Thread: Minimum case fill level?

What do people generally regard as minimum case fill levels?

Just wondering as I made up a few .243 reloads with 90gr Targex projectiles and 33 grains of 2208.

This is a starting load in the Lee reloading manual.

Then I made up a few for the lad using the 2.2cc Lee dipper, which gives just under 33gr, but noticed that 2.2cc is only 64.3% of the listed useful case fill of 3.42cc.

I'm assuming a starting load in a manual has been tested and lawyered to the nth degree, so will be safe, but is 64.3% case fill low?

Generally speaking, single base extruded powders are ok with around 60% case full upwards. There are some good resources for reduced loads, the Hodgdon reloading website being one. Hodgdon Varget = ADI AR2208.

2206h/H4895 was the commonly referred to powder for redcued loads, but now there is information using other powders as well. A good number of the Hodgdon powders are made by ADI. I use 2207 and 2219 also for redcued loads. There was a post on here recently (most likely by @grandpamac I think) with links to the recent updates on reduced loads.

here...

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....-loads-119013/

If your 2.2 dipper load is what is printed on card that comes with the set of dies it will 100% be safe. That lawyered up to 9th degree thing. In ideal world you supposed to look in your manual and your powder cupboard and the powder that fills the case the most would-be the one you use because in theory it should be most consistent.....

In an ideal world you would be able to find the powder that fills the case the most!

Generally speaking, single base extruded powders are ok with around 60% case full upwards

Yep IMO 60% of 2208 would be safe.

Efficiency, accuracy and how dirty are a different matter