Don Hinton
AH veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2016
- Messages
- 189
- Reaction score
- 224
- Location
- Spartanburg, SC
- Media
- 4
- Member of
- SCI
- Hunted
- Cape buffalo plains game
@rookhawk I want to make sure I understand exactly what you're saying here. Are you saying that (in this example) 77gr of IMR3031 will push a 500gr .474 bullet at 2150fps, the same as 106gr of IMR4831, with associated reduction of recoil? Or are you saying that the 77gr IMR3031 load will be at a lower velocity, along with reduced recoil? In other words, is the 77gr IMR3031 just a low-recoil practice load, or is it a functional hunting load? Sorry if my question is a dumb one, I am here to learn from those who know more than I do and are willing to share their wisdom.It’s not easy to do with 470NE.
Generally speaking, to get this to work you need reasonable accuracy (broadside of a barn). What people usually do is try to mimic the same velocity you had with the full load, but with a lighter bullet, thus your gun has relatively similar regulation properties.
470NE is a 500gr bullet, so you’d find a .471” to .474” bullet that was perhaps 380-400gr for your reduced load. You’d then select the fastest burning powder safe for that load and would try to regulate using as close to a starting load as possible.
Expensive, time consuming, specialty work for you to do this. You’ll need to be a proficient handloader as well.
For me, I’d just shoot off sticks to reduce my perceived recoil and I’d develop a load that has less recoil. An IMR3031 “full load” with 77gr of powder and 500gr bullet produces 58lbs of recoil, a full load with IMR4831 106gr of powder produces 89lbs of felt recoil. RL15 also is a low perceived recoil full load.
What you’ve asked is much easier to do with a magazine rifle because regulation isn’t a factor. It’s doubly hard with a 470NE because there are fewer light bullet options than say a 500NE that has a standard 570gr bullet but also an obtainable 440gr alternative.
@rookhawk I want to make sure I understand exactly what you're saying here. Are you saying that (in this example) 77gr of IMR3031 will push a 500gr .474 bullet at 2150fps, the same as 106gr of IMR4831, with associated reduction of recoil? Or are you saying that the 77gr IMR3031 load will be at a lower velocity, along with reduced recoil? In other words, is the 77gr IMR3031 just a low-recoil practice load, or is it a functional hunting load? Sorry if my question is a dumb one, I am here to learn from those who know more than I do and are willing to share their wisdom.
Thank you! I just used 2150fps since I've seen that figure published as a "typical" 470NE velocity. I do understand that published velocities from test barrels and real-world velocities from hunting rifles are not the same.Correct. Recoil is just math.
"All things being equal, the powder that achieves a given velocity with a given bullet using the fewest grains will have the least recoil."
Regarding the 2150fps comment, neither load is 2150, both are going to be around 2080-2115 depending on barrel length real-world.
To further illustrate @rookhawk ’s point-Thank you! I just used 2150fps since I've seen that figure published as a "typical" 470NE velocity. I do understand that published velocities from test barrels and real-world velocities from hunting rifles are not the same.
It sounds like IMR3031 is definitely the way to go then!
I have never understood the logic of down-loading. The double you have is what it is, it is meant to send out a certain bullet at a certain velocity and that is the beast. If you can't handle it, buy something you can handle. Unless the objective is always to just punch paper for fun, and that is perfectly OK, then the purpose of practicing for game shooting competency is getting used to the whole package, including the recoil.
Of course, as Rook says, get a load set up to deliver the correct ballistics with as little pain as possible, but big bore pain comes with the turf really.
@rookhawk Can you please educate me regarding the Dacron and Kynoch wads? I've always associated wads with shotgun loads and did not realize they can be used in a rifle load. I feel like I'm missing something important here and would like to understand better.In a recent trial by @Wahoo he was getting poor regulation with dacron, but got excellent regulation with the kynoch wads. I believe his chrony showed lower velocity at a given pressure and load with kynoch wads, surely altering regulation. Note, my 470NE heym and his are made in same year and my regulation was the opposite, it was very good with dacron at same grain weight his gun was excellent with kynoch.
My opinion is that if dacron is safe at a given load, the kynoch wad opens up more options to fine tune your regulation. But I'm a conservative guy and like starting to moderate loads with big bores. The goal is getting passed 2050fps at the muzzle with great regulation. It seems that these loads are around 2150fps at the muzzle of a 24" gun. That's all a man needs to take down every animal on earth.
@rookhawk Can you please educate me regarding the Dacron and Kynoch wads? I've always associated wads with shotgun loads and did not realize they can be used in a rifle load. I feel like I'm missing something important here and would like to understand better.