The Ultimate Reduced Loading Thread

[arakboss]

I am starting this thread in hopes of learning more about loading reduced loads from other reloaders.

With the economy of reloading costing more and the scarcity of components continuing to be a problem, more reloaders may benefit from playing around with reduced loads.

If you have favorite reduced load, technique, reduced load information source, advice, etc, please post it here.

As I experiment with reduced loads from titegroup in rifle cartridges to pistol cartridges with primer only, I will be posting here often with results and ideas.

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[arakboss]

If anybody is aware of a reloading book that is specifically geared towards reduced loads please share. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is a great start but there may be others that are worth having. Here is one I am thinking about picking up but the reviews are mixed on this book.

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[arakboss]

Here is a interesting article on reduced loads. In one part he tries to dispell the myth that the 60% reduction rule for H-4895 doesn't apply to IMR4895.

Reduced Rifle Loads | Handloader Magazine

www.handloadermagazine.com

Here are some reduced loads the articles author has experimented with.

 

[red442joe]

I will have to check my log book.
I know I have a minimum Green Dot load for 175 grain LSWC in 40 S&W.
I also think I have a book about cast boolits that has reduced loads.

Joe

 

[arakboss]

I might try some reduced 9mm loads this weekend, possibly including a primer only load with wax or a plated bullet.

Normally a heavy bullet used with the same amount powder as a lighter bullet will create more pressure. Would this also be the case for a round where all of the pressure is coming from the primer alone (no powder in the case)?

If so, I am thinking about doing everything that would normally create higher pressure in a cartridge, like heavy bullet, seating bullet deep in case and using a hot primer and maybe even expand flash hole. I am thinking all of these things together may create enough pressure to launch a bullet with primer only? I will load one round at a time and check for stuck bullet each time.

 

[arakboss]

I will have to check my log book.
I know I have a minimum Green Dot load for 175 grain LSWC in 40 S&W.
I also think I have a book about cast boolits that has reduced loads.

Joe

I read a post from a reloader who was able to successfully fire a 9mm 125gr cast load with .8gr of Bullseye.

 

[arakboss]

I might try some reduced 9mm loads this weekend, possibly including a primer only load with wax or a plated bullet.

Normally a heavy bullet used with the same amount powder as a lighter bullet will create more pressure. Would this also be the case for a round where all of the pressure is coming from the primer alone (no powder in the case)?

If so, I am thinking about doing everything that would normally create higher pressure in a cartridge, like heavy bullet, seating bullet deep in case and using a hot primer and maybe even expand flash hole. I am thinking all of these things together may create enough pressure to launch a bullet with primer only? I will load one round at a time and check for stuck bullet each time.

My goal is to come up with a centerfire pistol load as quiet as the CCI Quiet rounds. The super colibri 22lr fires a bullet with primer only but it has a really light bullet. It's possible that they use a super strong primer mix as well? Anyways I will start with low amounts of powder first and see where that gets me with sound and barrel clearing success. A roundball might work better than standard bullet because of it's reduced bearing surface.

 

[arakboss]

My goal is to come up with a centerfire pistol load as quiet as the CCI Quiet rounds. The super colibri 22lr fires a bullet with primer only but it has a really light bullet. It's possible that they use a super strong primer mix as well? Anyways I will start with low amounts of powder first and see where that gets me with sound and barrel clearing success. A roundball might work better than standard bullet because of it's reduced bearing surface.

Another option:


"If you just want to have some simple fun, then get some 3/8 diameter hot glue gun sticks. Cut those into 3/8 long segments and then push those into the 9mm case with just the primer. No powder. Your slide still won't operate, but the plug will fly across the room at reliable speeds and trajectories good enough for target practice. While they won't hurt your walls, they will hurt people, so you still need to be careful"

 

[orygun]

I bought a bunch of 30 cal 100-110 bullets with the intention of making reduced 30-30 loads.
That's about as far as I've gotten so far, though.

 

[red442joe]

My goal is to come up with a centerfire pistol load as quiet as the CCI Quiet rounds. The super colibri 22lr fires a bullet with primer only but it has a really light bullet. It's possible that they use a super strong primer mix as well? Anyways I will start with low amounts of powder first and see where that gets me with sound and barrel clearing success. A roundball might work better than standard bullet because of it's reduced bearing surface.

I'm thinking short hollow base boolits for reliable gas seal, yet low drag running the bearing surface like a bore-rider. Obturated skirt engages rifling, seals small charge against gas blow-by.

Joe

 

[oremike]

You might look at Cowboy action loads, those tend to be pretty light.

 

[arakboss]

I'm thinking short hollow base boolits for reliable gas seal, yet low drag running the bearing surface like a bore-rider. Obturated skirt engages rifling, seals small charge against gas blow-by.

Joe

Maybe, the closest thing I have to that is some Berrys hollow base plated 124gr 9mm bullets in but the bearing surface is substantial in that bullet. I have some 95gr 380 rn plated bullets that would have less bearing surface but they have solid base.

 

[P7M13]

I bought a bunch of 30 cal 100-110 bullets with the intention of making reduced 30-30 loads.
That's about as far as I've gotten so far, though.

12gr of Unique or Universal. Works great. My bro and I shoot them at the BP range at TCGC out of my 336. Literally bunny-fart loads. We shoot the ram at 175, and on a sunny day, you can see the plated bullet hit.

@arakboss , seems you and I go exploring similar tunnels. Don't bother with a plated bullet and primer only. Squib. Ask me how I know.

 

[Stomper]

Someone should email Alec Baldwin and get his input..

 

[arakboss]

Someone should email Alec Baldwin and get his input..

I already emailed Brandon Lee but he hasn't got back to me yet.

 

[arakboss]

12gr of Unique or Universal. Works great. My bro and I shoot them at the BP range at TCGC out of my 336. Literally bunny-fart loads. We shoot the ram at 175, and on a sunny day, you can see the plated bullet hit.

@arakboss , seems you and I go exploring similar tunnels. Don't bother with a plated bullet and primer only. Squib. Ask me how I know.

Can you give me a rundown of what you tried, cartridge type, primer type, seating depth, barrel length, etc.

 

[ColeInOregon]

Another option:


"If you just want to have some simple fun, then get some 3/8 diameter hot glue gun sticks. Cut those into 3/8 long segments and then push those into the 9mm case with just the primer. No powder. Your slide still won't operate, but the plug will fly across the room at reliable speeds and trajectories good enough for target practice. While they won't hurt your walls, they will hurt people, so you still need to be careful"

There is company that makes a rubber bullet just for this purpose, I believe it's the X Ring rubber bullet. I did some research on them a while back and some folks use a match head for propellant when loading such.

X-Ring Rubber Bullets 38 Cal (357 to 358 Diameter) Box of 50

Unsurpassed for safety, speed, accuracy and economy. Rubber bullets are designed to be loaded into primed, empty brass cases. Enlarging the flash...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[P7M13]

With pistol, I never bothered testing loads until a few years ago. Not trying to "load down", but when I ran out of titegroup, I tried seeing if there was an accuracy node among pistol rounds across different powders. Much to my surprise, there was a huge difference, i.e. one powder would shoot like scatter shot at 25 yards, and another was all within the 8 ring. Currently have 50 rounds of load work-up for 10mm to see if there are accuracy nodes.

For reduced loads, only done with the "pork and beans" cartridges, 308 & 30 WCF. Unless it's your only rifle, don't understand why someone would load down a magnum cartridge (or an '-06 / 270 ). The Swede, 260 Rem, 243 Win at full power are easy shooting guns.

308 & 30-30 : 110gr swaged, plated bullets (M1 Carbine bullets). Unique or Universal, 10 gr to 14 gr (range you should work up). I'll have to measure them for COAL.
edit to add:
Primer type: whatever was in my priming tool. Either Win, CCI or Federal.
Barrel Length : 308, 24" I think (Tikka T3, Savage Axis, Savage FCP-SR) | 30-30 : Marlin 336 and Win 1894, both rifle length.

Never loaded these for accuracy, so never cared. It hit steel and we could hear the ring. Recoil and report is comparable to a 22LR. My son and I were shooting with @Reno when I had been using dacron filler to keep the powder in place. A white puff with each shot, like the wadding from a shotgun.
These are cheap plinking rounds.
Cost : 12¢/round using $30/lb powder, $40/K primers
Bullet 3¢ (2K purchased from @galleyjoe in 2017)
Primer 4¢
Powder 5¢

What's great is these are also what I call "arthritis loads". Make a good ring noise on steel, bring a smile to your face, and you can shoot them all day without being affected by recoil.

 

[Local Loader]

Found this subsonic rifle data and I'm hoping it helps you out.

 

[arakboss]

Maybe a patched 00 buckshot .330 dia might work. I brought one 00 shell to dissect. 5lbs of 00 is $35 at Cabelas.