Phill,
No, I have not tried AA2230, I will do that the next chance I get or when a .458 darkens my doorway in a trade.:) I will bow down before you if it works and beg your forgiveness over our 5 year enjoyable fued over the caliber and a certain bullet! then I will punch it out 30 thousands and make it a Lott.:) I would like to try some loads that I got out of Sweeden also, but do not have a .458 presently.
To others:
What I have found is that many of the quoted loads don't add up and I have tried them, such as: 24" barrel, Fed 215, WW
74.5 grs. of H335 chrono: at 2100 FPS 110% density
72.o grs. of IMR4895 chrono at 2120 106% density
73.0 grs. of RL-15 chrono at 2099 107% density
69.0 grs. of IMR3031 chrno at 2088 101% density
Is the above the "baloony" being referred to? It spells compaction IMO. I tried just about every load in the Swift manual, and some others in different manuals. I did not get the claimed velocitys either.
I will concede that a 450 gr. Monolithic may be the answer as one can get 2200 FPS with 66 grs of RL-7 loads that showed a density in the 90% catagory. The 450 Monolithic is probably on parr as stated with a std. 500 gr. conventional bullet, although some will argue this point, but I accept it as valid.
That concession given, I still feel the cartridge was poorly designed from the get go, as it should have been on a 3" case and none of these discussion would have ever come about..and it is a discussion that has lingered for years, not just old news, it keeps rearing its ugly head every year, where their is that much smoke, there is some degree of fire.
Note however that I have NEVER said the .458 was not a killing caliber, it is, even at 1800-1900 FPS a 500 gr. bullet is deadly. My only contention, which has been taken out of context by some overly emotional villians who don't want to feel duked over their purchase, and insist that I am whipping their baby. What I have said and do believe is the round isn't what it should have been, as Winchester was on a short magnum kick, and it worked with the .338, but fell short with the .458 IMO...
Furthermore I am open to suggestions that will change my mind, but not to blathering and insulting suggestions, only to suggested loads that clean my chronograph and have a reasonable load density, and that applies to any caliber, not just the .458.
