45 Ammo? Lessons learned from 2014

I spent a shooting career in a previous life as a fully supported military shooter.  As such I was a reloader but didn't shoot matches with reloads.  After an 18 year break I started back shooting in May of 2014 as a pure civilian shooting out of my pocket.   I spent the year loading various jacketed bullets that I'd acquired through the years.  When the jacketed bullets were gone I loaded Terry Labbe's MAGNUS bullets exclusively and shot my last match of the year with them.  Ran the entire year with the same gun, primer, powder and charge, and brass.  The only difference for the last match was the MAGNUS 185 SWCs.  During that match I shot my single best slow fire target for the year.  It was a 94-6x with a called 7 with the 45.  The aggregate score for that match was my best for the year too.  While the score was only 7 points better than the previous best the X count was literally 33% higher.   Now I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I think there is a lesson learned here!   Bring on 2015!

Axehandle wrote:I spent a shooting career in a previous life as a fully supported military shooter.  As such I was a reloader but didn't shoot matches with reloads.  After an 18 year break I started back shooting in May of 2014 as a pure civilian shooting out of my pocket.   I spent the year loading various jacketed bullets that I'd acquired through the years.  When the jacketed bullets were gone I loaded Terry Labbe's MAGNUS bullets exclusively and shot my last match of the year with them.  Ran the entire year with the same gun, primer, powder and charge, and brass.  The only difference for the last match was the MAGNUS 185 SWCs.  During that match I shot my single best slow fire target for the year.  It was a 94-6x with a called 7 with the 45.  The aggregate score for that match was my best for the year too.  While the score was only 7 points better than the previous best the X count was literally 33% higher.   Now I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I think there is a lesson learned here!   Bring on 2015!

  When I started into  BE in the mid 1960s, a jacketed bullet on the line was a rare thing in deed.. Nearly every one shot cast lead. Richard Hertzog of Monroeville, Pa. was the main source in that area,  back then, and made a great bullet. I must admit that I too, fell for the jacketed  Nosler craze when it hit the scene..Bullseye shooters are hard to convert and resist change.. Roll triggers, Noslers.. slide mounts... It took a shooter's injury for me to return to common sense, cast lead, frame mounted optics, and I never did buy into the roll trigger hype. 2600 became much easier after that..
The first frame mount was a monstrosity, with a white dot Oxford. But that man shot some awesome scores..

Switching bullets can be an awe-inspiring or extremely humbling. Magnus makes great stuff.

Yes, Terry makes great stuff!  
He is also a great ambassador for the sport.  
If you know him at all, you are like family!
Proud to do business with him!

FMJ's will rarely help your scores unless your a 2650 +shooter then if loaded correctly they can add some points just because they are more consistent that lead . In my experience I shoot as well and usually better with lead.

Axehandle wrote: The only difference for the last match was the MAGNUS 185 SWCs. 

Cast or swaged?
Anyway, I'm glad to see Magnus selling to the public again....just wish he made a flat base 45 SWC.

Carbide wrote:

Axehandle wrote: The only difference for the last match was the MAGNUS 185 SWCs. 

Cast or swaged?
Anyway, I'm glad to see Magnus selling to the public again....just wish he made a flat base 45 SWC.

I believe the swaged are all flat base and I know for a fact the 185 grain button nose is a flat base. Great bullets !!!


Virgil

I think he sells both cast and swaged 185gr I am not sure though I ordered what I thought was swaged and got cast they seam to work ok but I was wanting to try swaged so if you order on line you might want to make sure I problem clicked wrong button!
just a heads up!

magnus sells these in 185.
#801-flat base-cast-185-button nose
#808-bevel base-cast-hg68 style
#811-swaged-flat base- hg68 style
#814-swaged-flat base-hollow point