Best cartridge for a short barrel bolt action?

[Ledd Slinger]

I really wish there was a reliable way to get subsonic loads now that trail boss is vaporware.

Here's some data straight from the Hodgdon website under the "SUBSONIC RIFLE LOAD DATA" section. There's a few other powder options besides Trail Boss.

 

[LVLAaron]

Home brew tuner for 3/4-24 threads.

 

[LVLAaron]

Here's some data straight from the Hodgdon website under the "SUBSONIC RIFLE LOAD DATA" section. There's a few other powder options besides Trail Boss.

View attachment 1465821

Nice. I have 3-4 pounds of h4895 and enough 200 hybrids to supply an army.

 

[Bamban]

Home brew tuner for 3/4-24 threads.

View attachment 1466594

How many ounces? Looks good.

 

[LVLAaron]

How many ounces? Looks good.

Didn't weigh it. I figured some are pretty light weight (Bramley tuner) and others are big and heavy... so I just went with it. I'm considering doing a hole pattern in it to lighten it up.


Running with the 155.5's - I've got 8208XBR loaded up to 45g. Will see how it goes later this week.

 

[Bill Norris]

From what I've seen accomplished with a 23 inch barrel I'd go for the 30BR. When I go to get another rifle out of the safe I almost have to tie my other hand down to keep it from grabbing the M-7 30BR. LOL.

 

[LCazador]

The .308 would be my choice.

Bingo! As long as you don't use slow burning powders and heavy bullets! Thanks Alex

 

[LVLAaron]

From what I've seen accomplished with a 23 inch barrel I'd go for the 30BR. When I go to get another rifle out of the safe I almost have to tie my other hand down to keep it from grabbing the M-7 30BR. LOL.

I had a brand new 30BR reamer, barrel, brass, the whole setup. I sold it all recently because I had "too many projects"

I should get another reamer... my next barrel on a lil gun like this will be a 30BR for sure. I've always had a thing for that cartridge.

 

[LVLAaron]

Would a 30BR work with an 11.25 twist, with the 155 and 168 class bullets?

 

[RegionRat]

Short answer, yes a 168 is comfortably stable down to sea level in 11.25 Twist.

 

[LVLAaron]

Aye. I knew it'd stabilize.. but is it... any good? Is the BR case enough boiler room to get that weight bullet doing something useful to a couple hundred yards?

 

[RegionRat]

Not in my view, but folks have certainly played with these and got them to group in a 30 BR.

At roughly 58.5kPSI it pushes the 125 grain weight rounds to roughly 2750 fps which makes roughly 2100 ft*lbs.

For the 165 - 168 gr weight class, that means it only pushes around 2375 fps.

You would be more competitive with high quality match bullets in that 110 to 125 gr range, but it can push heavier bullets.

If you have run a 308 WIN, you have a feel for what that does with 40 something grains, and the 30 BR is around 10 grains less capacity.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Aye. I knew it'd stabilize.. but is it... any good? Is the BR case enough boiler room to get that weight bullet doing something useful to a couple hundred yards?

Just about anything will be 'useful' out to 200 yards. But what happened to low recoil subsonic loads? I think the BR would be better suited for subsonic than the 308.

If starting to get concerned with longer range ballistics in a light recoiling round, you might as well go back to the 6mm drawing board.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

shot with a guy shooting a 6 Dasher with I think 107 with a 16” barrel and was still super sonic ( electro targets) at 1k and doing very good with it

 

[LCazador]

Aye. I knew it'd stabilize.. but is it... any good? Is the BR case enough boiler room to get that weight bullet doing something useful to a couple hundred yards?

Not enough boiler room and then you'll have to move to a slow burn rate powder that may not provide good extreme spreads. 30 BR good up to 125-130 grain. 308 better cartridge for short 10-11 twist barrel.

 

[LVLAaron]

Did some load tests @ 500 yards today.

Seated 20 thou off the lands.
44.7g 8208xbr was the best group.

1.98" W
1.11" H
SD = 7.9

~2720 FPS

Looking forward to some seating depth and tuner adjustments. Was fun to shoot.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Zzzzzz...

Lol! Just messin with ya.

 

[LVLAaron]

I found 200 Hornady 190 sub-x bullets. I'll see if I can get a half decent subsonic load worked up.

 

[JLT]

Don't have any 7mm bullets or barrels...

Take it down a millimeter and make it a 6BR. All sorts of versatility (and fun!) there.

 

[joshb]

Would a 30BR work with an 11.25 twist, with the 155 and 168 class bullets?

I had the same question and “somebody” sent me this data: