Tracer loads?

[sharky47]

So I have some of those orange tip .308 military pulled bullets. Had the idea for loading some of them up as .300W subsonic loads - the hang time on that bullet fired at a high angle for long range would be cool as hell.....

Anyway, before I go and try it - has anyone tried this? If so, what were your findings? Will H110 light the trace compound? Will ANY powder in a .300W load light this thing?

[nwcid]

Interesting. I never thought about doing that. I have a LOT of tracers I got years back on sale but since they get kinda warm dont use them much.

I will have to try in a month or so.

[snipecatcher]

Yes, I had that very same thought not long ago. I just don't have any tracer bullets to load up. Please share your findings.
-Dan

[amafrank]

I've loaded a lot of tracers in the 300 and they all light great with just about any load I've used. If the bullets are in good shape they'll light. I've fire tracers loaded with 8.5gr of H110 in my 9" barreled SIG 552-300 and have a 90% light rate with quality tracers. So far its been more like 100% in the 16" bolt rifles. It makes me realize that all the advice for using special "Tracer" powders for the guys loading .308 and other full power rifle rounds is a load of crap. If 8 gr of pistol powder will light the tracer than you should be able to use any rifle powder in a larger round. The problem comes in when you are using questionable tracers that won't light with any powder. Once they oxidize beyond a certain point they become very hard to light with any powder or load. So the answer to your question is: if you have good tracers than yes they will light in the 300-221 round with whatever sub or supersonic load you use. If you have bad ones than chances are that any load won't light them.
One very important thing to be aware of with the tracer bullet is that it has a very long bearing surface in relation to its weight. This means it will require higher pressure to push it out the barrel due to friction and drag. Don't use the load data for the bullet weight but rather a slightly higher load or you will end up with stuck tracers in your barrel. Some data I've found shows a load of less than 8 gr of H110 for 150 gr bullets but I can tell you from experience that 7.8gr can result in a bullet that doesn't quite make it out the end of the barrel. It may not cause you any grief but getting that stuck bullet out may create nicks or dings in your barrel from whatever you knock it out with. Use caution in working up a load for your particular rifle if you are trying to go subsonic. It is possible and the sound of the tracer burning is audible. The difference between the 1100fps load and the stuck load is small though and a first shot through an oiled bore is not a good indicator. Shoot a few rounds through the thing before you start chrono'ing the tracer loads.

Hope that answers the question>

Frank

[sharky47]

Thanks Frank!

So what I have is an AR-15 with the gas port in the pistol position. Tracer bullets are right at 150 grain.

Would you say that 8.5 grains of H110 in this setup would be a safe place to start? I am not too concerned about being subsonic, as these are just for fun. I just want to make sure:

A. The bullet gets out of the tube.

B. I don't over gas my subsonic-tuned AR upper.


Thanks again!

[amafrank]

I'd probably start around 9gr and work my way down using a chronograph. The tracers will go from about 800fps to stuck in very short order so if you start seeing them slowing down to the 800 fps level you know you are at the lower limit. The difference between 800 and 1000 fps is a couple tenths of a grain. It all has to do with the drag of the long bullets so just be careful and use some sort of repeatable info. Also remember that velocity will change rather substantially with H110 as outside temps change. The loads we worked up at 35 degrees in winter were all well supersonic in summer. There are other powders out there that will light the tracers too and if you're not worried about keeping things subsonic than try some others and keep the loads up higher. Try 12 gr of H110 or VV N110. They will both be supersonic, reliable and temp changes won't result in stuck bullets or blown cases like the max or min loads would.

Have fun. Tracers are cool after all....

Frank