Sooner or later, every hand-loader will get a cartridge case stuck in a die. Perhaps you forgot to lube a case, or maybe you even ran the wrong cartridge into the die. Thankfully, there are affordable solutions to the problem. Lyman offers a very handy Stuck Case Remover Kit. This compact Kit ($23.95 MSRP) contains ALL the tools you’ll need to remove most stuck rifle cases and pistol cases. (No separate tap holder is required.) Basically you drill and tap the stuck case, insert a cap screw, then use the wrench to remove the case from the die through a camming action. The Lyman kit, part #7680350, includes a unique, dual-purpose threaded cap that screws over the end of the die. This cap acts as both a drill guide and a guide for the pulling screw. An extra-long hex wrench is included which provides plenty of leverage when removing stuck cases and also doubles as a handle for the tap wrench.
How Stuck Case Removers Work — Video Shows Process
The new Lyman Kit isn’t the first stuck case remover device on the market. RCBS also offers a Stuck Case Remover Kit that costs just $16.14 on Amazon.com. The RCBS unit works fine, but you will need a separate tool handle to hold the tap. This video shows how to remove stuck cases with the RCBS tool. The operation is similar with the new Lyman tool.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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.
1. Cabela’s — Big Second Amendment Sale
Now through March 11, 2020, Cabela’s is running a great Second Amendment Sale, with big discounts on firearms, ammo, optics, hunting gear, and other accessories. Many items are being offered at discounts up to 33%. For example, Frankford Arsenal products are now 20% OFF. Hundreds of items are on sale — a small sample is shown above. CLICK for SALE.
2. Midsouth Shooters — Berger Bullet Sale
In a wide variety of competitive shooting disciplines, Berger bullets are a top choice. Bergers are well-made and consistent. They win matches and have set many records. Plus Berger has just released a line of Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) bullets. Right now, Midsouth has a big Berger bullet sale including the new Long Range Hybrid Target Bullets at the lowest prices we’ve seen this year.
3. A&A Optics — Refurb Vortex Golden Eagle 10-60x52mm, $900
The 10-60X Vortex Golden Eagle is, justifiably, very popular among top benchrest and F-Class shooters. Ian Klemm won back-to-back USA F-TR Championships with this scope. Right now you can snag either the Refurbished Golden Eagle 10-60x52m w/ SCR-1 reticle for a crazy low price of $900 or the Refurbished Golden Eagle 10-60x52m w/ ECR-1 reticle for $1100. NOTE: These Refurb Golden Eagles still come with the Vortex Lifetime guarantee so you can buy with confidence.
4. Bruno Shooters Supply — Alliant Powder Sale
Alliant powders are popular for good reason. Many modern Alliant powders work great over a large temperature range and boast very consistent performance from lot to lot. Reloder 16 is a great option for H4350 users. Right now Bruno’s is running site-wide Alliant sale with every Alliant powder in stock on sale at some of the lowest prices we’ve seen in a while.
5. Sportsman’s Warehouse — Sig Kilo Rangefinder Sale
Successful hunters and competitive shooters know the key to accurate shots is accurate ranging of a target. You can pick up one of the Sig Kilo Laser Rangefinders models 1000, 1200, 1400 or 1800 at up to 25% off and always know your distance so you can take a safe and accurate shot at any target.
6. Amazon — Mac Folding Cart, starting at $56.99
Heading to the range or a match always requires transporting gear from your vehicle to the firing line. Most shooters use a cart, but many have small or narrow wheels and are tough to drag across sand, grass or rocks when fully loaded. We like Mac Sports Folding Carts which fold flat yet offer plenty of cargo space for your gear. Amazon offers 35″x20″ Mac Carts starting at $56.99 for Camo and $57.69 for Red, with many other colors. We do recommend spending $23 more for the $79.99 heavy-duty Mac Cart available at Costco. This larger (37″x22″) gray Costco cart boasts much WIDER WHEELS so it rolls way better in sand or gravel. The Costco Mac cart also has a 300-lb carrying capacity.
Whether hunting or target shooting, spotting scopes help you get on target faster and easier than using bare eyes or scope. If you’re in need of good all-purpose spotter check out the Vortex Diamondback 20-60x60mm angled spotting scope. It offers great clarity, a compact form design and an unconditional lifetime guarantee.
8. Keen — Men’s Gypsum II Waterproof Shoe, $69.99
Whether shooting at a match or out in the forest having good footwear is critical to your comfort and safety. If you attend any regional or national match and look at what people are wearing, you’ll see quite a few people wearing Keen shoes and for good reason. They’re rugged, durable and probably the most comfortable outdoor shoe this editor has worn for days on end. If you’ve been looking for an extra pair or maybe want to try them for yourself, head over to the Keen website where the Gypsum II waterproof hiking shoe is 47% off. They also have some great sales on other men’s and women’s shoes right now.
9. Grizzly — High-Quality Range Bag Clearance, $13 to $24
Every shooter needs a good range bag. Grizzly is near the end of its clearance on range gear and the clearance range bags are now just $13 to $24. Your Editor uses this range bag to carry spotting scopes and camera gear (see photo below).
These quality bags have high-density foam sidewalls and internal padded “shelves” that make these much better than typical floppy range bags. These are more like a premium camera case that holds its shape. There are nice front and side pockets with quality zippers. FYI the $12.97 bag really is a hot pink, though it may look red on your monitor. The photo above is a 20″ bag in original red (sold out).
10. Amazon — Anti-Fog Safety Glasses, $16.94
All recreational and competitive shooters should have quality Z87-rated protective eyewear. Folks, you only have one set of eyes. Without eye protection, a single blown primer could seriously damage your eyesight. Right now you can grab this 3 pack of anti-fog safety glasses and always have an extra pair when you need them.
A few seasons back, our Editor and his friend Joe Friedrich flew to Texas to visit Gene Beggs and test rifles in Gene’s 100-yard indoor tunnel. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shoot centerfire rifles in such a test facility. Here’s our report…
The South Texas Tunnel
Gene Beggs operates his own 100-yard indoor tunnel and rifle testing facility just outside of Odessa, Texas. Surrounded by tall fencing, this place really looks like a “Area 51″ secret military facility.
In his South Texas tunnel, Gene provides instruction and “tunnel time” for serious benchresters looking to improve their skills and optimize the accuracy of their rifles. Along with teaching the fine points of short-range benchrest, Gene employed his tunnel to develop a pair of radical rifles, one chambered in 220 Beggs, a slightly modified 220 Russian, and a second chambered in 6mm Beggs, a necked-up version of the 220 Russian that retains the original body taper and shoulder angle.
Radical Skeleton Stocks with Aluminum Sled mounted to Barrel
Both rifles shared a skeleton design which uses the Stiller Cobra or Viper action as a central load-bearing member. Remarkably, there is no conventional fore-arm at all. Gene has bolted, directly to the barrel, a 3″-wide bag-riding aluminum sled. The sled was not designed as a mid-barrel tuner, but it might have some beneficial effects in that regard. However, the tuning functions are handled by two concentric rings threaded to the muzzle. Gene believes that with minor rotations of his front tuning rings, he can dial the gun into tune and the tune can be easily adjusted as conditions warrant.
Do Mr. Beggs’ guns shoot? Absolutely. We had the chance to visit Gene in Odessa. We shot both the 220 Beggs-chambered rifle, and its 6mm Beggs-chambered cousin. Both rifles are nearly identical, though the Heavy Varmint-weight 220 has a longer, 27″ barrel compared to 22″ for the Light Varmint 6mm.
In the tunnel, the 220 HV, with a no-turn-neck 220 Beggs chamber, produced three-shot groups in the low ones and zeros right out of the gate, even before the tuner was optimized. With a barrel with over 1000 rounds through it, after firing 40 rounds without cleaning, Gene produced a tiny 5-shot group in the low ones. The first shot was slightly high (a common occurrence in the tunnel according to Beggs). The last 4 shots, rounds 42-45 since the barrel had been cleaned, went into 0.084″. This rig, though radical in the extreme, certainly appears fully competitive with more conventional BR rigs, and it tracked superbly, with no hopping or rocking on the bags.
220 Beggs — Simple, Accurate, Efficient
We were also very impressed with the 220 Beggs cartridge. It’s basically a plain 220 Russian with a sharper radius at the neck-shoulder junction. Gene has commissioned a 220 Beggs reamer with matching seating and full-length sizing dies. The little cartridge achieves 3600+ fps with a 52gr bullet, pushed by Benchmark powder.
Less Recoil Than 6PPC — From what we could tell during our short visit, the 220 Beggs is easy to load for, and performs exceptionally well with either turned (.250″) or no-turn necks. The recoil was noticeably less than a 6mm PPC, making the gun a joy to shoot. This round, we felt, could also be an outstanding varmint cartridge. The velocity is there, and we don’t think any other 22-caliber varmint cartridge is going to beat it for inherent accuracy.
As for the 6mm version, Gene told us: “The 6mm version of the cartridge performs best with Hodgdon’s H4198 Extreme, but the 220 has proven it will shoot well with just about anything you put in it including N133, H322, Benchmark, 8208, Norma 200 etc. It is the most trouble-free, user friendly cartridge I have ever worked with and will compete heads-up with anything. It’s also very easy on the shoulder.”
Gene Beggs sells components (reamers, dies etc.) for the 220 and 6mm Beggs, and also, under special circumstances, offers training/testing sessions in his West Texas Tunnel on an appointment basis.
Readers who have just recently discovered the Daily Bulletin may not realize that AccurateShooter.com has hundreds of reference articles in our archives. These authoritative articles are divided into multiple categories, so you can easily view stories by topic (such as competition, tactical, rimfire, optics, shooting skills etc.). One of the most popular categories is our Technical Articles Collection. On a handy index page (with thumbnails for every story), you’ll find over 120 articles covering technical and gunsmithing topics. These articles can help you with major projects (such as stock painting), and they can also help you build more accurate ammo. Here are six popular selections from our Technical Articles archive.
Stress-Free Pillar Bedding. Richard Franklin explains how to do a top-quality bedding job, start to finish.
Gun Safe Buyers Guide. Our comprehensive Safe Buyers Guide examines the key features to consider in a safe — Wall Thickness, Volume, Shelving, Fire Rating, Lighting, Weight and more. We also explain the Pros/Cons of Dial vs. Digital (Keypad) locking systems.
Savage Action Tuning. Top F-TR shooter Stan Pate explains how to enhance the performance of your Savage rifle by optimizing the torque settings of the action screws.
Complete Precision Case Prep. Jake Gottfredson covers the complete case prep process, including brass weight sorting, case trimming, primer pocket uniforming, neck-sizing, and, case-neck turning.
Stock Painting Instructions. Step-by-step guide for stock painting by expert Mike Ricklefs. Mike shows both simple coverage and fancy effects.
Ultrasonic Case Cleaning. This article reviews the recommended process for cleaning cartridge brass with ultrasonic cleaning machine. We cover the right liquid solutions, processing times, and case drying options.
If you’re looking for loaded ammunition at affordable prices, WikiArms.com can help you find a good deal. WikiArms constantly searches the listings of ammo vendors across the web. Then WikiArms ranks the offerings by cost per round, low to high. This way you can instantly compare prices from multiple vendors including Ammomen, Ammo Supply Warehouse Ammunition Depot, Brownells, Cheaper Than Dirt, Lucky Gunner, Natchez, SG Ammo, Sportsmans Superstore, and Walmart. Search bots refresh pricing constantly so listed prices are normally current within five minutes. WikiArms even displays the amount of product currently in stock for each vendor.
Using WikiArms is easy. Just click your choice of caliber (such as .22 LR, 9mm, or .308 Win) on the navigation bar, or hit the Good Deals link (bottom left column) to see a variety of cartridge types all at one time. WikiArms is fast, and it is FREE to use. Check it out.
WikiArms also tracks prices on reloading components — bullets, brass, primers, and powders. From the WikiArms Home page, look at the left column under the “Reloading” header. From there you can select the type of components you want.
Using the WikiArms cartridge-specific search function, we found some great deals on quality .22 LR rimfire ammo. (You never can have too much .22 LR we say.) For example, USA-made CCI Blazer .22 LR Lead Round Nose ammo is just $17.99 for 525 rounds. That’s just $0.34 (3.4 cents) per round for quite decent plinking/fun rimfire ammo.
Many of Hodgdon’s most popular powders, such as Varget and H4350, have become very hard to find. Shipments sell out as soon as they reach retailers’ shelves. We know our readers and Forum members are concerned about these supply shortages. Why are these powders in such short supply, and what is the prospect for more Varget, H4350, and other Hodgdon powders in the months ahead?
Hodgdon answered these (and other) questions recently in a Q&A post on the Hodgdon Facebook Page. Here are highlights of those Questions and Answers.
HODGDON POWDER UPDATE Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to your questions straight from Hodgdon, 1/31/2020:
Q: Why can’t I find Hodgdon powders like H4350, Varget, Retumbo, and H1000?
As you have seen, Hodgdon powders, especially rifle powders for long-range and precision shooting, can be difficult to find. Dealer shelves that were formerly filled with cans of powder now have empty spots. [Hodgdon added: “Dealer shelves are empty because powder is purchased as soon as it arrives at the dealers’ stores.”]
Q: Is Hodgdon still making powder?
A: Yes, we continue shipping powder as quickly as possible. In fact, we will ship more powder in 2020 than last year. The real problem behind empty dealer shelves is complicated, but is related to shifting supply and demand challenges. As supply decreased in 2019, demand only increased. No one wants to ship more powder than Hodgdon.
Q: What is causing the supply challenges?
A: Quite simply, our manufacturing facilities have not kept up with our orders. Additionally, military contracts began specifying Hodgdon powders in the last few years for military ammunition, impacting our supply. With expanded government regulation, shipping explosive and energetic materials has become more challenging, which also impacts available supply. Lastly, rapidly changing consumer preferences for different powder types has impacted both demand and supply. We worked with all Hodgdon providers to resolve open issues and expect powder supply to improve in 2020 as a result.
Varget, H4350, H4831SC, and other ‘Extreme Series’ powders are in very high demand.
Q: Is the shortage of reloading powder being caused by Hodgdon shipping their powder to the ammunition manufacturing companies?
A: While Hodgdon does sell powder to ammunition manufacturing companies, more than 80% of our powder is sold to our core market – handloaders just like you. Hodgdon has always been committed to the individual handloader.
Q: When will I start to see more powder on dealer shelves?
A: While Hodgdon will continue to ship powder as rapidly as possible, we have a significant backlog in demand. Some powders will be in stock more quickly, but we believe it will take much of 2020 to improve availability for all powders. [Editor: In a separate post, Hodgdon stated “We will be sending out large amounts of H4350 starting mid-March.”]
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.
1. Sportsman’s Warehouse — Primer SALE, 30-42% Off
Editor’s Note: This primer sale proved one of our more popular Deals-of-the-Week ever, so we are repeating it. But act soon — we don’t know how long these prices will last.
Finding primers is still tough and getting them on sale (at huge discounts) is even harder. But right now, for a limited time, you can save up to 42% on Major Brand primers at Sportsman’s Warehouse. All types of CCI, Federal, Remington, and Winchester primers are on sale, including hard-to-find Federal 205Ms and CCI 450s. And yes, pistol and shotshell primers are on sale too. These are GREAT prices — stock up now! NOTE: Some primers are limited to 10 boxes (1000 primers) per order. However, one of our Editors just got 10,000 Fed 210M primers — saving over $80 compared to the best price he found elsewhere!
2. Midsouth — Rock Chucker Supreme Reloading Kit, $279.49
Everything you see above can be yours for just $279.49. Great Deal. Right now, Midsouth is selling the Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit for $279.49, a fine price considering all the hardware you get: Press, Primer Tool, Scale, Powder Measure, Loading Tray, Reloading Manual and more. Heck, the Rock Chucker press alone retails for $165.00+. This is good starter kit for any reloader, with sturdy items (such as the Rock Chucker press), that will last a lifetime.
3. EuroOptic — Nikon BLACK Riflescope Closeout Sale
Nikon’s decision to stop selling riflescopes shocked many in the industry. However, Nikon’s exit from the scope marketplace has created an amazing opportunity. If you’re in the market for a tactical scope, check out EuroOptic’s Nikon BLACK riflescope sale. EuroOptic has a big selection at prices up to 47% off. Choose MOA or MRAD versions with a variety of reticle options. NOTE: These BLACK Nikons are quality scopes that have performed well in the field. You’d have to pay hundreds more to do much better.
This package deal includes a Bushnell 3.5-10x36mm scope and 200 rounds of CCI .17 HMR varmint ammo. The optic, with 1/4-MOA clicks and front parallax control, includes three interchangeable BDC turrets. Optimized for Savage’s A17 rifle, this 2650 fps ammo is 100 fps faster than most other 17 HMR loads with 17gr bullet weight. This is a great package bargain — 200 rounds of CCI A17 ammo retails for $46.99 by itself, so you’re getting the scope and extra turrets for just $33.00!
5. Cabela’s — Ruger 10/22 Carbine, $179.97
Shooting .22 LR is more popular than ever. With its low cost and wealth of aftermarket accessories, the Ruger 10/22 still dominates the .22 LR entry-level rifle market. Right now, Cabela’s offers the Ruger 10/22 Carbine (blued barrel, gray stock, no sights) for a super-low $179.97 price. A basic 10/22 rifle is $249.99 at MidwayUSA so you can see Cabela’s is offering a great deal.
6. Amazon — Wheeler Digital Trigger Pull Gauge, $53.83
Every serious shooter should have a good trigger gauge. The Wheeler digital trigger gauge is precise and repeatable, measuring pull weights up to 12 pounds, making it suitable for all types of firearms. The load cell directly contacts the trigger making it extremely accurate with +/- 0.2 ounce precision. There are two modes: “Peak” and “Live.” Peak mode shows max force for each pull and calculates the minimum, maximum and average pull weights. Live mode continuously shows the force on the sensor. It even has a special adapter for Savage-style triggers with bladed inserts.
7. Amazon — Range Station for Pistol Shooters, $29.99
The Range Station combines an ammo compartment with a roll-out mat. Great idea. Some gun ranges only have concrete benches, or shooting stations with horizontal surfaces covered with dirt, powder residues, and other debris. You don’t want to put your $2000 Colt Python on that mess. The 12″x24″ Padded Gun Mat stays put on the bench-top. The case snaps to either the right or left side of the mat. Interior trays are sized for standard ammo boxes and magazines. Separate compartments hold smaller range gear such as rulers, target markers, and more. When finished, the mat can be rolled and stored neatly in the case. This handy Range Station is $29.99 on Amazon.
8. MidwayUSA — Dogtown Ammo, $21.24 for 50 rounds
Dogtown Ammo, made with Nosler tipped FB bullets, offers great “bang for the buck” for .223 Rem shooters, particularly high-volume varminters. Right now get 50 rounds for just $21.24 (43¢/rd). Or order 200 rounds for $86.99 (42¢/rd). Forum member NDAE15MAN states: “This stuff shoots in all of my .223 Rem guns — 7/8″ to 1″ at 100 yards. Best kept secret for ammo. Shoot exact same groups as Black Hills.” NOTE: MidwayUSA also sells .204 Ruger Dogtown Ammo with 32gr tipped flat-base bullets.
9. Amazon — MTM Cleaning Rod Case, $22.89
Good cleaning rods are expensive and can be easily damaged if you’re not careful. To protect those valuable cleaning rods, we recommend the MTM cleaning rod case which holds four rods as well as cleaning supplies. This case protects your rods both at home and while traveling. With this handy, durable case you can stop worrying about bending or breaking those important cleaning rods.
10. Amazon — Two Rolls of 3″ Neon Target Stickers, $12.99
We like these bright, Neon 3″ target stickers. They are big enough to see easily at 600 yards, giving you a 1/2 MOA target center at that distance. For $12.99 at Amazon.com, you get 250 3″-diameter self-adhesive centers (125 targets per roll) that stick to almost any surface The high-contrast fluorescent red/orange color provides an excellent HI-VIZ aiming point, along with good contrast for bullet holes that fall within the 3″ circle. To help line up your reticle cross-hairs, the target centers feature black markers at 3, 6, 9, and 12 0’Clock. NOTE: These stickers may qualify for FREE Shipping with combined orders over $25.00.
When we first ran this story a while back, it spurred a hot debate, with strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Some guys argued vehemently that volumetric powder dispensing was best — citing the experience of short-range benchresters, most of whom still throw their charges. Others say weighing your charges is best, so long as you have a very precise, and very repeatable scale. Many of the top F-Class and 1000-yard shooters now weigh their charges to the kernel.
Most competitive long-range shooters weigh powder charges for their handloads. Some even use ultra-precise magnetic force restoration scales to load to single-kernel tolerances. But is weight-based measuring always the best way to fill a case with powder? Another option is volumetric charging. This method fills a precisely-sized cavity with powder and then dumps the charge into the case. A Harrell’s rotary powder measure works this way, as does the sliding powder filler on a Dillon progressive press.
For long-range applications, most people believe that precise weighing of powder charges is the best way to achieve optimal accuracy and low ES/SD. However, those short-range Benchrest guys do pretty darn well with their thrown charges, at least at 100 and 200 yards.
Our friend Dennis Santiago recently observed something that made him scratch his head and wonder about weighing charges. His AR-15 match rifle shot better with volumetric (cavity-measured) charges than with weighed charges dispensed by an RCBS ChargeMaster. Here’s what he reports:
Cavity vs. Dribble (Dennis Santiago Report) I had the chance to compare nominally identical ammunition loaded two ways. These were all .223 Remington match loads using 77gr Sierra Match Kings over 23.4 grains of Hodgdon Varget. Same gun. However I loaded some ammo with charges dispensed with a Lee cavity-style powder measure while other rounds were loaded with powder weighed/dispensed by an RCBS ChargeMaster. The cavity-drop ammo (with powder dropped from the Lee unit) was consistently better than the weighed-charge ammo. I have no idea why…
So, ladies and gentlemen — what do you think? Why did Mr. Santiago’s volumetrically-charged ammo shoot better than ammo filled with weighed charges? What’s your theory? Gary Eliseo suspects that Dennis’s Chargemaster might have been drifting. What do you think? Post your theories in the comments area below.
Intro: Ron Dague wanted a new gun that was similar to his trusty .223 Rem rifle, but which fired 6mm bullets. There is a superb choice of bullets in this caliber, and Ron found that the 95gr Berger VLD could be driven to a healthy 2,604 fps by the small .223 Rem case. This 6mm wildcat based on the common .223 Rem offers excellent accuracy and very low recoil — something very important in the cross-the-course discipline. In addition, Ron’s 95gr load with Reloder 15 delivered an ES of just 4 fps over ten shots. That exceptionally low ES helps achieve minimal vertical dispersion at 600 yards.
I already had a .223 Remington match rifle, and I wanted the 6mm-223 to be as close to the same as I could make it. I installed the barreled action in a wood 40X stock to work up load data and work out any magazine feeding issues. While I was working on that, I looked for a McMillan Baker Special stock and finally found one to finish this project. I bedded the action and stock, then took the rifle to the range to check zeros on the sights and scope. I was surprised that I didn’t have to change anything on the sights. I thought changing the stock would cause sight changes. The thought went through my head, “Maybe the 40X stock isn’t all that bad”.
Here’s line-up of 6mm bullets. The Berger 95gr VLD is in the middle.
I took the new rifle to the first match of the year, a National Match Course match, and my off-hand score was 83, rapid sitting 95, rapid prone 95, and slow fire prone 197 — for total aggregate 470. This may not be my best work, but on match day the wind was blowing about 15 mph and the temp was around 40° F, with rain threatening. This was a reduced course of fire — we shot at 200 and 300 yards on reduced targets.
I used 70gr Berger bullets for this match, loaded in Remington brass with 25 grains of VihtaVuori N540 and Federal 205M primers. When I worked up loads for this rifle, N540 gave the best accuracy with the best extreme spread — 2,950 fps with an extreme spread of 20 fps on a 10-shot string. The load for 600 yards was with a 95gr Berger VLD bullet, with 23.0 grains of Reloder 15, Lapua cases, and the same Federal 205M primers. This load is 2,604 fps, with an extreme spread of 4 fps over a 10-shot string. I’ve shot this load at several 3×600 yard matches, and the accuracy has proven to be very good. At the last 3×600 match, my scores were as follows: 199-10x and 198-11X with scope, and 193-10X with iron sights. Best 600-yard score so far with iron sights was 198-12X.
6mm-223 Rem Rifle Specifications: 700 BDL action and floor plate, Bartlein 6mm 1:8″ twist, McMillan Baker Special stock in Desert Camo, Centra front and rear sights, Ken Farrell bases with stripper clip guide, Sinclair hand stop, and Jewell trigger. Gunsmith Neil Keller helped me with the metal work and instructed me on the action work and re-barreling.
Velocity vs. barrel length — How much speed will I sacrifice with a shorter barrel? Hunters and competition shooters often ask that. Today we DO have solid answers to that question for many cartridge types thanks to Rifleshooter.com.
Bill, Rifleshooter.com’s Editor, explained his test procedure:
“I gathered four different types of factory Federal 224 Valkyrie ammunition, the 90gr Sierra MatchKing (SMK), 90gr Fusion soft point (SP) (referred to a Fusion MSR), 75gr Total Metal Jacket (TMJ) and 60gr Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint (NBT). After a brief barrel break in and zero, I fired 5 rounds of each cartridge at each barrel length (except the 75 TMJ, I fired 4 rounds at each barrel length due to limited resources). I recorded the average muzzle velocity and standard deviation for each ammunition and barrel length combination and cut the barrel back 1 inch and repeated the process. I recorded barrel lengths from 28″ to 16.5″ (I try to save these barrels as finished 16″ tubes so they don’t go to waste).”
The Heavy Bullet 90gr Ammo Lost about 21 FPS per Inch
How did the test turn out? You’ll find all the results summarized in helpful tables with inch-by-inch velocity and SD numbers. For the two, 90gr ammo samples, results were similar. The 90gr SMK ammo started at 2782 fps (28″), finishing at 2541 fps (16.5″). That’s a loss of 241 fps, or 20.96 fps average per inch of length. The ammo loaded with 90gr Fusion SPs started at 2797 fps (28″) and ended at 2561 fps (16.5″), a drop of 236 fps. That’s 20.5 fps loss per inch. NOTE: Ambient temperature during the test was 45° F. You could expect the overall velocities to be a bit higher during hotter summer months.
With a the smaller bullets, the effect was even more dramatic. As you’d expect they started out faster. The ammo with 60gr Nosler Ballistic Tips (NBT), a good choice for varminters, started at 3395 fps (28″), and declined to 3065 fps (16.5), a total velocity drop of 330 fps. Average velocity loss was 28.7 fps per inch of barrel length. Rifleshooter.com also tested Federal 75gr TMJ ammo.
About the .224 Valkyrie Cartridge
The new .224 Valkyrie was introduced late last year as a Hot Rod cartridge that will work in AR15s. Designed to rival the .22 Nosler while still running well in ARs, the new .224 Valkyrie offers excellent long-range performance when loaded with modern, high-BC bullets. We expect some bolt-action PRS shooters might adopt the .224 Valkyrie. Why? Reduced recoil. With the 90gr SMK, the .224 Valkyrie offers ballistics similar to the 6.5 Creedmoor but with significantly less felt recoil. Check out this chart from Federal showing comparative recoil levels:
.224 Valkyrie vs. .22-250 Remington
The Social Regressive explains: “There are two key reasons why the .224 Valkyrie is unique and desirable. First, it is specifically designed to fit the limitations of the AR-15 platform. It does so even when loaded with gigantic bullets, like the 90-grain SMK that Federal announced. The .22-250 Rem is too long and too fat to work in the AR-15 platform; it needs an AR-10 bolt and magazine.”
The new .224 Valkyrie is basically a 6.8 SPC case necked down to .22-caliber. You can use your existing AR15 lower, but you will need a dedicated .224-Valkyrie upper, or at the minimum a new barrel, modified bolt with proper bolt face, and 6.8-compliant mags.
Gene Beggs operates his own 100-yard indoor tunnel and rifle testing facility just outside of Odessa, Texas. Surrounded by tall fencing, this place really looks like a “Area 51″ secret military facility.
Do Mr. Beggs’ guns shoot? Absolutely. We had the chance to visit Gene in Odessa. We shot both the 220 Beggs-chambered rifle, and its 6mm Beggs-chambered cousin. Both rifles are nearly identical, though the Heavy Varmint-weight 220 has a longer, 27″ barrel compared to 22″ for the Light Varmint 6mm.
If you’re looking for loaded ammunition at affordable prices, 
Most competitive long-range shooters weigh powder charges for their handloads. Some even use ultra-precise magnetic force restoration scales to load to single-kernel tolerances. But is weight-based measuring always the best way to fill a case with powder? Another option is volumetric charging. This method fills a precisely-sized cavity with powder and then dumps the charge into the case. A 
By Ron Dague, Sinclair Reloading Tech
Velocity vs. barrel length — How much speed will I sacrifice with a shorter barrel? Hunters and competition shooters often ask that. Today we DO have solid answers to that question for many cartridge types thanks to 
Image from Social Regressive 
