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January 4, 2007, 11:42 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: December 6, 2005
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reduced rifle loads and jacketed bullets
Hey all. Been gone a while and now I am back. I have been hard at work teaching a fellow co worker how to reload and gulp,, cast his own. I was showing him the lyman cast boolit hand book with all it's spiffy loads with blue dot etc.. and he asked a question that I don't have an answer for. Can those reduced loads with red/blue dot etc.. be used with jacketed bullets safely or is it totaly a bad idea all together? Primary calibers of intrest are .223 and .308. Please educate me!!
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January 4, 2007, 01:17 PM | #2 |
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When I made up 30-06 gallery loads for the first time, I was told to steer clear of pistol powders. I don't know if this helps, but I found IMR4227 (20.0 grns.) to be excellent as an accurate reduced load w/ a 150 grn. jacketed bullet.
Grouped about 1- 1 1/2 inches at 100yds.
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January 4, 2007, 01:37 PM | #3 |
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I tried some reduced 223 loads for my AR15. If I remember correctly, it was 9.0gr Unique under a 55gr PSP at about 2200fps. It was accurate (1" @ 50yds, open sights), but would not cycle the action. I may have to try that load again since I now have a bolt action 223. As far as I know, the only safety concern is loading too light and sticking a bullet in the barrel. It's common to load both 223 and 308 light (sub-sonic) for use with suppressors.
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January 4, 2007, 03:57 PM | #4 |
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The only other concern I heard was the brass not expanding enough in the chamber and gases coming back at you. Can anyone speak to this? That is the only reason I have not tinkered with it yet.
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January 4, 2007, 07:18 PM | #5 |
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There is some talk about detonation loads using small charges of fast burning powders.
But then there is the very dangrous potential of double charging the cartridge. This happens way to often. One of the oldtimmers at our club used(past tence) pistol powders for cost savings, He blew up an '03-A3. I got to the range just after he was taken to the ER (to remove the steel from his eye/face) i pulled 2 loads and scaled them and, he had double charged a whole row in the loading block. Some reloaders that use fast powders seat the bullet imediatly after charging. Time, the rule is, If it can happen..............With time it will........ Gbro |
January 4, 2007, 07:28 PM | #6 |
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Location: Minnesota
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When reducing loads, for reduced recoil the bullet may need to be evaluated if the load is to be used for hunting.
For example a 180 grain grand slam is designed for a high power cartridge. if you reduce the load you maybe should look at a bullet designed for say a 30-30win as the bullet needs to exspand to do what it was designed to do. My $.021/2 Gbro |
January 4, 2007, 10:15 PM | #7 |
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This is a good read for people interested in trying out subsonic loads.
http://members.shaw.ca/cronhelm/DevelopSubsonic.htm Subsonic loads requre flash hole modification and magnum primers, also a powder that is "fluffy" for large volume cases. The hew IMR Trailboss has been used alot for subsonic rifle loads, as well as the dot powders. |
January 5, 2007, 10:15 AM | #8 |
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Join Date: October 1, 1999
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Trail Boss is wonderful for cast bullet loads in many rifle cartridges. IMR has some data
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January 6, 2007, 04:38 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: January 6, 2007
Location: W. Canada
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I've been loading reduced loads for a few years now. The calibres I load reduced for are the .233Rem and 22-250. After some reading and such, I decided on Blue Dot and it works well for me.
[B]USE THIS INFORMATION AT YOUR OWN RISK[B] I normally start at 40% of the normal load I use for the calibre and particular bullet. Then work both down and up from there.
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January 7, 2007, 12:15 AM | #10 |
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quickshot,
Yes, jacketed or cast lead, it doesn't matter. The lead bullets may be about 100 fps faster, that's the only difference. -- John D. |
January 7, 2007, 09:38 AM | #11 |
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Location: San Antonio
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I've used 12-13 grains of Unique, 150gr FMJBT, in 7.5 Swiss (roughly same as the 308 Win). Got 1" 6-shot groups at 50 yards with a 4X weaver scope. Recoil like a .22lr.
I've gone as low as 8 grains and 115 grain lead bullets in 303 Brit with decent results. |
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