Hodgdon® Powder Co. will release its 9th Annual Manual early next year. The 2012 Hodgdon Annual Manual features 100+ pages of rifle and pistol data with over 5,000 load recipes. The load data covers 30 Hodgdon, 19 IMR® and 10 Winchester® brand powders. New content this year includes: 300 AAC Blackout load data, and lead-free bullet recipes for 21 rifle cartridges. In addition, the new 2012 Manual spotlights Hodgdon’s new CFE™223 propellant. Tests of this new powder show that it can deter copper fouling in many cartridge types (“CFE” stand for “Copper Fouling Eraser”). The 2012 manual provides plenty of reloading recipes for the new CFE™223 — 147 loads for 27 cartridges.
Along with comprehensive load data, the 2012 manual offers seven authoritative articles by top gun and outdoor industry writers. One interesting article covers economical hand-loading with lead free “green” bullets. Both competitive shooters and hunters will find other articles of interest.
You’ll find the 2012 Hodgdon manual at newsstands and gun stores in early 2012, priced at $8.99. You can also order direct by visiting Hodgdon.com or calling (912) 362-9455. (Direct sales price is $11.99.)
Story tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Monday’s Deal Pick: Among the many specials released yesterday was the MidwayUSA 6-Pocket Tactical Rifle Gun Case. Available in 42″ or 46″ sizes, either Black or Olive Drab, this case is now just $18.99, marked down from $34.99.
Tuesday Deal Pick: Our selection from the deals released for Tuesday, Nov. 22 is the Pro Series Competition Shooting Mat Olive Drab, MidwayUSA #158660, for just $29.99. This is an awesome price on a good-quality mat. We’ve used this mat and can recommend it. It’s a steal at $29.99 — That price is good for November 22 only!
Wednesday Deal Pick: From the items that go on sale Wednesday, our top selection is the Frankford Master Case-Tumbling Kit for just $53.99. This includes Vibratory Tumbler, 3.5 gallon bucket, Rotary Media Separator, liquid polish, and 3 lbs. of tumbling media. The powered tumbler holds 600 9mm cases or 360 .223 Rem cases. The $53.99 price starts at 12:01 am on Wednesday, November 23rd.
Thursday Deal Pick: We bet most of you guys have at least one .45 ACP in your gun collection. Well on Thursday, November 24th, you can grab 1000 Ranier 200gr RN copper-plated .45 cal bullets for just $99.00. The lead core in these bullets is completely coated by copper, top and bottom, so you can use these in lead-restricted ranges. To complement your new bullets, why not pick up a 14″ tactical pistol case for just $7.49. These zipper-top pistol bags are nicely-padded and have seven external mag pouches. Colors are black or olive drab. This price starts at 12:01 am on Thursday, November 24th.
$15 Off Orders of $100.00 or More — Through November 28th
In addition to the specially-discounted Black Friday items, you can save $15 off an order of $100 or more on normally-priced items. Use Promo Code 11281177 at Check-Out.
IMPORTANT: This $15 Off promo code is limited to regular price, in-stock products only. The discount can only be used once and cannot be combined with other promotions. The offer expires at 11:59 p.m. CT on November 28, 2011.
Now through 11/30/2011, MidwayUSA has Frankford Arsenal 6″ Digital Calipers on sale for just $12.99. These stainless steel calipers feature a high-contrast LCD readout, and they ship with a fitted plastic case and 1.55 volt battery. With the touch of a button the tool switches from inch units to Metric units and back again. Claimed measuring accuracy (resolution) is +/- .001″.
We’ve used Frankford Arsenal calipers before. Though they won’t compare to a Mitutoyo, they are adequate for many basic reloading tasks (and measuring targets). You can use these as a backup tool carried in your range bag or vehicle glovebox. These calipers could also make perfect stocking stuffers for family members or shooting buddies who reload. Unlike some of the no-name electronic calipers sold on eBay or at Harbor Freight, these $12.99 Frankford Arsenal calipers are CE-Certified and have a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
Lyman has introduced a handy, new cordless power tool with fitted case-prep accessories. This kit can speed up your case-prep chores. The handheld, high-torque rechargeable driver runs at the correct moderate speed for deburring and chamfering. The matched accessories all have hex shafts that simply snap in and out of the driver (much like with a cordless screwdriver). The full kit, Lyman part number 7777758, includes the power driver and seven (7) accessories: two case neck brushes, two double-ended primer pocket tools (large and small), an outside 45° neck-chamfer tool, an inside 30° neck-chamfer tool, and, finally, a combo standard/phillips screw-driver bit.
In the photo above, the inside chamfer cutter is fitted in the power driver. This chamferer (and all other accessories) can be quickly and easily swapped in and out of the driver with one hand. You don’t have to rotate a chuck or use a chuck key. As sold by Sinclair Int’l, the Lyman Power Case Prep Tool Kit (Driver plus all accessories) costs just $51.95.
Product tip from EdLongrange. We welcome user submissions.
Here’s a good way to save $25.00 on your powder purchases. Grafs.com will waive the normal Hazmat fee if you purchase 32 pounds of in-stock reloading powder. If you don’t need that much yourself, get together with your shooting buddies and put together a joint order. NOTE: You may order up to 16 more pounds of powder or primers under the same free Hazmat (48 lbs. total). Shipping is normally included in Graf’s prices, but a handling/insurance fee still applies. Offer is for a limited-time only, and is limited to products currently in-stock.
In addition, Grafs.com has just released it’s 2011 Fall Flyer. If you’re not on Graf’s mailing list, you can still view the entire flyer (in a magazine-style format) at www.Grafs.com.
Hodgdon Powder has introduced a new spherical (ball) powder called CFE™223. Hodgdon claims that this new powder “greatly deters copper fouling” compared to other propellants. Originally developed for U.S. rapid-fire military systems, CFE™223 incorporates a proprietary chemistry named “Copper Fouling Eraser”. Based on tests with extended shot strings, Hodgdon claims that, by using CFE™223, match shooters, varmint hunters, and AR shooters can maintain accuracy for longer periods, with less barrel-cleaning time.
Load Data Now Available Online for CFE™223
Reload data for CFE™223 is available for 27 different cartridges with 147 loads. It is suitable for loading in many popular chamberings including: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, 22-250, 6mmBR, .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, 7mm-08, and .308 Win. Maximum velocities are obtained in the .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, 22-250, and .308 Win with load data found at Hodgdon’s Reloading Data Center. CFE™223 is a spherical (ball) powder, so it meters well. The new powder will be available in one- and eight-pound containers starting in January, 2012. For more info, call (913) 362-9455 or write to: Hodgdon Powder, 6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission, KS 66202.
The Weapons System Technology Analysis Center (WSTIAC), part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), recently conducted a comparison test between standard primers and lead-free primers. The test procedure, along with the surprising test results, are discussed in the WSTIAC Journal (Vol. 11, No. 2).
Key Findings of the WSTIAC Primer Study Were:
1. Lead-Free primers suffered from significant delays in ignition.
2. Lead-Free large rifle primers had a “a much larger variation in peak blast pressure” than did lead-based large rifle primers.
3. Field tests showed 7.62×51 rounds loaded with lead-free primers to be less accurate than rounds loaded with lead-based primers.
4. So-called “match-grade” primers were NOT always more consistent in pressure than standard primers.
Russian Lead-Free Primers Tested
WSTIAC scientists did some pretty sophisticated testing, measuring the blast waves of lead free primers vs. standard primers. The lead-free primers, denoted as DDNP for their “Diazodinitrophenol” active ingredients, were matched up against commercially-available primers containing lead. Eight models of widely-used, lead-based primers were tested along with two DDNP-based Russian-made primers, a large rifle primer (model KVB-7E) and a small pistol primer (model KVB-9E). Brief field tests were also conducted with large rifle primers in loaded ammunition. Testers measured primer ignition times, bullet muzzle velocities, and accuracy on 200m targets.
Lead-Free Primers Were Less Reliable, with Less Uniform Pressure
While you’ll need to read the study to understand the full results, in a nutshell, the DDNP (lead-free) primers proved somewhat less reliable than standard primers. The study observed: “The most obvious difference between the lead-based and DDNP-based primers was a perceptible delay between firing pin strike and ignition in 15 of 19 shots with the DDNP-based primers (and one misfire); in contrast, there were no misfires or perceptible delays in ignition with the lead-based primer.” The scientists theorized that: “The delay in ignition in 6 of the 10 shots with the DDNP-based primer suggests that this primer is at the low end of strength needed to reliably ignite 46 grains of an extruded powder.” The study also noted that: “DDNP-based KVB-7E has a much larger variation in peak blast pressure than other primers.”
Lead-Free Primers Were Less Accurate in 7.62×51 Ammo
One very interesting finding related to accuracy. In field tests, 7.62×51 ammo loaded with lead-free primers was tested against ammo with lead-based primers (other components were identical). At 200m, the average 10-shot group size of 7.62×51 ammo with lead-free primers was 2.5 MOA vs. 1.8 MOA for ammo with lead-based primers. That 0.7 MOA difference may well be meaningful (though we’d like to see the test repeated with multiple 10-shot groups, fired from a more accurate rifle). For precision shooters, this is a provocative finding because it suggests that a change in primer type, by itself, may have a dramatic impact on accuracy. The scientists surmised that: “ignition delay is the most likely cause of the larger average group size.”
“Match” Primers Are NOT Always More Consistent
One surprising collateral finding in the study challenges the widely-held notion that “Match Primers” are better, at least when judged by pressure uniformity. “Table 1 shows average peak pressures along with standard deviations from the mean for the primers in this study…. There are significant differences in the standard deviations observed for different primer types, and it is notable that so-called ‘Match’ primers are not always more consistent than non-match primers.” Readers should look at the bottom right of Table 1 below. Note that, as a percentage (%) of total pressure, the non-match CCI 450s have a significantly lower SD than the “Match” Fed 205m primers. On the other hand, the Federal 210M and 215M “Match” primers ARE more uniform in pressure than the non-match CCI Large Rifle primers.
ABSTRACT: Comparing Blast Pressure Variations of Lead-Based and DDNP (Lead-Free) Primers
This article describes the blast pressure waves produced by detonation of both lead styphnate and diazodinitrophenol (DDNP) based firearms primers measured with a high-speed pressure transducer located at the muzzle of a rifle (without powder or bullet). These primer blast waves emerging from the muzzle have a pressure-time profile resembling free-field blast pressure waves. The lead-based primers in this study had peak blast pressure variations (standard deviations from the mean) of 5.0-11.3%.
In contrast, lead-free DDNP-based primers had standard deviations of the peak blast pressure of 8.2-25.0%. Combined with smaller blast waves, these large variations in peak blast pressure led to delayed ignition and failure to fire in brief field tests.
MidwayUSA has the Tipton 12-piece multi-caliber Jag Kit on sale again. Now through Sept. 30th, you can purchase the Kit, item 582621, for $12.99, five bucks off the regular $17.99 price. The set includes 17, 22, 243/6mm, 25, 270/7mm, 30/32, 8mm/338, 35/9mm, 375, 40/416, 44, and 45 Caliber Jags, in a sturdy box with fitted holes for each jag. This Editor owns two Tipton jag kits, one for the range kit and one for the loading room. These kits work for everything from my 17 Mach2 up to my 45/70. I use the jags for both rifle and pistol calibers. I like the fact that you can easily switch from a bigger jag to the next smaller size to adjust patch fit as the job requires.
Nickel-Plated Jag Kit Also Available
MidwayUSA also markets a 12-piece Jag Set with nickel-plated jags. This is a smart innovation that has been well-received by shooters. The nickel jags aren’t affected by solvents so they don’t give “false positives” when you’re cleaning copper fouling from your barrels. The Nickel Jag Kit, item 812503, is currently priced at $24.49, but, it also goes on sale from time to time. When it’s on sale, you can pick up the Nickel-Plated Jag Kit for under $20.00.
Norma has announced a recall of certain lots of Norma 217 powder, product # 20932175 (500gr cannister). According to Norma: “The present batch of 217 powder is recalled as it can give high pressure under some circumstances. We hope to have a good batch available later this autumn.” Norma 217 is commonly used for magnum cartridges. Norma describes 217 as a “flexible magnum powder, suitable where there is relatively large case volume in relation to the bore size.” Norma has not yet published the lot number(s) of the affected 217 powder batch.
If you have some 217 powder and are concerned whether it is subject to recall, contact Norma at:
Norma Precision AB
670 40 Åmotfors Sweden
Tel: +46 (0) 571 315 00
Fax: +46 (0) 571-315 40
Web: www.norma.cc
Successful long-range shooting demands very uniform ammo. Weighing charges carefully can make shot velocities more uniform within a shot string. Uniformity of velocities is good, because lower ES translates to less vertical dispersion of the shots at long range. Many competitive shooters today try to load charges that are consistent within one-tenth of a grain. Some exacting reloaders, in the relentless pursuit of perfection, go even further — they try to maintain charge weight uniformity down to the equivalent of just one or two kernels of powder.
To weigh charges with this kind of precision, you need a very high-quality scale. Even the $400.00-grade balances (such as the Acculab VIC-123), struggle to maintain single-kernel precision with their conventional strain-gauge load cell technology. But there is a new class of electronic lab scales which employ magnetic force restoration technology. These force restoration balances can reliably (and repeatably) weigh a single grain of powder. In normal use, lab-grade force restoration scales also deliver a stable reading more quickly than strain-gauge type scales. This is a boon for reloaders who like to trickle the final few kernels of a load. But the enhanced speed and precision of force restoration (magnetic) scales come with a stiff price — these technological marvels cost $900.00 and up. That could buy a custom action, or three new barrels.
Trickling Kernel by Kernel with GD503 and Omega Trickler
Do the advanced force restoration scales perform as advertised? Can they reliably recognize a single kernel of powder quickly enough to make trickling practical? Well, thanks to Forum member A.J. (aka AJ), we have a video that answers those questions. Using a Sartorius GD503 Class II force restoration balance with an Omega two-speed powder trickler, A.J. demonstrates how he can weigh charges that are consistent within a single kernel’s weight, i.e. 20-25 thousandths of a grain.
When you watch the video, note how (at 3:45 time mark) the RCBS electronic scale reads 41.7 grains, when in fact the correct charge weight was 41.830 grains, as measured by the GB503. That’s a one-tenth grain (four kernel) error right there. You will also see that the Omega Trickler from Dandy Products really can drop one kernel at a time. It takes some careful adjusting of the drop tube to achieve this sensitivity, but the Omega really is up to the task.
A.J. recently acquired his Sartorius GD503 digital scale from Balances.com. Retail price is $899.99. A.J. reports: “I have to say the [GD503] is one awesome unit. I was loading my 260 with 42 grains of H4350. The GD503 is accurate to .005 (5 thousandths) of a grain. My Acculab was supposed to be accurate to .020 of a grain but couldn’t do that on a good day. This new scale can actually weigh an individual kernel of H4350, it weighs right at .025 per kernel. I weighed a small screw about 20 times throughout one day and every time I got the same exact reading. My load for my 260 now has a SD in the single digits and an ES of 10 fps is not uncommon for 5-shot groups.”
Having seen an actual reduction in his velocity ES and SD, A.J. is sold on his $900.00 GD503: “This thing is amazingly accurate. It repeats every time. The weight does not keep changing or growing like my Acculab VIC 123 or my RCBS Chargemaster. My loads have never been so accurate. Now I don’t have to wait for a Prometheus as I have something better for a fraction of the cost.”
If you’re interested in the Sartorius GD503, below is a video from Balances.com that explains the features of the GD503 and shows how to set up and operate the unit to achieve the best results.
Strain-Gauge Scale vs. Force Restoration Scale — Responsiveness Test
This final video also shows the difference in performance between a strain gauge scale and magnetic force restoration scale (GD503). In the video, both scales are tasked with measuring tiny grains of salt, which are much smaller than extruded powder kernels. You can see that the GD503 responds more quickly when a few grains of salt are added.
Hodgdon® Powder Co. will release its 9th Annual Manual early next year. The 2012 Hodgdon Annual Manual features 100+ pages of rifle and pistol data with over 5,000 load recipes. The load data covers 30 Hodgdon, 19 IMR® and 10 Winchester® brand powders. New content this year includes: 300 AAC Blackout load data, and lead-free bullet recipes for 21 rifle cartridges. In addition, the new 2012 Manual spotlights Hodgdon’s new CFE™223 propellant. Tests of this new powder show that it can deter copper fouling in many cartridge types (“CFE” stand for “Copper Fouling Eraser”). The 2012 manual provides plenty of reloading recipes for the new CFE™223 — 147 loads for 27 cartridges.
Russian Lead-Free Primers Tested
Norma has announced a recall of certain lots of Norma 217 powder, product # 20932175 (500gr cannister). According to Norma: “The present batch of 217 powder is recalled as it can give high pressure under some circumstances. We hope to have a good batch available later this autumn.” Norma 217 is commonly used for magnum cartridges. Norma describes 217 as a “flexible magnum powder, suitable where there is relatively large case volume in relation to the bore size.” Norma has not yet published the lot number(s) of the affected 217 powder batch.
Successful long-range shooting demands very uniform ammo. Weighing charges carefully can make shot velocities more uniform within a shot string. Uniformity of velocities is good, because lower ES translates to less vertical dispersion of the shots at long range. Many competitive shooters today try to load charges that are consistent within one-tenth of a grain. Some exacting reloaders, in the relentless pursuit of perfection, go even further — they try to maintain charge weight uniformity down to the equivalent of just one or two kernels of powder.
