Various Calibers - J Barsness Favored Handloads

[JohndeFresno]

Occasionally I find a good article from a gun magazine issue that is placed by that magazine on the Internet as a teaser. Since it is on the Internet, it is public domain and legal to share; but the links do not always last. So they are archived while they are available. Here is one - a variety of cartridges and some recommended loads, and why, by John Barsness in the Handloader Magazine.

It is interesting to know that (according to Barsness) the lesser known Ramshot has powders that are superior to the some of the more established ones for the same loads, like IMR4895:
"Of all the new rifle powders, I’ve been most impressed with Ramshot’s temperature tolerant, clean-burning spherical powders and burn a lot of them anymore."

In that vein, a Ramshot powder is recommended as a cleaner burning powder for .223 Remington loads.

"Handloads That Work"
Handloader 231, Oct Nov 2004 John Barsness
You can download this article indefinitely from my link:
https://app.box.com/s/lxzdtw5917ntov5qfd283eq1h7r8botf

These are the cartridges listed specifically. I think I have all of them:
.250 SAVAGE
.257 Roberts
.25-06 Remington
.222 REMINGTON
.223 REMINGTON
.22-250 REMINGTON
.220 SWIFT
6MM REMINGTON
.243 WINCHESTER, referencing 7mm-08 and 140-class 7x57 loads
.280 Remington and “its ballistic twin the .270 WCF”
7mm Remington Magnum
.30 WCF
.30-40 Krag
.30-06
.260 Remington
6.5x55mm Mauser
.270 Weatherby Magnum
7mm-08 Remington
7x57mm Mauser
.300 H&H Magnum
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
.300 Winchester Magnum
.300 WEATHERBY MAGNUM
.416 REMINGTON MAGNUM
.45-70

[Old Savage]

Thanks JohnD. He is a bit of a Johnny one note on 4350. I go either one up in speed to 4064 or one slower to 4831. I think IMR is a bit faster than H there. We do agree on RL 19 where I see he uses it. 7-08, I think H380 is the way to go.

[JohndeFresno]

Thanks JohnD. He is a bit of a Johnny one note on 4350. I go either one up in speed to 4064 or one slower to 4831. I think IMR is a bit faster than H there. We do agree on RL 19 where I see he uses it. 7-08, I think H380 is the way to go.

Keeping notes, OS. You are welcome and thanks.

[Old Savage]

John, not sure where your interest lies. I have a Rem Mod 7 in 7-08 with over 900 rounds through it with most bullets and weights from 120 - 160 grs and 13 powders. Have about 1,450 through a 6mm Rem all weights and many powders. Also have over 2,000 each through 270s and 30-06s. So a pretty good idea of various combinations on those. I have chronographed almost all of it. Thinking back 4350 was never the best powder. But, different folks come to different conclusions.

[JohndeFresno]

That is a lot of rifle time, OS. Way, way more than I will ever fire. I will remember you for when the situation changes here at home and I can get back to my favoritest hobby.

My particular long-gun centerfire interests are in .223 Remington, .270 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .30-06 (M1 loads), 7.62x39mm Russian, 8x57mm Mauser, and .45-70 Government (including Marlin Model 1895 pressures); so I liked this particular article.

But I like to keep learning about other cartridges just out of curiosity and general interest. For instance, I think that the .35 Remington and .405 Winchester are dandy levergun calibers, and I think that the Savage .300 or .308 levergun with its rotary magazine is the bees' knees, but I don't think I'll be adding anything more to my armory.

And then there are several handgun calibers, which have received most of my reloading attention.

[Old Savage]

With the .35 Remington I started with 39.0 gr of 4064 and a 200 gr bullet. First outing with the Marlin showed 3x .85" @ 100 yds. with a 336 so I never saw any reason to change. I recall Hobie liked 38.0 gr of 4895.

I have an 1895 SS that I really like so I have worked with it. Wide range there with good results. That depends on what application you want. Mine is quite accurate.

The some of the others I have no experience with.

[GunnyMack]

Personally my AR loves IMR4895, 55,62&77's all shoot well. I tried Benchmark,Varget and a couple others. 4895 had best consistent accuracy. Then CFE223 came out, haven't tried it in 223 but my AR10 and 147-150 grainers LOVES CFE223!

Have not tried any Ramshot powders. I tried one of the Reloader powders, dismal results... I don't remember which flavor it was or what caliber I tried it in...my 338 win mag maybe.

Surplus WC846 was always a good one, used that in quite a few of my calibers. Last 8 lbs jug I got actually went BAD! Went to use it, opened cap and this awful stink and reddish cloud came out when I poured it into my powder thrower.

[JohndeFresno]

GunnyMack, I have never tried Reloder powders because there are so many other excellent propellants that are well established that seem to fill the same ranges of loads.

When I was new to reloading and new to this site, I remember asking some questions about handgun loads, and a frequent poster (as evidenced by the number of posts on his ID panel) asked me, "What makes you think that you can work up a better handload than what the factory loads already offer?" Having seen some results of a few loads, I now wonder what planet that poster came from.

I must admit that although I enjoy spending a lot of research time on this great hobby, my range time is not nearly what I would desire, since it involves a lot more travel than when when I practiced as a teenager. Then, I lived in the foothills near Yosemite and I could step outside the house and shoot at a large community of ground squirrels in a bluff literally in my back yard.

But here are two loads that are my all-time favorites for the calibers in question:
Handgun - Taurus .44 Magnum, Model 44 Stainless, 6.5 inch barrel
240gr. Magnus #701M (Moly coated) SWC BB, C.O.A.L 1.61 in.
Brinnell hardness 18-20 per Magnus
9.0 gr. Alliant Unique, CCI 300 Lg Pistol Primer, Winchester brass
Chronographed at 1078fps avg., 619 ft. lbs.
Low 1041.64, High 1114.63
In my Ruger 10.5 in. Blackhawk I get 1171 fps - 25 fps per inch gain
According to QuickLoad:
26,560psi of 35k or 36k SAAMI max (2 diff sources); 100% burn; 68.4% fill.
This is my favorite target/plinking load of all of my handguns and would do well for self-defense (if I relied on a revolver).

Rifle - Ruger Mini-14 Ranch, 16.5 in bbl, 1:9 twist
55 gr. Hornady #22271 V-Max, C.O.A.L. 2.25 in.
26.6 gr. Hodgdon BL-C(2), Win WSR Sm Rifle primer, Remington brass
QLoad Est. 3034 fps, 1124 ft. lbs.
According to QuickLoad:
103% fill (slightly compressed), 50740psi of 55k SAAMI max
A relative quickly dropped a running coyote at somewhere around 75 yards with one quartering shot.

We range tested this load against some factory loads of Winchester Super-X PSP 55gr. traveling at an advertised 3240fps. There was comparison. Three shooters found my slower 55 gr. load was much more accurate for this Ranch rifle.

I am not hesitant to post either load, since they are not max loads, but are very accurate for the firearms that chamber them; at least, our firearms.

Now a question for OS:
In reviewing your loads for the .270, do you find that most of your best accuracy is found a step below the listed max velocity in, say, the Hornady book?

E.g.: Hornady 10th Pg. 353 shows the 130 grainers with this IMR 4064 table (I stock 4064):
2600fps - 41.6gr.; 2700 - 43.4; 2800 - 45.1; 2900 - 46.8; 3000 - 48.6 MAX
I would consider working up to about 46.5 for that "sweet spot," based upon my much more limited experiments.

Given the obligatory statement that all rifles are different and one needs to work up these loads only in a rifle in good working condition, etc. - What say you?

[Old Savage]

Looking at their 270 loads in #8 which is the same for 4064, I would say I don't use that powder but Jack O'Connor said 49.0 gr of 4064 was the most accurate he found in 7,000 loads od testing. The fastest I would use is IMR 4831 and I would be at their max. However I like 57.0 gr. of RL 19 out of all I have used with 130s. That is a bit more than one notch down. I have read that RL 19 slows down with increased pressure. I would be lower than their max with H4831. I try to get 3,000 - 3,100 fps shooting an inch or lesd for three shots @ 100 yds. Easy with a number of powders slower than 4064 with lower pressures.

Now rifles are different and even two 77Rs have about 100 fps difference with the same loads and do better with different bullets.

[JohndeFresno]

Interesting notes, and I was not aware (or did not remember) that the 270's main champion preferred 4064!

Having recently purchased some obsolete but apparently high quality Trophy brand bullets, these are the tentative loads I have worked up. They are medium to mild starter loads, because I am also using a surplus powder from Powder Valley that uses 4064 load data, per that vendor. I have not yet loaded them up, but this is my intended next project:

270 Winchester Trophy Bullet Loads

(.277) 270 Winchester (65k) Load Nr 0207 110 gr Trophy Spire Point 110
Sample ID: NA COAL 3.165 in.
47.8 gr. S4895 (IMR MilSurp) powder; WIN WLR - Lg Rifle primer
3100 fps (Estimated), 2348 ft. lbs. Brass: Remington
ON HAND: 0 (For Ruger Mod. M77, 22 in bbl)

LOAD INFO: Medium test load using surplus powder with IMR 4064 load data. Obsolete Trophy 110's 0.955 in., close to Hornady #2720 110gr HP (1.0"). Bullets purchased from GunnyMack, Leverguns. Factory loads 2900-3300fps.

COMMENTS: Hornady #10 Pg. 352, IMR 4064: 2800, 2900. . .3300 fps: 42.0, 43.9, 45.9, 47.8, 49.8, 51.7 MAX.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(.277) 270 Winchester (65k) Load Nr 0208 130 gr Trophy Spire Point 130
Sample ID: NA COAL 3.21 in.
45.1 gr. S4895 (IMR MilSurp) powder; WIN WLR - Lg Rifle primer
2800 fps (Estimated), 2264 ft. lbs. Brass: Remington
ON HAND: 0 (For Ruger Mod. M77, 22 in bbl)

LOAD INFO: Medium test load using surplus powder with IMR 4064 load data. Obsolete Trophy 130's 1.350 in., same as Hornady #2730 130gr Interlock SP. Bullets purchased from GunnyMack, Leverguns. Factory loads +-3060fps.

COMMENTS: Hornady #10 Pg. 353, IMR 4064: 2600, 2700. . .3000 fps: 41.6gr., 43.4, 45.1, 46.8, 48.6 MAX.