Low recoil military load

[toolz568]

I read a great article in Dec 15 handloader on reduced loads (they call them squib) for battle rifles, but it never states recoil. I would like to develop a low recoil load for my son to start shooting, but I really don't want another useless mold, I have a dozen of those already. Has anyone shot a 81 gr. 32 cal cast boolit from a 7.62x54r, 30-06, or .303?

Load: 81 RCBS 32-84 (sized to .311), 5 gr. Trail boss, WLR primer.

Thanks,

[Jeffrey]

I shoot (in a 30-30) 3.5 grains Bullseye under a 150 grain LEE boolit. Do an advanced search for "cat sneeze" or "mouse fart" loads. Then there is the "Universal Load": 10 grains unique in almost any mid-capacity rifle cartridge with a mid weight for caliber boolit. Look here too. This may give you ideas. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-reduced-loads

[Outpost75]

If you want a low recoil hunting load for your son, and don't already cast, the 123-grain Hornady softpoint bullets intended for the 7.62x39 shoot wonderfully in the .303 British and 7.62x54R, have much lighter recoil than service loads and will perform normally for deer and similar game, when driven at about 2000-2400 fps. Try loading 30 grains of any medium burning, extruded rifle powder you have around, 4198, RL7, 3031, 4895, 4064, RL15 or Varget will all work. This is a full load with 4198, but charges with RL7 and 3031 can be increased up to 5 grains if desired, and 4895, 4064, RL15 or Varget up to 15 grains for a "full" charge.

DO NOT reduce charges with any "ball" powder.

[longbow]

I've never loaded as light as 81 grs. in my .303's but have loaded up very shootable light loads using regular weight boolits down to 130 gr. but even with 200 gr. boolits and light loads of fastish powders recoil is light.

As mentioned, the universal 10 grs. of Unique is a winner and you can go lighter if you want. I have also used a lot of IMR4227 in light to moderate loads with great success. I generally load down to about 18 grs. of IMR 4227 under boolits of up to 200 grs. and up to 22 grs. or so. It all works well. Lately I have been using 22 grs. IMR 4227 under my Mihec 316410 130 gr. HP with really good results. I haven't checked velocity but recoil is light and water jugs explode!

Take a look at the suggestions for loads here:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Rifles-Article

You will find something suitable I am sure.

Longbow

[toolz568]

Thanks, this is a starting point. This is not intended as a hunting load but more of an intro to bigger rifles. I am kind of a recoil junky so I am not a good judge on kid friendly loads. I like Trail Boss because it is big and fills the cartridge well.

[Mk42gunner]

My current plinking load for a .308 is a 122 gr PB in front of 6.0 grains of 231. When I run out of them I have a new to me six cavity Lee 93 grain round nose to try. For making holes in paper and knocking tin cans around it doesn't need a flat point. The lighter boolit will also save me a bit of lead.

Read the link longbow posted. Lots of good ideas there.

Robert

[Scharfschuetze]

When my son was growing up and learning to shoot and reload, we tried several low recoil loads in the 30/30, 30/40 and the larger 30 calibre military rifles.

The 32 Auto boolits were just too light for good accuracy and I gave up on those pretty fast. The best boolits that I found for such a project were the 32/20 designs with the 115 grain designs performing well when loaded over Bullseye powder to about 1,100 fps or so. No need for gas checks or fillers, just load and shoot. They'll hold well out to 200 yards or so if your sight is up to the rainbow trajectory. The longer nose or ogive on the 32/20 designs (like the poorly named round-nose-flat-point) will often allow them to feed from the magazine of your rifle.

For paper punching or popping jack rabbits and other vermin to about 50 yards or so, the Speer 98 grain HBWC for the 32 S&W is a good choice. Loaded to about 1,000 fps, it will hit hard and shoot very accurately. Depending your your rifle, it may have to be single loaded. For a young shooter aiming at tin cans and paper this might be the best choice as long as the ranges are not extended.

As noted in the CE Harris article, 5 grains of BE is a good starting point. You can refine your load from there. Higher velocities than about 1,100 fps are better achieved with Unique.

UPDATE: When loading these squib loads in a rimless case like the 7.65 Mauser, 308 or the 30/06, you'll find that your cases will shrink in length at their datum point as you shoot them and thus they will give you an excessive headspace situation after only a few loads. While not dangerous per say, you can alleviate the problem by drilling out your flash holes on your segregated squib load cases. This will help equalize the pressure between the powder chamber and the higher pressure inside the primer pocket with ultra light or squib loads.

This is not a problem with rimmed cases like the 30/40 Krag.

[Shiloh]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Rifles-Article

See this article from a sticky.

Shiloh

[Thumbcocker]

5-7 grains of fast powder with your boolit. .311 may be a little small; slug your bore and go bore size or bigger.

[Hick]

I shoot low recoil loads in my 32 WS, 30-30 and M1 Garand. I just use starting loads from the Lyman Cast bullet handbook (3rd edition) and find that they are usually low recoil. Anything from 110 grains to 170 grains (M1) has relatively low recoil as long as you stay down in the 1000-1400 fps range.

[Gunnut 45/454]

I second and third the 10 gr load of Unique for any 30 caliber plus mil rifle! Use it a lot in my 8x57mm with any boolit 150 gr an up. Very light recoil in those heavy rifles about on par with 22 mag. So if your boy can handle that he'll be able to handle those loads in any Mil caliber you have. Load them up an get him shooting!

[bruce drake]

8gr of Unique or 9gr of Red Dot over Hornady's 85 and 100gr .312 Hollowpoints make great plinkers in my 303 Brit Enfield and 7.62x54R M44 rifles for my sons when they were younger. For cast, I used Lymans' 311359 115gr spirepoint and LEE's 93gr .311 RN bullet molds for same amount of fun.

Have fun with the boy.

[mac1911]

It's hard to get much lighter than trail boss. I had a 12 year old girl shooting my mosin with 200 grain bullet and trail boss.
Hodgdons reduced load formula for H4895 works well also....
I recently tried some 110 grain M1 carbine bullets in my 1903a3 with 2400.....very light and was surprised to get a 3" group of 5 shots!

[toolz568]

Great information. I have the Lyman 311359 mold so that will be my starting point. Thanks again for the help.