Since we're currently discussing the shortages of certain brass and powders for particular applications, may I offer some chip shots here?
Though I no longer have or use the typical fast magnums, such as the various 300s and 7mms, I've dumped a lot of the powders that may have been suitable, except one - that being RL-22. It proved itself in most of them as No.1, including the 340, 300s and 7 magnums, as well as one 270 Win (the only one I ever owned). I still have about 75% left in a 1-lb container, and will keep it just because. Last year (spring of 2020) I tried it in my .458 WIN Ruger No.1. For three shots, 75 grains behind the 465gr semi-hardcast, ignited by WLRM primers in Hornady cases, at 3.308" COL gave these instrumental results: 1570, 1541 and 1571. It was not tested for accuracy, but the velocity results were very close to what I hoped for. It merits another try, I think.
I.m trying to find a load that gives acceptable accuracy from that bullet in the Ruger with it.s .459" barrel. That bullet shot MOA from two .45-70s, and I flattened a bear with one of them. From the CZ550, I got a load that was acceptable at around 2100 fps. But being a relatively "hard" cast bullet it will not obturate enough like a softer cast bullet, so accuracy is a challenge. They're very good bullets, and I have about 200 of 'em -so want to put some to good use if possible. Another planned try is in using RL-17. That will slow them more than RL-15 (which gave over 2000 fps but v. poor accuracy) 75 grains of RL-15 and 75 grains of RL-22 and, finally 75 grains of RL-17. There is approximately a 400 fps drop from RL-15 to the same amount of RL-22. I'm thinking that RL-17 will about split the difference at somewhere between 1700 - 1800 fps. That would be an excellent load for a 465gr semi-hard cast. It has a calculated BC of .318 to .338, the front (nose) 1/3 is a bore rider, and a 1/4" flat tip. It was devastation on that bear at about 70 yards facing me. And, I've reason to believe that it never expanded at an impact velocity of just over 1700 fps. The bullet made exit below the sternum after initial contact somewhere below the neck. It took out the heart, that was not recognised as a heart, flooding the chest with blood. The exit was about caliber in size. The bear was a 6-footer from nose to tail. I was in a tree stand so the angle of the shot was somewhat downward, and the bear was in tall grass that hadn't been cut yet, so all I could see was head and part of the neck above the grass. I aimed for where I thought the heart would be.
I know that relatively low pressure will not help the cause, but I'm hopeful that low velocity might improve accuracy... we'll see.
