30 cal sabots

[gd357]

Does anyone have any experience with reloading for a 30-06 with sabots and 22 caliber bullets? A friend gave me some after he got tired of trying to get them to shoot in his .308. To be fair, he stuck with 50 gr. bullets, so maybe a heavier bullet might work? Any input is appreeciated.

gd

[Rocky Raab]

I had horrible results with some - just like your friend.

You have two choices:

You can toss the sabots in the trash and keep your blood pressure down, or

You can burn up a lot of powder and primers and launch lots of .22-cal bullets into neverland. You'll never know where some of them hit, no matter how large a target you use, or how close.

When I experimented with them, I managed to completely miss a 2x4 FOOT target at 50 yards with some shots.

I'd toss them. But knowing the curiosity factor of most reloaders, you'll probably try a few of them anyway. Use data for 100 or 100-grain bullets, even though the sabot combo is only half that. I'd use 4198 or a similar stick powder and not ball type. Good luck - and keep the blood pressure meds handy.

[HPBTMTCH]

GD, i like rocky, could not get them to shoot better than 3-4 inch groups. But, they would go very fast, and with 69 gr. bullets out of a .300 win mag, could really mist a groundhog if the range was 50 yards or less.

[gd357]

Thanks for the warning Rocky and HPBTMTCH, it will be duly noted, and probably save me a few headaches. The sabots came with loading data specifically developed for them, so I have a starting point. I am currently assuming that a heavier bullet MAY be easier to stabilize? We'll see how it goes.:rolleyes:

gd

[gumpokc]

Yup same results as RR and HPBT.

fast as all getout, but they shoot patterns, not groups.

sabots can be incredibly accurate _if_ they are custom manfactured IE tanks rounds etc etc, but just slipping any old bullet into a plastic sabot, there's too many varaiences that can differe from one to tthe next to give any real accuracy.

[Catfish]

I have a friend that palied with them one summer. He worked up loads for the .06, .308 and a .30-30. I know he tried the .308 and the .30-30`s in acouple of different guns. He was able to get some very good groups at 50 yrds. to 75 yrds. and good enough accuracy for groundhogs out to 125 yrds. or so with acouple of the guns. He also said that he found nothing that would shoot a pattern much less a group from 150 yrds. out, and this guy used alot of different bullets and powders. I had another friend that tried the facrory loaded stuff in his .06 and he was shooting under 1 in. groupd at 50 yrds., 3 in. groups at 100 and 8 in. groups at 150 yrds.