Squib 454 Casull Loads

[Marine24]

Ran in to some problems with some 454 Casull reloads from Bullet Boy Ammo. They were squibs that lacked the power to push the 255gr SWC out of the barrel on a Ruger Alaskan. Latter is sitting at my gunsmith's shop to pull the bullets out of it, but current issue is determining how many of the remaining 200 reloads have this same problem.

I plan on weighing each round to see if I can determine any suspect rounds. Bullet weight is 255 grains and power charge was 26 grains of H110. I have unfired cases plus have some small rifle primers that I can use to reconstruct the nominal weigh of a loaded round. Hopefully it proves that easy and the problem was the loaded rounds didn't have a powder charge in them.

Other possibility is the primer didn't light off the charge. I've heard/read stories of some small rifle primers having this problem, particularly with light target loads. 26grs of H110 is a light load for the 454 Casull, but has been a reliable one up to now.

Hopefully the problem is lack of powder. I'm not looking forward to pulling the bullets from 200 rounds and reloading them with SRM or BR rifle primers and new powder.

Am I missing anything?

[Dryfli]

That load sounds really lite I use 36g of h110 the min I've found is around 34g I would pull all the bullets and reuse components as much as possible or you might be in for a long line of problems.

[Zombie Steve]

Shouldn't be a problem shaking the round and hearing if there's powder in it... doesn't work with compressed loads, but that one should work.

Weighing loaded rounds is a waste of time. Variation in bullet weight + variations in the weight of the brass will make you more uncertain than before.

[SA Friday]

Ran in to some problems with some 454 Casull reloads from Bullet Boy Ammo. They were squibs that lacked the power to push the 255gr SWC out of the barrel on a Ruger Alaskan. Latter is sitting at my gunsmith's shop to pull the bullets out of it, but current issue is determining how many of the remaining 200 reloads have this same problem.

I plan on weighing each round to see if I can determine any suspect rounds. Bullet weight is 255 grains and power charge was 26 grains of H110. I have unfired cases plus have some small rifle primers that I can use to reconstruct the nominal weigh of a loaded round. Hopefully it proves that easy and the problem was the loaded rounds didn't have a powder charge in them.

Other possibility is the primer didn't light off the charge. I've heard/read stories of some small rifle primers having this problem, particularly with light target loads. 26grs of H110 is a light load for the 454 Casull, but has been a reliable one up to now.

Hopefully the problem is lack of powder. I'm not looking forward to pulling the bullets from 200 rounds and reloading them with SRM or BR rifle primers and new powder.

Am I missing anything?


As in more than one lodged in the barrel?????

[Zombie Steve]

Guessing the squib locked up the cylinder...

[SA Friday]

Those are easily bumped out with a squib rod. The forcing cone is nice and smooth and bigger than the bore.

I'm just hoping there isn't more than one in the barrel.

[J]

Wholly carp! After your response I just re-read that. Everything is in plural. Unless he has a hard time using plural/singular in the english language, he is mighty lucky to have two hands to type that with and a gun to drop off at the 'smith to pull the "bullets".

Watch yourselves people. It only takes a minute of carelessness to have a permanent problem.

[Marine24]

Yes, God was smiling at us this day and proves He loves even stupid people. My guess is there are three bullets in the barrel with the third jamming the cylinder. We were all lucky that day that all three rounds were squib loads. The shooter was visibly shaken when I explained to him what typically happens when you have a bullet stuck in the barrel and fire a subsequent round.

SA: It is a light load. 255gr Keith SWC over 26 grains of H110 is over the max for the 45 Colt but well under the starting load for the 454 Casull with that bullet weight. It is a comfortable target load (provided it goes boom). I picked up the recipe from the owner at Doubletap Ammo.

I'll pull the bullets and work up some batches using magnum small pistol or BR primers.

[Zombie Steve]

One other thing - H110 / 296 just doesn't like reduced charges. It's been referred to as the "dragster" powder... throttle is open or closed, nothing in between. Most data has a start charge 1 grain under max. Even though you lose 50-100fps off the top end, 2400 is a much more flexible powder.

Food for thought.

[Hoser]

I use nothing but small rifle magnum primers in my 454.

[Marine24]

Thanks. I'll give it a look, if the magnum small rifle primers don't work.

Hoser: I believe that is contributor to the problem I had. Going with the CCI 450 or similar make sense as I use those primers in my .223 loads.