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July 5th, 2007
Bullet-smith Victor Johnson, Johnson Precision Bullets, sent us these useful tips:
 Neck-Turning: I found that a 1/2 inch Dewalt drill with a keyless chuck will hold many caliber cases without an adapter. Just place the case in the chuck and twist it hand tight. Does the same work as a $250 case lathe. When neck-turning cases, you can hold the drill in one hand and the neck-turning tool in the other. But it’s much more efficient if you clamp the 1/2″ drill in a vise (with some carpet for padding). Then it’s very easy to control the turning speed and add/remove cartridge brass.
Powder Measures: If you’re throwing powder charges in the fall or winter and have problems with bridging or sticking powder, use a ground wire. This will help reduce static charge that causes clinging and clumping. I have a 25-foot piece of real small wire with alligator clips on each end. It’s that long so I can run it down the hall to a water pipe. Use the wire tie from a bread bag to hold it in a small roll to put in the range box. When using it at the range use a 6″ nail from the co-op or Lowe’s / Home Depot and just push it into the ground.
July 3rd, 2007
 Credit German Salazar for this smart tip. 6XC dies tend to be pretty expensive. If you already have a 6BR neck-sizing die, you can use it to neck-size 6XC brass. Redding Reloading sells a set of three washers that raise the die in the press, part number 80901. Each kit includes three spacers: (.062) No-crimp or partial resizing, (.125) 44 Spl/44 Mag spacer, (.135) 38 Spl/357 Mag spacer. If you buy two sets (about $7.00 each at Bruno Shooters Supply) and use both 0.125″ spacers and one 0.135″ spacer then you can neck size 6XC cases with your 6BR neck sie without messing with the lock ring setting. You can also use the same spacers to switch pistol dies (e.g. between .38 Special and .357 Magnum). Hornady also sells inexpensive .135″ spacers to switch from .38 spl to .357.
June 28th, 2007
There was so much interest in Sunbuilder’s 6-6.5×47 Improved Varmint rifle that we got Scott to photograph his new cartridge. With a reamer from Dave Kiff of Pacific, Tool & Gauge, this wildcat cartridge adds about 2.0 grains capacity to the 6.5×47 necked down to 6mm. The case certainly is impressive with that 40° shoulder:
That extra two grains of capacity allows Scott (Sunbuilder) to get some very impressive velocities. Scott reports that while his most accurate load has been N160 pushing the Berger 105 Match BT at about 3115, he has pushed other 105s close to 3300 with H4350 and he thinks there’s an accuracy node around 3225 fps. (WARNING–Don’t even attempt to reach these kind of speeds with an unimproved case–you won’t succeed and you could hurt yourself in the process!) With the potential for those kinds of speeds, Scott is thinking of trying another barrel that might give better accuracy with the Hornady 105s. With its plastic tip, the Amax offers better expansion that conventional high-BC bullets. As a final note, Scott wanted us to mention the project smith: “Neil Jones of ‘Neil Jones Custom Products’ built this gun, and did a really fine job! Neil also built me a set of custom dies to match.”
June 9th, 2007
 Hodgdon now offers a searchable Reloading Data Center with reloading info for hundreds of cartridges, with loads from all three lines of powders that Hodgdon distributes: Hodgdon, IMR, and Winchester.
With the new online database, you start by selecting a cartridge, such as .308 Winchester (see photo below). You can get all load data for that caliber, or restrict the search results to a particular powder type or bullet weight. Or you can filter by manufacturer–choosing just Hodgdon powder recipes, just IMR, or just Winchester loads. Once you get the hang of it, the database works very well, letting you target your recipe to specific bullets and powders you know will work. While Hodgdon still offers a “book-style” online load manual, listing loads by calibers, the new searchable database makes it easier to dial in a load for a particular bullet type and weight. You get only the load data you need and you don’t have to scan through a long page of load recipes for powders/bullets you don’t use.
Above is the actual output when we searched for “.308 Winchester”, 155 grain bullets, and “all” Hodgdon-label powders. Click HERE for a LARGE PHOTO.
May 26th, 2007
Shaving bullet jackets is a problem reloaders encounter from time to time. It can be caused by excessive neck tension, burrs on the case mouth, or over-aggressive chamfering that leaves a ragged edge on the case mouth. Larry Medler discovered some rounds where the bullet jackets were getting shaved. Diagnosing the problem, he found that this was caused by his outside neck chamfer. He was using a powered screwdriver to rotate the case, and over-cutting plus tool chatter was causing the case neck to roll inwards. This created a thin, sharp edge that actually cut into the bullet jacket as the bullet was being seated.
 
Larry has a Load Force 250 measuring instrument that records the dynamic bullet seating force and displays the results on a computer screen. Larry noted that spikes in seating force were associated with the cases where the bullets were shaved. Inspecting the cases, Larry realized what was happening. Chamfering the outside after doing the inside allowed his tools to cut too much. Combined with tool chatter, this actually created a sharp, ragged edge that rolled inward towards the bullet: “I discovered I had rolled the case mouth rim inward while deburring the outer edge. When deburring the case mouth on the outside edge, every now and then I could hear some tool chatter. The effects of this chatter really show in the picture.”
The above chart shows the dynamic bullet seating force for the bullet with the shaved jacket. Note the large initial force used to cut and scratch the bullet outer surfaces. The final seating force of 47 pounds is just before the Wilson Seating Die bottoms out and the force on the load cell jumps. The chart below shows normal bullet seating force.
As a fix, Larry decided to reverse the neck deburring operations. Now he deburrs the outside first. This reduces tool chatter and prevents the edge from rolling over, because the neck thickness has not been thinned by inside chamfering. While Larry uses a powered screwdriver to speed his case processing, the lesson applies to those who chamfer manually as well–do the outside first and never overcut.
Remember, you simply want to remove burrs and create a slight chamfer. You don’t want to thin the brass significantly at the case mouth. This is why it is important to be very careful when using a deep-angle cutter such as the K&M inside neck chamferer. Click HERE to read Larry’s full report on neck chamfering, with more details on use of the Load Force 250 measuring instrument. Using device such as this, or a K&M arbor press equipped with a seating force gauge, will help you diagnose problems with your neck tension and reloading procedures.
May 25th, 2007
Lapua brass is so good that you’ll be tempted to just load and shoot, if you have a “no-turn” chamber. However, some minimal case prep will ensure more uniform neck tension. This will produce better accuracy, more consistent bullet seating, and lower Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation (ES/SD). Lapua brass, particularly 6BR, 6.5×47, .243 Win and .308 Win comes from the factory with tighter-than-optimal necks. Before you seat bullets, at a minimum, you should inside chamfer the case mouths, after running an expander mandrel down the necks. The expander mandrels from both Sinclair and K&M will both leave the necks with enough neck tension (more than .001″) that you can then seat bullets without another operation. Put a bit of lube on the mandrel before running it down the necks–but remove any lube that gets inside the necks before seating bullets.
Both Sinclair and K&M Tools make a die body specifically to hold expander mandrels. The Sinclair version, item NT-EXP, is shown below. This $17.90 unit fits caliber-specific expander mandrels ($7.95) which measure approximately .001″ less than bullet diameter for each caliber. Once you run the Sinclair expander mandrel down the necks of Lapua brass, after you account for brass spring-back, you’ll have about .002″ neck tension. This will make the process of seating bullets go much more smoothly, and you will also iron out any dents in the case mouths. Once the case mouths are all expanded, and uniformly round, then do your inside neck chamfering/deburring. The same expander mandrels can be used to “neck-up” smaller diameter brass, or prepare brass for neck-turning. Note: an alternative to this procedure is to full-length size every case with an expander ball in place, prior to loading. That works too, but many reloaders may prefer to simply expand the necks, when using Lapua brass.
May 19th, 2007
 Noted gun writer Craig Boddington reviews QuickLOAD reloading software in the June 2007 issue of Guns and Ammo magazine. Boddington was impressed with the wealth of information on powders, cartridges, and bullets stored by the program. He was able to quickly find powders and bullets for his favorite calibers and generate reloading “recipes” that matched his goals for pressure, barrel time (of bullet), and velocity. Boddington also used the program’s powerful search/sort features. QuickLOAD, as we explain in the comprehensive QuickLOAD REVIEW on this website, allows you to specify cartridge fill density and maximum pressure. Then, with one click, the program will sort and rank all the available propellants by max achievable velocity, from fastest to slowest. We use this feature all the time to chose propellants for a new cartridge, such as the 6.5×47 Lapua. Boddington observed: “There are many ways to sort the data. I did a search at 62,000 psi–a bit warm but well under SAMMI maximum for the 8mm Remington Magnum. This gave me 35 powders and charges that would yield this exact pressures. This search suggested I could increase velocity quite dramatically with a half-dozen propellants, with acceptable load density as well as pressure. I found several more loads I’d like to try.”
QuickLOAD and QuickTARGET Ballistic software are sold exclusively by Neconos.com. The latest version 3.2 costs $149.95 plus S/H. Click HERE for a full product description, and be sure to read our QuickLOAD Review and Users Guide.
May 15th, 2007
Here’s a great deal folks. MidwayUSA just knocked $40.00 off the price of the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Combo, item #772151. The ChargeMaster Combo was the top-rated unit in our Electronic Powder Dispenser Comparison Test, and in 2006 the design was upgraded for improved reliability and charge-weight accuracy. When load accuracy was tested with a Denver Instrument lab-grade scale as a control, 95% of charges were within the claimed +/- 0.1 grain accuracy. The ChargeMaster works with all types of powder–it doesn’t skip a beat even with the long-grain extruded powders that can be problematic in manual powder throwers. The RCBS ChargeMaster throws charges from 2 to 300 grains and stores up to 30 favorite loads in memory for fast recall. MidwayUSA’s $259.99 sale price is good through May 31, 2007.
May 13th, 2007
 Among the many helpful and FREE services offered by Sierra Bullets, is the “X-Ring” Technical Newsletter. With contributions by bullet designers and Sierra’s team of tech experts, the X-Ring provides some great info on bullets and general reloading matters.
Here are Questions answered by Sierra’s Carroll Pilant in the X-Ring.
Q. [Why do] some cases chamber easily, while others you almost have to crush them into the chamber when they are all the same batch of cases and all been full length sized?
A. The expander ball is pulling the neck / shoulder area up as it pulls out of the case. It usually squeaks as it comes out. Cure–Lube the inside of the case neck better, or slightly decrease the diameter of the expander ball ( about .003 under bullet diameter at the most ) and polish or both.
Q. I have a rifle that has a long throat and it doesn’t shoot boat tail bullets very well at all.
A. Try a flat-base bullet. They will often shoot better in a long throated or a worn throat gun than the boat tail bullets.
Q. Why do my case necks have a lot of smoke residue all the way down the case neck?
A. This usually comes from a mild load that doesn’t have enough pressure to seal the case neck against the chamber wall or the case necks have work hardened and aren’t sealing. Cure–Bump the powder charge up if it is a mild load; and, if the case necks have work hardened, either anneal the brass or replace it with new.
And here are some of Carroll’s Reloading Tips:
● When using a collet style case trimmer, try to tighten the collet down equally each time to keep lengths uniform. If you tighten it down hard, the case will be longer than one you tighten down lightly.
● A little lube on the pilot and cutter on a case trimmer every few cases will help keep it from trying to gall in the case mouth and helps keep the blades sharp and cutting smoothly. It makes trimming an easier task.
● Just because two bullets weigh the same doesn’t mean they can be loaded the same. The amount of bearing surface can vary drastically.
Editor’s Note: This last point by Carroll is something we have to emphasize often to novice reloaders. Not only do same-weight bullets vary in bearing surface, but you can have variances in shank diameter up to .001″ among bullets of the same weight and nominal diameter. Yes there are “skinny” bullets and “fat” bullets. Obviously the fatter bullets (given similar bearing surface) create more drag in the bore and this will affect the appropriate load.
SIERRA BULLETSMITHS — 1.800.223.8799
Back Row: Robert Treece | Carroll Pilant | Rich Machholz
Front Row: Duane Siercks | Paul Box | David Brown
April 29th, 2007
Forum regular Donovan has recently been testing the new-generation Berger 105s in his 6mm Dasher, using Alliant Reloader 15 powder. He reports: “They are shooting better then the old ones did in this barrel for me. Beside the accuracy I am getting from the new Bergers (6″ groups at 1000), they are very uniform and I see no need to segregate them. I measured around 70 by base to ogive and by OAL and stopped there.”
In the course of his testing, Donovan used two different lots of RL15, one purchased this year and one from 2004. He was pleased to report both lots performed almost identically, giving excellent accuracy and velocity:
Lot # 45144 (November 2004)
Velocity Average = 3119 fps (10 shots)
Pressure Average = 61,348 psi
Elevation to 1000 yards = 23.6 MOA
Group at 1000 yards = 5.9″ (5-shots)
Lot # 65006 (March 2007)
Velocity Average = 3121 fps (10 shots)
Pressure Average = 60,977 psi
Elevation to 1000yrd = 23.5 MOA
Group at 1000yrds = 6.1″ (5-shots)
Donovan was shooting a 28″ 8-Twist Shilen, 105 Berger VLDs (Lot #0559), with a 32.0+ grain load of RL15. (Donovan notes his barrel is pretty fast so other Dasher shooters may need more powder to reach the same velocities.) Temperature was at 84° F, and altitude 1325 feet. Pressures were measured with an RSI Pressure Trace, and velocities were recorded with a CED Millennium chrono set up with 8-foot spacing and infrared lighting. Donovan has also been comparison testing the 115 DTAC vs. the new 117gr Tubb bullet. We hope to have a complete report on those results in May.
Regarding the 115s, Donovan had this interesting gunsmithing note: “I have an older Shilen barrel that had a .104″ throat up until last December. I had been using it for 105 types mainly. It had always shot Berger 105-VLDs about the best, then AMaxs, followed by 107gr SMKs and then 105gr Lapuas. I had even tried the 115 DTACs with it a few times, but it shot them marginal to say the best. Then I felt the accuracy had diminished somewhat and it had near 1200 rounds down it, so I decided to re-crown it and throat it longer to get past some of the erosion. I pushed out the throat to .165″. Interestingly, in December this re-throated Shilen shot the 115s best followed by 107 SMKs and then the older lot of Berger 105s. At 1000 yards, two 5-shot groups of 115s both went under five inches.” What’s the lesson? Don’t toss that old barrel–you might find it shoots great with a fresh crown and new throat.
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