Tell me about Red Dot in smaller rifle cases for Boolits

[ohland]

Looking about in the Fortress of Solitude, I was czeching on what was in the back row, and found two containers of Alliant Red Dot. RD is bulkier than Unique (RD has a VMD of .1413 and Unique has a VMD of .1092). Like to find a load for the 25/35 (37 gr capacity) so there is some sorta starting point.

Want to use a 6.8mm SPC (34.5gr capacity) with RD and the 109gr 280468S boolit. I have been using 5.0 grains of Unique, and I'd like to do a similar load with RD.

Is RD flaming dirt like Unique? (the newest grind of Unique seems fairly clean).

Some math (hard without alcohol!)

1cc = 1 gram H2O, 1 gram = 15.43 grains.
6.8mm SPC has @ 2.26cc case capacity
Charge wt x VMD = cc

5gr (Unique) x .1092 = .546cc (24.2% load density)
5gr (Red Dot) x .1413 = .7065cc (31.3% load density)
5gr (Clays) x .1462 = .731cc (32.4% load density)

Ooh, some Clays data for the 25/35 Win (I don't have any Clays!) from Hodgdon:
90 GR. LFP W/GCK
Start - 5.0 gr / 1,284 fps / 25,100 CUP
Max - 6.0 gr / 1,344 fps / 34,000 CUP

Mmm, what a forgiving load.

[35remington]

Red Dot burns cleaner in reduced loads in the 308 I'm shooting with wadcutters, cleaner than Trail Boss and Universal, two touted powders in the "I don't think my gun should get dirty while shooting" department. Incidentally, Bullseye burns cleaner than both of those two as well. Bullseye is regularly pilloried for being dirty.......but it's not so. Not in reduced rifle loads.

Ballistic consistency is more important than believing you should never clean your gun anyway.

[dtknowles]

I have loaded and shot ammo loaded with cast bullets in a 30-30 with Red Dot, Unique and Green Dot. I found them to be so similar as to be interchangeable in my loads with 130 and 170 gr. bullets at velocities of 1200 to 1600 fps.

Tim

[Catshooter]

I've used five grains of Red Dot under a Lyman 311008 in the 30-30. Great load. Runs about 1,400 fps. Boolit weighs 120 grains.


Cat

[Lonegun1894]

I use it for light loads in .30-30, .308, .30-06, .303 Brit, but more for catsneeze loads. My usual is 2.7grs of RD in any of those cases under a 150-170gr boolit. I know you can go higher, but just keep in mind that RD has a faster burn rate than Unique and many others. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your use.

[Outpost75]

Red Dot is a good choice for subsonic suppressor loads because it bulks well in the case and ignites easily. The lightest charges which I have found to exit the barrel reliably are:

4 grains in the 5.56mm with 55-grain M193 bullet.
4 grains in the .30 M1 carbine with Ball M1 or 110-grain Speer Varminter bullets
5 grains in the 7.62x39 with 122-grain PS or Hornady 123-grain spire point bullets
6 grains in the 7.62 NATO with Ball M80 or 150-grain flatnose .30-30 bullets
7 grains in the .30-'06 with 168-175-grain Ball M1, APM2 or M72 bullets.

Use standard rifle primers. DO NOT REDUCE these charges if using jacketed bullets.

Charges may be reduced 1 grain only, if using soft lead, lubricated bullets in a CLEAN, lightly-oiled bore from which all jacket fouling has been removed.

Charges may be increased up to 2 grains or in accordance with reliably published loading data, as accuracy indicates, but velocities will then become supersonic.

[ohland]

Wow, those are reduced loads fer sure. Not looking to do jacketed at this time, nor subsonic. 1400 fps or so for good, dirty fun....

[gnoahhh]

The one and only time I stuck a bullet in a bore was when I substituted a 150gr. jacketed bullet for a 155gr. PB cast bullet with my then standard 6gr. Red Dot plinker load in the .30-40 Krag. Had to have it drilled out (successfully).

[scattershot]

170 grain boolit with 6.5 RD and a puff of Dacron makes a great plinking load in 30/30. At 1100 fps, I have no doubt you could take a deer with it at close range.

[Harter66]

I got a 7x6.8 Rem down to sub sonic w/3 gr of Unique and 1 NOE 287-150 .
Groups began to fail at about 6 gr of RD in a 7.62x39 . I think I stopped at about 6 great of Unique in that 7x6.8.

[runfiverun]

with a cast boolit some of those loads aren't sub sonic.
they might be slow but not sub-sonic.
4 grs of red-dot in the 223 will move that little boolit right along.
I'm thinking of trying 4 grs of red-dot in my 300 b.o. with the lee 240 plain base and I'm worried it might be a little too fast.