- Joined
- Feb 14, 2013
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- 27
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I have wanted to try to become completly independent obtaining shooting materials for my CVA. The powerbelt bullets are too expensive for casual plinking, and I would like to see how long of a shot and at what moa I can squeeze out of my 45 cal mag BP rifle.
There are a few basic problems that I am encountering. Bullets are hard to get, and too expensive. Primers are also getting harder to get. And if i want to use sabots, they are also getting harder to find. This is similar to what I am experiencing for my .458 socom, 223/5.56 and my 7.62x54r tack driver.
I decided to tackle the sabot problem first, as there is no way to build a mold if you do not know the final dia of your bullet.
I created a punch and die set that forms .010 brass screen into a sabot for my 45 cal bullets. I also built a mini indoor (in my shop) range with a 1/4 in SS plate bullet catcher.
I started testing with just a primer and was able to launch a 53 gn AL .430 dia bullet modified to use the belt from a CVA PowerBelt bullet. I was not able to clear the barrel with an identical weight bullet using a brass screen sabot. I did not clean after shooting the belted, so working with very low velocity allows small changes to be identified easily. Based on this and needing to keep velocity down to just beyond enough to clear the muzzle, I cleaned after each subsequent test.
After testing each bullet a few times with no identifiable reason for one or the other not clearing the barrel, I added .1 gn bp. At .1 gn there was still no consistency about clearing the barrel. At .2 gn either sabot will clear the barrel every test.
It was evident at .2 gn that the powerbelt was building up more pressure than the brass screen sabot. But it is encouraging that the brass screen shows clear rifle marks pretty much identical to the powerbelt. The marks were all even indicating that the brass is carrying the bullet down the barrel evenly. I suspect that the combination will be very accurate. What i need is a small plastic cup which will form an expandable skirt. It is possible that the skirt of the powerbelt collects the powder at the breech and forms a small cartridge while the screen keeps the powder distributed.
I am counting on the property of a gas to act like a liquid as concerns the screen. The mesh is very fine, and the more pressure, the better it will seal. So now that i have my bullet size, on to build a mold on the lathe. I have some bronze rod which should be perfect. For the cavity.
I set up the chrony but it never gave me a speed of either bullet. Possibly flourescent light problems, even though I mounted an incandescent over the chrony.
Pictured below is the AL bullet in the foreground, with some of the unused formed sabots, left rear. The powerbelts are on the right front, with the used screen sabots at right rear.
There are a few basic problems that I am encountering. Bullets are hard to get, and too expensive. Primers are also getting harder to get. And if i want to use sabots, they are also getting harder to find. This is similar to what I am experiencing for my .458 socom, 223/5.56 and my 7.62x54r tack driver.
I decided to tackle the sabot problem first, as there is no way to build a mold if you do not know the final dia of your bullet.
I created a punch and die set that forms .010 brass screen into a sabot for my 45 cal bullets. I also built a mini indoor (in my shop) range with a 1/4 in SS plate bullet catcher.
I started testing with just a primer and was able to launch a 53 gn AL .430 dia bullet modified to use the belt from a CVA PowerBelt bullet. I was not able to clear the barrel with an identical weight bullet using a brass screen sabot. I did not clean after shooting the belted, so working with very low velocity allows small changes to be identified easily. Based on this and needing to keep velocity down to just beyond enough to clear the muzzle, I cleaned after each subsequent test.
After testing each bullet a few times with no identifiable reason for one or the other not clearing the barrel, I added .1 gn bp. At .1 gn there was still no consistency about clearing the barrel. At .2 gn either sabot will clear the barrel every test.
It was evident at .2 gn that the powerbelt was building up more pressure than the brass screen sabot. But it is encouraging that the brass screen shows clear rifle marks pretty much identical to the powerbelt. The marks were all even indicating that the brass is carrying the bullet down the barrel evenly. I suspect that the combination will be very accurate. What i need is a small plastic cup which will form an expandable skirt. It is possible that the skirt of the powerbelt collects the powder at the breech and forms a small cartridge while the screen keeps the powder distributed.
I am counting on the property of a gas to act like a liquid as concerns the screen. The mesh is very fine, and the more pressure, the better it will seal. So now that i have my bullet size, on to build a mold on the lathe. I have some bronze rod which should be perfect. For the cavity.
I set up the chrony but it never gave me a speed of either bullet. Possibly flourescent light problems, even though I mounted an incandescent over the chrony.
Pictured below is the AL bullet in the foreground, with some of the unused formed sabots, left rear. The powerbelts are on the right front, with the used screen sabots at right rear.
