Hi everyone,

Just got back from the range with my first ever reloads for .30-06. I decided to go with blue dot since it seems to have a great following for accuracy, and I was not disappointed in that area. My best group out of a Browning A-bolt medalion (1 in 10 twist, 22" barrel)was with 24 gr behind a 125 gr Nosler Ballistic tip seated to an overall length of 3.270"

With one bad shot on my part out of 5, I had a group of 4 that I can cover with a nickel, so I think I will be loading more of that combination and 1/10 either way to see if I can tighten it up any more before playing with seating depth.

What I don't have, though is a chronograph (yet) since I am just getting started with this reloading thing...more or less to feed my wife's addiction to shooting all of the 9mm shells I load up. So...I am wondering if anyone has any velocity information on the combination I listed above or something relatively close.

I am looking to make this a good deer load and have found through a bit of research that if I get the round going too fast, it may become too explosive on impact rather than getting a good mushroom. I'd like to stay under 2800fps or so, and I am figuring I am, but some solid numbers would be nice if anyone has them.

Thanks in advance everyone!!

Steve

Seafire may be a proponent of Blue Dot in rifle cartridges but Alliant powders is not. I called asked for data and they had none. They don’t give out data for cartridge/combinations they consider unsuitable. They told me they did not recommend using Blue Dot in these sort of applications because tiny changes (in components, etc) would create big changes in pressure. I don’t remember the exact quote but that was the gist.

Vihta's N110 powder is recommended by the manufacturer for this kind of use, so are SR4759 and Trail Boss. Here, the competitive classic military rifle shooters fire thousands of rounds. Still, accidents have happened due to double loads. Thus, always look twice!

Blue Dot for my taste is too far on the fast side even though it seems to work. Still, I changed to N110 and sometimes SR4759 for reduced loads for the .222, 30/06, .338 WM, 9,3x74R and the .375 H&H.

I shoot the 30/06 with N110 and 125 grain SP bullets at the running boar.

QuickLoad should give you a good idea that these are NOT reduced pressure loads!

Like I said, the major risk are double loads. Look TWICE before seating the bullet!

QL calls that load as 2309 FPS @ 30253 psi.

Hiya,

Thanks Paul. I'm just getting started with this stuff so I will also thank you for just putting out there what I asked for and nothing extra.

Steve

SlamFire: The tecnical term is "CYA"

If the use of faster powders scares anyone, then by all means don't use them. But just because a particular loading manual doesn't list a particular powder does not mean that powder is automatically unsafe. I understand Alliant's hesitancy to list BlueDot data, although in the past Hurcules listed a number of reduced rifle cartridge loads with that powder.

Hodgdon OTOH apparently does not have concerns about using fast powders in high intensity cartridges for reduced loads. For the .223 Remington and 55-grain FMJ bullets they list loads for Titegroup and Clays along with TrailBoss. For the .308 Winchester they list loads using a 168-grain bullet with Tightgroup and Clays. They do not appeaqr to be scared of pistol powders in rifle cases for reduced loads. But like many load combinations, it is possible to add too much power and blow up a rifle, be it TightGroup, BlueDot, IMR4227 or IMR4198. Just because a load delivers low velocities does not mean it operates at low pressures. Caveat Emptor.



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