223 reduced load

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defiant3

New member
Hello. I'm not exactly new to reloading, but I find that the more I learn the less I know sometimes. Anyway, though this may sound obvious, what are the risks/issues with reduced loads other than stickin' a bullet in the tube? Specifically, I have some IMR-4198 and 40gr V-MAX's that I thought might get along well in my 223, but I'm hoping for like hornet velocities, 2900ish. This means loading below min. charge. What can go wrong here? Thanks.
 
Speer Reloading Manual #10 list 21.5 grains of IMR4198 with a 40 grain bullet giving 3056 fps. Personally I would be afraid to drop that down a little bit if you thought that you needed a little less velocity. There are also some Blue Dot posted on other forums but I won't quote them here.
 
I have shot 3/8" 5 shot groups out of Savage 112 .223 with 12 grains of Bluedot and a 40 grain Vmax. Standard SR primer. I used 10 grains in my .17 Remington it was a hoot. Kinda like a .17 Hummer but with an additional 500 fps.
 
I like the Blue Dot at 10.5gr. with the Barnes 36gr. Varmint Grenade and the Berger 30gr. MEF. The Berger didn't seem to expand on fox much, but was very fur friendly after a long tracking job. Quieter than my 17HMR and I would guess near the same speed.
 
I have only the IMR-4198 on hand, but it looks like the "Blue Dot " is the one to go with. Easier to work up a new load than buy another rifle, I guess. Thanx for the input!
 
Be sure and go slow with the Blue Dot. It is a high pressure load. I searched a bunch of load work done by SeaFire on google I believe. I started low and worked up in .2gr. increments until I hit accuracy or too much pressure.
 
I don't know. I tried to work up that very combination in a Mini-14, and couldn't produce consistant results. But NOTHING produced consistant resulte in that Mini.
 
Hodgdon has Trail Boss, Tite Group, and Clays reduced loads on their site under 223 w/ 55 fmj's. They used to have IMR SR4759 also, and there is another old IMR powder in the older Speer manuals - SR4756?? maybe?? - for reduced loads. Lee's manual has a BUNCH of reduced loads listed, and for lead bullets too. And Accurate has 5744 loads listed too. Not sure on Alliant powders, but Blue Dot has been touted as great, as have a few of the other "fast" powders, but I have never seen them listed in manuals for such a use. Plenty of data out there....now I gotta load some for myself!
 
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Blue Dot all the way. 12gr with a 40gr V-max. I have used this load for about 12 years and is my favorite load in my 20" barreled Rem. 700 VS.
 
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