I'd like to push a 50-55 grain bullet at 2000 to 2500 fps for fur hunting. Prices are coming up and I need to minimize damage. 4198, 4350, H380, 4831 are some powders that I have in inventory so recipes with those would be really handy but whatever youve got will be appreciated. Thanks--JM.

I need to add that I call and get alot of bobcats at the 50 yards and less range but I need the ability to take care of them at 100 to 150 yards also. Thanks--JM.

Quickload thinks that 12 to 16 gr. of IMR4198 should get between 2000 and 2500 fps with 50 or 55 gr bullets. 12 gr would only make the case half full, and that may or may not be a problem.

26 gr of IMR4381 should give about 2500 fps and fill the case.

I am getting 2050 fps with a moly 60 gr and 10 gr of Blue Dot.

7.5 grains of AA #5 gives me a trifle over 1800 fps. It's a low pressure load, so there is room to bump it up.

There is a large section in Firearm Pressure Factors by Brownell, and another in Ackley's books, about reduced charges of slow powders producing erratic results, and unpredictably blowing up guns. Ackley specifically references 4831. I don't know if 4198 would be a problem in a reduced load, but it would make me a little nervous.

What I've been told is that significantly less than full cases of slow powders tend to produce erratic results. You'll get a different MV if you bring your rifle to level from "muzzle up" vs. bringing it to level from "muzzle down". TiteGroup specifically claims that it will give you the same result in either of those situations, with reduced loads.

My suggestions would be to go with Clark's full case of 4831, or with a reduced load of some very easy to light pistol powder.

BTW, 223 with a reduced load makes you wonder if there is a place in the universe for 22 Mag. Costs about the same to shoot.

Check with seafire B17G. He is doing a lot of reduced loading and one thread was on the .223. Safari hunter has added substantially to this also. roger

Denton; the 22 mag is awesome on the 50 yarders but I've never seen one that shot good at 150 yards so this is my reasoning with the centerfire. Thanks for all the info everyone and keep it coming please.--JM.

I found some loads listed using Dup 4759 ,10.5 grains getting around 2000 fps. Anyone have any experience with this powder?--Thanks --JM.

Hard to find for me, but my results, especially in a 30/30 have been spectacular.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Seafire; Bartsche said you did alot of reduced load testing in 223. Any suggestions? Thanks--JM.



BTW The G models were the ones with the twin 50's in the chin turret manned by the navigator right?.....

HeliDriver -

Using a Sra 50gr Sptz (10 shots/ 50 yrds), 22", WSR,

8gr BlueDot, mv= 2035, sd= 11, groupsize= 1.27"
9gr BlueDot, mv= 2211, sd= 20, gs= 2.0"
10gr BlueDot, mv= 2368, sd= 20, gs= 2.1"

8gr VVN350, mv= 2035, sd= 11, gs= 1.43"
9gr VVN350, mv= 2211, sd= 20, gs= 1.80"
10gr VVN350, mv= 2368, sd= 20, gs= 2.2"

Though generally for jacketed 223 reduced loads we use the 35gr Vmax - then we can get btwn 2000 and 2700 using pistol/shotgun powders - and the loads run btwn .9" and 1.5" (10 at 50y).
hope that helps,
greg
www.gmdr.com

Thanks alot for the info Greg; I talked to the guys at IMR today and they told me I could go all the way down to 16 grains w/ their IMR 4895. I started there and worked my way up to 20 grains w/ a 55 grain sierra spitzer. Oddly enough each grain roughly represented 100 feet per second so that put me right at 2000 fps. 3 shot groups at 50 yds were between 0.5 and 0.75". I might add that my barrel is only 18". What a joy to shoot ,these reduced loads are, tho.Thanks for all the info.--JM.