The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Super light loads for Revolver and Rifle.

stinkeypete · April 3, 2023, 03:08 PM

I believe the "light load unicorn kabooms" were very light loads of very slow powders that were not held to the primer. Fast or heavy powder, despite considerable effort...

no one has ever been able to reproduce the effect in a ballistics laboratory.

People manage destruction very often firing bullets with a too-slow bullet obstruction or triple or quadruple charging very fast powders which leave enough space for even more gross overfilling than that!

I like 11 grains of Unique with a 180 grain cast bullet in 30-06. It has three advantages- it's accurate, fun to shoot, and the same amount of Unique as my .44 Magnum load so it often doesn't require anything being changed on my powder measure. Oh, I reckon it would thump a coyote pretty good, which was another thought for it. I have not chronographed it, it's well under max load.. I reckon it's about 1300 fps. Maybe someone has a ballistics calculator and can tell me.

I've tried it with whisps of poly pillow fluff filler (just hardly any, enough to hold the powder) and without. I could not tell the difference, even shooting barrel to the floor before raising the gun to shoot. (powder all at the front of the shell)

Others mileage may vary.

Oh, I got this load from Phil Sharpe, complete guide to handloading, 3rd edition 1953.
I bet the 1939 version has it, too.

April 3, 2023, 03:08 PM	#6
stinkeypete Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2010 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 1,293	I believe the "light load unicorn kabooms" were very light loads of very slow powders that were not held to the primer. Fast or heavy powder, despite considerable effort... no one has ever been able to reproduce the effect in a ballistics laboratory. People manage destruction very often firing bullets with a too-slow bullet obstruction or triple or quadruple charging very fast powders which leave enough space for even more gross overfilling than that! I like 11 grains of Unique with a 180 grain cast bullet in 30-06. It has three advantages- it's accurate, fun to shoot, and the same amount of Unique as my .44 Magnum load so it often doesn't require anything being changed on my powder measure. Oh, I reckon it would thump a coyote pretty good, which was another thought for it. I have not chronographed it, it's well under max load.. I reckon it's about 1300 fps. Maybe someone has a ballistics calculator and can tell me. I've tried it with whisps of poly pillow fluff filler (just hardly any, enough to hold the powder) and without. I could not tell the difference, even shooting barrel to the floor before raising the gun to shoot. (powder all at the front of the shell) Others mileage may vary. Oh, I got this load from Phil Sharpe, complete guide to handloading, 3rd edition 1953. I bet the 1939 version has it, too. __________________ My book "The Pheasant Hunter's Action Adventure Cookbook" is now on Amazon. Tall tales, hunting tips, butchering from bird to the freezer, and recipes. Last edited by stinkeypete; April 3, 2023 at 03:15 PM.