Blue Dot & reduced loads for .308?
Looking for some blue dot CB loads for 160gr .308 (7.62x51 Military cases). I've also seen lots of references to Blue Dot in .30-06, has anyone tried Blued Dot in .25-06 (jacketed)?
Also interested in possibly using Unique & Bullseye for the .308 CB loads.
Some of my Blue Dot Experience
I use it quite a bit in the Krag. I had a lb I been moving around with me for 10 years, discovered Seafires info and gave it a try. Here's a pic of a 1250fps load with a Belding & Mull 311169. 12.5gr of BD with a Remington 9 1/2M primer. The magnum primer is what really made it work. 5 shots at 85 yds, 3 in a cloverleaf, 2 touching less than an inch away. I'd been having trouble with it, was getting some good sub groups with way too many flyers messing them up. The .308 has roughly the same capacity as the 30/40. Blue Dot is only a little faster than 2400, there's plenty of data for it here on this site. Here's seafire's method for working up a load with BD:
Well I know this seafire character pretty well...
His formula was to fill a case until it overflowed...
Then level it off even with the rim of the cartridge, and then weigh the amount of Blue Dot for a full case...
20% of that figure is the recommended Minimum load...
30% is a good starting point to work up loads..
40% of that figure is a good point to proceed slower...
This is where it gets important....
50% of that figure should be in the neighborhood of Max, if the case is based on a 30/06 case....
work up slowly and in small increments above 50% of max in magnum cases, 308 and 7 x 57 based cases...
Max will be near 60% of full capacity in most cartridges depending upon bullet weight...( except 30/06 based cases.. IE.. 25/06, 270, 280, 30/06, 338/06, 35 Whelen)
Large Rifle primers are recommended, even in Magnum cases...
Blue Dot is not position sensitive in rifle cases, even with only 20% of max as a charge...
NO FILLER is recommended, as it will actually increase pressures....
Do NOT consider Blue Dot for maximizing velocity potential of a rifle case..
Consider it for accuracy and reduced velocity loads... at 40 to 50% you are not shooting reduced pressure loads.. just reduced velocity loads...
The mildest of magnum primers is what it took to make it work right for me, and I've had forum members here tell me it is position sensitive. I haven't tried tipping it either way, just let it lay in the case.