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February 16th, 2024

Remington Ammunition Announces Big Give-Away Contest

remington ammunition Full Safe Sweepstakes Rem 700 contest 2024 grand prize

Are you feeling lucky? Well Remington has one of the best contests we’ve seen in quite some time. Remington Ammunition has officially kicked off the Full Safe Sweepstakes — Remington’s biggest consumer sweepstakes yet.

Featuring a prize assortment from leading industry brands including Remington Arms, Remington Safes, Nighthawk Custom, Leupold Optics, Silencer Central, and Remington Ammunition, sweepstakes entrants can win one of two prize packages, detailed below. Note that the 36-gun safe comes with the Second Place Prize, NOT the Grand prize.

NOTE: NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY for a chance to win — you don’t have to spend a penny.

CLICK HERE to Enter the Full Safe Sweepstakes »

GRAND PRIZE

·Nighthawk Custom GRP 30 Super Carry IOS Pistol

·Remington 30 Super Carry Ammunition, 500 Rounds

SECOND PLACE PRIZE

·Remington Safes Gun Club Series 36-Gun Safe

·RemArms Model 700 SPS Tactical Rifle in .308 Winchester

·Leupold VX-5HD 3-15×44 CDS-ZL2 Side Focus Illum. FireDot Duplex Scope

·Silencer Central BANISH Backcountry Suppressor, with Tax Stamp

·Remington Ammunition Core-Lokt Tipped four boxes .308 Win

remington ammunition Full Safe Sweepstakes Rem 700 contest 2024 grand prize

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 48 CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES, 21+. VOID in HI, AK, CA, MA, DE, RI, IL, NJ, NY, DC, CT, MD, WA, VA, CO & WHERE RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED. FULL SAFE SWEEPSTAKES (“Sweepstakes”) starts at 8:00AM CT 2.15.24 and ends at 8:00AM CT 3.11.24. For How to Enter, Complete Eligibility Requirements, Prizes, Odds of Winning, and Full Official Rules, visit SWEEPSTAKES WEBSITE. Sponsor: Ammunition Operations LLC d/b/a Remington Ammunition, 2592 AR-15 N Lonoke, AR 72086.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Handguns, News No Comments »
February 15th, 2024

Giant Extruded Powder Sticks for Huge Naval Cannons

DuPont artillery naval powder cannon gun kernel propellant stick

Story by Boyd Allen
While many top competitive shooters trickle their stick powder charges to a kernel or two, that would be impractical when loading charges for giant naval guns. You may be surprised, but the shells fired by the U.S. Navy’s massive 14″ and 16″ naval guns were also propelled by stick-type extruded powders. You couldn’t trickle these ‘kernels’ though — a single stick or ‘grain’ can be over 2″ long.

DuPont artillery naval powder cannon gun kernel propellant stick
The U.S.S. Iowa fires her massive 16″ main battery. The U.S. Navy’s Iowa-class battleships carried nine huge 16-inch Mark 7 cannons in three turrets. The big naval guns were 50 calibers long, i.e. 50 times bore diameter, making the barrels 66.7 feet long from chamber to muzzle.

In connection with a Benchrest Central discussion that drifted to the subject of powders used in large naval guns, I heard from Joe McNeil, whose father was involved in manufacturing those very propellants as a DuPont employee. Joe writes:

“My Dad worked for the DuPont company for over 40 years. Every time the nation went to war he was assigned to the gun powder plants which DuPont ran for the government for $1.00 per year! His last assignment was at the Indiana Ordnance Plant in Jefferson, Indiana from 1952 through 1958. He had a display case made of all of the different powders made at the plant and left it to me. That’s why I have a grain of 16″ gun powder. He took me out to the Jefferson proving grounds once when they tested the powder in a 16″ gun. We watched from a half-mile away but it left a lasting impression when they fired that gun. They actually had a set of rings they fired through to test the performance of the powder and shell. This was a truly fond memory of my Dad and his work.”

Here are some pictures of the gun powder “grains” made during the Korean War at the Indiana Ordnance Works where Joe McNeil’s father worked.

DuPont artillery naval powder cannon gun kernel propellant stick

DuPont artillery naval powder cannon gun kernel propellant stick

Above is the display case with the different powders manufactured at the DuPont plant. They include: 37 MM/AA, 75MM Pack Howitzer, 50 Cal. 5010, 20 MM 4831, 30 Cal. 4895, 76 MM, 3″, 5″, 90 MM, 4.7″, 240MM, 8″, 280 MM, 175 MM, 155 MM Howitzer, 155 MM Gun M.P., 8″ Gun M.P., 12″, 14, 16″. There are different-sized ‘grains’ for specific rounds.

DuPont artillery naval powder cannon gun kernel propellant stick
16-inch/50-caliber gun projectile plus six propellant bags. Display mockup aboard U.S.S. Iowa (BB-61) in San Pedro, CA. Photo by James Madison per Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Tech Tip No Comments »
February 14th, 2024

Hornady Becomes Precision Rifle Series Title Sponsor for 2024

hornady a-tip match ammunition title sponsor Precision Rifle Series PRS

Hornady is now the official Title Sponsor of the Precision Rifle Series. This is a major step up in sponsorship levels for Hornady. Previously Hornady sponsored special events such as the Precision Rifle Challenge. Now Hornady will be the lead sponsor of all PRS centerfire events. Hornady Marketing Director Neil Davies stated: “We are excited for the opportunity to be the Title Sponsor of the Precision Rifle Series. Being the Official Bullet and Official Ammunition of the PRS and becoming the Title Sponsor solidifies our commitment to the sport and the PRS as an organization.”

Ken Wheeler, PRS Director, stated: “We are beyond thrilled to officially announce our 2024 partnership with Hornady as our Title Sponsor and the Official Bullet and Ammunition of the Precision Rifle Series. Hornady is an industry leader and very involved in the PRS community, their … award-winning match bullets and ammunition make them exceptional partners of the largest precision rifle organization[.]”

hornady a-tip match ammunition title sponsor Precision Rifle Series PRSHornady A-Tip Match Is Official Bullet of PRS
In connection with Hornady’s sponsorship, the Hornady A-Tip® Match has been named the official bullet of the PRS centerfire series. And Hornady MATCH ammo has been listed as the official PRS factory ammunition. NOTE: This does not make the use of A-Tips or Hornady Ammo mandatory in any respect, but these products will be promoted in connection with Hornady’s PRS sponsorship efforts.

We have shot Hornady A-Tip bullets in various platforms and have been impressed. The BCs are very good and A-Tips are capable of excellent accuracy if you inspect the tips for imperfections and sort the bullets by weight and base-to-ogive measurement. These A-Tips represent a significant design effort by Hornady: “Years of research and testing by the Hornady Ballistic Development Group, combined with advanced manufacturing processes and quality control measures, have led to the creation of the ultimate low-drag, high-performance A-Tip® Match bullet.”

hornady a-tip match ammunition title sponsor Precision Rifle Series PRS
In recent seasons, Hornady has sponsored PRS events such as the Precision Rifle Challenge.

Founded in 1949, Hornady Manufacturing Co. is a family-owned business based in Grand Island, Nebraska. Proudly selling Made-in-USA products, Hornady Manufacturing is a world leader in bullet, ammunition, reloading tool, accessory, and security product design and manufacturing.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Competition, News, Tactical No Comments »
February 13th, 2024

Reduce Run-Out — Try Rotating Your Cases During Bullet Seating

Bullet Seating Reloading rotate cartridge Run-out TIR

Here is a simple technique that can potentially help you load straighter ammo, with less run-out (as measured on the bullet). This procedure costs nothing and adds only a few seconds to the time needed to load a cartridge. Next time you’re loading ammo with a threaded (screw-in) seating die, try seating the bullet in two stages. Run the cartridge up in the seating die just enough to seat the bullet half way. Then lower the cartridge and rotate it 180° in the shell-holder. Now raise the cartridge up into the die again and finish seating the bullet.

Steve, aka “Short Range”, one of our Forum members, recently inquired about run-out apparently caused by his bullet-seating process. Steve’s 30BR cases were coming out of his neck-sizer with good concentricity, but the run-out nearly doubled after he seated the bullets. At the suggestion of other Forum members, Steve tried the process of rotating his cartridge while seating his bullet. Steve then measured run-out on his loaded rounds. To his surprise there was a noticeable reduction in run-out on the cases which had been rotated during seating. Steve explains: “For the rounds that I loaded yesterday, I seated the bullet half-way, and turned the round 180 degrees, and finished seating the bullet. That reduced the bullet runout by almost half on most rounds compared to the measurements from the first test.”

READ Bullet Seating Forum Thread »

run-out bullet

run-out bullet

Steve recorded run-out measurements on his 30 BR brass using both the conventional (one-pass) seating procedure, as well as the two-stage (with 180° rotation) method. Steve’s measurements are collected in the two charts above. As you can see, the run-out was less for the rounds which were rotated during seating. Note, the change is pretty small (less than .001″ on average), but every little bit helps in the accuracy game. If you use a threaded (screw-in) seating die, you might try this two-stage bullet-seating method. Rotating your case in the middle of the seating process won’t cost you a penny, and it just might produce straighter ammo (nothing is guaranteed). If you do NOT see any improvement on the target, you can always go back to seating your bullets in one pass. READ Forum Thread.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Reloading, Tech Tip 1 Comment »
February 12th, 2024

BargainFinder 438: AccurateShooter’s Deals of the Week

AccurateShooter Deals of the Week Weekly Bargain Finder Sale Discount Savings

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.

NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.

1. Bullet Central — Berger Bullets Promo, All Calibers

berger bullets vld LR hybrid bullet central sale
Great bullets in stock at very competitive prices

Bullet Central has a very large selection of Berger bullets in stock right now. You’ll find great prices on match bullets in popular .224, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30 Calibers, starting at just $37.99 for 80gr 22-Cal VLDs. If you shoot a 6mmBR, Dasher, or 6GT, grab some 105gr Hybrid targets for $56.99. In addition, Berger hunting bullets — such as the 185gr .30-Cal Classic Hunter — are offered at good prices.

2. Natchez — Frankford Intellidropper Dispenser, $179.99

frankford arsenal intellidropper
Fast, programmable, accurate dispenser at great price

The Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper is a high-quality powder scale/dispenser. It’s accurate to +/- one-tenth of a grain, dispenses in seconds, and can be controlled by a handy mobile App that stores charge weights for different cartridges. This unit has a 7000-grain capacity with both auto and manual trickle capability. This is a fine deal now at Natchez — you save $50 (22%) off the regular $229.99 price. The same Intellidropper is currently $199.02 on Amazon.

3. Midsouth, Powder Valley, Graf’s — Rifle Primers in Stock

large small rifle pistol primers cci federal aguila sale
Get Small Rifle Primers including popular CCI, Federal, and Remington

For the past few years, primers have been hard to find at reasonable prices. Now we are finally seeing ample inventory. Right now you can get a wide range of Rifle, Pistol and Shotshell Primers at Midsouth starting at $69.99/1000. In stock now are leading US-made brands CCI, Federal, and Remington. In addition, Midsouth has large inventories of Aguila, Fiocchi, and Unis primers. Another option are RUAG Small Rifle Primers at Powder Valley, priced at $184.99 for 2500, which works out to $75.00 per 1000. If you need large rifle primers, Graf’s has Unis Ginex large rifle, 5000 for $535.00.

4. CDNN Sports — Winchester Wildcat with Optic, $229.99

winchester 22LR rimfire .22 LR wildcat reflex optic bargain sale discount CDNN sports
Fun rimfire rifle complete with optic — good owner reviews

Here is a fun little semi-auto .22 LR rifle at a crazy low price — $229.99 complete with a mounted Red Dot Reflex optic. The Winchester Wildcat takes Ruger 10/22 mags, and has some great features, such as field-removable lower receiver, ambidextrous controls, integral Picatinny rail, and rear barrel access. It has a good trigger and shoots well. In many respects the Wildcat beats the Ruger 10/22 while costing a lot less. If you don’t need the optic, you can get a basic Wildcat for $219.99 with Strata camo stock or $234.99 with Strata camo stock and threaded barrel.

5. Amazon — HQ Issue TSA-Approved Rifle Case, $109.99

rifle case sale
Very rugged, full-featured TSA-approved roller case

Whether flying or just transporting your rifles to the range it’s important to protect them with a rugged, quality gun case. The solidly-built HQ Issue 41″ Tactical Rifle Case (#ad) meets all the TSA requirements and can withstand tough treatment. Offered in Flat Dark Earth (tan), this waterproof case has rollers to ease movement through the airport. Handy pick-n-pluck foam allows a secure custom fit for your firearms. NOTE: This case is 41″ overall so it will NOT fit long-barrel competition rifles unless the action is separated from the stock/chassis. For larger rifles, one good option is the Eylar 53″ Protective Roller Rifle Hard Case priced at $199.99.

6. Palmetto SA — AR15 Complete Stealth Lower (Blem), $139.99

ar lower receiver
GREAT deal on complete lower with full trigger group and adjustable stock

With changes to Federal law looming on the horizon, it may be wise to get your Black Rifle now. Here is a great deal on a complete lower with stock. The PSA AR-15 MOE Stealth Lowers include full installed trigger group, plus a nice, adjustable MagPul MOE buttstock. The prices are super low because these “blem” lowers may have a small scratch or blemish somewhere. Get the Black Stealth AR Lower for $139.99 or select the Flat Dark Earth AR Lower for $149.99.

7. Bass Pro — 9mm FMJ Pistol Ammo, $0.30/Rd ($14.99/50)

ar lower receiver
Very good prices on good quality 9mm FMJ ammunition

Need 9mm ammo for practice or action pistol competition? Right now Bass Pro has some great deals on good quality, brass-cased FMJ 9mm Luger ammunition. Choose CCI 124gr FMJ at $14.99/50rds, Winchester 115gr FMJ at $14.99/50rds, or Herters 115gr FMJ at $26.99 for 100 rounds.

8. Midsouth — SnapSafe TrekLite TSA Pistol Lock Box, $29.99

Snapsafe treklite XP FDE pistol handgun lock box safe
Good, lightweight pistol box for travel — TSA approved lock

When traveling by air with a handgun, the pistol must be in a case with a TSA-approved lock. The Snapsafe Treklite XL Lock Box complies with TSA rules. It will hold two compact pistols or one larger pistol with magazing (which must be UNLOADED). Made with a strong polycarbonate case, This lightweight (2.2 lb) lock box is one-third the weight of a steel box. Right now the Treklite XL FDE Lock Box is just $29.99 at Midsouth, 25% OFF the regular price.

9. Amazon — KUBEI USB Rechargeable Digital Scale, $24.99

digital powder scale
Compact scale with USB-rechargeable battery at great price

Everyone can use an inexpensive, compact scale for loading at the range or sorting bullets or maybe even primers. One very affordable option KUBEI USB Rechargeable Digital Scale (#ad). Unlike most other inexpensive digital scales, this comes with a large dust cover with a “window” for your powder pan. Notably, this scale can be conveniently recharged with a standard USB cable — no batteries to replace ever! We have heard positive reports from Forum members about this $24.99 portable scale, which offers 9 types of weight units, calibration weight, and fold-down protective lid.

10. Palmetto SA — Walker’s Muffs + Safety Glasses, $15.99

ear muff safety sale
Killer deal on hearing and eye protection combo

Is it time to replace your hearing and eye protection? Or perhaps you could use an extra set for friends? Check out this Walker’s Ultra Slim Muff & Glasses Combo. You get good quality 27dB NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) muffs AND a set of ANSI Z87.1-rated shooting glasses — all for just $15.99. That’s a great price for essential safety items. Shooters should always have both eye and ear protection whenever at the range.

As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Gear Review, Hot Deals, Optics No Comments »
February 11th, 2024

Sunday GunDay: 20 Practical 4200+ FPS Varmint Rifle

.20 20 practical varmint cartridge .204 Tikka lilja Warren

Do you have .20-Cal fever? Do you yearn to see what a 4200+ fps projectile can do to an unsuspecting prairie dog? Well you could go out and purchase a 204 Ruger rifle, fork over the money for a new, complete die set, and hope that the brass is in stock. Warren B (aka “Fireball”) has a more cost-effective solution. If you have .223 Rem dies and brass, all you need to shoot the 20 Practical is a new barrel and a .230″ bushing to neck down your .223 Rem cases. Warren’s wildcat is simple, easy, and economical. And the 20 Practical matches the performance of the highly-publicized 20 Tactical with less money invested and no need to buy forming dies or fire-form cases. Warren’s cartridge was aptly named. Practical it is.

20 Practical Tikka Bolt Action for Varminting

by Warren B (aka “Fireball”) and Kevin Weaver

After building my 20 PPC, I wanted to do another .20 caliber, this time a repeater for predator hunting that could also serve as a gopher/prairie dog rifle. I wanted to use a Tikka M595 stainless sporter I had. This rifle is the ultimate repeater with an extremely smooth-feeding cycle from its single-column magazine. Since the Tikka was a .223 Remington from the factory, I first looked at possible case designs that would fit the magazine. The 204 Ruger was a very new round at the time and brass was scarce. I also didn’t care for the overly long case design or the standard throat dimensions of the cartridge. I then looked at the 20 Tactical. It was a nice cartridge but I didn’t like the fact that (at the time) an ordinary two-die Tac 20 set with just a plain full-length die and standard seater were $150. Not only did the costs bother me, but I was accustomed to using a Redding die set featuring a body die, a Type-S bushing neck die, and a Competition seater. To be honest, I also didn’t care for the 20 Tactical’s name–there is absolutely nothing tactical about the cartridge. I didn’t want to adopt a new cartridge based on what I perceived to be a marketing gimmick (that “tactical” title).


Warren B, aka “Fireball”, with his Tikka 595. With its smooth action and phenolic single-column mag, it cycles perfectly in rapid fire.

.20 20 practical varmint cartridge .204 Tikka lilja WarrenSimply Neck Down .223 Rem to Make a 20-223 Wildcat
I decided the best thing to do for my purposes was to simply neck down the .223 Rem case and make a 20-223. I already had the dies, the brass, and a rifle that would feed it perfectly. I decided to call the cartridge the 20 Practical because as you will see in this article, it truly is a very practical cartridge. In addition to the generous and inexpensive availability of brass and dies, the 20 Practical is an easy case to create, requiring no fire forming as a final step. Simply neck your .223 Rem cases down, load and shoot.

[Editor’s Note: Over the years, other shooters have experimented with .223 Remington cases necked down to .20 caliber, some with longer necks, some with different shoulder angles. Warren doesn’t claim to be the first fellow to fit a .20-caliber bullet in the .223 case. He gives credit to others who did pioneering work years ago. But he has come up with a modern 20-223 wildcat that involves no special case-forming, and minimal investment in dies and tooling. He commissioned the original PTG 20 Practical reamer design, and he and Kevin did the field testing to demonstrate the performance of this particular version.]

I chose Kevin Weaver at Weaver Rifles to fit and chamber the barrel to my rifle. Kevin does excellent work and is great to work with. Kevin liked the idea of the 20 Practical so much he agreed to purchase the project reamer. (BTW Kevin didn’t even need to purchase a Go/No-Go gauge, he just used an existing .223 Rem gauge.)

Before Kevin ordered the reamer, I talked over the reamer specs with him. My priorities were tolerances on the tight end of the .223 Rem SAAMI specification, a semi-fitted neck with no need for neck-turning, and a short throat so that we could have plenty of the 32gr V-Max in the case and still touch the lands. I also wanted this short throat in case [anyone] wanted to chamber an AR-15 for the 20 Practical. A loaded 20 Practical round will easily touch the lands on an AR-15 while fitting into the magazine with no problem. With its standard 23-degree shoulder, the 20 Practical case also feeds flawlessly through an AR-15.

As for the barrel, I only use Liljas on my rifles. I have had great luck with them. They have always shot well and they clean up the easiest of any barrels that I have tried. I had previously sent my Tikka barreled action to Dan Lilja so that he could program a custom contour into his equipment and turn out a barrel that would perfectly fit the factory M595 sporter stock. There isn’t much material on an M595 sporter stock so the contour had to match perfectly and it did. Dan Lilja now has this custom contour available to anyone who would like to rebarrel their M595 sporter with one of his barrels.

There Are Plenty of Good .204-Caliber Varmint Bullet Options
20 Practical .204 Ruger .20 caliber bullets

How to Form 20 Practical Cases — Simple and Easy
Forming 20 Practical cases is very easy. No fire-forming is required. Start with any quality .223 Rem brass. Then simply run the case into your bushing die with the appropriate bushing and call it done.

Project Componentry
My 20 Practical rifle started out as a Tikka Model 595 Stainless Sporter in .223 Remington. Though the M595 is no longer imported, if you shop around you can find M595 Sporters for bargain prices. Mine cost under $500. I think the action alone is worth that! The receiver has a milled dovetail for scope rings plus a side bolt release like expensive BR actions. The bolt cycles very smoothly. Ammo is handled with super-reliable 3- or 5-round detachable single-column magazines (FYI, Tikka’s M595 22-250 mags will feed a 6BR case flawlessly.) We kept the standard Tikka trigger but fitted it with a light-weight spring. Now the trigger pull is a crisp 1.8 pounds–about as good as it gets in a factory rifle. We replaced the factory tube with a custom, 24″, 3-groove Lilja 12-twist barrel. Dan Lilja created a special M595 sporter contour to allow a perfect “drop-in” fit with the factory stock. For optics, I’ve fitted a Leupold 4.5-14x40mm zoom in low Talley light-weight aluminum mounts. All up, including optics and sling, my 20 Practical weighs just under 8.5 pounds.

Test Report–How’s It Shoot?
I sent the barrel and barreled action to Kevin and in a very short time it was returned. Kevin did a perfect job on the rifle. I had asked him to try to match the bead blasted finish of the Tikka when he finished the new barrel. It came out perfect and the only way one can tell it is a custom is the extra two inches of length and the “20 Practical” cartridge designation.

So, no doubt you’re asking “how does she shoot?” Is my “prototype”, first-ever 20 Practical an accurate rig? In a word, yes. Even with the standard factory stock, and light contour barrel, it can shoot 3/8″ groups. Take a look at the typical target from this rifle. This is from an 8.5-pound sporter with a very skinny fore-end and a factory trigger.

Gunsmith’s Report from Kevin Weaver
The 20 Practical: Origins and Development

Editor’s NOTE: We can’t say for sure who first necked down the .223 Rem to .20 caliber and chambered a rifle for that wildcat (as opposed to the .20 Tactical). But here is an account from way back in 2006 when the Warren B first came up with the idea of a .20 Practical cartridge, complete with reamer specs.

A year ago I received a call from Warren with a great idea. Warren asked “Why couldn’t we simply neck down the .223 Remington case to 20 caliber and get basically the same performance as the 20 Tactical? This way you can forgo the expensive forming dies that are needed for the 20 Tactical.” The idea made perfect sense to me, and I saw no major technical issues, so we got started on the project. I ordered a reamer from Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool & Gauge (PTG) with a .233″ neck. The .233″ neck should allow for a simple necking-down of the 223 Remington case to produce the 20 Practical in just one step. No fire-forming necessary! Furthermore, the PTG 20 Practical reamer Dave created should work with any available .223 Rem brass, commercial or military.

The first 20 Practical round was launched down range (through Warren’s Tikka) just a few months later. The brass formed as easily as expected. All one needs is a Redding type “S” bushing die with a .230 bushing and with just one step I had a .20 caliber case ready to shoot. Warren is brilliant. [Editor’s Note: We concur. For more details on Warren’s case-forming methods and his tips for adapting .223 Rem dies, read the technical sections further down the page.]

It would be almost six months later until I got around to building a dedicated test rifle chambered for the 20 Practical. I used a Remington 722 action, Remington synthetic semi-varmint stock, and a 24″ Douglas stainless steel XX 12-twist barrel. I formed and loaded about 30 cases using Remington brass in about 20 minutes. I used a .223 Rem seating die to seat the 20 Practical bullets. The .223 seating stem seated the small 20-Cal bullets just fine. The first loads sent the 40gr Hornady V-Max bullets down range at a modest 3500 FPS. I did not shoot for groups. I just wanted to use this load to sight in the rifle and break in the barrel. Load development was painless–I used reduced .223 Rem loads for 40gr bullets and worked up from there. In the table below are some of my preferred loads as well as Warren’s favorite recipes for his 20 Practical.

Bullet Wt. Powder Charge Wt. Velocity FPS Comments
32GR H4198 24.1 4025 Warren’s lighter gopher load
32GR AA2460 27.8 4154 Warren’s coyote/prairie dog load
32GR N133 26.0 4183 Coyote/PD load, clean burn
33GR H4198 26.0 4322 Hot Load. Use with Caution!
33GR N133 27.0 4255 Kevin: 0.388” 5 shot group
40GR H335 25.0 3583 Kevin’s barrel break-in load
40GR H4198 24.0 3907 Hodgdon “Extreme” Powder
40GR IMR4895 26.0 3883 Kevin: 0.288″ 5-shot group
40GR N133 25.0 3959 Kevin: 0.227″ 5-shot group
Warren’s Load Notes: My pet loads are all with IMI cases, 32gr Hornady V-Maxs, and Fed 205 primers (not match). These are the most accurate loads in my rifle so far. I haven’t even bothered with the 40s as I have the 20 PPC and 20 BR for those heavier bullets. I prefer the lighter bullets in the 20 Practical because I wanted to keep speed up and recoil down in this sporter-weight predator rifle. Also, the 32gr V-Max is exceptionally accurate and explosive. I like N133 the best as it burns so clean. IMI cases are tough and well-made.
Kevin’s Load Notes: I used Remington 223 cases, Hornady V-Max bullets, and Remington 6 1/2 primers to develop the above loads. CAUTION: all loads, both Warren’s and mine, should be reduced 20% when starting load development in your rifle. All load data should be used with caution. Always start with reduced loads first and make sure they are safe in each of your guns before proceeding to the high test loads listed. Since Weaver Rifles has no control over your choice of components, guns, or actual loadings, neither Weaver Rifles nor the various firearms and components manufacturers assume any responsibility for the use of this data.

Comparing the 20 Practical and 20 Tactical
Kevin tells us: “The 20 Practical and the 20 Tactical are almost identical cartridges. There are only slight differences in case Outside Diameter, shoulder angle, and case body length. The neck length on the 20 Tactical is a bit longer, but there is still plenty of neck on the 20 Practical to grip the popular bullets, such as the 32gr V-Max. Here are some specs:

Cartridge Bolt face to shoulder Shoulder O.D. Shoulder Angle Total length
20 Tactical 1.5232″ .360 30° 1.755″
20 Practical 1.5778″ .3553 23° 1.760″

Both the 20 Tactical and the 20 Practical are fine .20 caliber cartridges. Early on, the 20 Tactical was the more popular of the two because it had more publicity. However, my favorite would be the 20 Practical. Warren’s 20 Practical gives the SAME performance as the 20 Tactical without fire-forming, or having to buy expensive forming dies. So with the 20 Practical you do less work, you shell out a lot less money, yet you give up nothing in performance. What’s not to like? To create 20 Practical cases, just buy a .223 Rem Redding Type “S” Bushing Die set with a .230 or .228 bushing and have fun with this great little cartridge.”

(more…)

Permalink - Articles, Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Hunting/Varminting No Comments »
February 6th, 2024

Guide to Neck Turning — The Key Steps You Need to Follow

neck-turning basics reloading salazar

On our main AccurateShooter.com site, you’ll find a good article by GS Arizona on the Basics of Neck Turning. If you’re new to the neck-turning game, or are just looking for good tips on improving your neck-turning procedures, you should read that article. Below we offer some highlights and photos from the article, but you’ll need to read the whole story to view all the illustrations and follow all the procedures step by step.

Why Should You Consider Neck Turning?
Let’s assume that your rifle doesn’t have a tight neck chamber that requires neck turning; if you have a tight neck chamber, of course, the answer to the question is “because you have to”. For the rest of us, and that includes the vast majority of Highpower shooters, neck turning isn’t a requirement, but it can be a useful way to bring your ammunition a small but meaningful step closer to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: perfection. I’m not talking about a theoretical improvement, but a real one, an improvement that lies in equalizing and optimizing the neck tension of your loaded rounds. Inconsistent neck tension is a real contributor to increased muzzle velocity variance which itself is a significant factor in increased elevation dispersion at long range. So there’s our basic reason for neck turning: to equalize and optimize neck tension in order to reduce elevation dispersion.

The Tools of the Trade
Here you see everything I use and a bit more. The press, a cordless screwdriver (always plugged in, turning is tough on the old battery), a couple of K&M neck turners (one set up for 6mm, the other for .30 caliber) an expander for each size, some Imperial lube, an old toothbrush or two to keep the cutter clean, a handle with a caseholder (for those emergencies when the screwdriver dies and there’s just one more case to go!), steel wool and a tubing micrometer finish the list of tools. Hey, I left the dial calipers out of the picture! They’re always handy, keep them around, but they are useless for measuring neck thickness, so don’t try. I usually use an Optivisor magnifier while I turn necks, very handy for a clear view of what’s happening on the neck.

neck-turning basics reloading salazar

Expanding the Neck
Put some lube on the inside of the case neck and run it into the expander. Really, this isn’t hard. I prefer to expand each case immediately before turning it as opposed to expanding all the cases and then turning them. Brass is somewhat springy and will tend to go back toward its original size; therefore, by expanding and turning immediately, you are more likely to have all cases fit the mandrel with the same degree of tightness and to get a more consistent depth of cut.

Cutter Adjustment for Cut Depth and Length
All the tools I’ve seen have pretty good adjustment instructions. The only thing they don’t tell you is that you should have five to ten spare cases to get it right initially. Anything of the right diameter will do while you learn, for instance, just use that cheap surplus .308 brass to do initial setup and save the precious .30-06 for when you know what you’re doing. Be patient and make your adjustments slowly; you’ll need to set the cutter for thickness as well as length of cut (just into the shoulder). The depth of cut (brass thickness) takes a bit of fiddling, the length of the cut is generally easy to set.

The Finished Product — A Perfectly Uniform Neck
If you read the whole article, and follow the procedures using quality tools, you should get very good results — with a little practice. To demonstrate, here’s an example of my finished, neck-turned brass. You’ll see there is a perfect, 0.0125″ thick neck. It’s very uniform around the circumference, usually I only see 1 or 2 ten-thousandths variance. Now, with the necks uniformed like this, we can select the bushing size that will give us our preferred neck tension and experiment with various levels of tension, secure in the knowledge that all of the cases will actually have the desired neck tension.

neck-turning basics reloading salazar

About the author — “GS Arizona” was the writing handle for German Salazar, a top-tier rifleman and gun writer. Sadly, German passed from a medical condition in 2022. German was instrumental in helping this website and our Forum get started, and we remember him as a very dear, valued friend.

German was a great individual, and a great asset to the sport. An attorney by trade, with an engineering background, German was one of the very best gun writers, who had high master shooting skills to match his writing abilities.

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February 2nd, 2024

Federal Judge Rules California Ammo Laws Are Unconstitutional

Federal judge benitez injunction ammunition ammo background check second amendment

UPDATE: On 2/5/2024, the 9th Circuit granted a stay of Judge Benitez’s injunction ruling. So Californians may NOT purchase ammunition from out of state. CLICK Here for CRPA update and watch video below for details.

Federal judge benitez injunction ammunition ammo background check second amendment

NOTE: The Benitez Ruling Explained Below Has Been Blocked by the 9th Circuit

Big news for California gun owners. You can now purchase ammunition online and have it shipped directly to your residence in California. And you can purchase ammo at California gun shops without paying for a background check. A Federal Judge has issued an injunction that blocks application of California laws requiring costly background checks for ammo purchases. NOTE: Right now, Californians can buy ammo without these restrictions, but it is possible that the Ninth Circuit could change things very soon. Act now while you can. Being able to mail-order ammunition from major vendors outside California makes ammo more affordable for Californians.

On January 30, 2024, in the case of Rhode v. Bonta, U.S. Federal District Court Judge Roger Benitez issued an order blocking the application of California laws which place severe limits on ammunition purchases by Californians. Benitez ruled that California’s laws requiring background checks on ammunition purchases were unconstitutional and invalid on multiple grounds. As noted by the San Diego Union-Tribune: “U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled that such restrictions violate the Second Amendment. He also ruled that the portion of the law restricting out-of-state purchases violated the dormant Commerce Clause and is preempted by federal law regulating interstate transportation of firearms.”

Washington Gun Law Video Explains the Key Legal Points of Judge Benitez’s Order:

The Associated Press reports: “California residents don’t have to pay for and pass a background check every time they buy bullets, a federal judge has ruled. The Tuesday [1/30/2024] ruling by U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez took effect immediately. California Attorney General Rob Bonta [then] asked Benitez on Wednesday to delay the ruling[.]” Subsequently, Judge Benitez issued an order denying Bonta’s stay request. So, until the 9th Circuit acts, the injunction stands and Californians can buy ammo without a background check.

Four years ago, in April 2020, Judge Benitez had issued a preliminary injunction blocking California’s ammo background check laws. But days later the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of that injunction, effectively negating the Benitez ruling, and putting California’s unconstitutional laws back into effect. But there have been significant changes now based on recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, in particular the Bruen case: “After the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, the 9th Circuit sent the case back to Benitez to be relitigated under that new framework, which holds that modern gun laws must be ‘consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation’.” (SD Union-Tribune).

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February 2nd, 2024

Reloading TIP — O-Rings Can Help Reduce Run-out When Sizing

reloading die O-ring
reloading die O-ring

Here’s an inexpensive procedure that can help you load straighter ammo, with slightly better measured concentricity (i.e. less run-out) on the case necks and bullets. Simply use a Rubber O-Ring on the underside of the die locking ring. This allows the die to self-align itself (slightly) to the case that is being sized. Without the O-Ring, if the flat surface on the top of your press is not perfectly square with the thread axis, your die can end up slightly off-angle. This happens when the bottom of the locking ring butts up tight against the top of the press. The O-Ring allows the die to float slightly, and that may, in turn, reduce the amount of run-out induced during case sizing.

Top prone shooter GSArizona, who sadly passed last year, tried this trick and said it works: “Go to your local hardware store and get a #17 O-Ring (that’s the designation at Ace Hardware, don’t know if its universal). Slip the O-Ring on the die and re-adjust the lock ring so that the O-Ring is slightly compressed when the die is at the correct height. Size and measure a few more cases. You will probably see a slight improvement in neck concentricity as the die can now float a bit as the case enters and leaves it. This isn’t going to be a dramatic improvement, but it’s a positive one.”

We want to stress that adding O-Rings to sizing dies may help some reloaders, but we don’t offer this as a panacea. Try it — if using the O-Ring reduces measured runout that’s great. If it doesn’t, you’ve only spent a few pennies to experiment.

reloading die O-ring

Lee Precision makes die lock rings with built-in O-Rings. Lee’s distinctive lock ring design allows the same kind of self-alignment, which is good. However, Lee lock rings don’t clamp in place on the die threads, so they can move when you insert or remove the dies — and that can throw off your die setting slightly. By using an O-Ring under a conventional die lock ring (that can be locked in place), you get the advantages of the Lee design, without the risk of the lock ring moving.

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January 31st, 2024

Basics of Case Sizing — How To Set Up and Use Sizing Dies

Sizing dies brass sinclair redding full length neck neck-sizing small base

This article is part of Sinclair Int’l Step-By-Step Reloading Series. Most of the products mentioned in this article are sold through Brownells.com.

by Roy Hill, Brownells/Sinclair Copywriter
Making your own precision handloads is a meticulous journey with many steps, many important matters to consider, and many sets of measurements to calculate. For those who pursue the perfect group, the highest score, the really long accurate shot, the rewards more than outweigh the effort. Choosing the right cases, deburring the flash holes, making the primer pockets uniform, trimming the cases, and lubricating them are all familiar – and critical – steps along the journey. And now that your brass preparation is complete, you are at last ready to start running the cases through your press and fill them with primers, powder, and bullets. The very first die the brass encounters is the sizing die. You insert the case, work the press’s lever to return the case to its correct pre-fired dimensions – and the journey continues.

Sinclair International Int'l fL full-length sizing die bump die shoulder bump gauge

There are three types of sizing dies to think about: neck, full-length, and small base. All three have specific benefits and potential drawbacks, and you should choose the type of die you use by thinking very carefully about what kind of shooting you plan to do with your handloads. No matter which type you select, most sizing dies will also punch out the old spent primer with some sort of decapper assembly that uses a hardened steel rod. Many types of sizing dies use an expander ball inside the die to make sure the neck of the case will accommodate a bullet after being sized. With some size dies, the expanders are easily removable and interchangeable, letting you get exactly the neck tension you want. When sizing cases (neck of full-length), rifle cases always need lube.

Neck-Sizing Dies
Sinclair International Int'l fL full-length neck size neck-sizing die bump die shoulder bump gaugeNeck-sizing dies resize only the neck of the case. The benefit of sizing only the neck is that the brass is “worked” very little, reducing the amount of changes to the brss. [We recommend full-length sizing for all applications after the first couple of firings, and semi-auto brass should be full-length sized every time!] Sinclair recommends that neck-sized-only cartridges should not be used any in other rifle besides the one they were originally fired from [unless they are also FL-sized], or in any action other than a bolt-action.

Full-Length Sizing Dies
Full-length sizing dies resize the full length of the case, not just the neck. Full-length sizing helps create handloads that will function in any rifle, not just the one from which the cases were originally fired. The potential downside of full-length sizing is that it may shorten case life because it works the brass more than neck sizing. But it’s possible to “tune” today’s full-length sizing dies so they barely work the brass at all, as this article by Sinclair Reloading Tech Ron Dague shows.

Illustration Shows How a Full-Length Sizing Die Works
Sinclair International Int'l fL full-length sizing die bump die shoulder bump gauge

Another way to reap the benefits of full-length sizing is to use Redding’s full-length bushing dies, which size the full length of the case but use a system of interchangeable bushings that enable you give the case neck the bare minimum of resizing needed. To see how finely adjustable bushing dies are, and how they resize the case while fully supported, CLICK HERE for Video. The neck bushing helps you precisely control the neck tension to help increase the consistency and accuracy of your handloads.

Redding Custom full length dies

Small Base Dies
A Small Base Die is another type of full-length sizing die, but one that is typically used when reloading for semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15, M14, or AR-style .308 rifles. (It may also work well for bolt guns that need extra sizing on the lower section of the case.) A small base die works exactly like a full-length sizing die, only it compresses the brass just a bit more, usually about .001″ more, and may even push the case shoulder back just a hair. Small base dies give that extra bit of compression to the brass to help make sure the case will properly extract from a semi-automatic firearm. The upside is that you get handloads that should work flawlessly in your semi-automatic. The downside is case life may be shortened as compared to brass used only in one bolt-action rifle, because the brass is worked more.

Shoulder Bump Gauges
A handy tool for setting up your full-length sizing dies as close as possible to your rifle’s chamber is a shoulder bump gauge. The bump gauge lets you resize the case as little as possible, to extend case life and help your handloads fit your rifle almost like a neck-sized only die. You use deprimed cases fired in your rifle and bump gauge inserts to help you set up the die so it resizes the case only about .001″ to .004″, depending on what type of rifle you’re shooting.

Video shows how to use a shoulder bump gauge to set up your full-length dies

Sinclair International Int'l sizing die bump die shoulder bump gauge

Article Find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions
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January 31st, 2024

Make Your Own Chamber Length Gauge from a Fired Case

do it yourself chamber length gauge Sinclair case neck

Here is a clever DIY tool we learned about from Frank Shuster, a Forum member, who, sadly, passed away in 2015. Frank was a very knowledgeable shooter who was always willing to help others. Here is one of Frank’s smart inventions. He devised a way to measure the length of a rifle’s chamber using a fired cartridge case. Frank’s system works by cutting a “collar” from part of the case neck. This then slips over a bullet seated in a case loaded without powder or primer. As you chamber the dummy round, the collar will move back to indicate the full length of the chamber. (Make sure the bullet is seated well off the lands so the dummy round can chamber fully.)

do it yourself chamber length gauge Sinclair case neck

do it yourself chamber length gauge Sinclair case neck

The pictured gauge can be home made (for free) with components you already have on hand. Frank explained: “I used a Dremel cut-off wheel to cut the front half of the case neck off. A jewelers needle file to de-burr both rough-cut edges. The cut-off surface does not need to be perfectly square, because you are using the original straight mouth to make contact at the front of the chamber. Seat any old bullet to the approximate normal seating length. Next apply a tiny drop of oil on the ogive of the bullet, and slide the ‘collar’ over the bullet. Then chamber the dummy round and close the bolt. Extract the round slowly and carefully and take the measurement with calipers (see top photo).”

Frank’s DIY chamber length gauge works well. In a related Shooters’ Forum thread, Frank posted: “I’ve compared length dimensions doing it this way and with the chamber length shown on my chambering reamer drawings, and the Sinclair gauge, and they are all within .001″ or so.”

do it yourself chamber length gauge Sinclair case neckCommercial Chamber Length Gauges May Not Work with Custom Chambers

Frank did use Sinclair chamber-length gauges for some applications. These bullet-shaped gauges slip into a cartridge, but “it’s inconvenient to order that little gauge only… without spending $6 shipping for a $7 item.” Moreover, the Sinclair gauges may not fit a custom chamber with a tighter neck dimension because the diameter of the ring at the end is too large.

As an alternative to commercial gauges, the collar-type, homemade gauge will function properly in a custom chamber. The homemade gauge will work with smaller-than-standard chamber neck dimensions, as long as you use a piece of appropriately-turned fired brass that fits your chamber.

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January 30th, 2024

Confirm Your Scope Click Values with Tall Target Test

Scope Click Verify Elevation Tall Target Bryan Litz NSSF test turret MOA MIL

Have you recently purchased a new scope? Then you should verify the actual click value of the turrets before you use the optic in competition (or on a long-range hunt). While a scope may have listed click values of 1/4-MOA, 1/8-MOA or 0.1 Mils, the reality may be slightly different. Many scopes have actual click values that are slightly higher or lower than the value claimed by the manufacturer. The small variance adds up when you click through a wide range of elevation.

In this video, Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics shows how to verify your true click values using a “Tall Target Test”. The idea is to start at the bottom end of a vertical line, and then click up 30 MOA or so. Multiply the number of clicked MOA by 1.047 to get the claimed value in inches. For example, at 100 yards, 30 MOA is exactly 31.41 inches. Then measure the difference in your actual point of impact. If, for example, your point of impact is 33 inches, then you are getting more than the stated MOA with each click (assuming the target is positioned at exactly 100 yards).

Scope Click Verify Elevation Tall Target Bryan Litz NSSF test turret MOA MIL

How to Perform the Tall Target Test
The tall target test determines if your scope is giving you the proper amount of adjustment. For example, when you dial 30 MOA, are you really getting 30 MOA, or are you getting 28.5 or 31.2 MOA? The only way to be sure is to verify, don’t take it for granted! Knowing your scopes true click values insures that you can accurately apply a ballistic solution. In fact, many perceived inaccuracies of long range ballistics solutions are actually caused by the scopes not applying the intended adjustment. In order to verify your scope’s true movement and calculate a correction factor, follow the steps in the Tall Target Worksheet. This worksheet takes you thru the ‘calibration process’ including measuring true range to target and actual POI shift for a given scope adjustment.


CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD Tall Target Worksheet (PDF) »

NOTE: When doing this test, don’t go for the maximum possible elevation. Do NOT max out the elevation knob, running it to the top stop. Bryan Litz explains: “It’s good to avoid the extremes of adjustment when doing the tall target test. I don’t know how much different the clicks would be at the edges, but they are not the same.”

Tall Target Test For Milrad Scopes with B2B Target

Box Bench precision sniper's hide Precision Rifle Tall Target milrad mils

This Precision Rifle Network video shows how to do a scope-tracking test using the pre-printed Sniper’s Hide Tall Target from Box to Bench Precision (B2B). With the primary line divisions in MILs, this printed target is perfect for Milliradian scopes. From bottom of the vertical line to the top there are 10 mils (36 inches) of travel. The markings are high contrast to make the testing easier.

In this video, there are some very helpful tips on setting up the target frame correctly and making sure the Tall Target is perfectly vertical. A plumb line can help. In this video the vertical tracking of a Burris XTR III 5.5-30x56mm scope is tested. Actual testing begins at 7:20 time-mark. The Precision Rifle Network has many other informative videos, with a new video released every week.

Should You Perform a WIDE Target Test Too?
What about testing your windage clicks the same way, with a WIDE target test? Bryan Litz says that’s not really necessary: “The wide target test isn’t as important for a couple reasons. First, you typically don’t dial nearly as much wind as you do elevation. Second, your dialed windage is a guess to begin with; a moving average that’s different for every shot. Whereas you stand to gain a lot by nailing vertical down to the click, the same is not true of windage. If there’s a 5% error in your scope’s windage tracking, you’d never know it.”

Scope Tall Test level calibrationVerifying Scope Level With Tall Target Test
Bryan says: “While setting up your Tall Target Test, you should also verify that your scope level is mounted and aligned properly. This is critical to insuring that you’ll have a long range horizontal zero when you dial on a bunch of elevation for long range shots. This is a requirement for all kinds of long range shooting. Without a properly-mounted scope level (verified on a Tall Target), you really can’t guarantee your horizontal zero at long range.”

NOTE: For ‘known-distance’ competition, this is the only mandatory part of the tall target test, since slight variations in elevation click-values are not that important once you’re centered “on target” at a known distance.

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