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Post by ss30378 on Feb 23, 2024 0:14:21 GMT -5
I thought about this project a lot. The BFR 357 Magnums are built from the same cylinder blanks they use for the 6-Shot 454 Casulls. But, the walls on each chamber it 1/10" thicker 360°. That's got to be some serious strength. Hoping another forum member will try this with the 44 Magnum. I have a 44mag BFR waiting at my ffl. I plan on pushing it hard to see what it can do. I expect 300-320gr at 1500+ will be no problem. I also have 2 cylinders out being rechambered to 45 colt and will have MR fit 45acp cylinders to those guns. I expect the 45 acp to be able to produce at least tier II 44spl ballistics and i think tier III isnt out of reach. I got over 1600fps with a 300g cast bullet (MBC coated 44 hammer) from a 7.5” 44 redhawk. Both h110 and 300mp got there. These were loaded at 1.73” OAL. The bfr can take this bullet loaded at the middle lube groove (redhawk cant) so even more power is available should you want more. |
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Post by Encore64 on Feb 23, 2024 6:27:22 GMT -5
No telling what your pressures must have been. Any idea? I know i have literally pounded brass out of my BFR to the point of bending the extractor (button, knob, handle,  ) and that brass took another primer fine. It was certainly looser than new but i had no worries of blowby. 67,400psi Great Information!!! Is this measured or derived from software? What brand of brass are you using? Thanks for great input... |
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Post by hunter01 on Feb 23, 2024 9:05:06 GMT -5
I have a 44mag BFR waiting at my ffl. I plan on pushing it hard to see what it can do. I expect 300-320gr at 1500+ will be no problem. I also have 2 cylinders out being rechambered to 45 colt and will have MR fit 45acp cylinders to those guns. I expect the 45 acp to be able to produce at least tier II 44spl ballistics and i think tier III isnt out of reach. I got over 1600fps with a 300g cast bullet (MBC coated 44 hammer) from a 7.5” 44 redhawk. Both h110 and 300mp got there. These were loaded at 1.73” OAL. The bfr can take this bullet loaded at the middle lube groove (redhawk cant) so even more power is available should you want more. Thats getting firmly into 454 territory! Was this one and done on the brass? |
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Post by ss30378 on Feb 23, 2024 9:56:15 GMT -5
I got over 1600fps with a 300g cast bullet (MBC coated 44 hammer) from a 7.5” 44 redhawk. Both h110 and 300mp got there. These were loaded at 1.73” OAL. The bfr can take this bullet loaded at the middle lube groove (redhawk cant) so even more power is available should you want more. Thats getting firmly into 454 territory! Was this one and done on the brass? I got 6 progressively hotter loads out of this brass (7 loads actually since it was federal factory 240g is where the brass came from) and pockets were a little loose, would still be good with lighter loads I would assume. I had 6 cases for the 300mp loads and 6 more for the h110. Loads started in the 1350fps range and peaked at 1622fps for 300mp and 1626fps for h110. CCI350s were flat, cases weren't sticking at that the 1625fps level but I was out of powder capacity. Non compressed loads were seated at 1.72" OAL and the 1600fps loads grew to 1.735" OAL. Enforcer also did well and peaked at 1568fps before I ran out of room. |
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Post by Encore64 on Feb 23, 2024 10:12:31 GMT -5
Seems the pattern of case life is pretty consistent with this type of loading?
We're +P by any standard, but not destroying brass on the first shot...
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Post by bigbore5 on Feb 23, 2024 11:14:15 GMT -5
Great Information!!! Is this measured or derived from software? What brand of brass are you using? Thanks for great input... Measured. Federal brass. |
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Post by hunter01 on Feb 23, 2024 12:11:17 GMT -5
Thats getting firmly into 454 territory! Was this one and done on the brass? I got 6 progressively hotter loads out of this brass (7 loads actually since it was federal factory 240g is where the brass came from) and pockets were a little loose, would still be good with lighter loads I would assume. I had 6 cases for the 300mp loads and 6 more for the h110. Loads started in the 1350fps range and peaked at 1622fps for 300mp and 1626fps for h110. CCI350s were flat, cases weren't sticking at that the 1625fps level but I was out of powder capacity. Non compressed loads were seated at 1.72" OAL and the 1600fps loads grew to 1.735" OAL. Enforcer also did well and peaked at 1568fps before I ran out of room. It would be nice if someone could run a quickload for a guesstimate of pressure anyway. |
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Post by Encore64 on Feb 23, 2024 18:14:45 GMT -5
Was able to overcome a major hurdle today.
As mentioned earlier, I wanted to try the Missouri Bullets 180 grn WFN. It would chamber when seated to the crimp groove, but I wanted more powder capacity.
By seating to the bottom of the first lube groove, rounds were 1.750". Still plenty of cylinder length.
But, the tight restrictions of the throats prohibited chambering.
This left two solutions. Open throats or size bullets down. I decided to try the second option first.
So, I ordered a Lee .357" Sizer. It arrived today and worked perfectly. Bullets sized down .001" without hurting the coating at all.
Ammo won't drop in, but a gentle push seats them. In my book, that means perfect gas seal.
Interestingly enough, powder capacity with this configuration allows more powder capacity than the 165s and 195s.
It'll be interesting to see what velocities I can get. It's too late today, but weather forecast is for a beautiful weekend. I'll know soon.
Hope to have pictures later tonight...
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Post by Encore64 on Feb 23, 2024 18:59:19 GMT -5
Me, being me, couldn't stand it.
Tried one load before too dark for the chronograph to register.
16.5 grn 2400 pushed these at 1470 fps. No excessive pressure signs. I'd hoped for 1500 fps which may well be possible...
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Post by tdbarton on Feb 23, 2024 20:03:27 GMT -5
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Post by Encore64 on Feb 23, 2024 20:08:12 GMT -5
Thanks Tim...
I wanted to show the extreme amount of 17-4 surrounding the chambers. I doubt you could blow it up.
The 180 grn seated long looks odd, but works great. A glimpse into what the 360 Dan Wesson will do...
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Post by Encore64 on Feb 24, 2024 6:10:49 GMT -5
Like most projects, this one continues to evolve.
A problem I encountered last night actually turned into an improvement.
While trying to seat these bullets long, I ran out of seat plug to crimp area in the die. I knew I'd have to back off the die to seat bullets and crimp in a separate step.
To accomplish this, I broke out my New Lee Collet Crimp Die for the 357 Magnum.
These crimp by pushing in a small band on the mouth of the case instead of rolling it in. This makes it necessary to seat bullets to the top of the crimp / lube groove or cannelure. In turn, this makes the loaded rounds slightly shorter.
So, I made some seated to the bottom lube groove. This resulted in a COAL of 1.81" which greatly increases the powder capacity and still fits the BFR Cylinder.
Will continue to develop load data for this project. But, with this bullet, the only advantage the 360 DW Case will offer is increased strength in the web area.
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Post by bigbore5 on Feb 24, 2024 6:29:17 GMT -5
The 360 brass should also provide good neck tension for that oal length, which may help efficiency with some powders.
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Post by bigbore5 on Feb 24, 2024 6:32:36 GMT -5
Whitworth told me before that his easily handled Taffin's 353 data.
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Post by Encore64 on Feb 24, 2024 6:44:32 GMT -5
The 360 brass should also provide good neck tension for that oal length, which may help efficiency with some powders. Absolutely right and I appreciate you pointing that out. Also, that others recognize that it's neck tension that helps combustion instead of crimp. An often misunderstood criteria. Also, there's zero doubt that the BFR will handle the same loads as the FA83. In both guns, brass will be the weakest point. This makes gun strength moot. The BFR Cylinder is longer. These loads wouldn't chamber in a FA83. I hope I can get someone to pin gauge a FA83 Chamber so I can compare that to a BFR. |
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) and that brass took another primer fine. It was certainly looser than new but i had no worries of blowby. 
