.451 volunteer keyholes

[Bear88]

So I have been trying to develop a load for my knight ul 45. I picked up some baco .451 450gr volunteers in 1/20 alloy first time I went out I only was able to shoot 5 over 70 gr v goex 2 f all seemed to punch clean holes. The second time I went out I started to have problems with key holes and unable to put a group together still the 70 gr v charge. Today I went out with weighed charges in 70 75 80 gr 5 each and still the problem persisted. I did size some of them down to .4505 to make loading easier. From what I've researched these should be stable any ideas I'm all ears.

 

[HC]

Prolly needs a over powder wad?

 

[Bear88]

I'm using a 50 Cal 1/8 inch wool felt wad

 

[derfhunter]

If you are thinking the bullet is too long to stabilize, try a shorter bullet and see if it straightens up.
Do you have any .460 wads to try and see if that helps? I never tried 50 cal wads in a 45, just thinking they may fold over and not seal

 

[HC]

At the 3 Minute Mark I explain it. For demonstration purposes I used an Old .54 Barrel that doesn’t have a Breech Plug, i was using OVERSIZE .58 Cal Wool felt Wads. It’s the Same EXACT procedure using a .50 Cal Wool Felt Wad in a .45 Bore

 

[52Bore]

Wad was my 1st thought, but your using one..
What lube are you using and with that, have you seen any evidence of leading?

The 1:20 is certainly fast enough to stabilize that bullet.

 

[45-70]

don't sound to me like they fit

 

[GM54-120]

1-20 should easily stabilize a 450gr lead bullet.

Wild guess....your alloy is too hard for such a light load of powder. Try sizing them .001-.002 over land size. This will probably require you swab after each shot but they should still load on a clean or semi clean bore. You could also try "pre engraving" them on a clean bore. Push them in a couple inches then back out. Make a small mark inline with the front sight or mark at the muzzle so you load them the same way later.

 

[Saxtonyoung]

I had the same issue several years ago with the Whitworth bullet (475 grains) and a 1-18 twist barrel using 50 grains of powder. I was shooting in a league and was given a large quantity of lead with a unknown hardness ,so I poured several hundred bullets for practice and league shooting. These bullets shot fantastic until about the 3rd week and then started hitting the target sideways at 25 yards. That's when I learned about " age hardening " and not letting the bullet bump up to fill the grooves.This doesn't happen with pure lead and I've never heard it happen with lead/tin alloys but if there is any antimony in the mix, that's when you will have issues. Not wanting to waste this lead I melted them down and cast only what I thought I would use on a weekly basis.

 

[Bear88]

I've only sized them down .0005. I did this to try to get a consistent loading pressure. At .451 they load ok on a clean bore.

 

[Bear88]

Wad was my 1st thought, but your using one..
What lube are you using and with that, have you seen any evidence of leading?

The 1:20 is certainly fast enough to stabilize that bullet.

Spj and no I haven't noticed any leading

 

[Bear88]

1-20 should easily stabilize a 450gr lead bullet.

Wild guess....your alloy is too hard for such a light load of powder. Try sizing them .001-.002 over land size. This will probably require you swab after each shot but they should still load on a clean or semi clean bore. You could also try "pre engraving" them on a clean bore. Push them in a couple inches then back out. Make a small mark inline with the front sight or mark at the muzzle so you load them the same way later.

I was wondering if the hardness might have something to do with it. The bullets I found in the backstop don't show any rifling.

 

[52Bore]

. The bullets I found in the backstop don't show any rifling.

I know guys shooting bullets harder than 1:20 - do you have the ability to test a bullets hardness?
Really surprised if BACO sent out bad bullets, not as described.
If no rifling - Knuckleball

 

[Bear88]

We have one at work, I'll have the heat treat guy test one for me tonight.

 

[45-70]

I was wondering if the hardness might have something to do with it. The bullets I found in the backstop don't show any rifling.

if they didn't show rifling you are way under and they never bumped and are you wiping between shots

 

[Bear88]

if they didn't show rifling you are way under and they never bumped and are you wiping between shots

Yes wiping between shots unsized they are miserable to push down if I don't run patches but they do shoot better

 

[Bear88]

Just to update same bullet cast of pure lead shot same hole groups at around 70 yards. Everything else was the same.

 

[Nit Wit]

I shoot mine right out of the mould, no issues.
Nit Wit