Red Dot

CapeFear · April 28, 1999, 09:19 AM

CapeFear(its where I live)
I live on a family farm that was once surrounded by other family farms. As the other farms have sold out to developers it has gone from two neighbors within a mile to over thirty. Now to the question. I still like to practice a couple times a month with a Remington 700 in 30-06 but the full power loads are not the best answer anymore. Out of the RCBS and Lyman manuals I found and tried a mild load of 13.5 grains of Red Dot with my 165 grain bullets. Its accurate and quiet even if its got a rainbow trajectory. Do any of you have any similar loads to recommend? By the way a month or two before deer season I do go back to practicing with the real stuff. I was FLAMED on another board for daring to use Red Dot in a rifle even if I had two manuals saying it was safe. I have been reloading for about ten years and am aware of the dangers of reduced loads that do not fill enough of the case capacity. Thanks for the tips.

[This message has been edited by CapeFear (edited April 28, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by CapeFear (edited May 04, 1999).]

James K · April 28, 1999, 11:52 AM

One thing I don't like about that kind of reduced load is that it can be double loaded and 27 gr of Red Dot would definitely be trouble. (I think at least some of the reported problems with reduced loads was due to simple double loading, not some esoteric theories.)

Please do be careful and eyeball cases after charging.

Jim

Hemphill · April 28, 1999, 03:54 PM

I have used reduced loads with cast bullets in my 375H&H before with no problem. I used Red Dot and filled the forward portion of the case with some fiber-fill material. The loads worked very well, the only problem was the area looked like a stuffed animal exploded and took a while to clean up.
I didn't start off using the filling, and had erratic results, are you using any type of filling to take up the air-space in the 06 case?

**Mal H** · April 28, 1999, 03:56 PM

CapeFear - You should be ok with that load, IF AND ONLY IF the bullet you are using is lead, you don't say if it is in your post. I think you would be tickling the tail of the tiger if you tried such a fast powder with any jacketed bullet any where near that weight.

As Jim said, you must check each and every load for a single charge. Use a flashlight and look at the level in each case. It's these types of loads that allow for making big KB's. I must question your statement that 13.5 gr. filled 60% of a 30-06 case. I just tried this and was able to get 3 13.5 gr. loads in a 30-06 case and it looked like a normal full load.

I don't think I've ever seen the terms "30-06" and "quiet" in the same paragraph before.

[This message has been edited by Mal H (edited April 28, 1999).]

Art Eatman · April 28, 1999, 10:57 PM

With a 169-gr. lead gascheck bullet, my plinker load in an '06 (or .308, etc.) is 20 grains of 2400; no filler. Reasonably accurate.

Quiet load in an '06? Mal H, try about five grains of most any fast-burner, and a .32 or .33 round lead ball. Great squirrel load!

(And getting off-thread to "quiet", try a long-barrelled bolt-action .22 with CB caps.)

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April 28, 1999, 09:19 AM	#1
CapeFear Member Join Date: April 8, 1999 Posts: 92	CapeFear(its where I live) I live on a family farm that was once surrounded by other family farms. As the other farms have sold out to developers it has gone from two neighbors within a mile to over thirty. Now to the question. I still like to practice a couple times a month with a Remington 700 in 30-06 but the full power loads are not the best answer anymore. Out of the RCBS and Lyman manuals I found and tried a mild load of 13.5 grains of Red Dot with my 165 grain bullets. Its accurate and quiet even if its got a rainbow trajectory. Do any of you have any similar loads to recommend? By the way a month or two before deer season I do go back to practicing with the real stuff. I was FLAMED on another board for daring to use Red Dot in a rifle even if I had two manuals saying it was safe. I have been reloading for about ten years and am aware of the dangers of reduced loads that do not fill enough of the case capacity. Thanks for the tips. [This message has been edited by CapeFear (edited April 28, 1999).] [This message has been edited by CapeFear (edited May 04, 1999).]

April 28, 1999, 11:52 AM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	One thing I don't like about that kind of reduced load is that it can be double loaded and 27 gr of Red Dot would definitely be trouble. (I think at least some of the reported problems with reduced loads was due to simple double loading, not some esoteric theories.) Please do be careful and eyeball cases after charging. Jim

April 28, 1999, 03:54 PM	#3
Hemphill Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 1999 Location: Reno, NV, USA Posts: 116	I have used reduced loads with cast bullets in my 375H&H before with no problem. I used Red Dot and filled the forward portion of the case with some fiber-fill material. The loads worked very well, the only problem was the area looked like a stuffed animal exploded and took a while to clean up. I didn't start off using the filling, and had erratic results, are you using any type of filling to take up the air-space in the 06 case?

April 28, 1999, 03:56 PM	#4
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	CapeFear - You should be ok with that load, IF AND ONLY IF the bullet you are using is lead, you don't say if it is in your post. I think you would be tickling the tail of the tiger if you tried such a fast powder with any jacketed bullet any where near that weight. As Jim said, you must check each and every load for a single charge. Use a flashlight and look at the level in each case. It's these types of loads that allow for making big KB's. I must question your statement that 13.5 gr. filled 60% of a 30-06 case. I just tried this and was able to get 3 13.5 gr. loads in a 30-06 case and it looked like a normal full load. I don't think I've ever seen the terms "30-06" and "quiet" in the same paragraph before. [This message has been edited by Mal H (edited April 28, 1999).]

April 28, 1999, 10:57 PM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	With a 169-gr. lead gascheck bullet, my plinker load in an '06 (or .308, etc.) is 20 grains of 2400; no filler. Reasonably accurate. Quiet load in an '06? Mal H, try about five grains of most any fast-burner, and a .32 or .33 round lead ball. Great squirrel load! (And getting off-thread to "quiet", try a long-barrelled bolt-action .22 with CB caps.)