Lee C452-300-RF...What Minimum Velocity Is Needed?

[C. Latch]

He is shooting it in a .454 Casull

Oops! My bad. I was thinking .45 Colt for some reason.

[DougGuy]

UPDATE: 18 grains...Sweet Spot and "best fit"

Well, I have started with 16 grains of Blue Dot with the Lee C452-300-RF dressing out at 315 grains. Moving up .5 grains at a time the groups continually tightened up until today's final load of 18 grains. I just shot a sample at each level to get a taste of the combination. I pulled one of the 4 shots...totally was not expecting the guy next to me to shoot and I flinched. LOL. But, the other 3 looked good at 15 yards. By the way, average velocity was 1,180 FPS.

The recoil was not bad. I believe that I could regain my target easy enough.

One thing that I have noticed between using Blue Dot and W296 in this short-barrel revolver, I am NOT perceiving as much muzzle blast as I did with W296. Or, is it just my imagination?

I will work with this load for a while to make sure today was not a fluke. I think 1,180 FPS is sufficient velocity with this boolit. And, if the groups are consistently at this level I will be happy.

I think 1,180 FPS is sufficient velocity with this boolit. I think you are there! That is about the best you could hope for, a serious, real world velocity, WITH good accuracy, and this load is a handful (which rightfully it SHOULD be!) but not uncontrollable, since no matter if it's 265gr or 340gr, you STILL have to put the shots where they will stop the attack.

Doug Guy posts up a ^5 for Southern Shooter.

[44man]

I am going to agree with almost everyone that posted. The short .454 is just a large case .45 Colt but you just don't need super velocities with heavy boolits.
A 335 LBT from a .45 Colt Vaquero has amazing penetration at 1160 fps. So the boolit in question should be just fine from 1100 to 1200 fps. I don't like short barrels myself because of powder choices but the SRH Alaskan still has weight for some control.
You need to see penetration to believe it. Don't think faster is better.
Don't go too heavy with boolits or they will not track straight. As boolit weight goes up you need more velocity that can't be had from short guns.

[reloader28]

I did finally chrono the load I mentioned earlier in the thread.
10gr Unique going almost exactly 1000fps. It turned a coyote inside out and went almost clear thru a dead cow lengthwise.
Now thats some penetration.

You dont need the speed.

[huntersdog]

Bear spray is probably your best bet to disorientated him first. Brown bear attacks are not like they are in the movie were they come head on charging at you. Most attacks happen as when you stumble upon them like face to face or you come across a mother with cubs. Other than that the brown bear will hunt you, he will track you from either side or from the back in that's when they attack just as you were any other meal.

[fredj338]

At 1000fs, this bullet penetrates further than my 400gr sp in the 404jeffery @ 2200fps. I doubt it stays inside most animals shot broadside. I just can't figure out why all the mold manf put gc on a bullet that is not likely to ever see more than 1300-1400fps.

[Moonie]

[flyingrhino]

460 Rowland is rapidly becoming the weapon of choice in the NorthWest. If you have a 1911 the conversion runs you $300. It's a drop in comped bbl. Use the same dies as your 45acp. Uses Rowland brass available from Starline. It's 44 magnum terminal ballistics in a much softer shooting platform. Does a major number on hogs too! Google it. Plenty out there about it.