Ok, I've been shooting at targets, and occasionally hitting them, for most of my life, and that is a very long time indeed! Since I've gotten into Cowboy Action Shooting, I've been doing a lot of reloading (got to, can't afford loaded ammo in these quantities), all with the normal goals for this sport of low recoil, short range, all lead. No problems at all, using published data and gradually reducing the loads to where they still go bang and manage to limp their way to the steel plates.
I've been reloading long enough to understand, in general terms, the theories about burning rate/bullet weight/pressure peaks et al.- or at least I thought so until I got hooked on this forum. I guess I knew just enough to be dangerous! Turns out all the books make assumptions that don't always apply to lead bullets in rifles, or real light loads in shotguns, or bullet diameters, or gas checks or-or-or-----
This has become an issue now, at least for me, because some of the Cowboy shoots are introducing long range shoots (long range being 100-200 yards) using the expected buffalo guns but also big-bore levers, rolling blocks, and even Mil-Surps. So- now I've got to load .444, 45-70, 7mm Mauser, 06, 30-40 and even 30-30 to maximize the fun quotient. I've gotten a good feel for the light rifle loads using Unique (!) and the normal rifle powders from this forum and will be trying a few loads just as soon as my new dies and bullets arrive.
Red dot will work in your 30-40, 06, 7mm [12gr] is acceptable in these, Not the 30-30, case capacity is to small for this load
Now--the three big questions still remaining:
1. I'm an old IPSC shooter, still have tons of pistol powders laying around, like Acurate #2, Accurate #5, Win 231, Win 296, and Bullseye. If Unique works well for light lead loads, why wouldn't these? Are any of them apt to pressure peak too high, as I understand Red Dot can? Using old guns, pressure is important!!!
Cases with the capacity of the 30-40 and 06, 308 will take 12 gr OK, you can work from there depending on your rifle.
2. I understand that lead bullets should be a thou or two bigger diameter in order to properly obturate, but is that not also a function of velocity/ burn rate/ pressure? In other words, would a slower load need a bigger bullet to seal the bore- or are all lead loads considered to be "slow" and therefore need to be bigger? This of course assumes that bullet hardness is proper.
Most pistol loads work well .002 over bore size, if chamber throats will accept the loaded rounds, Best to check cylinder throats/bbl to get a good fit. Rifles, slug the bore to determine the size boolit you need/ this will be affected by the chamber throat of your rifle, a chamber cast works good for this.
3.With regards to 2. above, how does the presence/absence of a gas check affect size? Use cast diameter loads data or use jacketed loads data?
GC doesn't affect boolit size, size for the bore. Use cast boolit load data, if you use jacked info, start at the minimum load, work up if necessary.
4. Okay, one more- all the published shot shell data carries umpteenzillion warnings to not deviate- but as long as I'm going lower charge and lower shot weight (with shot cup fillers), but using correct shot cup/wad column, where's the danger??
If you are talking about Buckshot sub for bird shot, no problem as long as your weight doesn't change, liter is ok , don't go over. You should not change other componnets. Go to the Shotgun casting Thread for a lot of info on this.
I've gathered that there are some real experts on this site, so I know the answers are out there! BTW, one of you guys ought to write a book, with the possible exception of the Lyman handbook,there's not a whole lot of meaningful dope published.
Google LASC.usa for a lot of good casting info and search the Classics and Stickies threads on this site.
This may be too many questions for one session, if so let me know and I'll resubmit.
Thanks much!!