In our recent article on Bullet Coating we covered the basic principles of applying dry lubricants to “naked” bullets. This article covered the three main coating options: Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly), Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or “Danzac”), and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN or “White Graphite”). All three compounds can be impact-plated on to bullets with relative ease, using inexpensive equipment. Moly is still the most popular choice, but many more shooters are considering HBN because it is ultra-slippery, it is less messy, and it offers some advantages over Moly or WS2.
After we published our Bullet Coating feature, many readers asked for more info on HBN. Some current moly users had questions about switching over to Boron Nitride. Recently Forum member Larry Medler published an excellent web article discussing the process of applying 70nm HBN using plastic jars and a Thumler’s rotary tumbler. If you are working with HBN currently, or plan to experiment with Boron Nitride, you should read Medler’s HBN-Coating Article.
After coating some bullets for his 6XC, Medler seems “sold” on the merits of HBN. Larry writes: “The coating process is much better than Moly — no black mess. My coating process times are the same as for Moly. Three hours of tumbling in the corn cob and three hours of tumbling in the steel balls with 3.0 grains of hBN Powder. The bullets look something like sugar-coated donuts when I dump the jar of steel balls with the freshly coated bullets into my sieve to separate. The coated bullets wipe clean to the touch with a little towel rub down and remain very slippery. So far I am very pleased with my coated bullets’ smoothness and appearance.”
Field Tests Are Very Promising
Interestingly, Larry’s HBN-coated bullets are shooting flatter, with tighter vertical, than his moly-coated bullets. Since he has also pointed the tips of this batch of bullets, it’s not clear whether the reduced drop is due to the pointing or the HBN coating, but the results are certainly encouraging: “I have shot the HBN-coated bullets a couple of times now at 600 yards and everything seems to be okay or a lot like Moly. Funny thing is the HBN-coated bullets are shooting higher by 7/8 MOA. I have to check the speed and see if it has changed enough for that POI change. Good news is I had a string of 15 shots with less than 1.5 inches of vertical which is the best I have ever seen with my rifles. Is that due to the hBN or bullet pointing?”
Boron Nitride 500gr Packs Available for $20.00
Larry acquired more HBN than he needs, so he is offering smaller quantities for other reloaders to try. Larry tells us: “If anyone would like to try using the 70 nm Hex Boron Nitride powder, I have made a few small bags with 500 grains of the HBN powder. That’s enough to coat 10,000 -16,000 bullets based on my results so far.” $20.00 includes shipping. Send email to anyrange [at] comcast.net to order or to check availability.
Last year, Superior Shooting Systems (David Tubb) introduced a new, plastic-tipped 111gr bullet. It was hoped this bullet would rival the performance of the popular 115gr non-tipped DTAC, while working better in chambers throated for 105-108gr 6mm bullets. The design looked good, but, according to Superior Shooting, the 111-grainer “did not meet David Tubb’s standards at long range, so it has been discontinued.” The existing stock of 111s has sold out and “the project has been cancelled”.
Superior Shooting does have ample supplies of the non-tipped 115gr DTAC bullet in stock. This bullet is a proven performer with a 0.580 BC (as tested). DTAC 115s are available both “naked” and coated with Boron Nitride, in minimum quantities of 500 bullets. The naked 115s cost $105 for 500, while the BN-coated 115s cost $110/500. That’s a great deal if you prefer coated bullets, when you compare it with the time and expense of coating the bullets yourself.
To purchase, call 806-323-9488 or visit Superiorshootingsystems.com. From Superior Shooting’s home page, click on the “RELOADING” tab, select “Dies, Brass, Etc.”, then scroll down to find the DTAC 115 bullets at the bottom of the page.
Among the most popular features on AccurateShooter.com are our signature Cartridge Guides. These combine all the key “data points” you need to load and campaign a particular chambering (such as .308 Win), or a set of similar caliber cartridges (such as the “Twenties”). Each Cartridge Guide features a cartridge diagram, load recipes, plus expert reloading tips and analyses of bullets, brass and other recommended components. How well-received are these guides? Well, our .308 Win Guide has been viewed over 360,000 times. Google “.308 Win” and you’ll find our .308 Guide right near the top.
We have just released a very comprehensive new Cartridge Guide for the 7mm “Accuracy Calibers”, namely 7mm-08, .284 Winchester, 7mm WSM, and 7mm Rem SAUM. The 7mm Guide contains a bullet ballistics analysis by NRA Palma Champ (and rocket scientist) Bryan Litz, plus contributions from F-Class National Champ Charles Ballard, and UK long-range record-holder Vince Bottomley. Our article compares the performance of the two short mags — WSM vs SAUM — and the results may surprise you. We also spotlight the impressive .284 Shehane, a “moderately” improved version of the .284 Winchester. With its additional 3.35 grains of powder capacity, the .284 Shehane can drive 180gr Bergers at 2950 fps. Jim Hardy has been shooting this cartridge with great success. And lately he has been testing his .284 Shehane with Alliant Reloder 17. The velocity results with Reloder 17 are quite remarkable — and it looks like the ES/SD does tighten up significantly at the top end.
Remington has finally wised up to the fact that today’s shooters want more options in factory ammunition, particularly for varmint and match rifles. Sure there will always be .223 Rem and .308 Win ammo buyers. But many shooters are also interested in the “Twenties” and in efficient, accuracy cartridges like the 6mmBR and 6.5 Grendel. And shouldn’t Remington consider making ammo for a long-range precision cartridge such as the 6.5-284?
You can help Remington pick the new cartridges for which Remington will load factory ammunition. Vote in Remington’s online poll. The cartridge choices are: 17 Hornet, 20 VarTarg, 6×45 (6-223 Rem), 22 BR, and 6mm BR. Hmmm, having USA-made 6BR factory ammo — that’s definitely appealing. And we think there would be a market for 20 Vartarg ammo as well. Click the link below to visit Remington’s website. There you can cast your vote for your favorite new ammo types.
Sierra has a new 155gr Palma bullet, and it’s a winner. The new 155gr MatchKing bullet, featuring a longer ogive and factory-pointed meplats, was used by Team USA at the recent Spirit of America match. According to many team shooters and coach Emil Praslick III, the new bullet helped the American team achieve an impressive victory over arch-rival England and other national squads.
Matt Reams of Sierra Bullets confirmed that the new bullet, Sierra part # 2156, will shortly enter full-scale production. Sierra is planning a late-December 2008 release date, but Matt says “first week of 2009 should be a safe bet.” The bullets will be priced “roughly 5% higher than current Sierra 155gr MatchKings”, according to Matt.
Sierra worked closely with Team USA on the design of the new bullet. Dennis Flaharty, USA Palma Captain, tells us: “We worked very closely with the people at Sierra and they really came up with a winner. We tested several prototypes before we settled on this one. Each one better than the next. This bullet has a lot going for it. I honestly believe that we managed many 10s that would have been 9s. This bullet gave the consistent and high degree of accuracy you have come to expect from Sierra. As compared to other bullets Sierra has a reputation for being ‘forgiving’. By this I mean you can shoot them in the lands or off. We tested this bullet from +0.010 into the lands to -0.100 off.”
Bullet Design Features and Factory Meplat Pointing
The new bullet is a conventional tangent ogive design, not a secant ogive VLD-style. However, the new bullet has a longer ogive (curved section) than Sierra’s current 155gr MatchKing. It also has a somewhat shorter bearing surface. Most importantly, the meplats on the new 155s will be pointed up on a special extra die used for the final stage of bullet manufacturing. Currently, many reloaders are using the Whidden Pointing Die System to point up their bullets. (Photo at left shows a 107gr MatchKing pointed with the Whidden Die.) Many tests, including our own research done by Jason Baney, prove that bullet-pointing has real benefits. First, pointing the meplats reduces bullet-to-bullet BC variation. This can help tighten vertical spread at long range. Second, bullet-pointing can also reduce drag, effectively increasing average bullet BC. The result is a bullet with less drop at long range, and less wind drift (all other factors being constant). In Jason’s tests, pointed Clinch River 106gr bullets impacted 18″ higher at 1000 yards than non-pointed bullets from the same lot. That’s dramatic evidence that meplat-pointing enhances BC.
Higher BC Predicted by Actual Match Results
Sierra has not yet completed field-testing to determine the ballistics of the new 155gr MatchKing, so no official BC has been released. Matt Reams noted: “We will not release a BC until comprehensive field tests are complete. At Sierra we don’t ‘guesstimate’. Our BC numbers are based on real-world testing.” Nonetheless, Sierra’s bullet testers and USA Palma team members are telling us that the new bullet definitely impacts higher than the old Sierra Palma bullet when driven at the same velocity. This was observed during the Spirit of America match, and is a sure sign that the new bullet has less drag and a higher effective BC. Team members also believe that the new bullet exhibits less wind drift than the previous 155gr MatchKing:
“As one of the line coaches on the American teams at SOA, I witnessed first-hand the difference between the old and new green box 155s. On practice/warm-up day before the team matches we tested the new bullet against the old bullet at 1K to get elevation zeroes on the new bullet. What we saw was the new 155 printed two (2) MOA higher at 1000 yards than the old bullet with the only difference being the bullet…. In my opinion, the new bullet was at least a minute inside of the old bullet at 1K.” — Steve Hardin
Palma Shooters Praise New ‘Top-Secret’ 155gr MatchKing
In the wake of Team USA’s big win at Spirit of America, many members of the USA Palma Team have commented on the impressive performance of the new bullet. You can read their testimonials in THIS THREAD on the Long-Range.com Forum (registration required to access Forum). Team Coach Emil Praslick III had this to say:
“Sierra was very responsive to the US Team’s request that [Sierra] come up with a new design for a 155 grain projectile. After testing a few prototypes designed by the smart guys at Sierra (mainly Pat Daly) we settled on one that seemed to be a good compromise between an efficient design, and a bullet that would shoot well out of a variety of barrels and chambers. Through testing and practice, we have found that the bullet shoots well into the lands, as well as off. One rifle tested jumped them .050″ with good results!
The bullet QC is excellent, and it definitely does shoot. During the team matches at SOA, I felt that the bullet was well inside the other bullets being shot on the line, but as a coach, I am much more concerned with accuracy over chasing a BC ‘magic number’…. The inherent accuracy of the new bullet is what has sold me on it.
The ogive is well back on this bullet, and will probably jump quite a bit at max length in longer than a ‘standard’ Palma 95/WTC 95 chamber. Some, notably Warner Tool and Wayne Forshee, are working on reamer designs. For now, an existing, ‘short throat’, Palma 95 chamber that seats the old Sierra at approx. 2.780″ to touch the lands should work fine.”
Remington Arms just introduced a new cartridge, the 30 Remington AR (aka “30 RAR”), to be used in AR-platform rifles to be built by its DPMS subsidiary. (Remington, DPMS, and Bushmaster are all owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private holding company.) The cartridge carries the “short, fat” design to the extreme. It is based on a shortened version of the .450 Bushmaster, which itself was a cut-down version of the .284 Winchester. Like the .284 Win, the 30 Remington AR has a rebated rim, so it will fit a .308 Win-sized boltface (0.473″). While it resembles a 30BR, the new case is much fatter, offering an impressive 44 grains of powder capacity. The portly diameter of the 30 RAR case dictates that the magazine will be a single-stack, and will hold only four (4) rounds.
Cram a Big Cartridge in an AR15 Mag and Make Sure It’s a Thirty
What was Remington thinking? Well, the stated project goal was to transform the standard AR15 into a “legitimate big game hunting platform.” Presumably, a 30-caliber cartridge was chosen for marketing purposes as that is the most common deer hunting caliber. The “science” of the design was basically to stuff the biggest cartridge possible in a standard AR15-sized magazine. According to Outdoor Life columnist John Snow: “DPMS President Randy Luth and Remington’s John Fink (brand manager for the rifle division) … both said that the goal was to look at the AR lower and see how much cartridge they could fit in there.”
30 Remington AR (30 RAR) Specifications
Case Capacity
Rim Diam.
Parent Cases
Shoulder
Factory Load
Mag Type
44.0gr H20
0.473″ .308 bolt face
.450 Bushmaster .284 Winchester
25°
125gr SP or 125 B-Tip 2800 fps 0.267 BC
4-Round Single Stack
Factory 30 Remington AR Rifles and Uppers
Initially, the 30 Remington AR round will be chambered in complete, DPMS-built Remington R15 rifles, which start at $1,199.00 MSRP. For production rifles, the expected rate of twist is 1:10″, but that has not been finalized. What about separate uppers? Given the hefty price of the complete rifle, existing AR owners may prefer to purchase a 30-caliber upper by itself. While no release date was given, Remington stated that 30 RAR uppers will definitely be offered for sale in the future.
Impressive Velocities but Much Less Energy than a .308 Win Shooting 160s
With 44 grains of capacity, the 30 RAR can generate some impressive velocities with bullets in the 120-125gr weight range. Remington claims its 125gr factory ammo will deliver 2800 fps muzzle velocities running at about 55,000 psi pressure levels. Three factory loads will be offered: Rem-branded 125gr Core-Lokt PSP and 125gr AccuTip BT, and a UMC-branded 123gr FMJ. At $18.99 per 20-round box, the UMC ammo is intended for inexpensive practice purposes. The $35.99/box AccuTip and $26.49/box Core-Lokt PSP are much costlier. The relatively light-weight bullets used in the Remington ammo have poor Ballistic Coefficients compared to the longer, heavier bullets typically used in a .308 Win or 7mm-08. The 125gr Core-Lokt has a 0.267 BC, while the 125gr AccuTip is somewhat better at 0.335. Nonetheless, Remington’s ballistics tables show that the AccuTip should match the trajectory of a 165gr AccuTip (fired from a .308 Win), fairly well out to 400 yards. However, there is a BIG difference in energy as you can see from the table below. At 300 yards, the 125gr AccuTip delivers 1153 ft/lbs of energy compared to 1661 ft/lbs for a 165gr AccuTip launched at 2700 fps from a .308 Win. (Note: these numbers were calculated with 24″ barrels. Remington’s 30 RAR-chambered R15 rifle has a 22″ barrel, so its performance should be somewhat less impressive.)
COMMENTARY by EDITOR
Our first reaction to the news of Remington’s new cartridge was: “Why?” The obvious (and cynical) answer is that Remington wanted to sell AR-style rifles to deer hunters who need an excuse to purchase a military-style semi-automatic. There may be a market for that… who knows. But there is already a proven, compact 30-caliber cartridge that fits a standard-sized AR15 lower — the 7.62×39. The 7.62×39 won’t push a 125-grainer as fast as the bigger 30 RAR, but the 7.62×39 will still kill a whitetail plenty dead. Perhaps Remington’s engineers should simply have applied themselves to producing a proper (i.e. 100% functional) 7.62×39 magazine. This Editor has tried most of the AR15 7.62×39 magazines on the market (from 3-rd to 30-rd capacity). None of those I tested worked particularly well. Some simple redesign work (call the MagPul folks) would solve that.
Better AR Ballistics with 6.5 and 6mm Cartridges
If the goal was to produce an AR15 with better ballistics and downrange energy than the .223 Rem cartridge delivers, we’re not sure a 30-caliber was the way to go. The 6.5 Grendel performs exceptionally well in AR rifles, delivering great accuracy with 123gr Lapua Scenar or Sierra bullets. Likewise, the AR15 can be a superb High Power and Cross-the-Course platform shooting the 6mmAR cartridge developed by Robert Whitley. The 6mmAR is the 6.5 Grendel necked down to 6mm. Shooting 105 Berger VLDs it comes very, very close to the ballistics of the larger 6mmBR cartridge, and it gives up nothing in accuracy. By contrast, with its low-BC bullets, the 30 Remington AR is not going to be competitive at longer ranges with either the 6.5 Grendel or the 6mmAR. And with factory mags limited to four (4) rounds, you couldn’t use this gun effectively in High Power matches, even if it proves highly accurate on the short course.
Important Innovation or Another Orphan Cartridge?
Only time will tell whether the 30 Remington AR cartridge will catch on with sport shooters and hunters. We’re not sure the round has an important purpose that cannot be filled by existing, proven cartridges. The complete 30 RAR rifles are expensive ($1200+) compared to a typical bolt-action deer rifle, so we wonder how many deer hunters will actually jump on Remington’s bandwagon. Speaking frankly, so long as the cartridge is available only with Remington-made brass, we predict little interest among competitive shooters. Now if Lapua were to produce a 65,000-psi rated version of this cartridge, THAT might interest hunter benchrest shooters and BR for score shooters. A Lapua 30 RAR would be like a 30BR on steroids. But alas, don’t expect Lapua, or Norma, or even Winchester, to produce 30 RAR brass any time soon.
So, does the 30 Remington AR (aka “30 RAR”) have a future? It will certainly stimulate sales of AR-platform rifles to some extent. That’s important because AR sales have been lagging recently. Perhaps that is enough justification for a new round. All things considered however, we think Remington would have been better off building its “AR for big game” around the 6.5 Grendel case, perhaps in a 7mm version. Still, we have to credit Remington’s designers. Using a modern “short, fat” design, with a rebated rim, they’ve achieved impressive velocities in a very compact cartridge. The chopped-down .284 may prove to be a very accurate design.
Here’s good news for fans of the “Triple Deuce”, the .222 Remington. Lapua plans to start making premium .222 Rem brass again. The .222 Rem once ruled the roost in benchrest competition. Prior to the introduction of the PPC family of cases, the .222 Rem was considered the most accurate cartridge on the planet. Some benchresters, such as George Kelbly Sr., still shoot the cartridge in BR competition, and it remains very popular with varmint shooters.
The Triple Deuce has a much longer neck than the .223 Remington. This long neck is considered a plus by many .222 shooters — they believe it reduces throat erosion (compared to a .223 Rem), while improving accuracy. Certainly, since the .222 Rem burns less powder than a .223 Rem, the .222 could yield longer barrel life than a .223, with charges of equal pressure.
Adam Braverman, U.S. representative for Nammo-Lapua, just returned from a visit to Lapua’s production facility in Finland. Adam was pleased to report that Lapua plans to resume production of .222 Remington brass. This will be produced “in-house”, and will carry a Lapua headstamp. Lapua plans to start production late in 2008, and the new .222 Rem brass should be available in early spring of 2009 in North America. No price has been announced, but we can expect the .222 brass to be priced comparably to Lapua .223 Rem brass, which runs $44.79/100 at Grafs.com.
In our new article on the 30-338 Wildcat, you’ll find expert advice on forming the cases from .338 Lapua Magnum brass plus tips on selecting powder and bullets. The story also features some great photos of a 30-338 custom Richard Franklin built for a California client. That rifle is designed as an Elk Gun, shooting the 190gr Berger VLDs with Reloder 22 powder. The laminated stock is made from exhibition-grade Claro Crotch Walnut and Dennis Smith (aka the Stock Doctor) provided beautiful checkering and a hand-rubbed oil finish.
Ultimate Big Boomer for Varminters
Franklin has also pioneered an ultra-high-velocity varmint version of the 30-338. This cartidge achieves amazing 30-Cal velocities using long, very slow-twist barrels. Richard tells us: “I use 15- to 17-twist barrels with both the 300 WSM Varminter and the 30-338 Lapua Varminter. The 300 WSM easily gets 3900 fps with the Nosler 125 Ballistic Tip and the 30-338 Lapua will do 4150 fps easily with the same 125gr B-Tip. In the 30-338, the 130gr Barnes, a “ringed” bullet with grooves to reduce bearing surface, will get another 150 fps, topping out at 4300 fps. I find the 17-twist does a good job with the light bullets in the 30-338 but I’m going to try an 18-twist and a 19-twist to see if high velocity is a little more easier to obtain. I believe the 19-twist will beat any thing I’ve built to date for velocity and I also believe it’s going to be very accurate.”
The “Official” .300 Lapua Magnum
While nearly every 30-338 you see in the USA is a wildcat, manually formed by necking-down the .338 Lapua brass, there was an “official” version, the “.300 Lapua Magnum”. This was a factory 30-caliber cartridge based on the .338 Lapua Magnum parent case. Lapua produced enough factory ammo to get the .300 Lapua Magnum sanctioned as an official CIP-certified cartridge. QuickLOAD includes the .300 Lapua Magnum in its load database, and QuickDESIGN has complete CIP cartridge specifications. Unfortunately, the .300 Lapua Magnum is no longer in production. For you cartridge collectors, we’re not even sure if Lapua ever produced brass with a distinctive “300 Lapua Magnum” headstamp. However Vihtavuori does include .300 Lapua Magnum load data in the current Vihtavuori Load Manual. That reloading guide shows the .300 Lapua Magnum can drive a 220gr HPBT Sierra MatchKing at 2910 fps with a max charge of VV 20N29 powder. The .300 Lapua Magnum can push the 30-caliber 155gr Lapua Scenar at nearly 3500 fps with VV N170 powder. That’s impressive performance indeed!
Federal Small Rifle Primers, both standard (205) and match (205M) versions, have recently been in short supply. Grafs.com now has these in stock, at discounted prices. Graf’s has large supplies of Federal standard small rifle primers in both 1000- and 5000-primer lots. Price is $27.99 for a 1000-count box, or $131.99 for a 5000-count case.
For the hard-to-find small rifle 205M Match primers, Grafs.com is showing good quantities in 5000-count cases, priced at $157.99. Individual, 1000-count boxes of 205M match primers, priced at $33.59, are in low supply. Graf’s prices include shipping but not HazMat fees. Powder Valley Inc. is showing both 1000-count and 5000-count supplies of Federal 205M (small rifle match) primers in stock at $31.00 and $150.00 respectively.
Both Grafs.com and Powder Valley are out of stock on the Federal 210M LARGE Rifle match primers. However, Powder Valley has supplies of the standard Federal 210 (non-match) large rifle primers for $25.50 (1000-count) and $122.50 (5000-count). Grafs.com is nearly sold out of the Federal 210s, so grab the limited quantities while you can.
Among our readers are fans of the ultimate “big boomer” cartridge, the 50 BMG. The fifty is popular with long-range shooters, many of whom compete in matches under the auspices of the Fifty Caliber Shooters Association (FCSA). The FCSA World Championship was held at Raton, NM in July, attracting shooters from around the globe. The Whittington Gun Club is holding a regional 50-caliber match at Raton this very weekend (Sept. 26-28). Other 50-caliber match dates are calendared on the FCSA website, www.fcsa.org. The FCSA site offers general info, match rules, a list of 50-cal friendly shooting ranges, plus a records archive.
50 BMG Components on Sale
If you’re a 50-Cal shooter, or are thinking about acquiring a Fifty in the near future, it’s not a bad idea to lay in a stock of reloading components. The Big Fifty has been banned in California, and there are efforts in Congress to extend that ban nationwide. Better to be prepared. Here are some good deals on 50 BMG components:
Wideners.com has brand new, primed Lake City 50 BMG Brass. This is 2006 production, with “LC 06″ headstamp. The brass is factory boxer primer w/ purple sealant, annealed case necks, and tar sealant* inside the case mouths. This is top tier brass that is fully reloadable. Widener’s is charging $52.50 for 25 cases or $200 for 100, item LC50BMG.
Natchez Shooters Supplies currently has a sale on primed, Winchester-headstamp 50 BMG brass (item WN50CALPB). The price is $34.70, marked down from $39.79. That works out to $173.50 per hundred — a good deal on new, WCC 06 Mil-Spec brass.
50bmgSupply.com also has Winchester-headstamp 50 BMG brass. This is NEW manufacture (WCC 06 and WCC 08) with neck sealant and sealed primer. Cases are boxer primed, and fully reloadable. The price is $195.00 for 100 pieces.
50bmgSupply.com also offers 2004-2007 once-fired Lake City or PSD head-stamped 50 BMG brass. (PSD is made in South Korea by Poongsan Metal Manufacturing. It is good brass.) This used brass has been tumbled clean, resized, deprimed, primer pocket chamfered (to remove military crimp), then trimmed to length. It is ready to reload. Prices is $100.00 for 100 unprimed cases, or $130.00 for 100 primed cases.
Polygunbag.com carries a wide variety of 50 caliber projectiles including Hornady 750gr A-Max match bullets, and Barnes “Banded Solid” 750gr match bullets. Both the 750gr A-Maxs and 750 Barnes Solids are priced at $37.00 per box of 20 bullets. The A-Maxs are very popular with long-range 50 Caliber match shooters.
*Regarding the Tar mouth Sealant, Widener’s notes: “This brass is ready to be charged and the bullet seated. If you want complete waterproofing, leave the tar seal in the mouth. If you do not want the tar, use a swab with XYLENE solvent and the tar can be easily removed. NOTE: Do not use an expander unless you remove the tar first as the tar will gum up on it.”
In our recent article on Bullet Coating we covered the basic principles of applying dry lubricants to “naked” bullets. This article covered the three main coating options: Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly), Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or “Danzac”), and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN or “White Graphite”). All three compounds can be impact-plated on to bullets with relative ease, using inexpensive equipment. Moly is still the most popular choice, but many more shooters are considering HBN because it is ultra-slippery, it is less messy, and it offers some advantages over Moly or WS2.
Sierra has a new 155gr Palma bullet, and it’s a winner. The new 155gr MatchKing bullet, featuring a longer ogive and factory-pointed meplats, was used by Team USA at the recent Spirit of America match. According to many team shooters and coach Emil Praslick III, the new bullet helped the American team achieve an impressive victory over arch-rival England and other national squads.
Bullet Design Features and Factory Meplat Pointing
Remington Arms just introduced a new cartridge, the 30 Remington AR (aka “30 RAR”), to be used in AR-platform rifles to be built by its DPMS subsidiary. (Remington, DPMS, and Bushmaster are all owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private holding company.) The cartridge carries the “short, fat” design to the extreme. It is based on a shortened version of the .450 Bushmaster, which itself was a cut-down version of the .284 Winchester. Like the .284 Win, the 30 Remington AR has a rebated rim, so it will fit a .308 Win-sized boltface (0.473″). While it resembles a 30BR, the new case is much fatter, offering an impressive 44 grains of powder capacity. The portly diameter of the 30 RAR case dictates that the magazine will be a single-stack, and will hold only four (4) rounds.
COMMENTARY by EDITOR
Here’s good news for fans of the “Triple Deuce”, the .222 Remington. Lapua plans to start making premium .222 Rem brass again. The .222 Rem once ruled the roost in benchrest competition. Prior to the introduction of the PPC family of cases, the .222 Rem was considered the most accurate cartridge on the planet. Some benchresters, such as George Kelbly Sr., still shoot the cartridge in BR competition, and it remains very popular with varmint shooters.
Ultimate Big Boomer for Varminters
