Alternative grouse option: subsonic cast lead centerfire rounds

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

[Caveat: I'm a fairly experienced reloader and doing my homework on this matter, I'm not just going to throw stuff together whilly nilly.]

The grouse thread the other day got my wheels spinning a bit more again. Been reading up and still have some more resources to work through on faster double base pistol powders which are a different combustion method than slower rifle powders in centerfire bottleneck cartridges paired up with cast lead bullets and working the load down to subsonic velocities.

This deviation started by looking at the Hammond game getter which shoots swaged buckshot for your caliber using a hammerset 22 blank. Got my head spinning that as a reloader I could liked get a pile of lead bullets for similar cost and likely obtain much better accuracy. Plus carrying a few preassembled rounds in my pack would probably be easier to deploy.

Anyone have any experience on that front? A subsonic 22lr sounding shot that is really a 145gr 7mm bullet going 900-1000fps with a known hold point from my hunting zero sounds like a handy tool in some small game situations.

 

[topher89]

If you get over the Kifaru Forum and search for 'small game loads' you will find exactly what you are talking about. Patrick and others have all worked up loads for their big game rifles that allow them to take grouse or snowshoe hares. I can't remember exact details, but I know one guy over there runs 165gr Partitions for his big game loads and has a small game load that runs 125gr Speers. I have the load written down somewhere and keep thinking about trying to load some up for my 30-06

 

[hodgeman]

I've loaded up some reduced rifle loads in my .300WSM using Trail Boss....150gr Speer at 1400 or so.

Maybe still a bit much for grouse and what not but works like a champ on predators.

 

[luke moffat]

Worked up 110 hornady XTP pistol bullets for my Kimber Montana 358 win with trailboss powder. The 110s are going roughly 950 fps which still easily expand at that speed being it's a pistol bullet and as you can see the 4.4 pound all up (scope included in that weight) recoils extremely little and at 100 yards is approx 16" below my hunting load of 160 grainers at 2800 fps while still shooting 1.5" 5 shot groups.

Here is a video of that load :
IMG_3155_zpsmucf7ied.mp4 Video by alaska_lanche | Photobucket

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

If you get over the Kifaru Forum and search for 'small game loads' you will find exactly what you are talking about. Patrick and others have all worked up loads for their big game rifles that allow them to take grouse or snowshoe hares. I can't remember exact details, but I know one guy over there runs 165gr Partitions for his big game loads and has a small game load that runs 125gr Speers. I have the load written down somewhere and keep thinking about trying to load some up for my 30-06

Cool thanks, I glanced around a bit seems like mainly low velocity (but probably still supersonic) rifle powder loads with jacketed bullets but I might not have looked hard enough yet. I was going for subsonic lead (less issue with sticking) and pistol powders that would have more consistent ignition in lower velocity.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Worked up 110 hornady XTP pistol bullets for my Kimber Montana 358 win with trailboss powder. The 110s are going roughly 950 fps which still easily expand at that speed being it's a pistol bullet and as you can see the 4.4 pound all up (scope included in that weight) recoils extremely little and at 100 yards is approx 16" below my hunting load of 160 grainers at 2800 fps while still shooting 1.5" 5 shot groups.

Here is a video of that load :
IMG_3155_zpsmucf7ied.mp4 Video by alaska_lanche | Photobucket

Nice. Did you mean 7.4lb rifle? If not what are the components for 4.4lb!

 

[luke moffat]

Haha no typo the rifle itself before I had it hydro dipped was 3 pounds 9 oz. Now it's 3 pounds 11 oz with scope mounts but before rings and scope.

But between this sub sonic round of 110 grain pistol bullets for plinking and small game all the way up to 225 partitions at 2400 fps with its 16" barrel for dedicated brown bear hunts and 160s at 2800 fps out of the same 16" barrel it makes it a pretty versatile setup if you keep shoot 300 yards and closer

Traiboss is your huckleberry for sub sonic loads in rifle cartridges

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Haha no typo the rifle itself before I had it hydro dipped was 3 pounds 9 oz. Now it's 3 pounds 11 oz with scope mounts but before rings and scope.

Details?


Yeah trailboss I read is a good one but also sounds like all the loose double based pistol powders work well too. I'd probably star out with some of the stuff on my shelf first.

 

[luke moffat]

Problem I had with pistol powders was there is so little powder in the case the ES was all over the place and it just wouldn't shoot nearly as well as the trailboss which is nice and fluffy so fill the case much better for what seems much more consistent velocity and accuracy.

I will be doing an article on the uber light rifle . It started its life as a 5 pound 2 oz Kimber Montana but has since lost some weight.

Legit 68 oz or 4.25 pounds scoped before I weighed it done with a hydrodip for style points.



Now it's 4.4 pounds and only 34" long overall length so light and super short and handy:

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I hear you there, the really fast ones I wasn't planning to try but good feedback.

Other that a barrel chop what else? Did you flute/skeltonize the bolt/handle? Pretty light regardless, nice job.

 

[luke moffat]

Bolt and barrel flutes, bored out to 358 win removes more metal from inside of barrel, chop the barrel back to 16", sketonized action, ti action screws and bolt handle, Aluminum trigger guard, and mpi microlight stock. I am sure there is some I am forgetting but that's most of it off the top of my head.

 

[muddydogs]

I did this with my 30-30. Loaded up some 90 grain cast lead bullets with a little Unique powder. Nice thing is the 90 grain bullets are dead on target at 25 yards with the 30-30 being sighted in for 170 grain loads at 100 yards.

 

[HawkCreek]

If you've got a .30 caliber rifle up to .30-06 or so (doesnt work so well with the larger magnum cases). You can just use a 00 buckshot and a 22LR case full of Bullseye. They are surprisingly accurate up to 30 yards or so. I found these were easier to load and more accurate than the Speer 130 grain Varmint bullets or the lighter 110 grain half jackets I'd tried in the past.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Trailboss jive with cast bullets?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Why wouldn't it?