Loading the 460-350-RF in .458 SOCOM

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Hi All,

I picked up the 460-350-RF for loading in My TROMIX .458 SOCOM, finally got some cast and powder coated and gas checked and sized to .459. They came out to around 355-6gr final weight.

I wanna load some up with Lil’ Gun, found some info online where people where loading the Berry’s 350gr plated bullet starting at 28.0gr. I’m thinking of starting at 27.0gr with 2 rounds, laddering up in .5gr increments to 30gr to look for pressure signs.

I made up a dummy round today, had to set it all the way in to 1.910″ to get it to fit the TROMIX case gauge. It loads and ejects just fine, but I’m just concerned that there awful lot of bullet in the case. Not new to reloading, but not the most experienced at reloading cast bullets with no specific load data.

Looking for any insight or advice.

Thanks, Dave

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[Ozarkspirit]

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[Full.Lead.TacoKeymaster]

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Just had an idea on that.  One thing you might consider is to have ranch dog plug in the numbers into QuickLoad for you and get the “load notes” page created with that bullet and that cartridge.  I’m hoping the new 354gr bullet designed with the 458 socom in mind gets made soon(ish).  Really excited to try that one out.  Anyways, if you give your overall length with that bullet to RanchDog, he can work the numbers.  Here is a link to the thread:

http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,1453.0.html

[Intel6Participant]

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I loaded and fired the 350 RF in my SOCOM, I also had to seat it deep which I didn’t care for.  It worked fine but I decided I wanted to get a dedicated mould for the SOCOM and save the 350 RF for my 45-70. I am on the group buy for the new 354 gr. bullet Cornmastah talked about and will wait for that one.

[Full.Lead.TacoKeymaster]

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I loaded and fired the 350 RF in my SOCOM, I also had to seat it deep which I didn’t care for.  It worked fine but I decided I wanted to get a dedicated mould for the SOCOM and save the 350 RF for my 45-70. I am on the group buy for the new 354 gr. bullet Cornmastah talked about and will wait for that one.

Yeah, that is kind of what I have found with the 458 socom.  A lot of the 45-70 bullets will work OK.  But they are not optimal for it.  A lot of them you have to seat deep which makes the OAL quite short.  Then you have to adjust your loads with the deeper seated projectiles.  I had issues with some of the wider meplat bullets seated so deep–I had to modify some of the mags to help with reliable feeding, etc…  The 500 gr pointy 458 socom/45-70 bullet feeds in regular GI mags for me.  Feeds like a dream.  I expect the new 354 gr bullet to feed well also–and we get a nice hollow point (actually 2 different styled hollow point pins) which is like icing on the cake!

[davidpalliesParticipant]

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yeah, I’m just gonna sell this probably and get the other mould. I don’t have a 45-70, and no plans for more.

I already got too much to load for.

[robertpedersen1]

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Quickload is nearly useless for .458 SOCOM.
The case shape, expansion ratio, and low operating pressure are just too far outside the norm for QL.
The predictions that come out of it are very optimistic, and usually ten to twenty percent over max in the real world.

The (seemingly) single most popular load for .458 SOCOM, 325 FTXs on top of Lil Gun, for example, has QL spitting out 32-34 gr max loads.  But, in the real world, most people (especially with tight Tromix chambers and bores) find 27.5-28.5 gr to be as far as they can push it before they’re eating case heads and damaging rims.

When I use QL data as the starting point for .458 SOCOM loads, I drop at least 20% from the predicted max.  And, even then, I’ve still had loads that resulted in the opposite of standard reloading practice: Start high and work my way back down. 
“But I already dropped 20 percent!”:o

[devinfry]

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I have a all the data from Teppo Jutsu sight and most of it comes from quickload. I have found it spot on thus far with the bullets the data lists. When you start throwing various cast into the mix things can change. Lilgun is a heat sensitive hot burning powder which can have pressure spikes, reasons I don’t care for it at all. Much better powders than Lilgun IMO, especially for the .458. I have the 350RF bullet too but it does have to be seated short though I can seat slightly longer in my Tromix barrel. I wouldn’t really worry too much about having a lot of bullet in the case. The creaters of the .458soc used 600gr solid brass bullets in it already which are well over 1.5″ long. The 525gr Piledriver is popular for the .458 also and it really takes up real case estate as well. Just adjust the powder charge.

[Author]

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