New Machined 240gr and 285gr Bear Creek Ballistics with Ballistic Tips

[BuckDoeHunter]

Pictures of the bullets are in this thread
https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/all-good-things.35624/#post-301902
I had a chance to shoot my sample bullets a few days ago. Temp was 44*F, wind was a right quartering tailwind around 6-9 mph. I would shoot one rifle, walk to the 100yd target, snap a pic for my records, then load and shoot the next rifle. I figured this would allow the barrels to cool and give me a chance to stretch my legs.

Apex 45 cal. conversion was used for the 240gr BT, it didn't like them much, some horizontal stringing

-240gr BCB BT, no sizing required, package to bore, light-med. loading pressure
-6gr N110 / 52gr IMR4198
-.060 veggie wad
-Fed 215M LRM primer

The bullet from shot #6 was run thru my smooth sizing die and fell down the bore, that's when I realized no sizing was needed, I knurled that bullet up at the range to shoot it last

The 285gr bullet was shot out of my Rem 700ML with a 45 cal Brux barrel. It did better but I feel the bullets were too loose when loading. At home the test bullet felt just about right but at the range not so much.

-285gr BT, knurled then Full Form sized, light loading pressure
-10gr N110 / 57gr IMR4198
-.060 veggie wad
-Fed 209A primer

I feel with some tweaking to the powder load, wool vs veggie wad, and/or sizing for more loading pressure, I may get this bullet to shoot like the older design. I've got two left, I'll size them for a tighter fit and see how they do.

Pulled from the berm consisting of dirt, sand, gravel, and old bullets. They look as soft as the old design, which is good IMO

240gr, impact velocity of 2100fps, 6 land and groove CVA Apex

2100

285gr, impact velocity of 2300fps, 6 land and groove Brux, I like the smaller lands of this barrel

 

[Sideshow]

Pictures of the bullets are in this thread
https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/all-good-things.35624/#post-301902
I had a chance to shoot my sample bullets a few days ago. Temp was 44*F, wind was a right quartering tailwind around 6-9 mph. I would shoot one rifle, walk to the 100yd target, snap a pic for my records, then load and shoot the next rifle. I figured this would allow the barrels to cool and give me a chance to stretch my legs.

Apex 45 cal. conversion was used for the 240gr BT, it didn't like them much, some horizontal stringing

-240gr BCB BT, no sizing required, package to bore, light-med. loading pressure
-6gr N110 / 52gr IMR4198
-.060 veggie wad
-Fed 215M LRM primer

The bullet from shot #6 was run thru my smooth sizing die and fell down the bore, that's when I realized no sizing was needed, I knurled that bullet up at the range to shoot it last

The 285gr bullet was shot out of my Rem 700ML with a 45 cal Brux barrel. It did better but I feel the bullets were too loose when loading. At home the test bullet felt just about right but at the range not so much.

-285gr BT, knurled then Full Form sized, light loading pressure
-10gr N110 / 57gr IMR4198
-.060 veggie wad
-Fed 209A primer

I feel with some tweaking to the powder load, wool vs veggie wad, and/or sizing for more loading pressure, I may get this bullet to shoot like the older design. I've got two left, I'll size them for a tighter fit and see how they do.

Pulled from the berm consisting of dirt, sand, gravel, and old bullets. They look as soft as the old design, which is good IMO

240gr, impact velocity of 2100fps, 6 land and groove CVA Apex

2100

285gr, impact velocity of 2300fps, 6 land and groove Brux, I like the smaller lands of this barrel

Cool , at least you got some trigger time and a direction to head to . Stayin tuned......

 

[redear]

I ordered 2 packs of their muzzleloader 285gr all copper bullets the other day and Jeff emailed me back and thanked me for the order and said they were gonna start running them in a few days. I ordered the ballpoints and he said they will be machined. and he said he would include a 5 bullet trial pack of the 285's with the optional ballistic tip for me to try. these bullets are supposed to be .451 diameter. He makes these bullets for the 450 bushmaster round too. I am wondering if the bushmaster bullet and the muzzleloader bullet differ in diameter. I am seeing cannelure grooves on those recovered bullets which has me thinking they were made for the 450 cartridge. Just a thought. I have to research the dia. of a 450 bushmaster round. the muzzleloader bullets come 15 to a pack and have sabots included.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Please post your results redear. Jeff, at BCB, also said in an email to me yestereday, that he could make bullets with a slightly larger diameter. I think that would work better for the 285gr in my Rem 700ML's. The Apex may just need some knurling or a wad change.

 

[redear]

I will post the results, Jeff said they would ship the week of the 6th. He seems to be willing to do whatever he can for us. He answers my emails every time I email him, seems like a great guy. I could really have confidence in a bullet like that if I can get them to shoot and hold true out at a distance.

 

[redear]

being disabled and unable to walk in the woods safely without falling down I hunt the crop fields and my shots have been all the way out to 162, 187 yds etc. and that was with a CVA wolf with a 295 powerbelt HP bullet, even though that bullet dropped alot at a distance it was always right down the middle. I bought the cva scout conversion to have a little bit more performance and do it at 200 yds. It's a load search for sure. but every new gun takes effort to do this.

 

[redear]

It looks like my BCB 285's have shipped, I'm really wanting to see what these bullets will do out of my scout conversion.

 

[redear]

I did find a bottle of imr 4198 at cabelas the other day, I have been using h 4198, just making sure I don't run out.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

I picked up a bottle of H4198 a while back but haven’t shot any yet. I’m curious to see if any accuracy difference for me.

 

[Mnt monkey]

I shoot IMR and H 4198, I've shot more one hole groups with H 4198, I'm not convinced it is any better than imr but the average in all of my smokeless rifles it has slightly been more accurate.

 

[redear]

there just hasnt been any 4198 for me to buy in any of the stores Iv'e been in except this cabelas .

 

[redear]

I still haven't tried the BCB 280's I got a while back, I need to do it too. I have several bullets to try when I do. I have a new leupold vx3i 3.5-10x40 that should be here tommorrow for the scout.

 

[redear]

well yesterday I shot 5 of these 280 gr. ball point bear creek bullets into a 3" group at 104 yds with 56 gr of imr 4198. so this was not the load to use with them.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

well yesterday I shot 5 of these 280 gr. ball point bear creek bullets into a 3" group at 104 yds with 56 gr of imr 4198. so this was not the load to use with them.

Any wads used?

 

[redear]

yes I always use a wool wad. I'm sure I coulda made them shoot with the 4227 powder but have ceased using it for now due to the issue D55 had.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

well yesterday I shot 5 of these 280 gr. ball point bear creek bullets into a 3" group at 104 yds with 56 gr of imr 4198. so this was not the load to use with them.

I forgot to ask in my previous post, did have to size those bullets to fit your Scout?

 

[redear]

yes I sized them. heck they may really shoot with the right load but havent given them much of a chance yet. they are very well made and they size good too. but I don't care for the large radius on the bottom of the bullet and the canelure or whatever that is on the bearing surface but I would use it in a minute hunting if I found the right combination. I'm using medium ramrod pressure needed to push the bullets down the barrel. now I have had decent accuracy with the barnes tez 250 gr. though, I need to take that out to 200 and see if it still holds true. at this point I am just wanting to find out everything this barrel will and wont do. I do like the leupold vx3i 3.5-10x40 I put on the scout. I'm trying to stay away from stout loads to keep from being too hard on it.

 

[redear]

when I say I am using medium pressure to load my bullets, remember that my arms and hands are super weak from a nerve disease. so it would be one handed for any of ya'll.

 

[redear]

that bear creek bullet is one serious looking bullet. I have so many bullets at this point though, many of them fury's and I need to give each of them a chance. I probably have 500 dollars worth of bullets, lol well they collapsed the plastic trays in my storage drawers, lol starting to get heavy, lol

 

[Mnt monkey]

Greetings fellow bullet collector