Favourite Reduced Loads

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Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Oldbloke » 15 Jan 2017, 11:27 am

I often see discussions about reduced or light loads. Sometimes members are trying to achieve a subsonic load sometimes just a load that is a little quieter or on smaller properties. Often this info is hard to get over the net or from manuals. So I thought it would be good if members could list their best or favourite reduced loads. I will kick it off with the two I have developed & use sometimes.

As always these are for my firearms and may not be suitable for yours.

3006 Cast Gas checked 180 Grain AS50N 15.0 grains
Fps 1600
Mild load about 1.5 moa
Mainly for practice or fun.

223 Hornady 55 grain SP AS50N 7.6 grains
Fps 2200
Mild load about 1.1 moa
Intended for foxes up to about 120 meters on small property
Last edited by Oldbloke on 15 Jan 2017, 9:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Gwion » 15 Jan 2017, 12:15 pm

223rem
OSA brass
Small rifle Magnum primer
Hornady Zmax 50gn
8.1gn Trailboss
1850fps out of my 18"barrel (approx 2000-2100 from similar load out of friend's Tikka).
Shoots around 1"@100m.
Zeroed at 100 it gives point and shoot from 40-110m into around a 2" kill zone.
Drops rapidly past 110-120m.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by sandgroperbill » 15 Jan 2017, 12:28 pm

I've made up a reduced load for rabbits. Haven't had a chance to try it on rabbits yet, but confident it'll do well.

400gr Sierra .458 sp
74.0gr ar2206h
Norma brass
CCI magnum rifle primer

Don't have a chrony, but my reckoning puts it at about 2270, so, although it should be sufficient for rabbits, I may need to step it up a bit for foxes.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by superdave » 15 Jan 2017, 4:23 pm

sandgroperbill wrote:I've made up a reduced load for rabbits. Haven't had a chance to try it on rabbits yet, but confident it'll do well.

400gr Sierra .458 sp
74.0gr ar2206h
Norma brass
CCI magnum rifle primer

Don't have a chrony, but my reckoning puts it at about 2270, so, although it should be sufficient for rabbits, I may need to step it up a bit for foxes.


400 gr bullet, pushed by 74.0gr of 2206h, :shock: :shock: :shock: are you sure it's enough, or are rabbits the size of water buffalo (and very easily irritated) where you are???
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Gwion » 15 Jan 2017, 5:01 pm

superdave wrote:
sandgroperbill wrote:I've made up a reduced load for rabbits. Haven't had a chance to try it on rabbits yet, but confident it'll do well.

400gr Sierra .458 sp
74.0gr ar2206h
Norma brass
CCI magnum rifle primer

Don't have a chrony, but my reckoning puts it at about 2270, so, although it should be sufficient for rabbits, I may need to step it up a bit for foxes.


400 gr bullet, pushed by 74.0gr of 2206h, :shock: :shock: :shock: are you sure it's enough, or are rabbits the size of water buffalo (and very easily irritated) where you are???


I was thinking that lobbing an old fridge at the rabbit would do less damage! :lol:
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by bladeracer » 15 Jan 2017, 5:03 pm

.204 Ruger 32gn ZMax on 8.5gn Trailboss for 2400fps.
4.5gn for 1600fps is nice as well, like a CCI Stinger but accurate out to 100m or more (3.1gn is subsonic).

6.5x55mm 95gn VMax on 8.5gn of Trailboss for just under 1200fps.

7mm-08 145gn Speer HotCore on 10.5gn of Trailboss for 1200fps.

.303 100gn Hornady .312" XTP on 15.5gn of Trailboss.

7.62x54R 173gn .311" SP on 10.0gn of Trailboss. (still working on a reduced load for the 100gn XTP).

8x57mm 182gn Lee cast on 10gn of Trailboss for 1120fps (9.0gn is subsonic).

Still developing reduced loads for .223, .243 and 6.5x52mm Carcano, as well as .303 and 7.62x54R with the Lee .314" cast 90gn.

The 6.5x55mm and 7mm-08 loads are too slow for proper terminal performance from these bullets - I wouldn't recommend these for a primary hunting round except for very close range head shots. The VMax does deform but it's marginal. The HotCore plows straight through at these velocities, although it'd probably work okay on heavy pigs.

The .311" 173gn SP is a bullet from the seventies no longer produced. I got more than four hundred with the No.4 Rifle. As I can't get them anymore there doesn't seem much point in using them for accurate loads so I'm using them up in reduced loads.

The 32-caliber XTP works very well at pistol velocities.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by bladeracer » 15 Jan 2017, 5:05 pm

sandgroperbill wrote:I've made up a reduced load for rabbits. Haven't had a chance to try it on rabbits yet, but confident it'll do well.

400gr Sierra .458 sp
74.0gr ar2206h
Norma brass
CCI magnum rifle primer

Don't have a chrony, but my reckoning puts it at about 2270, so, although it should be sufficient for rabbits, I may need to step it up a bit for foxes.


That's a reduced load?????
What do you use when you really mean it :-)
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Oldbloke » 15 Jan 2017, 6:07 pm

bladeracer wrote:
sandgroperbill wrote:I've made up a reduced load for rabbits. Haven't had a chance to try it on rabbits yet, but confident it'll do well.

400gr Sierra .458 sp
74.0gr ar2206h
Norma brass
CCI magnum rifle primer

Don't have a chrony, but my reckoning puts it at about 2270, so, although it should be sufficient for rabbits, I may need to step it up a bit for foxes.


That's a reduced load?????
What do you use when you really mean it :-)


Hes having a joke . :clap:
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by sandgroperbill » 15 Jan 2017, 7:26 pm

superdave wrote:400 gr bullet, pushed by 74.0gr of 2206h, :shock: :shock: :shock: are you sure it's enough, or are rabbits the size of water buffalo (and very easily irritated) where you are???


https://youtu.be/QM9Bynjh2Lk
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by sandgroperbill » 15 Jan 2017, 7:27 pm

bladeracer wrote:
sandgroperbill wrote:I've made up a reduced load for rabbits. Haven't had a chance to try it on rabbits yet, but confident it'll do well.

400gr Sierra .458 sp
74.0gr ar2206h
Norma brass
CCI magnum rifle primer

Don't have a chrony, but my reckoning puts it at about 2270, so, although it should be sufficient for rabbits, I may need to step it up a bit for foxes.


That's a reduced load?????
What do you use when you really mean it :-)


That would involve 510gr pills and the word "compressed" :)
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by sandgroperbill » 15 Jan 2017, 7:30 pm

There is a property that was having a fox issue, but too small for .223. A reduced load may have worked. I bought a .17hmr instead.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by bigfellascott » 15 Jan 2017, 9:20 pm

Never seen the point in reduced loads (never had a need for them) :unknown:
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by sandgroperbill » 15 Jan 2017, 11:46 pm

I can see the point if they use spitzers...
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by deye243 » 16 Jan 2017, 12:37 am

bigfellascott wrote:Never seen the point in reduced loads (never had a need for them) :unknown:


me neither when the tree changers on their 5-10ha blocks see me go in they usually close their windows

it doesn't take long to educate them :lol: I start with the 7mm mag when I had it and then go back to the 223
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by bladeracer » 16 Jan 2017, 12:50 am

bentaz wrote:How does the light pill go in the 6.5 swede?
I've been loading 140gn lead over 13gn of TB for a plinking load in mine. I didn't think the light pills would stabilise, but they would be good if they're a viable option.


Very good indeed, holds around 1MoA.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by bladeracer » 16 Jan 2017, 1:16 am

bigfellascott wrote:Never seen the point in reduced loads (never had a need for them) :unknown:


They're excellent when you're shooting around people and stock.
But mainly they let me do a lot more shooting with little wear and tear on the brass, the firearm and my hearing.
Because I'm not loading this stuff for long-range accuracy, I generally look for the cheapest bullet available in bulk. Because the velocities are low, it's best to use soft, light bullets for hunting loads. Even varmint bullets rarely get up enough speed to work reliably. You can shoot a hundred 1200fps loads and the chamber is still far cooler than it would be from shooting five full-power loads. The cheapest of all is casting your own lead of course, which makes shooting most centrefires almost as cheap to shoot as rimfires, and soft lead deforms very well at very low velocities.

It's obvious that the brass doesn't stretch as much, but it's still going through a heat and work cycle, so I prefer to keep my lightly-loaded brass separate from my hot stuff.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by bigfellascott » 16 Jan 2017, 4:44 am

bladeracer wrote:
bigfellascott wrote:Never seen the point in reduced loads (never had a need for them) :unknown:


They're excellent when you're shooting around people and stock.
But mainly they let me do a lot more shooting with little wear and tear on the brass, the firearm and my hearing.
Because I'm not loading this stuff for long-range accuracy, I generally look for the cheapest bullet available in bulk. Because the velocities are low, it's best to use soft, light bullets for hunting loads. Even varmint bullets rarely get up enough speed to work reliably. You can shoot a hundred 1200fps loads and the chamber is still far cooler than it would be from shooting five full-power loads. The cheapest of all is casting your own lead of course, which makes shooting most centrefires almost as cheap to shoot as rimfires, and soft lead deforms very well at very low velocities.

It's obvious that the brass doesn't stretch as much, but it's still going through a heat and work cycle, so I prefer to keep my lightly-loaded brass separate from my hot stuff.


Cheers mate, makes sense re keeping the wear and tear down - I only pull the trigger when there's something in the X-hairs worth shooting so my barrels and brass don't get a real workout like some do with shooting targets etc. :drinks:
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Gwion » 16 Jan 2017, 6:49 am

bigfellascott wrote:Never seen the point in reduced loads (never had a need for them) :unknown:


The reason I started developing a Trailboss load for the 223 was to avoid having to buy another rifle. When shooting wallaby for pest control, the report of the 223 tends to scare everything into the bushes by the time you've dropped 2. They hang around better with the 22lr but it doesn't reach far enough for reliable one shot kills out at 80m or further. The 223 with a Trailboss load fits the bill nicely with out me having to buy and feed a 22wrm. Much quieter than full load 223 and enough punch for confident one shot kills out to just over the 100m mark.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by happyhunter » 16 Jan 2017, 8:27 am

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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by bladeracer » 16 Jan 2017, 8:55 am

happyhunter wrote:Same here. If I need quiet I use 22LR subsonic. If I wanted a mild centerfire I'd buy a 22 hornet. The only way I would bother is if suppressors were legal. Then I'd load subsonic ammo for the 308 using 200 grain lead projectiles as I know these will drop medium game out to 200 meters.



What if you want subsonic but plenty of impact?
Can't get that from a .22 sub.

Why would you bother loading subsonic .308 if you have a suppressor anyway? Defeats the purpose of the suppressor.
200gn of soft lead at 1100-1600fps smacks hard.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by happyhunter » 16 Jan 2017, 9:23 am

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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Gwion » 16 Jan 2017, 9:58 am

happyhunter wrote:
bigfellascott wrote:Never seen the point in reduced loads (never had a need for them) :unknown:
.

Same here. If I need quiet I use 22LR subsonic. If I wanted a mild centerfire I'd buy a 22 hornet. The only way I would bother is if suppressors were legal. Then I'd load subsonic ammo for the 308 using 200 grain lead projectiles as I know these will drop medium game out to 200 meters.


Some of us don't have endless space, time and cash for extra rifles. I still have my wildcat project on the back burner as well, so another rifle would cost:
1/ new rifle <$1500
2/ brass <$100
3/ new dies <$200
4/ new powder <$120
5/ new bullets <$50
(Edit: forgot to add the cost of a bigger safe)

That's potentially close to $2000 I can put toward my wild cat project (only need about $1k to finish it) or a nice left hand 7-08 for deer rifle or a GRS stock, new bipod and updated reloading gear for my f-class work.

Developing a low load cost me:
1/ a tub of Trailboss 1kg gives upto around 3000 loads for $120, or there abouts.
2/ a few afternoons in the paddock developing the load
3/ small rifle magnum primers for a more consistent ignition of the Trailboss. $74ish for 1000.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Heckler303 » 16 Jan 2017, 11:02 am

.303 lead projectiles with trail boss makes great reduced loads.

Standard 303:
Cast lead 180grain projectiles
4 grains trailboss powder
Hornandy cases
Standard issue full wood no1 mk3, 25 inch barrel
FPS around 900-950 fps
0.91 inch group at 25m
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by happyhunter » 16 Jan 2017, 4:06 pm

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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by BRNO_Bigot » 16 Jan 2017, 8:01 pm

sandgroperbill wrote:I've made up a reduced load for rabbits. Haven't had a chance to try it on rabbits yet, but confident it'll do well.

400gr Sierra .458 sp
74.0gr ar2206h
Norma brass
CCI magnum rifle primer

Don't have a chrony, but my reckoning puts it at about 2270, so, although it should be sufficient for rabbits, I may need to step it up a bit for foxes.



Hi Bill, do you shoot with Mal and Gianni and co at the BGRC?
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by sandgroperbill » 17 Jan 2017, 1:09 am

BRNO_Bigot wrote:Hi Bill, do you shoot with Mal and Gianni and co at the BGRC?


Gday mate.

No, I'm afraid I don't belong to any clubs or shoot at ranges, yet.

May be joining a pistol club in the next couple of months, and might look to visit the local range sometime, too.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Gamerancher » 17 Jan 2017, 8:46 am

I use reduced loads in my lever-guns ( Winchester 1892 and 1894's ) when shooting Metallic Silhouette. I do this for a number of reasons, a few of which are:

1. Reducing loads down to original black-powder velocities in these rifles gives better accuracy. Consistency when shooting multiple shots off-hand is better with less recoil. Also when firing more than 100 shots per day reduced loads = less fatigue = better accuracy.
2. The rifles are more reliable and I don't get any failures. Even the modern versions of these rifles are mostly built to original specs and perform better at the lower pressures in my experience. Yes, I know that they are quite able to handle modern "high" pressure loads safely.
3. Reduced costs. I cast my own bullets for these out of salvaged lead from the range. It don't get much cheaper than that. Powder supplies last a lot longer when you use 10gr or less per shot.
I use reduced loads in .32-20, .44 mag, ,45 long colt, .30-30, .35 Winchester, .38-55 and .45-70.

Best load.
10gr of AP-70 behind a 250gr cast bullet in .38-55. This load is very accurate and takes down the 200m Ram targets every time. I have also hunted with this load and it is very effective on feral goats. It will go straight through a large billy, shoulder to shoulder, at anything less than 100m. Texas heart shots work very well with it also. :thumbsup:
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Heckler303 » 17 Jan 2017, 5:09 pm

bentaz wrote:
Heckler303 wrote:.303 lead projectiles with trail boss makes great reduced loads.

Standard 303:
Cast lead 180grain projectiles
4 grains trailboss powder
Hornandy cases
Standard issue full wood no1 mk3, 25 inch barrel
FPS around 900-950 fps
0.91 inch group at 25m

That really is reduced, i use 4gn under a 135gn in 38sp and double that in the .222


I can go even lower than that still, by 2.5 grains you are really getting to the point where you risk lodging the bullet halfway up the spout. However, hasn't happened yet, so they will still spit out at 700fps average :D
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by Gaz52 » 26 Jan 2017, 11:52 pm

Martini cadet .310 , 3.7gn AP70. 120gn CBE soft lead cast bullet . Martini Enfield .303 Brit. 180gn CBE bullet cast in Lyman No.2. 17gn ADI 2207. Works in my rifles YMMD.
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Re: Favourite Reduced Loads

Post by in2anity » 27 Jan 2017, 8:29 am

30/30 Trail Boss
165gn RNFP BB .310" coated 16BH over 8.4gr TB for ~1200fps out of a 20", pan lubed. Yields 1.5" @50m - extremely cheap plinking load. Negligible barrel heat, very minimal case stretching.

30/30 AR2207
165gn RNFP BB .310" coated 16BH over 16.0gr AR2207 for ~1500fps out of a 20", pan lubed. Yields consistent 1" @50m - satisfying plinking load ideal for metallic silhouette. Reduced barrel heat, minor case stretching. Also good for plinking, but a little more expensive than TB.

30/30 AR2206H
165gn RNFP BB .310" coated 16BH over 24.0gr AR2206H for ~1800fps out of a 20", pan lubed. Yields 2.5" at 100m - pleasant medium-game hunting load inside 125m without breaking the budget.
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