505 Gibbs — Favorite Powders & Presses

[Wildwillalaska]

Gents that roll your own 505’s, which I believe is likely significant majority of the 505 owners who have had them very long or use them often given the price and scarcity of factory ammo…what powders do you favor in your rifle?

Please feel free to also share what bullets are your pet favs as well. Know there are those who like the 525’s, the 570’s A-Frames, and of course the 600’s. Being brand new to the cartridge and awaiting a couple small items keeping me from load work I had to at least ask…the last thread I found on this topic seemed several years old.

Also, for those that load a lot for thing like the 505 Gibbs, what press do you favor? I’ve favored my Forester Co-ax for so long for most hunting and long range target/comp loading, stepping back to the ol’ rock chucker had my mind wondering what folks favored most.

Cheers and thanks in advance for any shares, input, participation in the discussion.

Will

 

[AZDAVE]

Severals years back I had a 505, don't remember the powder used for the 570 and 600 gr but can check my load book. I use a LEE 50 BMG press. It isn't a high volume press but built like a tank and 505 is easy to load in it.

 

[358 Norma]

When loading for my 470 Nitro I use a RCBS 50 BMG press, I'm sure it would work great for the 505 Gibbs.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

@matt85 Care to help out here?

 

[Riflecrank]

I got one of the first batch of CZ 550 Magnums made just to play with.
That first batch of CZ-made ammo would not even chamber, loaded by A-Square, they had a brass case dimensional problem.
I mailed some of my unchamberable cases to the owner of A-Square (after Art Alphin sold), and never heard anything back from them.
So I bought 200 pieces of Jamison brass, flawless stuff, and I doubt I will ever need anymore,
since Jamison became Captech International which became a closed shop, sadly.

I also got a custom bullet made by S&H (wonderful quality boutique bullets also gone now).
558-gr/.505 brass FN with nifty drive bands.

140-grains of H4831 (it was long-cut) gave 2307 fps at 5-yard chrono, zeroed at 50 yards for about 1-MOA 3-shot. If using the H4831 SC, just use a little more foam wad filler.
You can do the same MV with less recoil by using about 118 grains of Varget or RL-15
and a foam wad filler, if using 570-grainers, or 600-grainers.

I suspect that with the lighter 525-grainers, Varget and filler would be the best way to go.
I have not tried that yet in the .505 Gibbs.
My accuracy load for the 500 Jeffery is with the 535-gr Woodleigh and 105-grains of Varget and no filler for 2312 fps.

I use the RCBS Ammo Master press for everything, including 50 BMG and the greatest cartridge of all time, the .458 WIN MAG.

 

[Jefferry404]

N165. Good load density.
H4831sc around 90%-93% load density.

 

[festuscat]

RL 22 130gn - Barnes 525gn TSX 2160 fps
RL 22 132 gn -Barnes 525gn Banded Solid
H4831 132gn - Woodleigh 525gn 2300 fps
H4831 128gn - " " 2150 fps
H4831 131gn- Woodleigh 600gn 2155 fps
5744 62.5 gn Mt Baldy lead GS 600gn 1740 ( reduced load) no filler)
PM me if needed & good luck

 

[matt85]

@matt85 Care to help out here?

I used a Lee cast 50bmg press and it was perfect for the task.

I will try to remember to come back later tonight to post my load data.

 

[matt85]

Here is the data I have (use at your own risk):

505 Gibbs
-570gr Swift A-frame over 134gr of RL-26
-525gr Barnes TSX over 145gr RL-25 (147gr for solids)
-600gr Peregrine VRG2 over 121gr IMR 4350
-600gr Peregrine VRG2 over 113gr IMR 4350

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Gents, to each of you, thank you.

I like the idea of avoiding a filler if possible, but it’s simply a learning curve thing. Idea of using backing rod is simple enough and sounds like I’ll have to sort it anyway for a couple Heym doubles I’m going to play with this winter and decide which one, both, neither I may keep. The filler backing rod needs to be open cell as I’ve read but most of what I find are closed cell. Seems easier to fill the case with a bulkier powder…but if RL powder or varget gets it where I’d like velocity wise and accuracy, with less recoil than a slower powder, I’d foolish to avoid a good thing simply because of using a filler.

I’ve not ever used any of the Vit powders and should and couple local shops have had more in stock as of late. Love the idea of Varget working as I likely have around 40lbs of the stuff. Used it and H4350 for match loadings and when a local shop closed quite some time ago, I bought up all their 8lb jugs of both and federal match primers. So always happy to put it to use.

Think I’m going to give the old RCBS Big Max a crack at sizing the 505. I do want to pick up a Lee collet crimp die and maybe a trim die.

 

[Jefferry404]

Used n165 in my 416 Rigby and after measured velocity, using that info as starting point for my 505 Gibbs load , 25" barrel.
target: 525gn WDLsn, velocity -2301 fps, load density - 97.2%
I use a RCBS Rock Chucker.

this is 110gn of Varget with the Woodleigh with cartridge horizontal in the rifle, about 78%. I think is to fast for this size cartridge.

and the 138.7gn of n165

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Used n165 in my 416 Rigby and after measured velocity, using that info as starting point for my 505 Gibbs load , 25" barrel.
target: 525gn WDLsn, velocity -2301 fps, load density - 97.2%
I use a RCBS Rock Chucker.

this is 110gn of Varget with the Woodleigh with cartridge horizontal in the rifle, about 78%. I think is to fast for this size cartridge.

View attachment 709654

and the 138.7gn of n165

View attachment 709658

Ok…now I have to ask where’s you get the handy-dandy load density illustrations? Is this a quick load thing or???

I’ve never messed with quick load, but consider it more and more. I’m in aged brain overload with the doubles and 505 simultaneously, which had me thinking about it, but honestly don’t load anywhere near as much as I used to since I don’t shoot rifle and handgun comps anymore, nor loading different Linebaugh and maximums…so once I get load and projectile that works, I record everything, load a bunch if able and rock on.

Then I get into the current situation with more questions then answers and think QL would prove invaluable.

 

[Jefferry404]

It must be my 71, aged, retired, engineer’s brain that makes me do these things
We have a 3D printer program I wrote to make snap caps and I stress out over load density in large cases, so I added a powder feature to the program this morning and showed the result here.
I am a big fan of Quickload but I fit each powder to published load data, usually Hodgdon or Asquare.
The N165 was fit to Vih. Data for the 416 Rigby.
Steve

 

[Riflecrank]

Well, I'm only 70 y.o., a retired M.D. who was a closet pre-med in chemical engineering as an undergrad,
and also have a BS in accounting, done just for fun when I was feeling burnt out on medicine, then had to go back to medicine after that "business" degree.

110 grains of either Varget (better) or RL-15 (too variable lot-to-lot and temperature sensitive)
is just a couple of grains shy of a top load,
keeping with CIP maximum of 39,160 psi.
I think staying under 40,000 psi is fine.
Unleash the beast.

QuickLOAD is good for simulations of the .505 Gibbs of proper CIP chambering, i.e., no throat.
QuickLOAD makes no allowance for throat, long throats confuse it.
I was using it before it lied to me about the .458 WIN MAG,
back when I was fooling around with bigger bores.

QuickLOAD:
With the 525-gr Woodleigh RNSN, and COL of 3.850" in the .505 Gibbs with case capacity of 179.8 grains water:
24" barrel
110.7 grains VARGET >>> 2256 fps <<< 37,805 psi >>> 97.5 % burn <<< 80 % LR/Net Fill
113.0 grains VARGET >>> 2296 fps <<< 39,745 psi >>> 98.0 % burn <<< 82 % LR/Net Fill

The Woodleigh manual notes that one should use either 6 to 7 grains of Dacron or
2.5 grains of foam wad filler when using either RL-15 or N160 or H4350.
2.5 grains of my 5/8"-diameter caulk-backer foam rod is about 2" long,
bought it at Menard's as "Frost King Poly Foam Caulk Saver 5/8 in Diameter x 20 ft Long."
It packs the powder tight, poke it in with a wooden dowel,
use same charges of VARGET as for RL-15.
It is a closed-cell type foam, polyurethane, IIRC.

That foam wad vanishes on firing.
No snow storm like with Dacron fiber wadding.
Research at MIB by our own Michael458 and Sam (Batman and Robin) has shown the Dacron to be a bad choice due to unpredictable pressure spikes observed with it.
No such problems observed with the foam wad.
Use the foam wad. I have used the hardware store stuff extensively. It works just fine.

Now for the harder kicking alternative, QuickLOADED:

With the 525-gr Woodleigh RNSN, and COL of 3.850" in the .505 Gibbs with case capacity of 179.8 grains water:
24" barrel
134.3 grains H4831 SC >>> 2261 fps <<< 36,370 psi >>> 87.1 % burn <<< 93 % LR/Net Fill
137.0 grains H4831 SC >>> 2311 fps <<< 38,636 psi >>> 88.3 % burn <<< 95 % LR/Net Fill
139.7 grains H4831 SC >>> 2361 fps <<< 41,058 psi >>> 89.4 % burn <<< 97 % LR/Net Fill EXCESSIVE PRESSURE

With H4831 Long Cut I would not be temped to use a filler, as I still would be with H4831 SC.

So I can get a 98 % burn with VARGET but only an 88 % burn with H4831 of either cut.

I think I would get better results with VARGET and filler, for uniformity/consistency, lower ES of MV, and better accuracy.
Also it kicks less so if I am human, less susceptible to flinching in a pinch.

Classic .505 Gibbs load with Cordite was a 525-grainer at 2300 fps from a 28" barrel.
That would be closer to barely more than 2200 fps MV from a 24" barrel.
You will do very close to 2300 fps in a 24" barrel with VARGET.