I have some questions about using reduced loads and have done a little research but I wanted to see if anybody had anything else to say.

Are reduced loads as accurate as equivalent chambering? Example: will a 300 win mag loaded down to 308 be as accurate as full-loaded 308?

Are reduced loads that much easier on your barrel?

Since there is less powder an velocity, I would assume that pressures are less, could this degrade accuracy.

One last question, will reduced loads produce less barrel heat after repeated firing? Example: will a 22-250 shooting around 3200 fps heat a barrel up faster than a 223 running 3200?

I would appreciate any help. I would love to have more guns, but unfortunately that is not possible for me. I was hoping to fill some of the voids with creative reloading.

Justin, building reduced loads for plinking, small game or target practice is one of the benefits of handloading. There is a fellow here that has done a lot of work on the subject, Martin Potts. Until he checks in I will pass on a few tips/comments etc for you to ponder.

There are reduced loads, then there are reduced loads. At some point as you down load you lose the option of using jacketed bullets as they tend to get stuck in the barrel when pressures become mild. If you are looking for very mild velocities you need to consider cast lead bullets for that. As an example, I may load .44 Mag loads to 1000 fps with jacketed bullets in my rifle, I will use lead below that. I am not aware of a specific threshold for the changeover however, perhaps others can share that with you.

Hodgdon has published loads for rifles using H4895 for reduced loads in a broad array of cartridges, and though I will not say that powder is the only one useful for the endeavor, I will say that you need to avoid powders generally classified as slow burning types, ie. 4350 or slower. Many will caution you about this due to alleged detonation overpressure excursions, I will say only that slow powders perform poorly with reduced loads. Fast to medium burn rates are best for the application.

Many reduced load combos are as accurate or more so than full power loads, and the reasons are as diverse as the variables of internal ballistics. In particular, cast bullet loads are not usually loaded to achieve velocity, and their accuracy is quite often amazing. The key to success here is matching bullet and bore size among other things, the bullet being .001-.002" over groove diameter.

Absolute pressure values are not directly related to accuracy, else the 45-70 would never hit anything, and the .300 Weatherby would never miss. The effects of pressure do have an effect however, though it is neither always bad or good. Don't worry about it.

Barrel heat is related to charge weight and bore size, not velocity. The more powder you burn, the hotter the barrel will get. By "easier on your barrel" I presume you mean throat wear, and yes they are easier on the barrel than full power loads, in proportion to pressure.

That is all for now, hope it helps. The archives have a lot on info on the subject, I don not know if they are available at the moment.

Justin, what caliber were you planning on "reducing"?

DaMan

I would like to add that the pressure spike or maximum pressure is especially with fast powders sometimes as high as with regular loads. The difference is that slow powders deliver that pressure over a longer period of time. Thus, a reduced load with lower speed does NOT necessary mean less pressure and/or less danger of a KB.

I found that the Quickload program is an excellent tool to play around and check different charges of those faster powders.

I'm not planning on reducing any calibers just yet, just wanted to get some basic reduced load info. I know that I can't just use less powder, I would refer to some proven reduced loads provided by powder companies. I would probably reduce my 22-250 first, down to 223 levels. But I also have plans for a 300 wsm and would like to load it down to 308 for some plinking.

I was just wondering if it was worth all the trouble. If it is not going to save my barrels, then I'm not going to pursue it. I was just looking for ways to keep my barrels cooler for more shooting and less throat erosion.

The starting loads in most books will get pressures way down if that`s all you`re after. The velocities may not be as low as a 223 in your 22-250 but the pressure will be alot lower and barrel life should be quite a bit longer. Speer and Lyman list reduced loads in their manuals that might help if you need a source for acuall reduced loads.

Ol' Joe is right on! Justin, since you're just turning down the throttle a little, the starting loads listed in most load books should do the trick.

If you were radically reducing your loads (say loading the .22-250 down to .22 Mag rimfire velocities), you might have to go to powders that are a faster than normally used in the calibers you're talking about.

DaMan

Lee's reloading manual has a method for powder selection (how to pick which somewhat fast powder to use) and a formula that is supposed to tell you pretty accurately what powder charge to use to achieve a particular velocity.

H. C.

Thanks guys, I may be going on a pdog hunt this summer and want to preserve the barrel on my 22-250 and mimick a 223 velocity and trajectory.

Justin, Lyman sells a manual on cast bullet loads that is the best I have seen. It is very detailed and provides lots of info, including history of lead ammo and how to paper patch bullets. I think midway has it in stock. I use mine regularly; I load my 30-06 to black powder 32-40 velocities, around 1300fps with a 165 gr. cast. I carry a few rounds while hunting for turkey, squirell, etc. Give it a look, you will like it.
Good luck and good shooting,
Eterry

I use reduced loads in .22-250 and 30-30. I'm using Bluedot in both. Thanks Seafire for posting the data.

Accuracy is 'bout the same as my full power loads. The .22-250 is grouping slightly better with reduced...1/2 moa

I can shoot 'bout twice as much with reduced before the barrel gets too hot. This is totally unscientific "measured" by touching the barrel.

One other good thing is reduced loads will save you money on powder. I also use cheaper bullets for 'em which totals out at 7-8cents a round less than full power.

I have tried two centerfire 22 Squib Loads worked out. They do an excellant job at 25 yards.
What I have been told---STAY ON THE LOW END of any caliber above 22.
LEE has a program which allows you to scale down your regular load WITH YOUR REGULAR POWDER.

Undoubtedly slower bullets have less friction and less wear on the barrel than full house loads but the difference may be negligible in most rifles. It is my understanding that the hard thing on barrels is rapid fire. If you let your barrel cool between rounds it will last lots longer. there are several powders made just for reduced loads. IMR makes on SR 5xxx something, and XMR makes one too. I can't remember the numbers right now.