jacket bullet load wanted

[TREERAT]

want to use aa5744 in my .300 win mag for some reduced loads useing 170g sierra flat nose 30-30 bullet in the 2,000 to 2,400 fps range, but cant find any data.

I have done this many times with the ultra mag, as lee has data for that, but there is 5744 data for a cast 168g in the win mag, would it be safe to use this data with the 170g fn jacket? seems since 5744 works so good in the ultra mag for reduced loads that it should also work well in the win mag?

[NickSS]

I would think that the 168 cast load would be safe with a 170 Jacketed bullet. The other thing you could do is use the ultra mag data and reduce the load buy the percentage of case capacity between the ultra and win mags.

[onondaga]

The cast bullet Lee load you refer to , 35.0 grains 5744 @ 2216 fps for the 168 grain lead bullet in a 300WM on page 472 will be close to the same velocity for a 170 gr jacketed bullet. A jacketed bullet of the same weight will have slightly higher pressure and slightly lower velocity compared to lead. The pressure Lee lists for the lead bullet load is 25,000 CUP and that is not anywhere near maximum for your rifle. I'd put money down that the charge will push the 170 grained jacketed bullet within 200 fps of the lead bullet velocity, and the only difference you would notice is the copper in your bore and a barely detectable recoil difference between the jacketed bullet and the cast bullet. I prefer lead for hunting, it expands better than any jacketed bullet for me. To be really sure, I'd recommend calling Accurate Powder and see if they have a specific reason not to try the load.

Even if the pressure difference between the lead and jacketed bullet was 20,000 CUP you still would not be close to max with your rifle and you just don't see 20,000 CUP pressure change between copper and lead with bullet weights that similar.

Gary

[flounderman]

any load listed for cast bullets can be used with jacketed, because you are using the same amount of powder, in the same case, in a reduced load. you can run into trouble reducing some powders to where you leave too much air space in large, bottlenecked cases and get detonation. seems I remember a friend telling me he took a 22-348 and reduced his load a little at a time and it reached a point the velocities were going back up and at one point they were almost back up to the full load velocities. the powder was probably 4831 or 5010. subsituting a jacketed bullet for a lead bullet. could raise pressures, but an oversize, hard cast lead bullet could offer more resistance than a jacketed bullet. a chronograph is a valuable tool for a handloader.

[TREERAT]

thanks for the help folks! but I have decided since I own a 300 ultra mag and have the versitility to load how I want with that caliber, I really had no need for the 300 win mag, so I sold it off.

but I want to try something else with the ultra mag an need to confirm my theory, If you have a Lee manual please comment!

on page #481 under the 168g data it has cast data for 25g 5744 and a jacketed REDUCED load of 38g 5744 then regular data from 57.4g to 61g 5744, ---- so my question is the way this is presented I beleive it would be perfectly fine to load a jacket bullet anywhere from 38g to 61g, so if I wanted to load 50g which would be way under there start load But also way above there reduced load that should work fine, right? to shorten my question, if you were looking at page 481 of lee manual would you feel comfortable looking to do 2,500 fps with 5744 and a sierra 170 30-30 bullet? I am not concerned about pushing the 30-30 sierra bullet this fast because I have already talked to sierra and they said there would be no problem starting this bullet at this speed, they said it is up to the task!

and more on topic, while I have your attention, I have a bunch of .30 cal 125g gc lead fn that I think would make a small game load in the ultra, I have unique, universal and red dot, figureing unique would be best, but how much? could I start as low as 10g?

[onondaga]

I am on that page and agree the Sierra bullet at 2500 with 5744 is good to go. I hope it groups for you, just because it is safe doesn't mean it will group well!!!..

Sorry, I've never used Unique. I'd sure like to try Trailboss although if I wanted some low velocity plinkers in any caliber. Take a look at that one too, the loading instructions are real easy!!!

[madsenshooter]

Sometimes these reduced velocity loads will surprise you. Powders that burn 100% tend to give you low velocity variation and standard deviation, in some cases single digit.