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May 17th, 2008
 Using wet patches or wet brushes is an inefficient way to really saturate the tight bores of 17s, 20s, and 22s. Even with a cotton bore mop, most of the solvent will be squeezed out before it gets to the end of the bore, where most copper fouling occurs. Here’s a simple solution. Get a small plastic “wash bottle” and fill it with your preferred solvent. Then stick the tapered nozzle right in the chamber. The tapered end will press fit in the throat, sealing off the chamber. With the barrel slightly nose-down, give the bottle a couple good squirts until the solvent mists out the muzzle. In just a few seconds, this will put more solvent in the bore than a half-dozen wet patches. Alternatively, plug the chamber and squirt solvent in from the muzzle. It’s also much easier to saturate a bore brush (without spilling solvent on your stock), by using the wash bottle. You can get these bottles from USPlastic.com or lab supply stores.
April 24th, 2008
Forum member Skeeter has put together a new 6mm Dasher falling block varmint rifle. The Dasher case is based on the 6mm BR Norma cartridge with the shoulder blown forward about 0.100″ and out to 40°. This gives the Dasher roughly 3.5 grains added capacity compared to the standard 6BR.
Skeeter needed to form 300 cases for an upcoming varmint holiday. Skeeter decided to fire-form his brass without bullets. This method avoids barrel wear* and saves on components. There are various ways to do this, but Skeeter chose a method using pistol/shotgun powder, some tissue to hold the powder in place, Cream of Wheat filled to within an 1/8″ of top of the neck, and a “plug” of tissue paper to hold it all in place. Shown below are cases filled with a pistol/shotgun powder charge topped with Cream of Wheat and then a tissue paper plug.
To ensure the case headspaced firmly in his Dasher chamber, Skeeter created a “false shoulder” where the new neck-shoulder junction would be after fire-forming. After chamfering his case mouths, Skeeter necked up all his cases with a 0.257″ mandrel (one caliber oversized). Then he used a bushing neck-sizing die to bring the top half of the neck back down to 0.267″ to fit his 0.269″ chamber. The photo below shows how the false shoulder is created.
After creating the false shoulder, Skeeter chambered the cases in his rifle to ensure he could close the bolt and that he had a good “crush fit” on the false shoulder, ensuring proper headspace. All went well.
The next step was determining the optimal load of pistol powder. Among a variety of powders available, Skeeter chose Hodgdon Titewad as it is relatively inexpensive and burns clean. The goal was to find just the right amount of Titewad that would blow the shoulder forward sufficiently. Skeeter wanted to minimize the amount of powder used and work at a pressure that was safe for his falling block action.
Working incrementally, Skeeter started at 5.0 grains of Titewad, working up in 0.5 grain increments. As you can see, the 5.0 grain charge blew the shoulder forward, but left it a hemispherical shape. At about 7.0 grains of Titewad, the edge of the shoulder and case body was shaping up. Skeeter decided that 8.5 grains of Titewad was the “sweet spot”. He tried higher charges, but the shoulder didn’t really form up any better. It will take another firing or two, with a normal match load of rifle powder and a bullet seated, to really sharpen up the shoulders. Be sure to click on the “View Larger Image” link to get a good view of the cases.
The process proved to be a success. Skeeter now has hundreds of fire-formed Dasher cases and he hasn’t had to put one bullet through his nice, new match-grade barrel. The “bulletless” Cream of Wheat method allowed him to fire-form in a tight-necked barrel without neck-turning the brass first. The only step now remaining is to turn the newly Dasher-length necks down about .0025″ to fit his 0.269″ chamber. (To have no-turn necks he would need an 0.271″ or 0.272″ chamber).
Skeeter didn’t lose a single case: “As for the fire-forming loads, I had zero split cases and no signs of pressure in 325 cases fire-formed. Nor did I have any misfires or any that disbursed COW into the action of the firearm. So the COW method really worked out great for me and saved me a lot of money in powder and bullets.” To learn more about Skeeter’s fire-forming process, read this Dasher Fire-Forming Forum Thread.
*Skeeter did have a fire-forming barrel, but it was reamed with a .269 chamber like his 10-twist Krieger “good” barrel. If he fire-formed with bullets, he would have to turn all 300 necks to .267″ BEFORE fire-forming so that loaded rounds would fit in the chamber. Judging just how far to turn is problematic. There’s no need to turn the lower part of the neck that will eventually become shoulder–but how far down the neck to turn is the issue. By fire-forming without bullets now he only has to turn about half the original neck length, and he knows exactly how far to go.
April 19th, 2008
Do you have a Wilson case trimmer but can’t afford the $84.00 to add the handy Micrometer upgrade (Sinclair Int’l item 05-4500)? Well Boyd Allen has come up with a clever use of a standard set of calipers that lets you set the cut length precisely within .001″. Just open the jaws of your caliper and put one jaw on the outboard end of the ring (with set screw) that holds the threaded length-adjusting rod. Set the other caliper jaw on the flat face at the end of the threaded rod that contacts the case rim. If you have a sample case set to the correct cut length, use that to set the position of the threaded rod. Then use your calipers to measure that length. This way you can repeat the cut length each time, or adjust the trimmed case precisely in .001″ increments.
If you change from one cartridge to another, just use your calipers to re-set the desired cut length. Alternatively, ReedG notes you can use the inside caliper jaws and measure directly from the end of the threaded rod to the cutter face. That’s a bit trickier, but it measures actual trim length.
April 5th, 2008
We’ve known some serious varminters who will invest $4,000.00 in a custom rifle, pay thousands more for spotting scope and laser rangefinder, and spend countless hours loading ultra-precise ammo. Yet, when they head off to the prairie dog fields, they’ll omit an essential piece of gear that will make the difference between a hit and a miss.
 We’re talking about windflags. Many casual shooters, varmint hunters, and even some “tactical” shooters disdain windflags as gadgets suited only for the accuracy-obsessed benchrest crowd. In fact, windflags are just as important for the varminter as for the benchrest competitor.
You may think that you can easily notice a major wind shift. But consider this, a change from a light 2.5 mph left breeze to a 2.5 mph right is a 5 mile per hour switch. That is enough to make you miss a prairie dog even at just 200 yards. Here’s a chart that shows the effect of a 5 mph full-value (i.e. 90-degree) wind change at various distances. The values assume a typical .250-BC varmint bullet launched at 3500 fps at a 3″-wide critter (center hold).
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on windflags. Even a bit of surveyors’ tape on a post is better than nothing. As Forum member Catshooter explains, a simple windflag, placed at your shooting station, helps minimize the effect of cross-winds. If you align your shooting position so the breeze is at your back you can shoot with greater confidence even in high winds. Watch the way the windflag blows, and shoot at the dog mounds that are directly downwind.
Our friend Boyd Allen offers another tip: “When you go varminting, be sure to bring some kind of portable target stand. Accuracy or zero problems are much easier to diagnose and remedy if you can set up a target at 100 yards. A simple wood, A-Frame design, hinged at the top, works well, stores flat, and is easy to build.”
Windflag photo courtesy Flying Fish Fundamentals, makers of single-and dual-vane wind flags.
March 29th, 2008
Butch Lambert, who distributes the Elliott “Aussie” BRT wind flags, gave us some expert advice on wind flags. Butch writes: “Chatting with the top shooters in our sport about flags gave me some surprising insights. You do not want your flags balanced. The weight should be biased to the vane side. That will help take the twitch out of your flags. It will take the windshield wiper effect out. The Aussie propellers are used for velocity reading only at very low wind velocity. They are mainly to let you see a pickup or a let up. The sailcloth tails are attached with a clip that does not allow the tail to twist and it also holds the shape of the flag in a V so that it doesn’t flop in the wind. Daisy wheels slow response of the vane, puts a shake in your wind flag, and hides the vane on any tailwind.” If you have more questions about wind flags, contact Butch at ShadeTree Engineering.
March 25th, 2008
The last half-inch or so of your barrel is absolutely critical. Any damage (or abnormal wear) near the crown will cause a significant drop-off in accuracy. Here are ways you can check the end of your barrel, using a common Q-Tip.
Use Q-Tip for Barrel Inspection
To find out if you have a burr or damage to your crown, you can use an ordinary Q-tip cotton swab. Check the edges of the crown by pulling the Q-tip gently out past the edge of the crown. If you have a burr, it will “grab” the cotton and leave strands behind.
Larry Willis has another way to use a Q-Tip: “Here’s a neat trick that will surprise you with how well it works…
Just insert a Q-Tip into your barrel (like the picture below), and it will reflect enough light so that you can get a real good look at the last half inch of rifling and the crown of your barrel. In most cases you’ll find that this works much better than a flashlight. Since then, I’ve used this method about a jillion times. Q-Tips are handy to keep in your cleaning supplies anyway. This is a good way to judge approximately how well you are cleaning your barrel when you’re at the range. It’s also the best way to examine your barrel when you’re in the field.”
Larry Willis is the inventor of the unique Innovative Technologies Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die. Larry explains how this die works, and offers many other useful reloading tips on his website, LarryWillis.com.
March 21st, 2008
David Tubb of Superior Shooting Systems pioneered the use of Boron Nitride to coat bullets. Hexagonal Boron Nitride (aka “White Graphite” or “HBN”) is an extremely slippery substance with high load-bearing properties. David believes Boron Nitride reduces bullet jacket friction and fouling in the bore. With boron nitride-coated bullets, it is believed that a shooter can fire longer shot strings before cleaning is required. Boron Nitride coating performs much the same function as moly-coating, but David (and others) believe HBN does the job better, and adheres to the bullet better than plain moly. And unlike moly, HBN has no potential corrosive properties.
 You have to make you own decision as to whether bullet coatings are advantageous to you. The majority of shooting matches are still won by “naked” bullets. However, if you are a long-term moly user, you may want to investigate the benefits of boron nitride coatings.
Superior Shooting Systems will coat your naked bullets with Boron Nitride for $0.05 (five cents) per bullet with a 1000-bullet minimum order. If you want to save dollars and coat your own bullets, the process is similar to that for moly-coating — impact plate the bullets by tumbling with Boron Nitride powder. Boron Nitride powder is available in bulk from LowerFriction.com. This Canadian firm sells powdered boron nitride in three sizes, .070 micron, 0.5 micron and 1.5 micron. The 0.5 micron size seems to work best for bullet coating. Current price is $79.00 US per pound, plus shipping. Call 1 + (416) 509-4462 to order.
Smaller quantities of a Boron Nitride bullet lubricant are offered by 21st Century Ballistic Solutions (“21stCBS”). This company offers a proprietary Boron Nitride blend specially formulated for easy application and excellent adhesion. 21stCBS has done extensive testing with both varmint and match rifles. They believe the Boron Nitride coating significantly reduces both copper and carbon barrel fouling. This allows up to 120+ rounds to be fired with no significant reduction in accuracy. The 21stCBS product applies easily in a vibratory tumbler–you don’t need steel shot or ball bearings to get the Boron Nitride to adhere to your bullets. Cost of the 21stCBS “custom blend” is $10.25 shipped for one (1) ounce of product, enough to coat 1000+ bullets. For more info, or to order, contact Mike Brenner, Mikeb@21stcenturyballisticsolution.com, (641) 485-0047 or (641) 753-3670. Mike also notes that the Boron Nitride does a great job of reducing friction when applied to leather benchrest front and rear sandbags.
 Aerosol Boron Nitride Lubricant
We haven’t tried it, so we can’t confirm its effectiveness, but a new Aerosol spray coating is available that contains Boron Nitride. Produced by Slide Products in Illinois, Hi Temp 1800 was designed as a metal lubricant and mold release. The Boron Nitride retains its friction-reducing qualities even at very high temperatures.
We’ve been told that some shooters are experimenting with this spray-on Boron Nitride product. If it works with bullets, that will simplify the application process, since you won’t need a tumbler. But we caution that right now, spray on Boron Nitride is “experimental” at best. Cost is $87.20 for a case of 12 cans. For more info, or to order, call Slide Products, Toll Free 1-800-323-6433, or (847) 541-7220. Samples are available on request.
March 10th, 2008
How much does it cost you to send a round downrange? Ask most shooters this question and they’ll start adding up the cost of components: bullets, powder, and primers. Then they’ll figure in the cost of brass, divided by the number of times the cases are reloaded.
For a 6BR shooting match bullets, match primers, and 30 grains of powder, in brass reloaded a dozen times, this basic calculation gives us a cost per shot of $0.46 (forty-six cents):
Bullet $0.30 (Berger 105 VLD)
Primer $0.03 (Fed 205m)
Powder $0.08 (Varget @ $18.00/lb)
Brass $0.05 (Lapua priced at $60/100, 12 reloads)
Total $0.46 per round
$1.00 Per Shot True Cost? Yikes!
OK, we’ve seen that it costs about $0.46 per round to shoot a 6BR. Right?
Wrong! — What if we told you that your ACTUAL cost per round might be closer to double that number? How can that be? Well… you haven’t accounted for the cost of your barrel. Every round you fire down that tube expends some of the barrel’s finite life. If, like some short-range PPC shooters, you replace barrels every 700 or 800 rounds, you need to add $0.60 to $0.70 per round for “barrel cost.” That can effectively double your cost per round, taking it well past the dollar per shot mark.
Calculating Barrel Cost Per Shot
In the table below, we calculate your barrel cost per shot, based on various expected barrel lifespans.
 As noted above, a PPC barrel is typically replaced at 700-800 rounds. A 6.5-284 barrel can last 1200+ rounds, but it might need replacement after 1000 rounds or less. A 6BR barrel should give 2200-3000 rounds of accurate life, and a .308 Win barrel could remain competitive for 4,000 rounds or more.
The table below shows your barrel cost per shot, based on various “useful lives.” We assume that a barrel costs $500.00 total to replace. This includes $300.00 for the barrel itself, $160.00 for chambering/fitting, and $40.00 in 2-way shipping costs. Yes, you may have a smith that works for less, but these are typical costs shooters will encounter when ordering a rebarreling job.
The numbers are interesting. If you get 2000 rounds on your barrel instead of 1000, you save $0.25 per shot. However, extending barrel life from 2000 to 3000 rounds only saves you $0.08 per round.
NOTE: We assume component costs of $0.46 per round based on our 6BR example. If you shoot a larger caliber that burns more powder, and uses more expensive bullets and/or brass, your total cost per round will be higher.
How to Reduce Your TRUE Cost per Round
What does this tell us? First, in figuring your annual shooting budget, you need to consider the true cost per round, including barrel cost. Second, if you want to keep your true costs under control, you need to look at ways to extend your barrel life. This can be accomplished in many ways. First, you may find that switching to a different powder reduces throat erosion. Second, if you’re able to slow down your shooting pace, this can reduce barrel heat, which can extend barrel life. (A varminter in the field is well-advised to switch rifles, or switch barrels, when the barrel gets very hot from extended shot strings.) Third, modifying your cleaning methods can also extend the life of your barrel. Use solvents that reduce the need for aggressive brushing, and try to minimize the use of abrasives. Also, always use a properly fitting bore guide. Many barrels have been prematurely worn out from improper cleaning techniques.
March 8th, 2008
With any precision rifle you have a ton of money tied up in the action, trigger, stock, and optics. If you want to shoot a different caliber, you can buy a complete new gun of course. But if you want to get the most out of your existing investment, switching barrels is a very cost-effective alternative. For example, the SAKO Quad, shown below, comes from the factory with four different rimfire barrels, each with a different chambering:
There are also reasons to have multiple barrels in the same caliber, as Forum member Donovan explains:
“I switch barrels very often in my 1000-yard gun. One barrel is for fire-forming only, and a second is a dedicated test barrel. I have four more competition barrels; they all have different accuracy potentials. I change barrels at the range with a barrel vise and an action wrench. I use 40-lbs of torque on oiled threads. Each barrel has it’s own POI (Point of Impact) and is simple to re-zero the scope for each by simply having a POI Log.
I also have a second stock for varminting/hunting. This stock has a 2-1/4″ rounded fore-end, and is is five pounds lighter [than my comp stock]. Now my ‘highly accurate’ bench gun can go into the field for hunting off hand or for bi-pod use. So guess you could say I have a ‘switch barrel /switch stock’ gun.
Buy using one gun for multiple purposes, I save barrel life on the best competition barrels. I get more use out of my $1300.00 scope and $175 trigger. Importantly, by switching barrels and stocks, I retain the same action and trigger feel (with the exact same scope, heights, over all lengths, etc.).”
One Gun, One Hundred Barrels
Forum Member Hammer may be the king of switch barrels. He tells us: “I’ve played with switch-barrel rifles for over 30 years. I have had them on Montana, Remington, Ruger, Sako, Savage, and Weatherby actions. As stated by Donovan, there are real economies to having a single rifle share top-of-the-line scopes, triggers, and stocks, while switching between calibers just by changing the barrel. On a single barreled action, I may employ multiple stocks ranging from lead-weighted benchrest stocks to ultra-lightweight synthetic stocks.
There are also economies to having multiple barrels in the same caliber. I have been in the prairie dog towns and switched amongst a dozen barrels while some barrels cooled and soaked in cleaning solvent.
The rifle in the two pictures below has multiple bolt assemblies. This allows a single rifle to shoot cartridges ranging from the 14-221 Walker to the 470 Capstick. Currently, I have over 100 barrels for it. I can switch barrels in the field in less than five minutes.”
How to Get the Most from Your Switch-Barrel Rifles
Hammer offers this advice: “Quick-detachable scope rings allow easy changing of scopes based on the shooting situation. For example, on one Savage have five scopes — a 4X Leupold, a 6-24X Sightron, a 8-32X Bushell 4200, a Nightforce, etc taking advantage of different scope reticles, different field-of-views, different weights, etc. Scope settings for a given barrel and load are easily determined and returned to given a good scope with click settings. Some return well enough that you don’t even check them on paper in the prairie dog towns, just use the next prairie dog as the confirmation. Would always check the scope setting, maybe with a collimator tool, before going after big game.
Some switch-barrel rifle setups require a barrel wrench, some use a barrel wrench and an action wrench, some use a barrel vise and an action wrench, and some use other tools. The John Dustin Rifle barrel wrench can be carried in your pocket. None that I use require a sophisticated tool for measuring barrel tension or tightness, though some others might recommend it. Hand tight is my approach.
The rifle below is a left-hand Montana 1999 with 300 Wby, 375 H&H, and 458 Lott barrels allowing one rifle to be a complete three-gun set for Africa. The barrels can be changed in the field (though not between shots at charging cape buffalo). I Have a Sako setup made by John Dustin that allows field changing in under a couple of minutes.
Hammer freely admits that while switch barrels are fun, “switch barrels cannot be defended as a necessity. We really only need two rifles — a 22 long rifle and a 460 Wby — and I haven’t found a way to switch easily from rimfire to centerfire in a bolt action.”
January 30th, 2008
 In the wintertime, it’s common to encounter problems with static electricity when throwing your powder charges. The static can cause powder kernels to cling to the surface of reloading components, and can cause powder clumping. Clumped or sticky powder may make your measure bind or grab in the middle of the cycle, which can throw off your charge weight. Here are a couple simple ways you can minimize the effects of static electricity and improve the consistency of your powder measuring.
 Ground Your Powder Measure — If you’re throwing powder charges in the fall or winter and have problems with bridging or sticking powder, use a ground wire. Bullet-smith Victor Johnson (Johnson Precision Bullets) tells us: “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.”
Use Bounce Dryer Sheets — A quick pass with the thin cloths used in dryers will eliminate “static cling” on your plastic reloading parts like powder throwers, powder funnels, and reloading press guides. Thanks to Doc76251 for this tip.
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