A little trouble with compression

[Eric Johanen]

Loading up the 45-90 with the PJ money bullet and 1st try with OE 1&1/2 FG. Trim length @ 2.400, Fired brass: Starline neck sized and expanded with a .456 expander. Bullet dia.=.459. I used a cork wad and a .030 vegi wad for the wad stack. 82.0 grains by weight of powder with compression set for .460 to seat the bullet with the 1st two lube rings exposed. Using the Shiloh inline seater things came up about 3/8th's inch short of the case fully entering the seater die. Chambered with a bit of thumb pressure and a noticed a very slight bulge where the wad stack was seated. I lubed the brass and thumb seated the cartridge in the seater die. Now chambers with slight thumb pressure engraving the 1'st driving band. 82 grains by weight appears to be a little heavy with this powder. 5 rounds loaded in this manner. So with this lot of OE I'll give 76 grains by weight a try. I want to use the cork and vegi wad stack to prevent gas cutting. I'll load 5 more with the 76 grain charge and see how things work out. Saturday looks like decent weather and I'll be testing these loads. Lodi creedmoor is coming up fast and loading and practice is needed!

[Don McDowell]

I've been shooting 81 grs of 1 1/2 with a .060 fiber wad under a 535 gr money bullet with 2 grooves exposed, and it's holding about 2 minutes to 1000 yds. Might try just cork wad or maybe double up the .030's. A single .030 will likely be fine with a .459 bullet in that Shiloh barrel and chamber.

[Eric Johanen]

Thank's Don. I'll give your load a try!

[Don McDowell]

Keep us posted on how that new rifle works .

[Lumpy Grits]

Times 2 on a single .060 fiber wad.
Are you annealing those S'line case necks? They really need it.
Gary

[Eric Johanen]

Lumpy, I did test with the .060 vegi and .060 poly wads today...very good results! Yes, the brass was annealed. Have been doing this every 3 rounds and will now go to annealed on every firing.
Don, I did get out to test your load today. Not the best of conditions but they shot really well @ 200. POI the same with the 76.0 grains of OE 3 FG. Nice group, tight cluster in the lower left quadrant of the X ring and inside 10 ring. Will test again next week when we are expected to get some decent weather. OE 1&1/2 FG used the .060 vegi wad and the OE 3 FG loads used a .060 poly wad. Both shot well. Mini groove Money Bullet seated for slight thumb pressure seating and wiped between shots. Also tested the BACO 535 grain "Money bullet" (as cast weight was 526 grains) with 76.0 grains of OE 3 FG. and a poly wad. Needed just a whisper of elevation and right windage to stay in the group. Good day on the range!

[Don McDowell]

Sounds like you've got things working really well Eric.

[Lumpy Grits]

Now try a .40 cal dia 'wad' of coffee filter paper at the bottom of the case, before you add the powder.
Gary

[Eric Johanen]

Now try a .40 cal dia 'wad' of coffee filter paper at the bottom of the case, before you add the powder.
Gary

Lumpy. I'm one of the cranks that use and like a large pistol primer with a card .004 primer wad punched when seating the primer. I prefer Federal but Remington's also work well. The method works well for me and groups look nice discounting the occasional sight misalignment. Back to cleaning brass and casting bullets!

[Lumpy Grits]

Good deal
Gary