OP
OP
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Thanks for your report. Accuracy isn't really the goal here. If I could hit plates at 20ish yards that'd be good enough. Handgun accuracy in other words.
.30 Carbine bullets in .30-06 reduced loads?
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Cannibul
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Lead seals the barrel better than a jacket.
You can use less powder in a lead bullet of the same weight as a jacketed and get the same velocity.
Jim Watson
Member
Best light load I ever had was a 311429 + 16.1 gr 2400 which shot MOA on one fine day. I tried this and that for bullets and powder. Two MOA was more usual when things were right. When they were not, 4 MOA was unfortunately common and I have one load recorded 8"!
jmorris
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Might be interested in these adapters.
http://www.mcace.com/adapters.htm
Take a 30-06 and shoot 32 ACP, 30 carbine, 30 Mauser, 30 Luger, 32 short, 32 long, 32 H&R mag and even 7.62x39 out of it.
Won't waste your -06 brass and a pound of powder will last you a lifetime of you load with 32 ACP brass.
http://www.mcace.com/adapters.htm
Take a 30-06 and shoot 32 ACP, 30 carbine, 30 Mauser, 30 Luger, 32 short, 32 long, 32 H&R mag and even 7.62x39 out of it.
Won't waste your -06 brass and a pound of powder will last you a lifetime of you load with 32 ACP brass.
OP
OP
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Interesting, but kinda defeats the purpose of running the bolt quick and having fun shooting plates with a bolt gun. I have abundant '06 brass and reduced loads won't beat it up at all. I think I'll try to find some lead, coated, or those "plinker" pills to try. I ran out of SP 110s.
JDinFbg
Member
I've been working on developing a varmint load for my 30-06 with 22" barrel. My goal was something with explosive effects that wouldn't beat me to death. My first try was with Sierra 110 gr. round-nose bullets intended for the 30 Carbine. The results were not good. Pushed with 40 gr. of W-748, grouping at target was all over the place. At 52 gr. of W-748 (near the max listed by Hodgdon), the bullets disintegrated a few yards in front of the rifle. I've read several posts on this, and it appears the faster twist of the 30-06 (typically 1 in 10") spins the bullets too fast for its thin jacket design. I stepped up to Berger 115 gr. flat-base, target bullets (again using W-748) with much better results. I'm still testing, but so far haven't gotten groups any better than about 1.7" at 100 yds. when pushed by 46.0 gr. of W-748. It may be me, it may be the rifle (sporterized U.S. 1917 Enfield), but at least all the Berger bullets reached the target intact. This will certainly work for shooting feral hogs, but I'd like something closer to 1" groups. I'm a former bench rest shooter, so the goal is always one-hole groups, even if logic and common sense tells me that's not doable with all rifles.
Iroquois
Member
I haven’t loaded reduced loads for 30-06, but I have for the ,243. I called the powder manufacture to get their feedback for a safe load recommendation, which they gladly gave. That may be in your best interest? Also, you may want to search “30-06 reduced loads” in the search mode here on the forum. I did the search and saw some information posted, although I did not read every post. I hope this helps and keep us posted on what direction you decide to go.
JDinFbg
Member
I found one article online where the author suggested one way of developing reduced loads was to use a very slow powder behind light bullets. I can't say that I am a fan of this idea as it would mean the powder charge burning all the way down the barrel and would seem to be a good way to eat up a barrel. It might make for an impressive muzzle flash during nighttime shooting, but I think I would look for other alternatives. In years past, I saw several folks suggest using kapok filler with faster burning powders in reduced loads. The ideas is that the kapok would keep the powder against the primer flash hole for uniform ignition. However, I have never tried this.
Random 8
Member
I have downloaded both 30-06 and 7.5 Swiss to the 1400-1600fps range for offhand practice with my Swiss guns and M1 in the back yard. Swapped out OP-rods for and out of spec one for this so as not to chance damaging an operational rod. Didn't have a chronograph, interpolated book velocity, drop at distance bears this out as a close approximation. I used some Remington semi-jacketed 110gr? bullets, Unique, and Large rifle primers with a Lee Factory crimp die. Referenced Lyman cast bullet data, but my loads were well OFF BOOK so I won't quote my charges. Recoil was almost non-existant, report was mild, no pressure signs, accuracy was acceptable to 50 yards for offhand practice, if I held a 10 on the SR50 reduced, I hit a 10. With the right Kentucky I could ding my rifle club's 200 yard 12" gong consistently. Only negative side effect was sooting on the cases from the neck through the shoulder and some extra carbon residue in the barrel and chamber from the low pressures. If I were to do this again, I would use one of the plated or coated carbine bullets available now and anneal my brass.
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Dudedog
Contributing Member
DOE .pdf was interesting.
I got a kick out of this sentence.
Yep that sounds like a really good Idea!
I got a kick out of this sentence.
Yep that sounds like a really good Idea!
I have found the titewad suggestion to work very well with cast bullets, Berry's 30-30 bullets and Hornady 110 carbine FMJ.
This was in 30-30, 308, and 30-40Krag.
I eventually settled on 15 gr of Bluedot behind a 150 in all 3. It goes 1560 in the Krag.
Since this is not published data, you are on your own if you try it.
There is a serious risk of double charges so charge the case and seat a bullet immediately.
This was in 30-30, 308, and 30-40Krag.
I eventually settled on 15 gr of Bluedot behind a 150 in all 3. It goes 1560 in the Krag.
Since this is not published data, you are on your own if you try it.
There is a serious risk of double charges so charge the case and seat a bullet immediately.
Random 8
Member
No cycling, made it a bolt action Garand. Probably would have been fine, but having already replaced one rod damaged by a supposedly Garand safe load with BL-C2, I was taking no chances with experimental ammunition and the NOS rod I paid a pretty penny for.
someguy2800
Member
I like trailboss for this kind of stuff
On a side note, one of the guys I shoot pistol with in the winter told me he loads 110 grain 30 carbine bullets in his 30-06 loaded to 3600 FPS as a varmint load
Hard to believe they wouldn't spin apart at that speed, but thats what I was told.
On a side note, one of the guys I shoot pistol with in the winter told me he loads 110 grain 30 carbine bullets in his 30-06 loaded to 3600 FPS as a varmint load
Hard to believe they wouldn't spin apart at that speed, but thats what I was told.
JDinFbg
Member
As I noted in my post in this thread, I tried this without very good results. At max load for this bullet with the powder I was using, a shooting buddy noted the bullets were exploding in air in a "puff of smoke" several yards in front of the rifle. The 30 Carbine bullets have too thin a jacket to handle the spin imparted by the 1 in 10" barrel twist of a 30-06 at the velocity a 30-06 can produce. A lot of folks have noted the use of Trail Boss which would produce much reduced velocities. However, I'm still wondering if the Carbine bullets could handle the faster twist even at reduced velocities. I may give it a try as I have a supply of 110 gr. 30 Carbine bullets I have no other use for. It will only cost me a can of Trail Boss and some primers, but experimentation is half the fun.I like trailboss for this kind of stuff
On a side note, one of the guys I shoot pistol with in the winter told me he loads 110 grain 30 carbine bullets in his 30-06 loaded to 3600 FPS as a varmint load
Random 8
Member
I have also tried this just for fun. Running a carbine bullet, as well as the 110 gr Vmax to near max speeds in a .308 when my wife was new to shooting rifles and getting used to recoil. Both held together to 100 yards, but that was as far as we tried them. Accuracy was decent, in the 2" range, and I never tried tweaking the loads for accuracy. The carbine bullet I used was the Rem 110 (if memory serves). Expansion was quite violent with either on soft targets such as water jugs and old pumpkins.
In my above post, I ran the same carbine bullet over a light charge of unique in 2 different .30 cals, including the Swiss rifles that are twisted faster than 1:10. Ran them in the 1400-1600fps range and they held together and stabilized well, even when they went transonic at distance. I think TB as some have posted would also be a good bet, as would Red Dot (basically same properties as unique with a faster burn rate). Going to look up Swiss and M1carbine twist rate and add an edit shortly. EDIT.. found the m1 carbine at 1:20, and the early G-11 Schweitz I used at 1:9. The M1 Garand and M1917 I fired them in should have been 1:10 nominal twist rate.
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Newtosavage
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If I were building a reduced load for the '06, I wouldn't hesitate to use the Hornady 160 grain FTX bullets designed for the 30-30. They are constructed to perform well at lower velocities, and I can confirm that after recovering a bullet that traveled 1/2 the length of a whitetail out of my Savage 7.62x39. MV was about 2200 fps. and recoil was very pleasant. Not sure what powder to recommend, but that's the bullet I'd use without a doubt. Supremely accurate too.
OP
OP
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Thanks but 2200 is too fast for steel up close.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
Not a .30-06, but a 7.62x54r.
I used Ed Harris' "The Load" with NOS Sierra 150gr flat base spire point jacketed.
13gr Promo (red dot), seated to the cannelure. Gave ~1400fps, and acceptable 100yd accuracy, which is 3-4" from a battle-worn Mosin 91/30.
My 115lb wife loved shooting them, far less kick than a .30-30.
Since then, I've tried the same load with 150-200 gr. cast lead, in the 10 BnH range. Slightly higher vels, and cheaper to shoot.
I have a NOE mold for a 115-ish gr, .314" gas checked bullet, but haven't tried it yet.
I used Ed Harris' "The Load" with NOS Sierra 150gr flat base spire point jacketed.
13gr Promo (red dot), seated to the cannelure. Gave ~1400fps, and acceptable 100yd accuracy, which is 3-4" from a battle-worn Mosin 91/30.
My 115lb wife loved shooting them, far less kick than a .30-30.
Since then, I've tried the same load with 150-200 gr. cast lead, in the 10 BnH range. Slightly higher vels, and cheaper to shoot.
I have a NOE mold for a 115-ish gr, .314" gas checked bullet, but haven't tried it yet.
Newtosavage
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Sorry, I thought I saw 200 yards. Yea 20 is a whole different animal.
lightman
Member
I used the Speer half jacketed plinker bullets with the Wife and Boys while waiting for them to grow into their 308's. I used a pretty hefty charge of BL-C2. At the shorter ranges they were pretty accurate.
Jerry M
Member
http://mcasportsace.com/adapters.html
Chamber adapter fro a pistol caliber may be a better idea.
Chamber adapter fro a pistol caliber may be a better idea.
LD-Ordie
Member
I worked up a load of 14.5 gr of IMR 3031 with a 110 gr plated bullet from Everglade with an average velocity of 1,125 with my early model Winchester 94 30/30. A real fun load and accurate at 100 yards. Might be what your looking for
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