Dale53
posted this
08 April 2018
Frank Siefer (a former Lee Distributor) and I designed this bullet (Lee C430-310-RF). Frank was planning a bear hunting trip to Alaska and wanted a BEAR bullet. I carefully worked up loads and settled on 21.5 grs. of H110/296. I limited my use in my 8 3/8" Model 29 as the significantly heavier recoil has proven to be hard on the 29's. However, my Ruger Red Hawk became the vehicle of choice for these bullets.
Lee's policy, at the time, was to require an individual (or distributor in our case) to order twenty molds and they would absorb tooling costs to a new design. I happened to be at Frank's office when Lee called after receiving a rough drawing of our design. They stated "this just doesn't look like a proper bullet" and wanted to change it. Frank looked at me and I said NO! Lee proceeded and shortly the molds arrived. Naturally, Frank and I each took one and started to work with this new design. We discovered that we were getting the best groups at 100 yards we had ever seen with a revolver (scoped and off a bench). Frank shortly sold all of the molds, ordered another bunch and we were off to the races. The bullet design became so popular that Lee added it to their catalog. Later, the added the design to .45 Caliber.
As a possible matter of interest, I happened to take the first head of big game taken with the new bullet, shortly after the shooting tests. I shot a very nice ten point white tail deer here in my county. Shortly after, Frank went to Alaska, got his bear, but, as circumstances happened, he took it with a rifle.
I can recommend the bullet for rifle's although I have no personal experience with it in a rifle. However, using the load suitable for a revolver should do just fine in the rifle IF the rifle allows loading the bullet "long" using the crimp groove closest to the base of the bullet. I have NO data for loading it short. You are on your own in that situation.
Keep safe folks...
Dale53