# Reloading for other people



## omegax (Oct 25, 2006)

I know... "Don't".

The story is that my mother-in-law shoots a .22-250 for deer, and I have been dropping hints for years that they need to, at the very least, shoot premium bullets for it. A couple of years back, I gutted a doe of hers out, and the "exit wound" side looked like it had been peppered by bird shot! She's put everything on the ground, but some day, that lack of a decent exit wound is going to be a problem.

So, now that I've started reloading, I got tired of hinting, and just offered to load up some partitions for her. I started looking around for what other people do when they don't have the opportunity to test the loads, and the prevailing wisdom about reloading for others seemed to be a 5-alarm "DON'T DO IT!!". Now, I'm not exactly worried about liability... Even if I weren't super tight with them, I sincerely doubt that they'd want to hurt their daughter by suing me. Plus, you can't get blood from a turnip .

Now, what do you guys load if you're not going to have a chance to test the loads?

Nosler's site says between 29 and 33 grains of IMR 4895 (which I have lying around). My Speer manual doesn't have loads for 60 grain bullets. It does, however list between 31 and 35 grains of 4895 for a 55-grain bullet. So, Nosler's site seems to be well within the limits. I'm thinking about loading up 31 grains of IMR 4895, to split the difference. Otherwise, Hodgdon's site, which, for some reason, doesn't list a recipe for IMR 4895, has a Hornady V-Max 60 grain over between 32 and 35 grains of H4895. My other option would be to go with 33.5 gr of H4895 behind the 60 grain partition.

Does anybody have a pet load for 60 gr. Partitions they would be willing to share? I know some are squeamish even posting loads, which I understand. Otherwise, what would you guys do, split the difference from Nosler's site?


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

in all reality you might reload 100 perfectly safe rounds for the the gun but what if they dont shoot. Might be worth the trip to visit mom in law and just take the gun home for a few weeks of load development. Would be sucky if you load all them and find the bolt wont close on the gun or some thing crazy like that. I help some freinds out and load some rounds for there gun but one of the stipulatoins is i have to have their gun or wont do it. Just peace of mind that they are going to be safe when shooting my loads and that they have a well tuned round.


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## omegax (Oct 25, 2006)

Good point... I live in Fargo. So, at this point, with the Casselton range swamped with everybody who used to go to Horace, I'm probably going to have to do all my shooting down there anyhow. I'm actually planning on going down there in 2 weeks. I might just work up a few before I go and shoot them while I'm down there.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

Now your cooking with peanut oil. well sounds like you got it figured out let us know how the partitions shoot.


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

well I can tell you already know thier cant be factory ammo as good for any gun as good as a hand load. and yes if you want her to have the best load then you should work up the load for that gun. then she can use them if she so desires.

Now let me say that the 250 is a great gun and will take deer.

But wouldn't she be just as well off shooting a 243. recoil would be about the same and she could use say an 85 grain bullet and this would be much better for deer.

If recoil is the problem she could get a heavier barrel. maybe not a big ole target barrel but maybe one of the heavy barrels.
and/or add a limbsavers recoil pad. there is many things to help this.

Maybe even a 7MM08. or a 25-06. in a slightly heavier frame gun. with not much more recoil. also you could load her some light recoil loads. I think she would be much happier with any of these.

But Im a guessing that she only hunts with her 250 and has always done so. and has no desire to change anything. because she likes it and it has worked for so many years.

So for her next birthday anniversary chrismas whatever gift. you may want to get her one of the many versions of these or other guns. and maybe she will use it or not. but she will still have the option to do so. if so desired.

Good luck with any direction you decide to go.


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

You are doing the right thing with getting the rifle and making a load. Then if she wants to shoot them great if not her loss. Maybe even the deer's. Well at any rate the rifle has been working nicely for so long there is no reason to change unless she wants to. It does not take a belted magnum to kill todays modern smaller deer.

A man once claimed Chuck Norris kicked his *** twice, but it was promptly dismissed as false - no one could survive it the first time.


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## omegax (Oct 25, 2006)

Duckmander,

You're absolutely right. She likes the gun and doesn't see any reason to change. I think that eventually my father-in-law is going to get her a new gun, but not this year (he's been talking about it since he skinned that doe I gutted, but that was 3 years ago. It just never makes it up the priority list). I've been trying to talk him into .260 Rem (I'm a .260 Remington "fanboy"), 7mm-08, or .25-06 (though, that's not my favorite... For that amount of energy, I'd save a few ounces and get a short action). They're not quite as into guns as I am. I'd be chomping at the bit to bring another gun home. In the meantime, I figured that I like my new hobby, and might as well make the 250 as good as possible.

People,

I do know they'll use the rounds I make. So, I'll know that I didn't do it for nothing. I'm not a "bigger is better" guy, either. The rifle you are willing to put in practice time and get good with is going to beat the pants off the big magnum you only take out once a year. That said, when her meat goes into the same grinding bucket as mine, I'd feel better knowing the bullet held together as much as possible.


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