Questionable reduced loads with slow rifle powder. Should I be concerned?

[bombdoc]

I;m not sure where you get the idea that reduced loads are "only" used with faster powders when this is absolutely not correct. Many loading manuals have reduced loads of medium and slow powders to make reduced recoil, etc. loads.

As for detonation, this (elusive) phenomenon is most closely associated with GALLERY loads (small charges of fast burning pistol powders) in which the internal case (may) result in a flash-over detonation etc. As was alluded to above, NOBODY has been able to reproduce this.

Not strictly true.. the issue of reduced charge detonation is understood in the artillery world and has been published. The phenomenon has only been reported with reduced loadings of slow powder, not with fast powder. Fast powder does not have the density to reach the required energy levels.

The use of gallery loadings for military calibres used to be fairly common in Europe in the early 20th C, with most countries producing gallery loads for training purposes. These were invariably loaded with fine flake pistol powder, or famously in the case of the French Lebel gallery round, with flash paper.

It is possible to get Bulleye to detonate! I have done this myself, but only using methods that would produce conditions that you would not get in a gun chamber!