• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Reduded Loads

TRAAV

Full Member
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 15, 2010
1,642
22
45
Santa Claus IN
Does anyone have any experience with reduced loads. I need to come up with a load for a 22/250 to punch paper at 100 yards that will not heat up the barrel (30 rounds in 30 minutes). I have read of guys using Blue Dot to achieve this. I will be using a 1x14 twist so I didn't know how light of bullet I would need to go down to. If anyone has any experience on this please let me know what your results were and what kind of accuracy I can expect. I can get .25" five shot groups with 8208xbr/52Amax but after 5-10 rounds it opens up really fast. with 15-20 being 1" or better.
 
Re: Reduded Loads

Reduded? Is that what you are after mindlessly yelling "The Dude abides!" over and over?

Other than fixing your post title, I can help you no further on the 22-250 loads, sorry.
 
Re: Reduced Loads

BTDT. 52gr SMK, 9.0gr of Unique. If you want to experience wind deflection, here's your load. On a calm day, quite accurate, but those days are danged rare wherever I seem to go. Same for .223 Except 7.0gr. My .22-250 was a 1:14" and my .223 is a 1:12".
 
Re: Reduced Loads

I have fired thousands of reduced 223 loads loaded with Blue Dot.
These are almost unbelievably cool, clean, and accurate.

The down side is that Blue Dot sometimes hangs in the RCBS Uniflow powder measure. Making one round with a light charge followed by making a round with a heavy charge is always a danger, because the correct charge only fills part of the case.

Blue Dot can be peaky and erratic at high pressure. While the 223 is registered at 55 kpsi, it can be used with long brass life at more like 75kpsi. But with Blue Dot, it is best operated at 37 kpsi to get the powder to be as extremely consistent as it can be.

As a result of this danger, every charged case should be checked for fill. It is not appropriate for novice hand loaders. I do not think you will ever see it in a load book.

One good way to check for case fill, is not to look in the case, but to insert a nail. The nail should always go the same distance in each charged case before the nail head hits powder.

And if you are shooting lots of ammo at low value targets, you might as well be wearing eye protection.

For 22-250, 52 gr Amax, that would be a max load of 17 gr Blue Dot, 38 kpsi, 3000 fps, and the case only 57% full of powder.

 
Re: Reduced Loads

Thanks guys I am going to try some of this out tonight. I loaded 11, 11.5, 12, 12.5, 13, 13.5, 14, and 14.5 last night with 40gr vmax. I will see how these go then try some in the 52's I double weighed eveything after I had the cases filled just to be on the safe side. I can see where this could really be a problem.
 
Re: Reduced Loads

I was able to get some better groups and consistency with unique. 40VMax and 11.unique was a nice load with consistent .5" groups. I found that it still creates a little heat but nowhere close to a full charge load. thanks for your help.
Travis