Development of PP loads for the .44-77.

[Distant Thunder]

Arnie,

If that's not what I said it is what I meant. Any differences we have in our approach are small enough that they have no measurable effect on the target.

Also I figured BACO would be more likely to take on a "new" design that was along the lines of what is know to be working well, The Seitz Design. They have a good number of Seitz designed bullets listed and it must be a selling point because they make a point of it. I'm am good with your design.

When Brent and I first started with his .45 caliber prolate design he had the nose length at 50% of the length and a true prolate is very pointy at 50% of the typical .45 caliber long range bullet's length.

When I designed my .50-70 bullet I used a true prolate but in the very short, fat .50 cal. not intended for long range a prolate is necessarily blunter. That bullet only weighs 490 grains and has a very good form. It shoots very well out to 400 yards and probably a bit beyond.

   

I must admit that I started modifying the .45 prolate design because I wanted get the weight up and that is hard to do with a prolate bullet short enough to be stable in an 18-twist. Our first prolate bullets were only 500-510 grains, pretty light in .45 caliber. To gain more weigh Brent and I went in two different directions. Brent had me cut a prolate at 1.520" long which proved to be too long for his 18-twist barrel. I capped the prolate from with a nose radius and lengthened the shank to keep the 1.460" length I wanted for my 18-twist.

My version would work in an 18-twist most of the time but seemed to struggle a little in switchy headwinds. Brent had some good results with his "long" prolate, but not always. The length was too much for an 18-twist to stabilize well enough to hold up in anything but calm conditions.

   

I decided to shorten my version to 1.440" and BINGO, my Lodi bullet (EPP 4B) was born and has been a winning design ever since. Brent's approach was just as effect if more costly, he rebarreled his '77 Sharps with a 16-twist barrel and that was a winning combo with his long prolate. That ended for him when Swiss 1 1/2 took a dump starting with the 2003 lots. I believe he has found a way around that problem and he will return to the winner's circle and I believe already has. It's hard to keep a good shooter down.

I must say also that I always had in the back of my mind the details the late Dr. Gunn used in many of his very successful designs. Somewhere I read what he had to say on the subject and it all made sense to me and I have used his ideas in my designs. It's hard to come up with something new in a sport that has been around for 144 years and I have no problem using what has worked in the past.

So that is a short story on my journey through long range BPCR bullet design. Many shooters are handicapped by the supersonic bullet designs that have come out of smokeless powder. If you don't understand the transonic velocities we shoot in you need to read up on it or just keep buying bullet molds that don't work the best! Been there done that!