Cartridges that get the most out of handloading

[Rick M.]

I've read that some cartridges benefit more than others when it comes to handloading, and that others are already near their potential in factory ammunition offerings. I'm interested in learning more about this. What cartridges seem to get the most out of handloading and why?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

if you look at an old reloading manual (40+ years old), the powder charges and velocities listed for the hot-rod cartridges of that day are noticeably higher than the same cartridge/powder/bullet in the most recent manuals. Assuming those components are in production and the loads are safe in your rifle (always have been for me), those older cartridges (25/06, 300 win mag, etc) gain a lot from handloads.

 

[Rick M.]

It's funny you mentioned the .25-06, because that's the exact cartridge I had in mind when creating this thread.

 

[nobody]

I'll echo what @ResearchinStuff said above, anything that doesn't have what we know today as a "modern case design" as it relates to body taper, shoulder angle, etc. The technologically older rounds tend to really gain some steam with handloading.

I will add that, beyond how "hot" the cartridge is loaded, handloading for those cartridges also opens up additional projectile options. As an example, maybe you've got a 300 Win Mag you want to shoot the 225 grain ELDM through. The highest factory ELDM loading that Hornady loads for the Win Mag is a 195, and they only load the 225 for the 300 PRC. If you're a handloader, you can tinker and (hopefully) get the 225 ELDM to shoot in your 300 Win Mag. You won't be able to match 300 PRC performance because you'll most likely be eeking into your powder space or single feeding, but you can run the projectile you want.

In the case of your 25-06, most factory offerings top out at a 115 class bullet. With Hornady and Berger making high BC 25 call bullets of 130 Plus, you can breathe some modern life into that old round.

 

[t_carlson]

Without considering the improvements via component bullets, cartridges that have lower-than-normal SAAMI max pressures benefit from reloading the most.

.30-06, .280 Rem., .257 Roberts come to mind. The '06, for example, is underloaded due to all of the old military rifles out there, but in a modern action it will handle 65K PSI just like anything else. You can push 165 grain bullets to the mid 2900's and 180's to about 2825 or so.

The .243 and 7mm Rem can be pushed a little bit too.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Handloaded ammo for a 25/06 should absolutely spank factory ammo, but the 25-06 has a few limitations that ultimately led me to get out of it last month after 20+ years:

1. brass quality is lacking
2. factory barrel twists are generally 1-10, which does not support the high-BC bullets
3. high-BC bullets have been very slow to appear on the market and have questionable long-term availability.

#3 has been solved pretty recently with Hornady's ELD announcement. #2 is fixable with a custom barrel. #1 doesn't have any solutions eminent that I know of.

25-284 is a better way to get ~50ish grains of powder capacity behind a 25 cal with brass that is very good. 25 PRC should be in that ballpark too, but both are non-standard chamberings today. A 25 PRC announcement at SHOT would not surprise me given the new heavy 25 cal ELD.

 

[BCsteve]

6.5x55

 

[Pharmseller]

7mm-08 factory ammo is pretty close in velocity to what’s stated on the box. That, combined with the variety of available projectiles, disqualifies it from the list.

 

[prm]

I’ll go counter to the idea of newer loads being reduced. I have my grandfather’s Speer #7 from 1966 and also my Speer #44 from 2007. I have found it’s a mix of some loads being hotter back then and others being less. I’m sure powders have changed over that time too. Though nearly all the old 30-06 loads are pretty stout!

edit: I do think the old -06 does benefit from handloading

The old manual is cool though. The powder section is written by B.E. Hodgdon and the reloading for hunting section by some guy named Jack O’Connor.

 

[ID_Matt]

6.5-284 was the first one that came to mind. Can see a giant increase in performance with hand loads when chambered in a long action. 300 win mag is another one that gets hurt tremendously by its saami limitations.

The newer cartridges - 6.5 creed, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, etc. all have pretty dang good factory options because of the way they were designed to fit in factory actions.

 

[Rick M.]

6.5-284 was the first one that came to mind. Can see a giant increase in performance with hand loads when chambered in a long action. 300 win mag is another one that gets hurt tremendously by its saami limitations.

The newer cartridges - 6.5 creed, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, etc. all have pretty dang good factory options because of the way they were designed to fit in factory actions.

Do you think that the 284 Win would also benefit from a long action as a handloaded cartridge?

 

[Rick M.]

The newer cartridges - 6.5 creed, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, etc. all have pretty dang good factory options because of the way they were designed to fit in factory actions.

Yeah, the tight tolerances and factory ammunition for these are definitely pretty damn good.

 

[A382DWDZQ]

I think just generally the ability to tailor the cartridge to a specific gun and use case is very unique. For me, 7mm-08 benefits a lot from heavier bullets. 160+ grain bullets in a factory load are rare.

 

[Ryan Avery]

30 Nosler if it's chambered right.

 

[Rick M.]

I think just generally the ability to tailor the cartridge to a specific gun and use case is very unique. For me, 7mm-08 benefits a lot from heavier bullets. 160+ grain bullets in a factory load are rare.

Any reason you prefer the -08 over the 280 AI for that weight range? I know the -08 is very efficient with powder (around 20g difference).

 

[peaches]

I vote 270 Win. or 7 Rem mag. Really underloaded in some
factory offerings.

 

[wind gypsy]

6.5x55 was the first one that came to mind for me. SAAMI pressures are way low but in a modern action there is a giant difference what it can do. It's a notably bigger case than a creedmoor yet factory ammo is loaded significantly slower.

Also agree that generally on the more dated options you can usually do quite a bit better handloading. Belted magnums, 243, etc.

 

[6mm Remington]

30-06
280 Remington
25-06
6mm Remington

 

[49ereric]

If you count adjusting the length of the bullet seating then most benefit.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Handloaded ammo for a 25/06 should absolutely spank factory ammo, but the 25-06 has a few limitations that ultimately led me to get out of it last month after 20+ years:

1. brass quality is lacking
2. factory barrel twists are generally 1-10, which does not support the high-BC bullets
3. high-BC bullets have been very slow to appear on the market and have questionable long-term availability.

#3 has been solved pretty recently with Hornady's ELD announcement. #2 is fixable with a custom barrel. #1 doesn't have any solutions eminent that I know of.

25-284 is a better way to get ~50ish grains of powder capacity behind a 25 cal with brass that is very good. 25 PRC should be in that ballpark too, but both are non-standard chamberings today. A 25 PRC announcement at SHOT would not surprise me given the new heavy 25 cal ELD.

You could neck down Lapua 30-06 cases if you wanted better brass. Not sure it’s great, but nosler makes 25-06 brass. That should be a step up from Winchester, fed, rem or federal. I agree 110% that barrels are not twisted correctly for the high bc bullets. But when the 1:10 basically became standardized I’d guess bullet selection was so limited it was never thought to have a faster twist. After deer season I plan on playing with my 25-06 and developing a load for it, but I’m pushing 100nbt over 3450 in a 25-06 with rl22. Load was developed for a different rifle but it’s working in this rifle. Planning on using 110 eldx.