Your wimpiest big bore load...

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spacecoast

New member
I reload and shoot a 180 gr. LRNFP over 3.5 grains of Bullseye through my 3" S&W 24-3 .44 special (Lew Horton model). It makes a very accurate low recoil load at 25 yards for our club's snubby match (Bullseye format).

My .45ACP Model 625-3 loves a 185 gr. LSWC, also pushed by 3.5 grains of Bullseye.

I'm going to be testing the lower limits of my Springfield Range Officer, so far it functions fine on a 185 gr. LSWC powered by 4.3 grains of Titegroup. My next step down is to give 3.9 grains of Bullseye a shot.

Three years ago I tried 4.3 grains of Unique under a 185 gr. LSWC but it produced consistent stovepipes in my Ruger P345, so I abandoned it.
 
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oldpapps

New member
What? Is everyone is embarrassed by their wimp loads?

Mine is 240 gr 44 lswc over 5.6 grains of 231. Running a very pleasant 643 FPS from my Smith revolvers. The granddaughters love to shoot it. I would like to say that I load it for them but that load predates all 5 of them by 40 plus years.

Enjoy,

OSOK
 
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Ralph Allen

New member
How about 12.5 grains of Trail Boss behind a 500 grain Chey Cast lead in 45-70. Big bullets in this loading are usually reserved for rabid D-9 dozers, but Trail Boss takes it to a whole new meaning of easy shooting.
Ralph
 
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PawPaw

New member
No, I've been a fan of reduced loads for several years. Probably my mildest handgun load is the old standard .38 special load of 2.7 grains of Bullseye under a 148 grain HBWC. It gives me 660 fps out of my 4" Model 28 and only 600 fps out of my Marlin 1894 carbine.

I've done a lot of work with reduced loads in rifle calibers. Probably my favorite is the 115 grain lead bullet normally loaded in the .32-20. I load that bullet in the .30-30 cartridge over 7.5 grains of Blue Dot and a standard LR primer. It gives me about 800 fps out of my Winchester 94 with low report and almost no recoil. I've never put it over the chronograph, but I estimate I'm getting 800 fps from the load. It feels like a standard .38 special load out of a carbine.
 
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Hammerhead

New member
.45 Colt, .454" Hornady round ball coated in alox seated deep over 3 grains of Trail Boss. This is really more of a gallery load, but it shoots real well in a carbine out to 50 yards.

Or a .452" 200 grain Hornady LSWC with alox over 6 grains of Trail Boss, my favorite carbine load.
 
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mikejonestkd

New member
Trail boss is awesome for getting low powered loads from revolver cartridges.

I suggest getting an 8 pound spring for your 1911 and loading 3.4 grains of bullseye under a 185 gr swc at 1.225". Its a nice easy load to shoot all day
 
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Gdawgs

New member
I was just shooting some wimpy Trail Boss 44 Mag loads today. 240 grain cast bullet clocked at 750 fps. I let my 9 year old son shoot them out of my Super Blackhawk and he loves shooting them.
 
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FrankenMauser

New member
My wimpiest loads aren't even in 'big bores'.

.32 S&W Long, 2.2 gr HP-38, 94 gr LFP .... 480 fps from a 5.5" Blackhawk (.327 Federal). Beyond about 20 yards, you can see the bullet in flight. :D

60 gr .312" Hornady XTP, on top of Trail Boss, in .30-30. Recoil is milder than most .22 rifles. ;)


I load light with some swaged SWCs and WCs in .44 Mag, using Unique, but I can't remember the powder charge right now.
 
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m&p45acp10+1

New member
For reduced loads I have used in the larger bore guns.

Trail Boss in .45-70 works great with 350 grain bevel base Lazer Cast. As well as my own home cast 405 grain hollow base flat point.

When I ran out of Trail Boss, and none was available I tried Red Dot. It works the same as Trail Boss. Just not nearly as clean burning.

For .41 Mag I like Trail Boss with cast bullets.

For my wife's 7,62x54R Mosin I load a 110 grain .308 SJSP with Trail Boss if I have it. Red Dot if I do not. It will shoot like a .22 LR, and hit like a .357 Mag.
 
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Mike / Tx

New member
I have a GREAT wimp load for my 454, the only trouble is the data sheet somehow got loose from the lid of the box and I will have to pull one to figure out what it actually is.

In my Raging Bull they are like shooting a 38 SPL target load.
 
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Crankylove

New member
Small pistol primer and a .32 caliber round ball in S&W Long cases............it will almost penetrate cardboard at 10 feet.



4.5 grains of W296 and a 200 LSWC in .45 Auto makes a cute little "pop", and barely gets the bullet out the end of the barrel. It was an accidental load, and will not be repeated.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
I've got some .430" 185g DEWC's coming from Penn Bullets - if they ever get here (ordered them July 3rd!).

I'll load them in .44 Spl cases; sit 'em atop a little Bullseye or AA2.

They're gonna be pretty whimpy.
 
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