Reeder Custom Guns - I was going to load up some pretty warm .450 GNR

I've not shot it as of yet. However I do have a .416, .440, and .476 GNR barrel kit. The .416 I have shot a bit and the .440 GNR Magnum I have extensive data. All things considered I feel I can use the .440 and compare, the .416 also, to some loads worth considering.

The .416 is primarily a big game outfit with mostly jacketed bullets available in 350-400 gr. Around 2000 fps I have to bow out. Really a bigger and mostly uncharted area loading for it was "cast" bullets. I have scrounged a mould using 325 and 375 gr. gas checked bullets. Other than Trail Boss I have only toyed with some 2400 powder.

The .440 GNR Magnum was the opposite. Cast bullets galore and some wild loads exceeding the .444 Marlin using the heaviest .44 Magnum revolver slugs. True big game bullets in this number take a little imagination. I even resorted to "paper patching" jacketed .416 400 gr. bullets to wonderful, if not laborious, effect.

The .476 GNR is a beast to be tamed. I do have some "Elefunt" 500 gr. projectiles but have mostly shied away from them. I know what they can do. Rather I have focused on "fun" and useful loads using .475 Linebagh pistol projectiles and Trail Boss. I can easily mimic the hot rod revolver ballistics or that of a .480 Ruger and have no real consideration as to recoil in the Encore Custom handgun.

With all that you may wonder why a .450 GNR? Well it rolls all the others into one. Great cast and jacketed bullet options. The .45-70 projectiles begin at 300 gr. and run up to the .458 range to 500 gr. The real heavies I find abusive with heavy recoil and looping trajectories. In all these biggies I seem to gravitate to 300-400 gr. bullets. I have some 405 JSP on hand for the .450 GNR I plan on working with. I figure the .416/400 gr. JSP loads will be something worth looking at since the pressures should be less in the larger diameter .458. I remember seeing a Misfit bust up a BIG Buffalo at HHC with a .450 GNR he borrowed.

So far I've had a ball and not even fired it! But that's part of it all.

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Sounds like a great reloading exploring trip to me. Can't wait to see what you come up with. Enjoying the Marlin 1984c a bunch. Shooting mostly jacked bullets from 140 to 180 grains and a lot of 165 gascheck cast SWC. Seems to feed and shoot all of them well. May have to go to different sights as buckhorn not great and still shooting about two inches low at 50 yards with back sight all the way up.

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They are priced very reasonable and I like the looks of them. You might give them a peek. The little .357 levergun can be easily overlooked. It's not a cannon but is surprisingly powerful. Pretty close to the old .351 WSL that was so popular p to 1957. There was an earlier 1905 Winchester in a .35 WSL but it was sort of a heavy bulleted .38 Special semi-auto, gave almost .357 revolver performance in a hefty but short carbine. Finding them with a forend that is not all split up is a challenge itself.

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really knarly testing of the 450 GNR. On my Cape Buffalo hunt last year I got the great Hornady 500 grain DGS and DGX bullets up to 2000 fps. I have a special hunt tentatively set for next May where I will need to get that 500 grain solid up to hopefully 2200 fps. I know the gun will handle it if I can. Gonna be fun trying. Of all my big calibers in the Encore the 450 GNR is the one I favor. The others are good in their special ways but just as you said the 450 GNR is good in all those ways. I guess we shall see.

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Looking forward to seeing what you and Gary come up with!
Toying with 250gr Barnes and Hornady lead free and Hornady 300gr jsp.
Going to the tame route first. 416 is also on the menu and am really looking forward to getting a 440 barrel in the near future. Maybe on will spring up on the Saturday sale!!

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I mimic'd my 400 gr. paper patch bullet loading for the .440 GNR which were very manageable. I actually went up a couple more hundred fps for my emergency loads. But these were well documented and I wanted to compare these 405 gr. JSP to those Paper Patch 400's. It seemed interesting how different the same load might be. As is, they should easily shoot through a Moose!

I found I did not have any .450 GNR reloading dies. In a box of HHC freebie door prizes I did find a jewel, a .450 GNR seat die! That made me half-way there! An easy trick.

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I was going to load up some pretty warm .450 GNR

.450 GNR

I have some XC Ghost rings but wanted to try Skinner Sights

over this next several months I plan to do some

I’m just now getting some 450 loaded up.

These are my test loads... using 4895 and Mag. rifle caps