Develop .454 Casull load using 250 grain Hornady FTX bullet?

[pricedo]

I'm going to develop a load for my Rossi Puma 92 in .454 Casull using the 250 grain Hornady FTX bullet designed for the .450 Bushmaster cartridge.
The 250 grain FTX bullet does NOT have a crimping groove (aka: cannelure).
The bullet will have to be secure in the cartridge case to resist being pounded further into the case during recoil by adjacent cartridges.
The FTX flex point should have a dampening effect on the effect of the inter-cartridge impact spoken of in the previous sentence as will the powder charge.
Obviously the 92 action will strictly limit the OAL of the cartridge that will cycle through it and when OAL is limited so is case powder capacity.
If I use compressed charges the bullet might have a tendency come out of the case though I don't think that will be a problem.
I can envisage the Lee crimping die being used in this project.
Not sure whether to use .45 LC cases or .454 Casull cases trimmed to slightly below SAAMI specification lengths.

[Ranch Dog]

All the considerations seem very logical and reasonable to me. Do you have QuickLoad to generate the suggested data? If not, give me an estimate of the cartridge OAL and the average bullet length and I will start the ciphering. For the suggestions, data for case capacities of 100% or less (bullet seated) could be generated. I sell collet style Factory Crimp Dies for the 45LC, not those in the Lee Pistol die sets but real rifle type FCDs. Fellows are slipping a washer over the case and down on top of the shellholder to accommodate the additional length of the 454 Casull case.

[pricedo]

All the considerations seem very logical and reasonable to me. Do you have QuickLoad to generate the suggested data? If not, give me an estimate of the cartridge OAL and the average bullet length and I will start the ciphering. For the suggestions, data for case capacities of 100% or less (bullet seated) could be generated. I sell collet style Factory Crimp Dies for the 45LC, not those in the Lee Pistol die sets but real rifle type FCDs. Fellows are slipping a washer over the case and down on top of the shellholder to accommodate the additional length of the 454 Casull case.

This is a project that I've had in the back of my mind for months.
I don't have a jet rated pilots license so I'm not quite as fast on the uptake as you are with actually getting stuff done.......laziness is a more likely cause for the delay.
I've got a good idea what I need through interpolation/extrapolation of load data for +P+ .45 LC ammo and the limiting factor is the marrying of the 92 action with the longer snouted 250 grain FTX bullet.
I note that Hornady offers a factory loaded .45 LC cartridge using the 225 grain FTX bullet (has a crimping groove) but nothing for the 250 grain FTX bullet (doesn't have a crimping groove) originally designed for the .450 Bushmaster autoloading rifle & also that Hornady offers NO factory .454 Casull cartridges loaded with any of the .45 caliber FTX bullets.
That tells me that Hornady views the .454 Casull as a proprietary handgun caliber with not enough rifles in the caliber around to bother factory loading a FTX round for it or that maybe Hornady thinks the FTX bullet is too frangible for .454 Casull velocities. I discount the second assumption because the .450 Bushmaster moves those 250 grain FTXs out at a fairly fast pace. The first assumption is probably the correct one as I doubt that there are many .454 Casull rifles out there. For example, look at the way members on this board shy away from the .454 Casull Rossi 92s because of perceived recoil battering completely ignoring the fact that they are getting a much stronger built rifle for the same money that is quite capable of handling their .45 LC +P or +P+ loads.
Next month they'll be posting complaining cause their weaker ".45 LC only" guns are falling apart under the battering of their .45 LC +P+ loads..........go figure.

[Missionary]

Greetings
Corbin makes a bullet knurling tool. They show up for sale used off and on. Then on a search I saw a home made scissors knurling tool. But as far as ease and costs a washer on a 454 case with the Lee tool would sure beat buying something else.
Mike in Peru

[pricedo]

Greetings
Corbin makes a bullet knurling tool. They show up for sale used off and on. Then on a search I saw a home made scissors knurling tool. But as far as ease and costs a washer on a 454 case with the Lee tool would sure beat buying something else.
Mike in Peru

Good suggestions ALL.........thanx.
All I need to do now is to work up the ambition to actually get it done.
Getting this lazy carcass of mine off the coach & all the way (past the fridge) to the work bench has always been the "dogs leg" in the critical path of turning my various "thought projects" into reality.

[deadkelly]

i to am very keen on this outcome . i bought 250 & 200 gr ftx bullets before i picked up the rifle . only to find out there to long , my plan was to load them single shot just to see how they go .

[pricedo]

i to am very keen on this outcome . i bought 250 & 200 gr ftx bullets before i picked up the rifle . only to find out there to long , my plan was to load them single shot just to see how they go .

some possibilities & things to remember:

1) use 45 LC cases (LP primers)........some case length trimming might still be necessary.

2) trim 454 Casull cases (SR primers) to a length that would allow cycling of the ammo loaded with the 250 grain FTX ammo

Remember that a combination of trimming standard length cases and using bigger, deeper seated bullets will increase pressures.

The 250 grain Hornady FTX 45 caliber bullet does NOT have a cannelure or crimping groove indicating a use of the Lee Crimping die.

Some say the 454 Casull cases have thicker more robust walls & bases than 45 LC cases. I don't know, I didn't measure them.

Like many of my "thought projects" this one remains a "thought project" at this time.

[deadkelly]

hey guy's about 6 weeks ago i dummied up some 250 & 225 grain ftx bullets in 454 casull & 45lc , unfortunetly i have had a house inspection since & my dummy bullets got put away ( by my girlfriend ) i can only find 3 of the 8 i made up . i have a 454 with 250 gr ftx with a oal of 2.0185 or 51.27 mm . the flexy tip is a bit squished by the seater . my lee seating die took a fair amount of fidderling to get it right . now i don't know if this was my longest one or not although every one i made up would chamber . now these are for single shot only but i can live with that . now the other two are 45 & 454 both set to the same oal @ 1.9890 or 50.52 mm now i beleave that was so i could get the max length using the 1st crimping groove on the 225gr ftx bullet in the 454 case & the other is a 250 gr ftx in the 45lc case . now we don't get lil gun over here so i'll be using win 296 or a aussie powder called ar2205 . i have yet to load powder in these yet as i have bought my self a howa 375 ruger , 303/270 , metal detector amungst other things . mmm mate's here gota go will be back soon .

[Shootin_Ron]

I am a new member and I do not own a Rossi. I do, however have a Winchester Model 94AE that I had rechambered for 454 Casull. I just came across this thread and could not resist addressing it. I had the same desire to develop a load for my rifle, using the .452 250gr FTX bullet from Hornady. That being said, as my rifle is a Winchester I wanted to insure that I developed a load that would ignite at lower pressures, say less than 40,000 PSI. I found data for a 450 Extreme on the Hodgden site. Using the data for a 260 Gr. Hornady XTP. I cut a cannelure into the bullet .42" from the base using a CH4D Cannelure tool. Trim Starline 454 Brass to 1.340". Max Overall Cartridge Length 1.80". Initial loading 32 Gr. Li'l Gun Powder. Fired very well in my rifle. I will need to chrony them, but accuracy was good, and no signs of pressure.

[pricedo]

Shortening cases so they fit in levergun actions with their FTX bullets has become Hornady standard practice.
I've got some custom loaded cartridges coming in that should put a 335 grain hard cast lead flat nosed bullet in the air approximately 1850 fps out of my 92/454.
I'm leery of gummy bear bullets for hunting critters with sharp claws & teeth.
I've become a cast bullet convert for dangerous game hunting but don't want molten lead around the house.
4 x @50 boxes of "tailor mades" should satisfy my hunting needs.