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March 25th, 2007
 We’ve learned that, when necking down a 6.5×47 Lapua case to 6mm, it’s best not to simply run the brass into a 6-6.5×47 full-length sizer. Reader “Fireball”, who has worked with both a 6-6.5×47 and a 22-6.5×47, offers this tip: “You don’t want to bring the 6.5mm case all the way down to 6mm in one step–it’s too big of a jump. First, to smooth entry, you should run a 6.5mm expander in the case mouth, and chamfer the outside of the case mouth–be sure to remove all burrs and smooth the case mouth. Apply some lube to the neck. Then, if you have a bushing for a .257, put that in a 6BR bushing neck die, and run the case up. Alternatively, you can use a Redding 6BR body die. The body die will funnel the neck down about half way. Body dies are pretty inexpensive ($22.49 at MidwayUSA, item 458797). After running the brass through the 6BR body die, then you can run the case into the Forster 6-6.5×47 Full-length sizing die. The Forster die is excellent–it sizes a no-turn neck just about perfectly, so long as you do an intermediate step first.”
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March 24th, 2007
TechShooter has been campaigning a 260 AI with great success. At the Cascade 600-yard range, he recently shot a 600-34X using the new 130-grain Bergers. However, like this editor before him, TechShooter has had signficant issues with doughnuts forming in necked-up Lapua .243 Win brass. In the hopes of avoiding the doughnut problem altogether, TechShooter has been testing Remington 260 brass. Chris reports: “I didn’t like the hassle of the inside neck-reaming the Lapua brass, as well as the possibility that this process could cause excessive runout. I measured the neck-wall thickness variation of Remington brass using the test fixture shown below. Only those cases that were under .0015″ total variation were selected, the rest were set aside. Only about 15 brass of the 500 were outside this tolerance, with the vast majority under .001″.” Chris concluded, and we agree, that the Rem brass is a viable alternative for .260 Rem or .260 AI shooters. Chris tells us: “I am using the Remington brass exclusively now. The Remington brass is of very good quality, at least the batch of 500 that I just got.”
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March 24th, 2007
The .260 Remington is a popular long-range competition cartridge, particularly in Tactical and Silhouette matches. Check out Terry Cross’ Match-Winning 260. But until now, if you wanted to shoot the .260 Rem with high-BC match bullets you needed to hand-load. Now, for a limited time, Black Hills is offering .260 Rem match ammo loaded with Lapua Scenar 139gr bullets (.615 BC) in Remington brass. Price is $23 per 20rd box, $225 per 200, plus shipping. Order from
GA Precision, (816) 221-1844 (ask for Tracy).
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March 23rd, 2007
This morning AccurateShooter.com released its latest Cartridge Guide, covering the .223 Remington and .223 Rem Ackley Improved. This is a major, 8000-word, all-in-one guide to the most popular centerfire cartridge around. We have some exclusive test results on brass, suggested loads, and full info on bullets, primers, and powders. Bookmark this address: 223 Cartridge Guide
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March 23rd, 2007
 Our friends at Sinclair Int’l told us about Steve Boelter’s new 352-page Rifleman’s Guide to Rimfire Ammunition. This is a comprehensive study of all types of rimfire ammunition, with over 600 photos. Steve Boelter fired every brand and sample of rimfire ammo he could acquire (including 22LR, 17 Mach 2, 17HMR and 22 WMR), and he recorded all the results. Eleven different brands and 137 different rimfire rounds were tested with over 32,000 rounds fired. Test guns included a Turbo custom BR rifle, Volquartzen Custom 10/22, and Anschutz and Sako competition and sporting rifles. We consider this book a “must-have” resource, even if you are not a hard-core rimfire shooter. The 6″x9″ softcover (Zediker Publishing) costs $29.95. Click HERE for more details and sample pages.
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March 22nd, 2007
 Folks, you should check this out. Lapua, maker of match ammo, Scenar bullets, and our favorite brass, has completely revamped its website. You’ll find detailed specs on .223 Rem, 6BR, 6.5×47, 6.5×55 and .308 Win Match Ammo. You can download a free Reloading Guide or the complete 2007 Lapua Brochure (A full megabyte but well worth the download). You can also leave feedback that will be read by the folks in Finland who actually build and test Lapua ammo, bullets and brass.
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March 21st, 2007
 When using the Stoney Point type OAL gauge (now sold by Hornady), we sometimes get a bullet stuck in the rifling. This can also happen with a squib load or when extracting a round with the bullet seated hard in the lands. You can use a cleaning rod or a wood dowel to tap out the bullet, but a brass drop rod will do the job faster and easier, with less risk of nicking your crown.
You can make a drop rod yourself from brass or bronze rod. Just make sure to smooth over any burrs or rough spots on the ends. Or just order the new brass bullet drop rods from Sinclair Int’l. You drop the Sinclair Rods down the barrel from the muzzle end with the rifle standing upright. Sinclair Bullet Drop Rods are made of brass so they will not harm the rifling in your barrel. Each $10.50 set consists of two Drop Rods that will handle .20 up to .416 caliber. Remember, for safety sake, Drop Rods are never to be used to dislodge live or loaded rounds! Always remove the Drop Rod from the barrel before chambering another round!
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March 21st, 2007
 Using wet patches or wet brushes is an inefficient way to really saturate the tight bores of 17s, 20s, and 22s. Even with a cotton bore mop, most of the solvent will be squeezed out before it gets to the end of the bore, where most copper fouling occurs. Here’s a simple solution. Get a small plastic “wash bottle” and fill it with your preferred solvent. Then stick the tapered nozzle right in the chamber. The tapered end will press fit in the throat, sealing off the chamber. With the barrel slightly nose-down, give the bottle a couple good squirts until the solvent mists out the muzzle. In just a few seconds, this will put more solvent in the bore than a half-dozen wet patches. Alternatively, plug the chamber and squirt solvent in from the muzzle. It’s also much easier to saturate a bore brush (without spilling solvent on your stock), by using the wash bottle. You can get these bottles from USPlastic.com or lab supply stores.
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March 20th, 2007
Do you want the cleanest brass on the block? Hate tumbling cases for hours on end? Then you should try ultrasonic cleaning. Jason Baney, our 1000-yard Editor, spent many hours testing various solvents and methods, and came up with a system that really works. Ultrasonic cleaning removes built-up carbon residues that can alter case capacity. Jason’s methodology has been followed by reloaders around the country with great success. All you need is a small ultrasonic machine (under $75 on Ebay), some beakers, and inexpensive solvents. The results, as you can see below, can be spectacular. CLICK HERE for the full story.
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March 20th, 2007
While researching our upcoming .223 Rem Cartridge Guide, we tested and measured various brands of brass. Recent Lake City brass shoots very well and offers the greatest case capacity (30.6 grains) of commonly available brass. MidwayUSA now offers Federal Lake City brass (item 197849) at $81.99 per 500. That works out to just $16.40 per hundred. Shooters report this brass is “very uniform” and shoots exceptionally well. Note, this is a discontinued item–so returns can only be made to Federal, not Midway.
 Wideners.com now has new IMG brass for the amazing price of $46/500 or $89/1000, item 556GUPB. IMG brass is quality stuff. This editor has personally put thousands of rounds of IMG ammo through ARs without no failures. IMG brass is made on American (Olin) machinery that was transported to Guatemala to provide ammunition for the military. This is a great choice for varminters who need large quantities of uniform, low-cost brass. The case mouths are even chamfered. Average case capacity of IMG brass is 30.1 grains, the same as Hornady and Winchester commercial. The IMG brass is brand new 5.56 NATO-spec brass (not seconds). However, please note the flash holes are slightly smaller than domestic brass. You should have no issues with ignition (since the flash hole is still larger than 220 Russian or 6BR brass), but you may have to adjust your load slightly.
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March 19th, 2007
Most shooters have some understanding of basic ballistics principles. But you may be surprised by how much more there is to learn. Bryan Litz, a missile design engineer for the U.S. Air Force, explores some of the more fascinating (and esoteric) issues of bullet ballistics on his Long Range Shooting web page. Topics include Bullet Design, Ballistic Coefficient Testing, Gyroscopic and Coreolis Drift, and the effects of Meplat Trimming. We hope to collaborate with Bryan on future articles concerning bullet design and ballistics. It’s not often, after all, that a dedicated shooter is also a bonafied rocket scientist. You’ll enjoy Bryan’s site–we suggest the article on Meplat Trimming for starters.
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March 19th, 2007
We’re excited about the release of the NEW Nikon 6-24×50 Monarch later this spring (Release date early June). Initial reports from Shot Show 2007 were very positive. It has a 1″ tube, limiting its range of elevation compared to the Leupold 8.5-25×50 LRT, but otherwise this Nikon could be a real rival to the Leupold. Priced at $629.95 from The Optic Zone (Nikoplex Reticle), the new Monarch is over $200.00 less expensive than Leupold’s 8.5-25 LRT. (Target Dot, Fine CrossHair, and Bullet Drop Compensating reticles add $20.00 to the price.) We think this could prove a great scope for long-range varminters and F-Class shooters on a budget. Just use an angled scope rail or Burris Signature Rings with inserts to add extra elevation as needed.
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