Reduced loads for milsurp rifles

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Rkrenz

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Does anyone have experience with reduced loads in their milsurps?

I'm looking into developing some light plinking loads with cast boolits for my lee enfields, mosins and my 8mm mauser.

I'm planning on using lee's 185 gr .312 cast boolit for my 303 and my 7.62x54r and lee's 175 gr .324 cast boolit for my 8mm.

I was planning on loading these on top of 13 gr of trail boss powder for all 3 calibers.

Thoughts or advice from anyone?
 
Around 12gr unique will give you a nice plinking load, I have used trailboss and works ok but unique is more economical
 
Unique, 700X, Trail Boss etc., are all good powders for reduced loads. Not a milsurp, but I have fired lots of 5 gr. 700X under a 93 gr WW Lee bullet(edited to add) in a lever 30=30 Model 94. I can shoot that load indoors.

10-12 gr. of Unique under a 160=185 or similar WW will work nice in most milsurp calibers.
 
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Thanks for the advice everyone. Ive heard lots of good things about the 13 gr of red dot load for milsurps. My alloy is about 80% WW and 20% pure is this alloy too hard?
 
Rkrenz said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. Ive heard lots of good things about the 13 gr of red dot load for milsurps. My alloy is about 80% WW and 20% pure is this alloy too hard?
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In my experience that alloy will probably be fine. Bullet fit and lube is more important that hardness of your alloy.

As for reduced loads in surplus rifles, that's pretty much all I shoot these days. It lets me practice with my rifle without eating up tons of components.

I use both molds you listed above.

For 50-200 yard shooting I use red dot, green dot, unique, trailboss or any other fast powder. I've even stuffed some old alcan AL-7 into cartridges and used that. Red dot seems to be the best for me and accuracy can be very very good. I've used red dot in probably 20 different cartridges and found a good load in each with that powder.

For 200-500 yards I use slow pistol powders or fast rifle powders like 2400, 4227, 4198 etc. 2400 is my go to but it's getting hard to find so I've been switching over to 4198 for most of my loads. I've made repeatable hits out to 550 yards on a 2 a MOA steel plate with cast bullets as long as it isn't super windy.

The best part is theres little to no wear on the bores, recoil is very tame, noise levels are low and the cost is very low.

I'm at the point where I find there's no draback to shooting cast for most of my shooting needs.

The only time I want a stiffer load is for long range work or for hunting where the distances are far.
 
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I've loaded cast in Lee Enfields, Springfields, Krags, 8x57 mauser, 6.5 x55 '96 mauser all with very reasonable results( accuracy very close to what can be achieved with jacketed bullets). All except the 6.5 have done very well with H110 and charges similar to those shown for 2400. I previously used a lot of 2400, but it got hard to find and more expensive, hence the H110. Oh, and by now I've shot up about 30lb of it, so I've quit worrying about the caution on the can, it obviously doesn't apply to reduced loads in these calibers.
GRouch
 
I have used red dot for my sportised #4, using a lyman 314299 mold and can get 1 inch or less groups at 60 yards with no problem at all. I have shot several deer with them and they drop on the spot.
 
grouch said:
I've loaded cast in Lee Enfields, Springfields, Krags, 8x57 mauser, 6.5 x55 '96 mauser all with very reasonable results( accuracy very close to what can be achieved with jacketed bullets). All except the 6.5 have done very well with H110 and charges similar to those shown for 2400. I previously used a lot of 2400, but it got hard to find and more expensive, hence the H110. Oh, and by now I've shot up about 30lb of it, so I've quit worrying about the caution on the can, it obviously doesn't apply to reduced loads in these calibers.
GRouch
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I'm using a 160 grain GC cast bullet from a Lyman mould for 6.5x 55mm. I tried 6 different powders with no joy, trying to make my M96 work with cast bullets. Then I discovered IMR 4227, it has given me great results and won me 2 belt buckles shooting at pre 1912 rifle matches in the US.
 
Anyone have experience with Win 760 powder? Wholesale was out of Varget and BCL(2) and the winchester was cheap so figured give it a shot. Loading for .303 british with the lee classic loader
 
Has anyone tried lil’gun in reduced loads? I use it with great results in my 300 blk and was wondering if I can decrease my powder portfolio lol. Currently I’m using unique, trail boss or h4895. I’ve dabbled with titegroup but found it only shot decent in 223 with cast.
 
Bigrounds8mil said:
Anyone have experience with Win 760 powder? Wholesale was out of Varget and BCL(2) and the winchester was cheap so figured give it a shot. Loading for .303 british with the lee classic loader
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Win 748 would be better, Win 760 is on the slow side for 303BR. Usually looking at powders in the same burn rate as IMR/H4895, 4064, 3031, etc.
 
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jethunter said:
Win 748 would be better, Win 760 is on the slow side for 303BR. Usually looking at powders in the same burn rate as IMR/H4895, 4064, 3031, etc.
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Good to know, thanks!

Loaded up 25 cartridges with the 760, gonna see what kind of results it produces with a 174 gr fmj this weekend.
If its crap I guess I'll be ordering some 4895 through the mail. Cabelas here is spotty for powder selection as well
 
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