The small game/ plinking loads thread

[awp_101]

Along the same lines as .38 Special level loads in .357 brass, what are some good .44 Russian loads in .44 Special brass?

[Crazy Dane]

Along the same lines as .38 Special level loads in .357 brass, what are some good .44 Russian loads in .44 Special brass?

I have tried slowing down a 240 RNFP bullet, the only one I tried. Looking through my notes they read, dirty, inconsistent velocity, ew no. I found that my .44 special loads like to be above 800fps. To get .44 Russian loads I bought brass and dies.


These were with a 240RNFP from Rim Rock Bullets, I'll pick the best 3.

HP 38, 4g 698fps dirty inconsistent, 5g 820fps meh ok groups.
HS6, 6.2g 706fps okish, 7g 817fps Second best of my low energy loads
2400, 11.1g 698fps 12g 790fps Best of...

[Welder]

I'll take this opportunity to plug my favorite cartridge, the old .25-20. It was purpose-made to be a small-game round (although many deer have been taken with it), and is truly delightful to shoot. The only recent bolt rifle chambered in it to my knowledge is the Kimber 82....but an old Savage 23B costs next to nothing and is super accurate. Then there's the Remington 25 and Marlin 27-S pumps, the Savage 219 single shot, the Marlin 1894 and Winchester 92 levers, and somewhat more rarely the Winchester 43 bolt and a Sako 46? 461? which I don't believe was imported here but occasionally shows up. I'm sure I'm forgetting some, too. Factory ammo will kill you, but this *is* the reloading forum. One of the shooting forums has a thread on the .25-20 that's hundreds of pages long...

[fatdog]

Raining this morning so I could not chrono but 4.3 gr of my remaining Trailboss in mixed .357 cases behind a MBC 158gr Hitech coated, 1.590 OAL, Remington 1 1/2 standard primers, printed one of the best groups I have produced in a while out of my old 19-5 and it was very soft shooting no pressure signs at all. I will report when I have done the chrono but I think this is how the rest of my Trailboss stash gets used. Appears to be a great recreational round for my purposes.

I have an old colleague from CAS who is into long range and 6.5CR now who knew I had some Alliant RL17, now unobtainium, who offered me a 1.5lb TB for 1lb RL17 swap of his remaining Trailboss stash, would have been fair at normal prices 10 years ago, now that both are not to be had it sounds good to me still.

[Flamingo]

Raining this morning so I could not chrono but 4.3 gr of my remaining Trailboss in mixed .357 cases behind a MBC 158gr Hitech coated, 1.590 OAL, Remington 1 1/2 standard primers, printed one of the best groups I have produced in a while out of my old 19-5 and it was very soft shooting no pressure signs at all. I will report when I have done the chrono but I think this is how the rest of my Trailboss stash gets used. Appears to be a great recreational round for my purposes.

I have an old colleague from CAS who is into long range and 6.5CR now who knew I had some Alliant RL17, now unobtainium, who offered me a 1.5lb TB for 1lb RL17 swap of his remaining Trailboss stash, would have been fair at normal prices 10 years ago, now that both are not to be had it sounds good to me still.

Don't hate me because I am a hoarder....



Trailboss and 110 gr Z-Max bullet make the absolute best subsonic 300 Blackout Rimmed load ever. I have put down a bunch of "semi-rural" coyotes with it through the suppressed TC Contender I have. This load makes suppressed .22LR seem loud.

[WDR]

I'm not sure if there ever was a book load for Trail Boss using HBWC in .38 Special... but I have recently wondered if one could make a very low recoil .38 load using Trail Boss and a DEWC, HBWC, or maybe a lighter 125gr or 110gr wadcutter bullet. Much ado about nothing, since it's not currently or foresee-ably available. The stuff probably wouldn't work that well in my Dillion powder measures either.

I really don't want to venture into casting and coating my own bullets, but I don't think anyone makes a 110 or 125 (ish) grain coated wadcutter in .358" ... but I think something like that could make a dandy snub load. I figure if the 100gr .32 HR loads can go 12"+ in gel, then a similar .38 bullet with similar velocity should get into the same ballpark. I know there are some 105 SWC's out there, but my heart wants a bigger meplat to try to keep penetration straight.

[Outpost75]

What kind of accuracy are you guys seeing with the light rife loads? I've been playing with some light loads in 30-30 with Red Dot and a powder coated 165 grain bullet. Shooting offhand I see ~2" at 25 yards.

I expect 1 inch per 25 yards. Fast-burning pistol or shotgun powders only.

NO FILLERS !!!!

I don't use powder coated. Only tumble lubed with Lee Liquid Alox in subsonic loads. Typically 4 grains of Bullseye in .30-30, 5 grains in the .308 Win. or ..303 British and 6 grains in ..30-'06 with plainbased 150-155 grain bullet similar tomIdeal #308241 or accurate 31-155D.