light .30-06 loads

dwhite · May 21, 2011, 08:47 AM

Went to the range last night with my old hunting rifle. Haven't pulled a trigger on this for almost 30 years.

Wanted to introduce my son to high-power rifle but didn't want to scare him off with the recoil.

Bought some lead bullets from Missouri bullet and loaded them with 12.0 grains of Unique. These were just incredible fun to shoot! Surprisingly accurate too. At 25 yards they'd stay in an inch if I did my part.

My sons been shooting the .22 rimfire and loves it because of the light recoil. The '06 rounds last night certainly recoiled more than the .22 LR but were a true joy to shoot. I only brought 10 rounds to try out. Wished I'd brought more. Will next time.

All the Best,
D. White

PawPaw · May 21, 2011, 10:42 AM

You're right, light loads are fun to use, and can be surprisingly accurate. The best cast-bullet group I've ever seen used the Lyman 311299 and IMR SR4759 powder. The guy was shooting a Remiington Model 700 in .30-06 and wanted to see how much accuracy he could wring out of it. He shot one five shot group that measured slightly under 0.500 at 100 yards. He borrowed my chronograph to see his velocity and the bullet was traveling 1506 fps.

Hodgdon has published reduced loads for Trail Boss powder with rifle applications. You can also use H4895 at the 60% level for reduced loads. Hodgdon used to publish a page on using 4895, but dropped it in favor of Trail Boss powder.

The Lee Modern Reloading, 2nd edition has several complete chapters on using cast bullets in centerfire rifles. It's an almost forgotten art, a subset of the reloading hobby.

Ultravox · May 21, 2011, 05:47 PM

I also have a .30-06. I'm wondering which bullets you were using in yours?

May 21, 2011, 08:47 AM	#1
dwhite Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2007 Location: Wake County, N. Carolina Posts: 379	light .30-06 loads Went to the range last night with my old hunting rifle. Haven't pulled a trigger on this for almost 30 years. Wanted to introduce my son to high-power rifle but didn't want to scare him off with the recoil. Bought some lead bullets from Missouri bullet and loaded them with 12.0 grains of Unique. These were just incredible fun to shoot! Surprisingly accurate too. At 25 yards they'd stay in an inch if I did my part. My sons been shooting the .22 rimfire and loves it because of the light recoil. The '06 rounds last night certainly recoiled more than the .22 LR but were a true joy to shoot. I only brought 10 rounds to try out. Wished I'd brought more. Will next time. All the Best, D. White

May 21, 2011, 10:42 AM	#2
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	You're right, light loads are fun to use, and can be surprisingly accurate. The best cast-bullet group I've ever seen used the Lyman 311299 and IMR SR4759 powder. The guy was shooting a Remiington Model 700 in .30-06 and wanted to see how much accuracy he could wring out of it. He shot one five shot group that measured slightly under 0.500 at 100 yards. He borrowed my chronograph to see his velocity and the bullet was traveling 1506 fps. Hodgdon has published reduced loads for Trail Boss powder with rifle applications. You can also use H4895 at the 60% level for reduced loads. Hodgdon used to publish a page on using 4895, but dropped it in favor of Trail Boss powder. The Lee Modern Reloading, 2nd edition has several complete chapters on using cast bullets in centerfire rifles. It's an almost forgotten art, a subset of the reloading hobby. __________________ Dennis Dezendorf http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com

May 21, 2011, 05:47 PM	#3
Ultravox Member Join Date: January 11, 2011 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 75	Which bullets? I also have a .30-06. I'm wondering which bullets you were using in yours?