.30-06 With a Lee Loader? Info on milder loadings
I just went to my local ammo go-to, and they wanted over $2 a round for some Hornady hunting ammo. I refuse to drop $40+ for a box of ammo!
I do have about 200 casings, all fired from the same rifle, so it seems like a Lee Loader could do a good job reloading for a .30-06.
I'd like to work up a milder plinking/200yd or less whitetail load for it. Maybe a 150-160gr, 2300-2500fps. (that should put it somewhere around a .30-30 or .308).
I have a concern about using a Lee Loader for this. I have one for .38spl, and using Lee molded boolits, (.358 they are supposed to be), I frequently get a small shaving of lead coming off while seating them. Maybe I'm not using the Lee Loader right, but I watched several vids on it, it really seems like it's hard to do it wrong.
Has anyone else had good success with a Lee Loader in .30-06, or something similar?
Speaking of molds, I don't have a .30 mold, but am thinking about a Lee .309 in 150gr flat point. I realize that would really limit long range performance, vs. a Spitzer or round nose. But the absolute maximum range I can shoot is under 200 yards.
At a quick glance, it looks like ~11gr Unique is a nice plinker load, and up to 24gr (according to an old Lyman manual) was hot.
What do you think? The cost of supplies (a mold and a Lee Loader) would equal the cost of 4 boxes of shells at that price. If I could figure out a lighter recoiling load for it, I would take it out plinking more often.