Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles What handloads will you be working on for 2024?

I just finished developing the loads for a 120gr Nosler Solid Base with StaBall6.5 and Varget in my 7x57.

I'll be working on a few loads with bullets/powders I've wanted to try for a while.

A 6.5 creedmoor with the Sierra 130gr hollow point boat tail, probably using RL 16, and Hyrbrid100V.

A 338-06 with the 200gr Nosler BT and also the 215gr Sierra GameKing, with StaBall6.5 and IMR 4350.

A 280AckImp with the 165gr Sierra Gamechanger and RL 23 and RL 26

Bought several guns the last few years I haven’t had a chance to work up loads for yet. These are the ones I jus started on a dhope to finish by this spring

1. JOC tribute 279win, h4831sc and 130SP & 140 BTSP

2. 6.5 Prc custom with 143 Norma bond strikes, h1000,n565,h4831sc

3. Wife’s 6.5cm and 143gr Norma Bondstrike, h4350/RL16

4. LAW professional 300win mag custom, 200gr accubonds with h4831sc, H1000, or n565

.348 Winchester , maybe some for .325 WSM for a Kimber.

7mm mag.
7mm08
7-30 waters
6.5
300 win mag

Close to acquiring a Ruger M77 in 257 Robert’s. I have the dies and cases. Looking to come up with a hunting load for the rifle. I’m thinking about a Speer hot cor or something of that nature.

50-100-450 Winchester; 40-90 Sharps Bottleneck; 40-50 Sharps Bottleneck


I decided to get some bullets cast up while it is cold outside. I cast a bunch of 40 caliber bullets for the 40-50 and 40-90 Sharps Bottlenecks. The 40-50 is a Remington rolling block, the 40-90 is for 3 original Sharps buffalo rifles that I have.


I was trying to get the 40-90’s to shoot with black powder and paper patch bullets, but gave up when you could barely hit a truck at 100 yards. When I tried a load with the 40 caliber 282 grain gas checks bullets I had for the 40-65 Winchester, and they shot great. To hell with the paper patch and black powder.

The 50-100-450 shot some 315 grain bullets that I already had for the 50-70 and 50-95, and it shot real well. I found a guy that made bullet moulds and he recreated the same mould I had for those 315 grain bullets and so I cast up a bunch of them too…

300 AAC BLK subsonic with 200 grain cast for a single shot.
.45-70 with pointy bullets for a Mauser.
.280 Remington for a Ruger 77 Hawkeye that is still in the box that it came in five or more years ago.
…and that’s just the new stuff.

Will continue tweaking the ‘06, 7.65x53 and others for target/plinking/reduced loads.
The emphasis in 2024 will be to load and shoot more target rounds and obsess less about perfecting hunting rounds.

375 H&H AI, 375 Whelen AI, 375 Win, 358, 35 Whelen, 280, 250 Savage, 257 R, 280 AI, 30-06’s, 270, 6 mm, 348, 30-30, 44 Mag rifle, 45 Colt rifle and revolver, 357, 38, 32 Long, 256 WM, 30-40, 35 Rem, 45-70, 45-90, 25-06, 8x57, maybe buy a 257 Weatherby, maybe an 03 bored and chambered to 9.3x62, who knows what’s coming this way from a gun show(?),

But mostly I hope to cast more bullets and shoot less jacketed.

I've got a Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel barreled action on order from Brownell's, likely to go in a Pendleton stock. I'd be interested in how you guys make out with your Grendels. PM me if you'd like. Bought some 129 ABLR seconds from SPS for deer hunting. Will find a similar weight cup and core to shoot at lower cost. I'll probably start a 6.5 Grendel deer hunting thread here to see what everyone is using. Been looking on other forums as well.

Also closing in on a 75gr Gold Dot load for my 223 Kimber Montana for deer hunting. H4895 in the lead right now. Have Rl15 and BLC2 to try. Lucked into some bullets on another forum.

Good luck to you guys.

Frank

6.5-06 imp. It's not new but a couple years ago it started blowing primers with a load that used to be ok, so I shoved it in the back of the safe and forgot about it for a while.

I've never been fussy about cleaning but I bought a bore scope and the barrel looked pretty bad. After several rounds of cleaning it still had what looked like a tar ring a little past the throat. Since it didn't come out easy I'm guessing it was carbon. I used every chemical I could find (except clr), including: paint thinner, carb cleaner, white gas, montana extreme, bore tech, free all, kroil, lucas oil bore solvent...and ended up using JB bore compound to finally get it all out.

The throat has eroded about .060 and there's alligator skin in the grooves. My first trip out didn't blow any primers with the old load (RL 26, 143 gr eld-x, 0.049 off the lands, nosler brass & win large rifle primer) but the groups were just ok. I'll be using H4831, RL26 & Viht n165 with 140gr eld-m & 143gr eld-x.

6.5CM aka 6.5 Man Bun. 130TGK, 127 LRX, 140ELD-M
280ai. 140NAB/V V N165. This one is a known quantity. Just gotta lock down powder charge for this particular rifle once it's finished

The 338-06 is done for now.
Working on a 160 N part in 270 winny. Still trying to get it to a comfortable 2800. Standard 22 in. Savage barrel.
Expecting a 284 win. back from the smith any day. Have some 168 ABLRs that I would also like to hit a comfortable 2800. 24 in. barrel on that one. Wondering if it would be reasonable to try a 175 gr. at 2800?

338 Weatherby RPM.

200 gr Accubonds for longer shots

160 Barnes loaded at 338 Federal velocity for everyday loads

a few grains of pistol powder, light load for small game.

7mm-08/Barnes 120 TTSX

4831 SC is the powder.

In a 24 inch barrel in 270, you can't get enough 4831 SC in a 270 case to exceed SAAMI specs.

I have ran a 160 grain SMP Nosler Partition at 2950 for decades in a Model 70 of mine. Don't experience loosened primer pockets in the brass, even after 10 plus reloads. Use Larger Rifle Primers, not Magnum. Federal, CCI , Winchester & Rem 9.5.

This winter and spring will be working with the 6 x 45, varmint bullets and pistol/shotgun powder loads, 200 yds and under for sage rats. Bullets 75 grains and under. Goes a long way, yet very destructive on the 'end user'.

Loads for my recently acquired 6.5 Creedmoor and 270 WSM.

Plan to work on a load for my 8 year old son to hopefully take his first deer with next year. He will be shooting a ruger m77 compact chambered in 243 win. So far I've loaded some 100 grain hornady interlocks with IMR4064 and IMR4350 to see which it likes better.

Thanks seafarers. Don't have sc but do have Imr4831. Not likely I'll find the sc either. Got a few cases loaded up with the imr. See if they produce anything soon.

Going to work up some loads for my son's 270.

In no particular order, for rifles.

> 6.5 Creedmoor for my Tikka T3X CTR

>7x64 Brenneke in my Sako 85 Hunter

> 220 Swift in my Sako L579

> 6.5 Grendel in my Howa Mini and AR-15 w/ LaRue Upper

On the handgun side it will be 10 mm Auto w/ 180 gr. XTP's and Accurate # 9.

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