Hodgdon Powder Company (Hodgdon) offers a series of professionally-produced, “how-to” instructional videos on its online Reloading Data Center. These 3.5-minute videos present rifle, pistol, and shotshell reloading basics in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step format. These mobile-friendly, informative videos can also be viewed on a smart phone or tablet.
Along with these videos, you’ll find a ton of useful information on Hodgdon’s updated Reloading Data Center at hodgdon.com. From the landing page choose rifle, pistol, shotgun, or muzzle-loader, and then click “Get Details”. This will launch a page where you can find loads by selecting Cartridge, Bullet Weight, Powder Maker, and Powder Type (such as Varget or H4350).
Click to Watch Hodgdon Rifle Reloading Video:
Click to Watch Hodgdon Pistol Reloading Video:
In addition to these videos, Hodgdon’s Reloading Data Center (RDC) provides a wealth of information on Hodgdon®, IMR®, Accurate, Ramshot®, and Winchester® propellants. Along with reliable load data, you’ll find explanations of reloading basics, safety procedures, plus answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ).
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Creedmoor Sports has recently expanded and updated the Creedmoor Sports InfoZone. This web resource contains valuable information about reloading, rifle maintenance, marksmanship skills, and gunsmithing. In addition, the InfoZone has Competition Reports, numerous Gear Reviews, and general Shooting Sports News.
For this Saturday Showcase, you’ll find five InfoZone Videos hosted by Bill Gravatt, President of Creedmoor Sports. There are over 85 other videos on the Creedmoor Sports YouTube Channel. Bill Gravatt is an expert on reloading processes and gear. He developed many of the popular tools for Sinclair Int’l, and now he directs operations for Creedmoor Sports.
Reloading Procedures with Bill Gravatt
Here are five helpful videos Bill Gravatt created for the Creedmoor Sports InfoZone. These videos cover a variety of essential processes for handloading. In addition Bill Shows how to find the exact twist rate in your rifle barrels.
How to Determine a Barrel Twist Rate
Bill Gravatt of Creedmoor Sports demonstrates an easy method to determine your barrel’s twist rate. Knowing the twist rate is essential to selecting suitable bullets for your discipline.
How to Seat Bullets with Inline Press
Many top Benchrest and F-Class shooters favor inline presses for bullet seating. With good hand dies (such as Wilson) and a inline Arbor press (such as a 21st Century), you can get great results with super seating depth consistency and very low run-out.
How to Trim Cases with L.E. Wilson Trimmer
There are many ways to trim cartridge brass. If you need to trim hundreds of cases it may pay to have a dedicated power trimmer. However, for most rifle shooters, a good hand trimmer will do the job very well. We regularly use a Wilson trimmer to trim our cases, as demonstrated in this video.
How to Clean Cartridge Cases
It is important to regularly clean cartridge brass. There are many different means. Wiping the outside with a solvent is a good start. For more thorough cleaning inside and out tumbling or wet-tumbling will do the job. After tumbling in media, you should always check the primer pockets and flash holes before loading.
How to Clean Reloading Dies
Cleaning your reloading dies is something that many who reload often neglect. In this 60-second Tech Tip, Bill Gravatt provides some tips on cleaning your reloading dies.
BONUS Video: How to Fine Tune Seating Depth
Now that you’ve learned Reloading Basics from the Creedmoor Sports videos, here’s a great video from our friend Keith Glasscock that will help you get optimal results when seating bullets. Keith is one of America’s greatest F-Class competitors, with multiple podium finishes at F-Class National Championships. With over 213,000 views, this is the most popular video Keith has created for his Winning in the Wind YouTube Channel.
About Creedmoor Sports — 45 Years of Service to Marksmen
For the past 45 years, since 1979, Creedmoor Sports has been supplying quality equipment and supplies to avid shooters in a wide variety of disciplines: Rimfire, F-Class, PRS/NRL, Silhouette, Service Rifle, Benchrest, and more. Specializing in competitive centerfire, smallbore, and air rifle accessories, as well as reloading components and tools, Creedmoor Sports seeks to provide its customers with the right gear to help them achieve their personal shooting goals.
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Magnified 8X view looking down-range at bison (American buffalo) target.
Could You Hit a Steel Bison at 2240 Yards (1.27 miles) … with Iron Sights?
Impossible as that may seem, that’s exactly what Ernie Jimenez did some years back at the North Springs Shooting Range in Price, Utah (elevation 5,627′). Shooting a milsurp Swiss K31 rifle chambered for the 7.5×55 Swiss round, Jimenez placed four hits on a three-foot-high, bison-shaped steel target placed a staggering 2240 yards from the firing line. Not bad for a rifle which Jimenez acquired many years ago for just $99.00. Of course he did have plenty of misses along the way (and Ernie even managed to hit the plate shielding his camera).
This video is set to start half-way through, when the shooter starts making hits:
The whole process was recorded on video and posted on YouTube. The Long-Range Shooters of Utah say this is an official Guinness World Record for longest shot with iron sights. We can’t confirm that, but it still is an impressive feat. Jimenez had to compensate for a huge amount of bullet drop. His K31’s long-range military sights helped but he still had to aim well over the pink bison. To see how far that target is, watch the video at 14:30 — a camera at the firing line zooms all the way back until the bison is nothing but a tiny dot. The photo below show the target at 8X magnification, but it’s still barely visible.
Here’s the unmagnified, “naked-eye” view from the firing line. Can you see a pink buffalo at all?
Bullet Dropped Over 400 Feet along its Trajectory
To roughly gauge the bullet drop, we took a 7.5x55mm Swiss load from the Hodgdon Reloading Center. With max “book” load of H4350, a 168gr Sierra HPBT has a muzzle velocity of 2524 FPS. According to JBM Ballistics, that bullet will drop over 400 feet during its flight. That’s lot of hold-over! Assuming a 100-yard zero, 59° temp, and 5,600′ altitude, JBM calculates that the drop to 2250 yards is a stunning 210.9 MOA — that’s 4969.9 inches, or 414.15 feet!
In the first part of the video, shooter Ernie Jimenez talks about his hand-loads and his K31 rifle. Here is an example of the distinctive straight-pull K31 (Karabiner Model 1931). Image courtesy AIM Surplus.
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How fast can you shoot a bolt-action rifle? We doubt you can out-pace the ace “Stangskyting” shooters from Scandinavia. Some of these guys can run more than two rounds per second, including mag changes! That’s impressive. Bulletin reader C. Lemmermann from Denmark told us: “In Scandinavia we have this competition called ‘Stangskyting’. It’s similar to the ‘Mad Minute’ but we only have 25 seconds to hit the target [at] 200-300m distance with a 6.5×55 [target rifle].” In the Stangskyting video below a shooter named Børklop puts 16 rounds on target in just 25 seconds. (He starts with a round in the chamber and cycles through three, 5-round magazines).
Børklop’s performance, with just a sling and iron sights, is impressive. He’s shooting a Sauer 200 STR target rifle with 5-round magazine. Note that Børklop manipulates the Sauer’s bolt with his thumb and index finger, while pulling the trigger with his middle finger. As good as Børklop is, some Stangskyting competitors are even better. Roy Arne Syversrud from Oslo, Norway tells us: “The best shooters in Norway can do 21 shots in 25 seconds, changing the mag three times.”
Here’s another Stangskyting video. Check out the speed with which John Olav Ågotnes works that action — simply amazing!
This Guy Could Break the “Mad Minute” Record
Børklop’s rate of fire, 16 rounds in 25 seconds, is the equivalent of 38.4 rounds in 60 seconds. That’s a notable number because the record for the “Mad Minute”, a British Army marksmanship drill, is 38 rounds in one minute. That record was set in 1914 by Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall, and still stands. So as you watch Børklop, keep in mind that Snoxall shot that fast for a full minute with a Lee-Enfield nearly 100 years ago!
Børklop has an average cycling time of 1.56 seconds per shot, starting with a round in the chamber. To beat the record of 38 rounds, he would need to make seven mag changes in sixty seconds. All those mag swaps could reduce his average time per shot, making it difficult to achieve 38 hits in a minute. But, if Børklop could use 10-round mags with his Sauer STR, this guy has the skills to break the record.
To emphasize the capabilities of the WWI-era British shooter who set the record, Snoxall shot as fast as Børklop does, but Snoxall reloaded with stripper clips. Snoxall’s SMLE (Lee-Enfield) rifle also had relatively crude open sights and the stock was far less ergonomic than Børklop’s Sauer STR stock.
Here’s another Stangskyting video showing John Ågotnes shooting rapidfire with his Sauer 200 STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle) chambered in 6.5×55. By our count, Ågotnes manages 17 shots within the 25-second time period. That rate of fire (17 in 25 seconds) equates to 40.8 rounds in one minute!
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Precision Rifle fans should watch Shooting USA this week. On Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Shooting USA offers a special edition devoted to the 2023 Armageddon Gear (AG) Cup Invitational. The AG Cup posts the biggest cash money match in Precision Rifle Competition. It’s an elimination format shot over three days of challenging competition on stages of fire created at K and M Precision’s ranges in West Tennessee. On the final day, the top competitors face ten courses of fire to determine who will claim the Armageddon Gear AG Cup. This is the fifth year of the invitation-only match for America’s top Precision Rifle shooters, with the potential reward of huge cash prizes.
This 2023 AG Cup video has good footage of the stages and views downrange.
It’s the fifth year for the richest rifle tournament in the world. The AG Cup is the brainchild of Tom Fuller, the owner of Armageddon Gear, and to say it’s a success is a bit of an understatement. Over $70,000 in prize money was up for grabs, with a huge cash prize for the overall match winner.
Shooting USA runs on the Outdoor Channel Wednesdays 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific, 8:00 PM Central.
No Outdoor Channel on cable? Then you can subscribe to Stream the Broadcast on the internet.
This video shows highlights from the 2022 AG Cup, with many stages illustrated.
Arena Training Facility — 2300 Acres
The 2300-acre Arena Training Facility is a premier shooting facility with multiple shooting ranges from 50m to 2100m. Arena’s 1000-yard covered Known Distance range offers multiple benches, steel and paper targets out to 1000 yards. On Arena’s UKD (unknown distance) range shooters can engage steel out to 2300 yards. This 2100m UKD range boasts a 3-Story Shooting Tower, Air-Conditioned Shoot House, and multiple Positional Challenges.space.
Armaggedon Gear — Tactical Accessories Armageddon Gear, founded by former U.S. Army Ranger Tom Fuller, sells support bags, gun cases, slings, suppressor covers, scope covers, and a wide variety of other accessories popular with the PRS/NRL crowd. Armageddon Gear now provides products to the U.S. Military, Law Enforcement, as well as PRS/NRL competitors.
Armageddon Gear Game-Changer Bag
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If you have ever competed in NRA High Power, Silhouette, or Long Range disciplines, you know the name David Tubb. Arguably the greatest rifle marksman in American history, David has recorded 11 High Power Rifle Championships, 6 Long Range National Championships, and 7 High Power Silhouette National Championships. Over his career David has won 130 NRA trophies for various competitions. No one has even come close to that number of Championships and honors in rifle competition.
David Tubb Biography Video
Click the video above to view a great new documentary which covers David Tubb’s career in competitive shooting. Called America’s Rifleman, this fine documentary by filmmaker Sheldon Charron takes you inside the life and mind of legendary shooting champion David Tubb.
Learn how David evolved into the most successful rifleman in the history of competitive shooting, the challenges he faced, and how he overcame them on his road to success, both at the range and in his business, Superior Shooting Systems.
David Tubb Interview Podcast with Erik Cortina
In this very recent 3/22/24 Podcast, David Tubb was interviewed by ace F-Class shooter Erik Cortina, creator of Cortina Precision products — tuners, muzzle brakes, reloading dies and more. This 66-minute video is worth watching start to finish. David covers a wide range of topics include match strategies, marksmanship training, ELR competition, and cartridges he has developed including the 6mm XC (6XC), 338 XC, and 375 XC.
David Tubb Competition Shooting Accomplishments:
11 Time – NRA National High Power Rifle Champion – Camp Perry
6 Time – NRA Long Range Rifle (600-1000 yard) National Champion
7 Time (Consecutive) – NRA National High Power Rifle Silhouette Champion
6 Time – NRA National High Power Hunting Rifle Silhouette Champion
4 Time – NRA National Smallbore Hunting Rifle Silhouette
7 Sportsmen’s Team Challenge Championships
2 Time – Wimbledon Cup Winner
2019 ELR World Record Holder recognized by 50 Cal. Shooters Association
2019 NRA ELR Heavy Gun Winner
Over 130 NRA Championship Event Trophies (Individual Match Winner)
David Tubb with the ELR Adaptive Target Rifle (ATR) he designed which has set ELR records. You can see David shoot this rig in the video below:
David Tubb Shoots ELR Adaptive Target Rifle at KO2M
For the Extreme Long Range discipline, David Tubb developed a .375-caliber, long-barreled ELR version of his famous Tubb rifle, called the Adaptive Target Rifle (ATR). A version of this rifle, piloted by David’s son-in-law Nate Stallter, set the current ELR World Record in January 2018.
The TUBB 2000 — Innovative Modular Bolt Gun
David Tubb is arguably the greatest High-Power Across-the-Course rifle competitor in American history. He won many of his championships shooting a modular rifle of his own design — the Tubb 2000, aka T2K. In this video, David shows the features of the Tubb 2000 rifle which makes it adaptable to multiple shooting positions — prone, sitting/kneeling, and standing.
David Tubb Talks about KO2M and Extreme Long Range Shooting
David Tubb’s long-range rifles have performed well in Extreme Long Range shooting. AT the 2019 NRA Extreme Long Range Championship, David Tubb won the Heavy Gun Division. In this video, created during the King of 2 Miles (K02M) competition at the Whittington Center in New Mexico, David talks about the challenges of ELR shooting, and cartridge selection. Big, heavy, large-caliber bullets with ultra-high BCs are favored for the ELR game, but recoil and cost must also be considered.
David Tubb’s Approach to Load Development
In this 27-minute video, David talks about case prep and loading with both regular and progressive presses. David shares his methods. He recommends weighing your brass and segregating them in one grain increments. He then does an initial test with powder charge weights in half-grain increments (for smaller BR cases we recommend 0.3 grain increments). He then also experiments with seating depths.
“America’s Rifleman” Movie Credits:
Production Company: Enter360 Media
Producer/Director/Editor: Sheldon Charron
Production Assistant: Christie Tubb
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We enjoy shooting steel targets with rifle, pistols, and shotguns. Hitting a steel target provides instant gratification with a loud “ping” and possible movement. You can shoot small, low-cost reactive steel targets with rimfire guns at short range. Or get the stronger high-grade AR500 steel targets for centerfire shooting at 50 yards and beyond. We’ve enjoyed varmint matches with steel targets placed at 100-yard intervals from 200 to 700 yards.
Action pistol and rifle matches are typically conducted with steel targets, some that spin, and others that may even be set on moving tracks. Dueling trees are another popular type of steel targets. These have multiple plates that swing horizontally from side to side. For long-range rifles, self-resetting targets are popular. These typically have a tombstone-style steel plate set with a spring-loaded base. When hit, the target goes down, but then pops back up again after a few seconds.
Dustin Ellermann’s Steel Target Playground
In this video, popular Top Shot champion Dustin Ellerman shows his entire Steel Target facility with dozens of targets. This range has one of the most diverse collections of steel targets in any single location.
Know Your Limits Portable Steel Targets
Know Your Limits (KYL) target sets typically provide a series of swinging targets of multiple sizes, running from larger to smaller. This provides increasing challenge with each shot. This Guns and Guitars Channel video showcases two portable KVL target sets you can easily transport in your car/truck. The host states: “I love how portable and easy to set up it is, I love how many targets you get… and most importantly, I love that Shooting Targets 7 offer the best price for AR500 steel targets on the internet.”
Best Steel Targets for a Home Range
This video covers steel targets from Shooting Targets USA and MGM Targets. The video explains how to choose targets for your home range — covering the key factors to “consider when buying steel targets.” Interestingly, this Tactical Rifleman channel also has a video about building a range on your own property. The host notes: “There is so much more to it than just pushing up a berm and buying some steel targets. Med plan, legal restrictions, drainage, targetry, and 50 other things should be planned out BEFORE you start digging. CLICK HERE for “How to Build Make Your Own Shooting Range” video.
Do-It-Yourself REBAR Target Stands — Very Low Cost
This Guns and Guitars Channel Video shows how to make making the CHEAP and sturdy target stands from REBAR. The host says: “These things are basically bullet-proof and would probably stand up against a charging rhino. You can build these stands using a 10-foot length of 1/2″ rebar from your local hardware store. Bending it is not super easy, but it can be done without a rebar bender, just watch the video!”
Steel Target Arrangements for Action Shooting Matches
This video from Tactical Hyve shows a variety of steel targets used in action shooting scenarios. The host is a knowledgeable gear analyst and a very good shooter. If you are looking to get started in action pistol disciplines this is a good video to watch.
Steel Target and Target Stand Varieties
This video reviews the key features and functions of a variety of steel targets — from large torso silhouettes to reactive dueling trees. The video also reviews various target stands and supports. This is worth watching if you are considering buying steel targets for your shooting club or home range.
Shooting Steel Targets Safely — Tips from Hickok45
In this video, YouTube host Hickok45 offers valuable safety tips on shooting steel targets, based on his 30+ years of steel shooting experience. This guy knows his stuff — as proven by the fact that he now has over 7.6 million subscribers to his Hickok45 YouTube channel.
TOP SHOT: The steel targets in the top photo are part of the extensive facility operated by Big Daddy Hoffman 1911. See more on his popular YouTube Channel, now with 314,000 subscribers.
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The Gathering is a special event presented by Palmetto State Armory that allows gun writers and regular shooters to try out a variety of firearms and accessories. The Gathering 2024 runs March 22-23, 2024 in Clinton, SC. There will be live-fire demonstrations along with opportunities to try various products. Guns on display included firearms from SIG Sauer, Glock, Springfield Armory, Taurus and more.
The Gathering is a Firearm Range Day and Expo presented by Palmetto State Armory. The Gathering brings together the firearms community, media and public to showcase new and existing firearms, optics, and accessories. This year’s event is held at The Clinton House Plantation, a 2000-acre facility that houses 17 live-fire shooting bays, two clay courses, a 1000-yard range, and a mile-long range.
At The Gathering 2024, Silencer Central will have live-fire demonstrations suppressors. CEO of Silencer Central, Brandon Maddox notes: “We’ve reinvented the process of buying a silencer and are thrilled to showcase… our products at The Gathering[.]” Attendees will be able to purchase a silencer, have required ATF ID logged, generate their free NFA Gun Trust, and digitally sign their ATF application all at the event.
The pandemic-caused cancellation of the 2021 SHOT Show range day inspired Palmetto State Armory to launch its own Industry Range Day called The Gathering. The first Gathering was a big success in 2021. In 2022, PSA had its second Gathering which was even bigger and better — see the video above. And last year, the 2023 edition of The Gathering was held with great success. See the video below:
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Nikon offers eyepieces with reticles for its flagship Monarch Fieldscopes. Eyepiece reticles help spotters call shot corrections with precise click values (MOA or Mils).
Using a spotting scope seems simple. Just point it at the target and focus, right? Well, actually, it’s not that simple. Sometimes you want to watch mirage or trace, and that involves different focus and viewing priorities. Along with resolving bullet holes (or seeing other features on the target itself), you can use your spotting scope to monitor mirage. When watching mirage, you actually want to focus the spotting scope not on the target, but, typically, about two-thirds of the distance downrange. When spotting for another shooter, you can also use the spotting scope to watch the bullet trace, i.e. the vapor trail of the bullet. This will help you determine where the bullet is actually landing, even if it does not impact on the target backer.
In this video, SFC L.D. Lewis explains how to use a spotting scope to monitor mirage, and to watch trace. SFC Lewis is a former Army Marksmanship Unit member, U.S. Army Sniper School instructor, and current U.S. Army Reserve Service Rifle Shooting Team member. In discussing how precision shooters can employ spotting scopes, Lewis compares the use of a spotting scope for competition shooters vs. military snipers. NOTE: You may wish to turn up the audio volume, during the actual interview segment of this video.
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Springtime is turkey hunting season throughout the USA. The official spring wild turkey hunting season is set regionally by each state. In a few states, turkey season has already commenced, while most other states open their turkey seasons in early April, with the spring seasons running for 3-5 weeks. CLICK HERE to read Outdoor Life Magazine’s Turkey Hunting Resource page. This include articles on How to Hunt Turkeys, Best Turkey Calls, Turkey Hunting Camo Gear, and Recommended Turkey Loads.
Sportsman’s Warehouse has a great feature this month on Spring Turkey Hunting. This has features on recommended shotguns, clothing & footwear, decoys & calls, blinds & chairs, and even turkey cooking. CLICK HERE for the Sportsman’s Warehouse Turkey Hunting Page.
And Sportsman’s Warehouse has an excellent lengthy “how to” article, the Beginner’s Guide to Turkey Hunting which includes the Outdoor Dan video featured above.
Saturday Showcase Spring Turkey Hunting Videos
With 934,000 views, this Canada-in-the-Rough video shows effective turkey scouting, calling, and shooting. This action-packed turkey hunting compilation features 30 turkey kill shots with shotguns.
Get Zone — At the Ranch Turkey Hunting Videos
GetZoneHunting.com has a vast video library for hunters, with hundreds of helpful videos on all types of hunting. In time for spring turkey season, GetZoneHunting offers a big collection of turkey hunting videos: At the Ranch – Turkey. On that page you’ll find 13 turkey hunting “how-to” videos. Here are links to five GetZone Turkey Hunting videos with valuable information from skilled, experienced hunters.
At the Ranch – Turkey offers solid advice for turkey hunters. These five videos will help you better understand turkey behavior and have success on your hunt. Click any photo to watch the particular video on the GetZone website. (Work Warning — When each GetZone video opens, it may immediately launch an annoying commercial with loud AUDIO!). There are eight more turkey hunting videos on GetZone’s Turkey Hunting HQ Page.
At the Ranch: Shot Placement for Turkeys — CLICK to Watch Video
At the Ranch: Turkey Hunting Essentials — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
At the Ranch: The Difference Between a Jake and a Tom — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
At the Ranch: Early vs. Late Spring Turkey Hunt — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
At the Ranch: How to Plan a Turkey Hunt — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video
Free Printable Turkey Target from AccurateShooter.com
As a special bonus for our readers, here is a free, printable Turkey Target, so you can practice for your turkey hunting adventure, This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
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The Applied Ballistics Facebook Page features great, interesting new content posted multiple times each week. This resource features videos, test results, accuracy tips, and samples from Bryan Litz’s excellent books on ballistics and the three volume series on Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting. Here are some highlights from Applied Ballistics’ Facebook posts from the past two weeks. Plus there’s a discount code, READ2024, that can save you 25% on Applied Ballistics books purchased in the month of March.
.22 LR Super Slow Motion Video — Watch the Bullet!
Watch .22 LR Rimfire Projectile Exiting Rifle Muzzle
This video, filmed with an ultra-high-speed camera, shows the milliseconds in time as a .22-caliber bullet travels the first 11 inches after leaving a .22 LR rifle barrel. Applied Ballistics states: “Notice that the bullet is fully obturated to the internal bore dimension — the step/rebate that exists on the unfired bullet where it meets the case gets expanded (obturated) and doesn’t exist on the fired bullet.”
How Important is Case Fill Ratio — You May Be Surprised
Conventional reloading practice is to select a powder that gives you a good case fill, meaning 90%-100% fill ratio for the cartridge and bullet you’re using. But why?
Some say that a higher fill ratio is good because it prevents the powder from settling differently in the case (which could lead to inconsistent ignition and greater MV SD). This explanation sounds good, and went unchallenged for a long time. However, Applied Ballistics has done some interesting testing that sheds new light on the density issue.
Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting – Vol. 2 contains the results of Applied Ballistics tests of five different cartridge types — .223 Rem to .338 Lapua — loaded with different powders to produce fill ratios of 80%, 90%, and 100%. The testers wanted to see if 100% fill ratios actually gave better results (lower MV SDs) than the lower fill ratios.
Results of testing 3 different loads in 5 different cartridges — The highest MV SD was in fact measured in an 80% fill ratio load. However, the lowest MV SD was also measured for a different 80% load! Seems like the more we learn, the more questions we have. An informative Applied Ballistics podcast covers the Fill Ratio test. Visit Thescienceofaccuracy.com to access this and interesting podcasts.
EDITOR’s NOTE: There were multiple comments from Facebook readers stating that fill ratios 90% and above worked more consistently for them. And the reloading manuals warn against very low fill ratios.
Get 25% Off Applied Ballistics Books in March 2024
Applied Ballistics, through its Science of Accuracy webstore, is currently offering big savings on its popular books — considered to be the best print resources about rifle accuracy/ballistics ever published. This month you can save 25% on all six Applied Ballistics book titles by respected expert (and past national champion) Bryan Litz. Use Code READ2024 to get 25% of one or more of these books.
Get 25% OFF Applied Ballistics Books! Use code: READ2024 at checkout.
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Americans love AR-platform rifles. However, they can be maintenance-intensive, as hot gasses are directed right back into the action to operate the bolt. Because ARs have a somewhat unique (and dirty) semi-auto operating system, we think all AR owners should learn how their rifles operate — from the inside out. This feature provides an “inside look” at the AR, with X-Ray and Cutaway views created through advanced 3D computer modeling.
AR15 Functions Revealed with 3D Computer Animation
Ever wondered how the parts inside an AR15 work together? Just exactly how does the reciprocating bolt carrier feed rounds from the magazine? How do the elements in the trigger group work and reset after each shot? How does the gas system bleed gas from the barrel and operate the bolt carrier? These and other questions are answered in this eye-opening video from 45Snipers. Using “cutaway” 3D computer animation, this 5-minute video shows all features of an AR15 inside and out. This fascinating firearms animation allows the viewer to look inside the upper and lower receivers, into the bolt carrier, chamber, barrel, and magazine.
This video starts off slow and has annoying background music, but it is well worth watching if you own or shoot any AR-platform rifle. It illustrates all the key operations during the charging, loading, firing, and ejection processes. The cutaway animation shows how rounds are stripped from the magazine and then chambered. It then shows how every part of the trigger group works, and how the firing pin strikes the primer. You can even watch the bullet move down the barrel before the empty shell casing is removed from the chamber and tossed out the ejection port. Here are sample frames from the video:
How AR-Platform Rifles Work — General Introduction
To help reader understand the general operation of AR-type rifles, this video shows the control functions of an AR and how the upper and lower sections work together.
Cutaway 3D Animation of AR15/M16 Action — Watch Video
Here is an excellent “cutaway” animation by Thomas Schwenke that shows how an AR-15 functions — how the entire loading cycle works from start to finish.
AR platform rifles are semi-automatics version of the M16. These feature distinctive upper and lower receivers which can be readily separated via front and rear pins. The upper includes the barrel, handguard, forward gas tube, and bolt assembly, while the lower contains grip, trigger group, fire selector, and mag well. In addition the lower is attached to the stock which encloses the buffer assembly.
The original ArmaLite AR-15 was a select-fire, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle designed by American gun manufacturer ArmaLite in 1956. It was based on Armalite’s AR-10 rifle chambered for the 7.62×51 NATO (.308 Win). In 1959, ArmaLite sold its rights to the AR-10 and AR-15 to Colt. Some key modifications were made — most notably, the charging handle was re-located from under the carrying handle to the rear of the receiver. The redesigned rifle was adopted by the U.S. military as the M16 carbine, which went into production in March 1964.
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Hodgdon Powder Company (Hodgdon) offers a series of professionally-produced, “how-to” instructional videos on its online Reloading Data Center. These 3.5-minute videos present rifle, pistol, and shotshell reloading basics in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step format. These mobile-friendly, informative videos can also be viewed on a smart phone or tablet.
David Tubb Biography Video
Using a spotting scope seems simple. Just point it at the target and focus, right? Well, actually, it’s not that simple. Sometimes you want to watch mirage or trace, and that involves different focus and viewing priorities. Along with resolving bullet holes (or seeing other features on the target itself), you can use your spotting scope to monitor mirage. When watching mirage, you actually want to focus the spotting scope not on the target, but, typically, about two-thirds of the distance downrange. When spotting for another shooter, you can also use the spotting scope to watch the bullet trace, i.e. the vapor trail of the bullet. This will help you determine where the bullet is actually landing, even if it does not impact on the target backer.
Some say that a higher fill ratio is good because it prevents the powder from settling differently in the case (which could lead to inconsistent ignition and greater MV SD). This explanation sounds good, and went unchallenged for a long time. However, Applied Ballistics has done some interesting testing that sheds new light on the density issue.
