Starting loads ?

[facetious]

How do you come up with starting loads that are less than book?

I have a .308 that I have had for some time. I tried starting with imr 4227 and starting loads from the lyman book and working up to the max listed. The starting load wasn't all that good and got worse as I went. I was going to a plinking party and just for fun I dropped the load to one grain less then the starting load listed and off I went. The targets were the small water bottles and with open sights it was like I couldn't miss. All shots were in side 50yrds..

Life has a way of getting in the way of a good time and ten years latter I'm trying to get back to some things that got shelved, I had loaded up a bunch of the plinking load just to have on hand but had never shot them at paper to see how thy shot. Having had a chance to try them on paper, at 50yrd's thy were good enough to hit water bottles but at 100yrd's the best I can say is thy all stayed on a 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

I have read every thing I can find on this and at one point was thinking I my need a different powder but I found that a lot of guys used it but with loads way below the starting loads listed. Lyman lists 21gr as starting and I was using 20grs. Many of the loads I read about are down around 16 to 18grn's. I am going to try working down but how low can you go? I would like to get the speed in to the upper teens but would like to get useful groups more.

The boolit is a 170gn from LBT and when tried with Herco it would drop them in to less than a inch at 50yrds till you got tired. ( load recommended by Veral). The last time I tried j words it would do about 2.5 in. at 200yrds. This was back in the days of "Clinton the First". The alloy is 5lb lino, 1lb tin and WW to make about 100lb. and water dropped. Sized .311, lube is LBT Blue.

I have seen this with other powders where I see loads posted that are way lower than listed starting loads.

So how are you coming up with starting loads or are you doing like I'm going to try and work down. These are just plinking rounds not hunting but would be nice if thy had enough thump to be useful.

[carlsonwayne]

I take the minimum recommended load, and drop a grain at a time until accuracy disappears, or occasionally the bullet decides not to come out. Some powders don't like this, so be careful. If you try my method and blow something up, die, or both, it's your problem, not mine!!!! Just because I'm a little crazy, doesn't mean you have to be. 296 is one I know for sure is reported to not like going very much lower than minimum recommended. I didn't have any problems where I stopped, but it's definitely not what they recommend. H4895 has a formula for it on Hodgdons site. Trail Boss is another one that has legitimate info and a formula. I use both. H4895 reduced loads are still loud and have some recoil, while Trail Boss in the rifle is quieter and typically very mild recoil. Good luck, and don't die.

[wiljen]

When reducing loads below book minimums, there are some guidelines to remember.

1.) Dont reduce any powder 4350 or slower below book minimums. These can become erratic as they are hard to light and do not tolerate airspace in the case very well.

2.) Study up and know which powders take well to reducing (4895, 4064, 5744 in rifles, red dot, unique in pistols) and which do not (Ball powders generally do not reduce well).

3.) Start with the powders that are known to reduce well and work in small increments to find what works best in your gun.

[bangerjim]

I do the same.....start backing about 1/2gn at a time from book minimum until things fall apart - - - unburned powder, poor accuracy, even stuck slug (watch for that very closely!!!!).

That method has worked for me in many cals!

banger

[starmac]

I am not sure how to find them, but if you can find post from Jim who used to be a member here, he did some extensive down loading with nice recorded results and write ups. iirc 308 was one of the calibers he worked with.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am not sure how to find them, but if you can find post from Jim who used to be a member here, he did some extensive down loading with nice recorded results and write ups. iirc 308 was one of the calibers he worked with.

Jim (and Jeff) have tons of info on their webpage.
https://floydpics.wordpress.com/