When shooting reduced blue dot loads does the angle of the round make a difference? IE shooting up or down? I live and hunt on some steep hills



These loads should carry over fairly well with a 7mm-08 should they not?



and wowwww,,,I just noticed that you used a large pistol primer not a rifle primer???? This keeps the pressure down?



Thanks for the info

Posey,

Yeah a large pistol primer or rifle primer work fine. Believe it or not, I see signs of higher pressure with a pistol primer over a rifle primer. Doesn't figure, but I am not an explosive expert.

Western NC is no more rugged than Western Oregon, believe me. The velocity of the round doesn't seem to be real sensitive to change, based on its position in the case. I would personally load a Large rifle primer in it, if hunting with it in hilly terrrain. The hotter spark won't hurt.

As always, work up in using this info. All rounds are different and all guns are different. Also note that I seat the bullets out substantially near the lands, as the Ruger rifles are long throated. Deeper seating will cause increase in presssure as you near max capacity.

Good luck if you try it.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

I may be wrong, but from the work I have done with new shooters, muzzle blast and any recoil is an issue. It has always been my OPINION that one can get used to significant recoil, but it is a learned response and starting out with lower noise level helps advance the student(new shooter) much faster.

One of the shooters at our range has a wife that hunts and one of her serious guns is 375 H&H . She stands there and shoots it just fine even though it moves her upper boddy significantly. . . . recoil tolerant!

Seafire said:

"Yeah a large pistol primer or rifle primer work fine. Believe it or not, I see signs of higher pressure with a pistol primer over a rifle primer. Doesn't figure, but I am not an explosive expert..."

Louis guessed/opined:
Is it signs of higher pressure, or the results of the softer primer cup in the pistol round.

The AA1680 loads for the 357 Herrett in the Accurate Arms Powder powder company reloading manual, are much higher than other manuals, but they utilize the Large Pistol primer to reduce that spike of "max" pressure.

Thanks Seafire,,,

I have some Posey relatives out there but have only pasted through myself on the way back from AK.

I tend to hunt all the steeper hard to get to places around here to avoid the crowd...For me another hunter = a crowd.

MY newest find is a couple thousand acres that one must climb for 1-2 hours to get to. base elivation is 2000 feet or so on the Nantahala river and the area I hunt is at 4500 feet or so. Last year I shot a boar with my bow on a steep downhill shot,,,rangfinder said 48 yards and I aimed for 15,,,perfect hit and dead piggie hit just beside the spine and out the other side of the chest just back of the shoulder,,,Its steep....but I have never even seen a footprint other than mine or my uncles and we have brought 2 boar and 6 deer outa there,,,

OH yes,,, I'm shooting Varget and Hornady 139 grain Interbond for a hunting load in my 7mm-08,,,

Looking at the lower velocity loads for a small game getter and plinker.

While dressing that boar I was discovered by a couple of hikers that had wondered of the Appalachian trail a few houndred yards....They were rather surprised that such big nasty looking things were sharing the woods with them,,"250 pound Russian,,the pig,, I'm Irish "

Thanks again

And the russian (pig) is the good looking one ????

Seafire, I doubt if it would make much difference in the max pressure levels you get with these loads because of the type of primer. i suspect the reason you see higher pressure indications with the LP prijmers is because their cups are thinner, and will deform more than a LR primer at the same pressure levels. This is why rifle primers are used in cartridges like the .454 Casull, etc.

Well he was a right nice lookin pig laying there in the snow with that fletching sticking out his back,,,and as sweaty and tired as I was the hikers were probably listening for banjo music,,,,but by the time I dressed that stinky bugger then slid, pushed, pulled and cussed it back down to the river that was one uggggly bugger,,,,we were both covered in blood, pig hair, and Ice. Ya know pigs fly quite well untill they tangle in a patch of Mountain Laural

Elde G:

I am in 100 % concurrence with your assumptions. Like everything I see, I post it in here for people to draw their own. I just saw it as an important thing to bring to people;s attention.

Thanks as always for your intelligent insight my friend!

cheers and good shooting
seafire

Seafire, I've been meaning to ask you about your velocity figures. Are they from a single cartridge fired, or are they an average? If an average, how many rounds do you use at each powder charge?

Andy,

those are from a single cartridge. Instead of doing a batch of them, I use just one.

The only reason so, is that Blue Dot has been the most consistent powder with the smallest deviation of any powder I HAVE EVER LOADED.

At first I did multiples, like 3 or 4, but when the readings were within 5 to 10 fps, I thought it was both a waste of expense and time.

When I do get something that is out of the patterns, I will retest that charge weight several times before I repost it.

I have found a few anomalys. Several times I have found charge weight X has more velocity than charge weight X plus one grain. So I get more extensive. If I get the same results second time around, then I post them that way.

Hope this answers your questions. Remember this is home based testing, not the US Army with unlimited budget althought that could be fun.

Thanks for the question

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Seafire, have you used Blue Dot in the 30-06 or 35 Whelen? Thanks, Okie John.

O.J.

I have tested it in the 30/06 and did post the range results to that one.

I have not tried it in the 35 Whelan since I don't own one. However I have tried it in the 338/06 and those results should be very very close, if nothing else a good point of reference to do some personal testing for ya.

If you don't find the post on search, let me know via email and I will email you my test results.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire