.500 bpe

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Licensed to kill

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Peace Country Alberta
I just picked up a little .500 BPE. It came with dies and a box of loaded ammo but the load is with smokeless (45gr accurate 5744) - Dacron filler and a woodleigh .510 - 450gr bullet. I prefer to run black powder and a cast bullet. Anyone have some advice on a suitable bullet mould??. Thinking of sticking with the 400-450 gr range. Gun. came with a bunch of 545gr can bullets but I don't think I need/want that big. Suggestions?.
 
IIRC, the BPE was built and regulated around a 340gr bullet.
do you have a mould for a 340gr?
I think I have a LEE 340gr but would have to look around

ETA: I should have asked, it is a single or double?
 
nanuk said:
IIRC, the BPE was built and regulated around a 340gr bullet.
do you have a mould for a 340gr?
I think I have a LEE 340gr but would have to look around

ETA: I should have asked, it is a single or double?
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300 to 340 Gr from what I can gather. I DID buy a 325gr bullet mould for paper patched bullets to try. Still waiting for the bullet sizer to come (.500) before I can start test loads
 
Check the water table on your rifle it should have the charge and bullet weight on it that it was regulated for.

I would also slug your bores to get proper diameter for them.
 
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Thanks. Already checked the water table and nothing there. Under the butt [late is another common place for the loading info but it has been restocked. I di already slug the barrels and they are both exactly .500 land to land, .512 (IIRC) groove to groove. I appreciate the input. Cheers.
 
Hmm I’d try 340gr bullets or something close around 1900fps. Regulation should be left barrel left of the point of aim and right barrel right of the point of aim at a given distance.
 
Agreed. Initially my plan was to go with black powder since I have >50 pounds of it and rather like shooting it (in muzzleloaders). However, through my investigation into loading for this, there seems to be a consensus that IMR 4198 is a more forgiving choice so I bought some and some foam backing rod for filler and am going to go with that. I also checked the twist (but don't recall what it was) and also came to the conclusion that something in the 340GR range would be a good bullet choice. From what I have been able to gather, 300-340gr bullets were the torn for these rifles. I found, and purchased a 335 grain FP mold from NOE, smooth sided for paper patch in .502 but am still waiting on a .500 bullet sizer die so I can swage the .502 bullet to bore diameter, then paper patch back to groove diameter. I wanted to have this thing dialed in for hunting this fall but that is not going to happen now as the bullet sizing die is still on back order. I have a half stock percussion rifle in .45cal Whitworth bore that I inherited from my Dad, along with a bunch of 510 grain whitworth bullets that he used as "moose medicine" with 90 grains of FFF that I will use this fall. Was planning on making that my "go to" hunting stick anyways until this .500 SXS fell in my lap. Where I bought the rifle, it came with a box of loaded ammo, listed as "45gr accurate 5744, Dacron filler, Woodleigh .510-450 grain jacketed bullet". I'm not about to shoot an "unknown" handload so I pulled the bullets and dumped the powder so I do have a box of primed cases. About half are new and the other half show at least once fired. BTW, there was NO filler in any of them.
 
Licensed to kill said:
Agreed. Initially my plan was to go with black powder since I have >50 pounds of it and rather like shooting it (in muzzleloaders). However, through my investigation into loading for this, there seems to be a consensus that IMR 4198 is a more forgiving choice so I bought some and some foam backing rod for filler and am going to go with that. I also checked the twist (but don't recall what it was) and also came to the conclusion that something in the 340GR range would be a good bullet choice. From what I have been able to gather, 300-340gr bullets were the torn for these rifles. I found, and purchased a 335 grain FP mold from NOE, smooth sided for paper patch in .502 but am still waiting on a .500 bullet sizer die so I can swage the .502 bullet to bore diameter, then paper patch back to groove diameter. I wanted to have this thing dialed in for hunting this fall but that is not going to happen now as the bullet sizing die is still on back order. I have a half stock percussion rifle in .45cal Whitworth bore that I inherited from my Dad, along with a bunch of 510 grain whitworth bullets that he used as "moose medicine" with 90 grains of FFF that I will use this fall. Was planning on making that my "go to" hunting stick anyways until this .500 SXS fell in my lap. Where I bought the rifle, it came with a box of loaded ammo, listed as "45gr accurate 5744, Dacron filler, Woodleigh .510-450 grain jacketed bullet". I'm not about to shoot an "unknown" handload so I pulled the bullets and dumped the powder so I do have a box of primed cases. About half are new and the other half show at least once fired. BTW, there was NO filler in any of them.
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I think the original powder charge would have been somewhere around 136gr of BP as for granulation I couldn’t tell you. .500 BPE would be a great brush gun especially in areas where things god bigger teeth. It’s not an elephant rifle but will handle thinner skinned game and I have always wanted one. I was hoping to have my .458 going by now but primers we’re few and far between.
 
Yes, 136gr of black seems to be the standard but the powder then is not the same as what we have today from what I understand. Not just the granulation but the overall quality. Still going to use black in my 45-90 Sharps though.
 
I've got a 50-140 which is nearly an identical cartridge I believe, but mine is a Ruger No. 1 and I load it with a fair amount of smokeless powder.

I bought some powder coated cast bullets from Kurt at Prairie Projectiles, he offers 450gr and 515gr .512" bullets, you could try contacting him and ask what molds he uses if you are wanting to cast your own, that 450gr might fit your needs.
 
Iron Sighted said:
I've got a 50-140 which is nearly an identical cartridge I believe, but mine is a Ruger No. 1 and I load it with a fair amount of smokeless powder.

I bought some powder coated cast bullets from Kurt at Prairie Projectiles, he offers 450gr and 515gr .512" bullets, you could try contacting him and ask what molds he uses if you are wanting to cast your own, that 450gr might fit your needs.
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Thanks for the re[ply. 450 is too heavy (long) for this rifle as it has a 1-38 twist intended for 300-340 gr bullets. It won't stabilize a 450. I had a mould that throws 326gr @ 20-1 lead tin that is showing some real promise but I have to make a new front sight so I can get it 0n paper @ 100 yards to get a real test. I appreciate the response. Thanks.
 
Licensed to kill said:
Thanks for the re[ply. 450 is too heavy (long) for this rifle as it has a 1-38 twist intended for 300-340 gr bullets. It won't stabilize a 450. I had a mould that throws 326gr @ 20-1 lead tin that is showing some real promise but I have to make a new front sight so I can get it 0n paper @ 100 yards to get a real test. I appreciate the response. Thanks.
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You're welcome, good luck getting your load sorted out for that rifle.
 
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