Light loads for .30-06?

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andym79

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I am thinking of a streamline arsenal (minimal rifles) by working up various loads for different projectiles from 110gr to 220gr depending on game for a .30-06 cartridge!

Has anybody made up loads with these sort of characteristics:

1) 110gr ~ 1750 fps ~750ft/lbs comparable to a .22 hornet for foxes!
2) 130gr ~ 2000 fps ~1150ft/lbs comparable to a .223 rem dingoes!
3) 165gr ~ 2600 fps ~2650ft/lbs comparable to a .270 win goats/deer!

4) Larger game 220gr ~2500fps ~3000ft/lbs, pretty much max load!

I am thinking the first two loads would require fast burning powders, especially the 1st load, would unique be suitable for 1)?

I can't find any data on light loads in the Hornady or lee reloading manual!

For 3) I am thinking an powder IMR4064 46gr, IMR4350 51gr?

Could anyone tell me what sort of loads and what powder they are using to create any loads similar to these!
 
I have been using SR4759 for my young nephews first 30-06,

30 cal 150 gr FMJ pulls @ 1750fps
 
It seems to me you are over-thinking the whole thing, and putting way to much emphasis on "energy" figures.

It also seems to me your load #1 & #2 would be so close to the same thing it wouldn't be worth the effort.

The thing is, no two loads will shoot to the same place, so sight adjustments will be necessary every time you switch from one to the other.
Keeping track of sight settings for four loads is more then twice as difficult as keeping track of two.

So you would do well to develop only two loads.
One for varmint/pest/small game, and one for big game.

There isn't enough difference between a fox and a dingo to make any difference. They are both small canines, and anything that will kill one will kill the other quite nicely.

Same for antelope & deer. No real differance in size, or what it takes to kill one

Also, with todays excellent big game bullets that combine both excellent penetration with controlled expansion, there is no need at all for the 220 grain .30 cal bullet anymore.

A controlled expansion 165 or 180 will do anything you would ever need to do on Australian big game.

rc
 
I have had trailboss recommended to me for load 1) and AR2205 or IMR4227 for load 2) any thoughts?
 
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what kind of gun

If your working up a load for a semi-auto, be careful! Light loads dont have enough ummpf to cycle the action. Dont ask.....
 
Just reading over at Hodgons website that you can use a 60% rule for light loads, with their powder H4895! Seems straight forward enough.

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895 Reduced Rifle Loads.pdf

For example, for a 130gr HP projectile max load in a .30-06 cartridge is shown at 53.1gr for a velocity of 3144 fps! So 53.1X0.6 = 31.9grs.

So a .30-06 cartridge with a 130gr HP projectile loaded with 32grs of H4895, should give a velocity of ~ 1900 fps and a muzzle energy of ~ 1050 ft/lbs!

So extrapolating ~35grs should give me my load 2)

Have I missed something?

And for a 110gr sp maximum load is 57grs of H4895, so 57X0.6 = 34.2gr
should give me ~ 2050fps, so a bit fast for 1)! Do you think trailboss or unique could provide me with a safe load nearest to 1)?
 
I've experimented with light loads. The 60% H4895 load is ok, but I like the Trailboss loads much better.

I use Trailboss with Speer 125g TNT bullets and get a nearly zero recoiling accurate load that my 7 year old will be using to learn how to shoot my M77 Hawkeye.
 
I have loaded lots of 100-110g bullets in a .308 bolt with 8-11g Unique and the results are very satisfying. The noise and recoil is similar to a .22 magnum and the shots are quite accurate to 100 yards. I started out with Hornady 3005 100g short jacket bullets, but went to Xtreme 110g plated bullets meant for 30 m1 carbine because they were much less expensive. 11g Unique was the most accurate for me at 100 yards, but loads as low as 8g were not too bad.

I've loaded these bullets up to 17g Unique, but got nothing more than more recoil, more noise and wider spreads. I also shot the 3005's to 3000+ fps with RL7 and got the cleanest holes ever punched with a .308, but the recoil was similar to a full power .308 and there was simply no reason to shoot that load since I already have a 3000 fps varmint gun (AR).

I've settled on 110g RN plated bullets over 11g Unique. The powder doesn't seem to be position sensitive, no fillers were used and 1750 was the average bullet speed 10' from the muzzle. I typically get 1.5" to 2" groups at 100 yards off of a sandbag rest using a 22" Remington 788 in .308.

I used Unique, but I heard other fast to medium shotgun/pistol powders in the 10g load region produce similar results.

Hope that helps. Good luck.
 
RC gave you some good advice & I wanted to add that you need to pick the right bullet for the speed you want to send it. You might be looking at it backwards. I would pick a smaller cal & slow it down for more penetration or just get a tougher jacketed bullet.

Just remember when you slow the bullet down you get less expansion & more penetration.
 
"The thing is, no two loads will shoot to the same place, so sight adjustments will be necessary every time you switch from one to the other".

As usual.... RC hits it on the head again.
I went were your're trying to go last summer with a bolt '06. One can have a lot of fun working up these loads and therby creating "additional" calibers. I basically relied on data from the hodgdon site, specifically that re the 60% loads with H4895. As per Hodgdon, once you get that starting load at 60%, you can go from there in whatever increments you want slowly working up to your power/accuracy/recoil lever. Remember , you can only do this with H4895 ! I found fair to good results for the above but my problem was i started to get to smart & started to use a few other powders like Trail Boss, Red Dot, imr 4227 etc etc and like RC has mentioned , i wound up going crazy because everytime i switched over to a different load, i had to sight in all over again.
Find loads that stick to your criteria, and then narrow down the field to the best.
 
+1 for what rsrocket says. Also, yes, choose your bullet for what you want it to do, then adjust load and speed.
 
3) 165gr ~ 2600 fps ~2650ft/lbs comparable to a .270 win goats/deer!
Click to expand...
That's a close to normal 30-06 load, not a 270 load. Most good 270 loads use a 130gr or 140gr bullet, not a 165gr bullet. A 165gr bullet is my normal 30-06 load at 2800 fps or just a little more. That load you listed confuses me a bit. Why would you want to push a 30 Caliber bullet at only 2600 fps. Out at 200 yards it might not retain enough velocity to reliability expand depending upon what bullet you use. (don't jump on me if the numbers are close)
 
If you do enough experimenting, you CAN find vastly different loads that will perform without having to readjust the sights. My accuracy load is a 165 gr. Sierra Gameking HP with 50.0 grs. of Varget. Accuracy is absolutely amazing in my fickle Ruger 77 Mk II. My reduced/small game load is the 110 gr. RN Remington bullet with 30.0 grs. of Accurate XMP5744. I have excessive amounts of these two components and decided to try them together in the .30-06. With the 165 gr. bullet sighted for 300 yards, the 110 gr. load is right on at 100 yards and accuracy is amazing too. Both loads use R-P brass and the CCI 200 primers. These are the only two loads I'll ever need and I'm quite satisfied with them.

Dave Sinko
 
I'm with RCModel. I think you're over thinking it.

I suggest two, maybe three powders.
For your lighter loads, I use a cast bullet and Unique powder.

For heavy loads the 180gr and Reloader22 is as good as it gets.

Two loads would do it for me. A 160-180gr cast bullet over 10.0-16.0gr of Unique for "plinking ect.; and 60.0gr of RL22 over a Hornady 180gr "Interlok" or whatever for "big-game".
 
That's a .308 win load. It will most definitely expand most hunting bullets out at 200y.
Click to expand...

It is indeed a typical .308 WIN load! I would imagine you could take a goat or deer down at 200 yds with a .308 WIN!

A typical .30-06 load would push a 165gr at ~2800fps!

Granted a .270 WIN load would be 140gr ~2900fps!
 
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