Whatcha alls load’n up fur plinking loads in your rifles? (Velocity Poll)

[iMigraine]

Basically just curious at what velocity(ies) do you prefer for your general target/plinking loads in regards to rifles?


1,000 - 1,200
1,300 - 1,400
1,500 - 1,600
1,700 - Above

[iMigraine]

Guess I figured it out..

[popper]

1700 up - quite a bit.

[Artful]

Plinking subsonic below 1050 fps
Plinking cast lubed depends upon cartridge
Plinking with PC or Plated usually 1400 fps
Plinking with jacketed 2000+

[RickinTN]

Plinking with my 444 around 1,000 fps with 265 grain bullets and Unique. In the 30-30 anywhere from 1,000 to around 1,600 with red dot, unique, and 4227.
Depends on how much recoil the plinking load develops.
Take care,
Rick

[NoAngel]

For plinking my go to rifle is my .30 Badger and it loves 1300-1400 FPS. While it can go much further, it really shines in that little pocket.

[Geezer in NH]

I shoot mostly under 75 yards for fun. Does not take much to punch targets at that range.

[MT Gianni]

For plinkers I would prefer that they go all the way through the target, penetrating the backing is optional.

[Acidia609]

Cast 223 at 2310 fps avg. Fun out to 300 yards. Almost half the powder and the same cost of 22lr

My second choice is 300AAC 230gr subsonics.. really makes steel ring

[303Guy]

My range would be between 1500 and 2000, so I selected 1700 and above. I need enough velocity and pressure to fragment the patches at the muzzle (although I do have a load that keeps the patch on to the target but that needs development). My plinking mode is sods and stuff in the field that go poof when hit. Empties need to jump from shots placed just under them. Shooting paper is only to check for accuracy and sighting in.

[NoZombies]

Most of my plinking loads are subsonic, but some creep up into the 1300-1500 FPS range.

What I want out of 'fun' ammo is that it's accurate, economical, and pleasant to shoot. That generally means a cast bullet (either lubed or PC, depending on a few factors) with a plain base (GC's either cost money or time) over a light-ish charge of powder.

[Hickory]

Velocities for plinking too high.
6-800 fps is about what I use.

[rking22]

I said 1000 to 1200, actually its whatever shoots accurately with a Plainbase, emulating 22lr velocity is a long proven realm of quick success. My plinking loads shoot stuff, paper not so much.

[Wayne Smith]

For plinkers I would prefer that they go all the way through the target, penetrating the backing is optional.

I have my grandmother's H&R 32S&W top break. I load 1gr BE under a sized buckshot. The first time I took it to the range I told the rangemaster what I had - he is always curious about my guns - and noticed that he followed me to the shooting line. I asked him why? "I want to make sure those go through the target backing!"

[pete501]

I'm with Hickory
You need a lower choice in your poll.

[mdi]

Plinking to me has never been about velocity, but informal shooting at whatever looks like it needs shooting. I more often than not I shoot paper and that often is considered "plinking" to me. When I'm working up a load I take care when evaluating a load and while it's informal, I'm concerned with the performance of the load, and I don't consider it plinking. But I don't often just pull the trigger and listening for a bang...

Also the gun in question had much to do with the gun being used. My single shot .223 can be loaded to 22 Magnum velocities and with cast bullets, but I consider that a lite load and not "point and shoot" ammo, and it's very accurate. Another consideration is will the gun function at any of the poll choices? My Garand won't. My SKS won't.

Didn't mean to be too critical of the thread/poll, it jes don't fit my shooting at all...

[dverna]

With most of my "plinking" done at less than 50 yards, there is no need to dial up the velocity. My most used guns are a couple of .357 Mag rifles shooting .38's. I have never measured the speed but I cannot see 3 gr of Clays under a 130 gr bullet being very fast...maybe 1000 fps? As long as the load is accurate and inexpensive, it is all I need for my type of plinking. I use the same load for pistol plinking as well. KISS

[Larry Gibson]

800 to 1050 fps is my preferred "plinking" velocity for both rifle and handgun with cast bullets.

[Outpost75]

^^^ What Larry said.

The greatest majority being standard pressure .38 Special in various revolvers, single-shot rook and cowboy rifles.

[earlmck]

"Plinking" to me means shootin' for fun (frequently tin cans). Velocity of a "fun" load is inversely proportional to boolet size: a "fun" load in my 22 hornet goes 2300 fps but a "fun" load in 45 colt is more in the 700 fps range for revolver, 900 in rifle. My "fun" 30/30 load is a 117 grain 32/20 boolet at 1700 fps.

[runfiverun]

most all of my rifle ammo gets shot at stuff.
sometimes it's small game, sometimes its rocks or cans, sometimes it's paper, sometimes it's a Deer.
in my rifles I generally keep the velocity's in the 1900 fps area, and just use the one light load for everything.
I do the same in my lever guns, and handguns.

I might have a hundred or so high intensity rounds and a hundred or so 'pop' gun rounds, but the bulk of the loads are good enough for target work or hunting at around 3/4 throttle.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I load handgun plinking rounds pretty sslloowww, rifle rounds faster, but speed depends on caliber - If I ever talk myself into a 45 ACP bolt gun for plinking they'll be a lot slower than 223 or the like plinkers; Your poll needs more lower speed options and not to be limited to merely one choice, for "My type."

And now I'll have to try even slower loads, in something small bore, you lot are baaadddd influences and keep giving me ideas on MORE guns to buy. (It's not like my existing list wouldn't overflow my funding a few times over or anything!)

"make sure it penetrated the cardboard backing", careful or I will consider that a challenge and try to manage it with a handload :)

[mrrch]

I don't know, chronograph is on my wish list

[GARD72977]

The slow stuff is more fun for playing around. I have a 300/221 encore rifle that ia a blast to shoot subsonic @ 200yds. Really have to judge the wind. Load with some flat nose bullets and its a morter.

[Tom_in_AZ]

I load everything to max or near max that yields the best accuracy. Plinking I do with rimfire or air gun.


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[David2011]

Depends on what I'm plinking with. With my .45 ACP it's about 650 fps. Other handguns are a little faster. With the .22-.250 it's 3600-3800 depending on bullet weight but that's the nature of that cartridge. If I want lighter loads I'll use a different cartridge.

[ABJ]

I have three loads for the 06 and 30-30. Plinking, target, and hunting. Target and hunting are almost always the same. Plinking to us is shooting steel swingers at 50 to 150 yards. Shooters are grown kids and grandkids and 1200 seems to be a magic number for accuracy and low recoil. I use nominal for caliber boolit weights with pistol powders like red dot, green dot and unique. At 50 yards the sights based on target loads is not much different. Cheap fun and I don't have to use up my "4759".
Tony

[mehavey]

16" Rossi Puma 44 plinker:
http://i60.tinypic.com/2qxq1r7.jpg

---- BREAK BREAK ----

And to wean my granddaughter off the 22 and into the bigger/real full-up rifles:
I happened to have a 20" `92Win in 357Mag that's "cooly attractive/non-scary" (important to girly girls),
so that was the platform.

How low could I go?

Playing w/ QuickLoad/Barrel Friction most definitely "ON" and some very plain 158gr MagTech bullets
I had lying around, I settled on a ½cc Lee dipper of Trailboss (2.1gr) for a predicted velocity of 604fps.

38 Special Case/158gr LRN (seated/crimped normally)
2.1gr Trailboss (½cc)
Actual velocity: 599fps
Cloverleafed at 25 yds
Incredibly quiet (to the point that people came over to look)
No recoil.

Now we can gradually work up to full bore 357Mag -- and then switch to the AR with all its crash/bang
noise/flash and scary-looking moving parts.






...after that, the 375H&H

[GhostHawk]

1200 to 1600.

I don't shoot pistol a lot these days, when I do it tends to be .22lr at 1200.

Most of the rest I don't push that fast. 15 to 1600 is more than enough.

[Motor]

I assume you meant cast so that's how I voted. J-word of course would be different. :)

Motor

[woody1]

I load pretty much anything I want (within reason) so no vote here.

[303Guy]

I have a 'light' boolit plinking round I had forgotten about that is subsonic. It came about from trying to get my 'rust textured' two-groove 303 Brit to shoot cast/paper patched. It didn't work in that rifle but was very accurate in my short barreled pig gun with suppressor. Very quiet too.

[Joby]

300 BO cast loads at about 1850 fps from AR's are popular fodder. As well as 38 special fed through a lever gun. The kids can't get enough.

[rintinglen]

I took this to mean rifles, and answered accordingly, but most of my plinking is done with 38/357 revolver and a 148 -155 grain wadcutter over a modest charge of WW-231. 700 -800 fps, depending on barrel length. out of my Rossi M-92, they run just over a 1000 fps, but are quiet, not more than a 22 LR but must be single loaded, because they won't feed through the action.

[sharps4590]

It depends on the rifle. I voted 1500-1600 fps as that's where I run bolt rifle reduced loads. Older cartridges that might or might not have originally been BP I'll run around 1100-1200 fps. A couple are as runfive described, they have one load and run them 1800-1900 fps.

[Dave C.]

22 lr