m in the camp that believes 3031, 4831, RL 15, etc, etc can all be good and can all be bad. I also wonder if a particular clue can really be found to indicate a barrel that will blow up. You just can’t know where an old rifle has been or what it’s done. If one could be assured of getting an old double that hadn’t been fired since the 50’s, with anything other than old corrosive, cordite Kynoch, that had skipped experiments in the 70’s with God knows what kind of bullets, what formulas, what wads, etc; it might be more telling than where the steel came from in England back in King Edwards day.

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