And just to keep ya honest, some Kipling....
We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
And just to keep ya honest, some Kipling....
We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
BAM! 1000pcs of lake city 5.56 brass! My AR's are having a little party right now! this should keep me busy for about the next 6,000 to 7,000 reloads. Lovin it...
I totally hear ya ptrlcop and I 100% appreciate and agree with your input. Thanks.
Sometimes, actually a lot of times, I'm testing my reloads so going for bullseye wasn't my objective that day. Some days it is, some days it isn't, and some days it's a mixture of going for both bulls and groups / testing reloads. It just depends on my objective for that day at the range. That particular day I was testing my 68 & 75grn loads out to 600yards so dealing with the crazy up & down winds that day made it hard to read how well my reloads was performing. Obviously as a reloader, having a dead still wind day is the best, but you can't win them all. Besides the fact the heat and mirage was ungodly. Oh well, it's all in good fun & a reason to blow off some ammo.
Exactly what I have done with many rifles. Just need to have a solid mount and straight rail with adequate cant in the rail or mount to get you to the distance you want to shoot, depending on your zero. This means selecting the right scope to start with and make sure your reticle is centered in the scope when you start! Make sure your mount is pushed forward in the grooves on your rail and when lined up appropriately (like in the pictures), then loosen mount nuts and scope scews one at a time, alternating sides and corners, add small amount of blue Locktite to all and torque to specifications that come with your mount. There should be slight gaps on each side of the rings when you're done! This will minimize ring marks,if you end up needing to swap or upgrade your scope. Really very easy and takes less tan 15 min. to accomplish. Remember you get what you pay for in scopes and mounts, so buy the best you can afford on your budget and can always easily upgrade later.
I would highly recommend reading the Optics Selection Sticky in the Scope Section here on the Hide many times before you buy, so you have a better chance to get the right scope for the distance and type of shooting you plan to do! Will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Precision rifles need the appropriate optic to perform at their best.
Good Shooting
Elfster,
Your threads are very helpful! Keep it up and thank you for sharing your information with us.
just found this thread. So much good info, thanks
Elfster. CHARGEMASTER. Optional. Pen. Straw. Mod.
I know some of you are going to go off the handle about using this & that type super expensive beam scale & to not to even use a chargemaster blah blah blah... This is NOT what this is thread even about. I like my chargemaster with the straw mod, this is just an option to fiddle around with for those that use such a mod (as an option)
If you like to fiddle around like me, maybe give this a try. Don't get me wrong, I really like the McDonald's straw mod for the chargemaster and I still wanted to still keep this option for higher volume brass like .308 and above, AND for speed purposes, but I wanted an optional smaller diameter hole insert that I could easily insert & remove as an option for more precise / lower volume brass work like 5.56 reloading that would never under/over throw. As in never ever... LOL...... I still wanted the requirement of being able to use the classic straw mod so this is what I came up with.... I took the insert out of a soft touch bic pen, wrapped enough blue painters tape around the pen insert (as in the pic) just enough so the optional insert can easily be inserted & removed as an option. I just tried it with 100 total @ 23.8grn powder drops of varget for 5.56 reloading without a single under / over throw AND THAT WAS WITH VARGET, and it usually stopped dropping powder right after 23.7 @ 23.8 on the nose. It does take about an extra 2 to 3 seconds per charge, BUT from what I've tested so far there was no need to scoop any powder out from over drops so the extra time wasted is somewhat of a wash (for lower grn powder drops like 5.56 / might not be the best for drops 40grns or more but you can test it as an option if you like)..... When you're done dropping powder, put pan in place, put finger over the plastic insert hole so powder doesn't spill, pull out the optional plastic insert as powder drops in pan, & run the chargemaster empty for storage purposes when done dropping powder. This optional insert glides in and out really easy but you need to guage the correct amount of tape that you wrap around the insert. If you like to fiddle around, give it a try and see what you think. So far, I'm really happy with it.
I took the insert out of this type of pen. The plastic pen insert is about 1-1/2" long give or take. Just an FYI, my straw mod is the same length:
*******************************
EDIT:
OK GANG!! I was able to shave off a considerable amount of time while hopefully keeping the same consistent / accurate drops by simply re-programing the unit. I have yet to do a considerable amount of drops with this new programing, but i'll let you know after I drop this next 100rounds of ammo tonight. So far, it has been looking really good! This is what I came up with for the test
Was able to get 41.5grns varget down to 25 to 26 seconds (from 33 seconds)
was able to get 24.0grns varget down to 15 to 16 seconds (from 25seconds)
1. Turn the unit on.
2. When 0.0gn is on the display, press BOTH the ENTER and the EDIT MEM keys on the dispenser at the same time. If done properly ADJUST PARAMETER should scroll across the display
To change the setting, just use the number pad and type in the new setting. If you wanted to change the first setting to 7.00, you would type in 700. When you have the variable set, simply press ENTER to move to the next setting. You'll have to press enter a number of times (20+) to get through the rest of the settings, and then the unit will reboot itself.
Here are my settings:
HSP A1 -6.85
HSP B1 - 2.25
HSP C1 - 0.65
I'll let you know how tonight's 100 drops go & if I play around with these updated re-program settings anymore.
****************************************
BTW, I'm using this MOD of the MOD with the following video chargemaster re-program:
Reloading Tips - Reprogram your RCBS Chargemaster 1500, Straw Modification - YouTube
Very nice, thank you for sharing everything in such detail. I consulted it a lot while I was starting my own epic AR journey. Just wish I could find some 55 or 60gr vmaxs in stock. Had to settle for 50s but they ought to work well for my 14.5 gun. Have you messed with heavier pills yet? Ive got a 20" barrel and a ton of 77s to try they just got really compressed after 23.6gr with 77smks.
I just purchased one of these for my stainless steel thumler's thumbler for $15 with free shipping (was actually free once I used my discover card amazon points)... I'll let you all know how it all goes. Is it over the top for my reloading room? HELL YES IT IS !!! What I like about the unit is its perfect for 1hour for the first cleaning just enough to clean the brass for sizing, and then 3hours for the second cleaning to get the primer pockets clean. Should be at my house later this week and I'll keep you all updated with how it performs. If everything goes to plan, no more dealing with the crappy power chord switch & can hide under desk, mount the RF remote to the wall with the supplied remote cradle, hit the 1hour for the first cleaning for sizing or 3hour button for the 2nd cleaning for final cleaning / clean primer pockets, and go do some other stuff around the house.
Amazon.com: REMOTE Wireless Remote Control Wall Outlet.100ft Range(open space), Indoor use. Controls 120V/60Hz -: Everything Else
Amazon.com: NuGiant 34000 Wireless Remote Control Wall Outlet: Electronics
Wall Outlet, NuGiant 34000 Wall Outlet | Meritline.com
Thank you "Epic Thread" Hopefully I'm able to get to the range tomorrow and have some results to post. .223 in the front, and .308 in back.
Edit: So the entire Houston area is about to take a bath......have to see what this afternoon looks like. 200 brand new loaded rounds....the suspense is killing me! Ok, I'll stop hijacking elfster's thread.
Well, lets just say I had absolutely no intentions of picking up reloading equipment today... Just some bullets. Anyway, as I'm walking past the shelf guess what I see,,,,, a Dillon super 600 swager for $99 dollars brand spankin new. Someone forced me to buy it and his name was ME... LOL. It should really help for the crimped primers in this lake city brass & my AR ammo load development. Well, at least for speed of reloading that is. Next on my list is the Giraud power trimmer. Will keep you all informed for those looking to reload for their AR's / just starting out reloading for AR's & how well it works for me and crimped primer brass such as lake city brass..... This thing is HUGE! and is one serious PC of metal. Pictures do no justice for the size & weight of this pc of reloading equipment. There is no plastic on this bad boy. It screams = well constructed.
LOL! this is awesome!
Dillon Super Swage 600 AUTO EJECT Mod - YouTube
Automatic Dillon Super Swage 600 Modification - YouTube
.308 Load
175 SMK
Varget 43.0 - 45.0 in .2 increments with 9 rounds at each
Fed 210 Primers
2.247" Ogive measurement (.020 off the lands)
1 fire FGMM brass for 50 and LC sorted brass for the rest
If the weather will give me a break today, I'm going to take both rifles out and shoot through all the ammo at 100 yards doing 3, 3-shot groups at each to find the charge weight the rifle likes. I've got a thread going on the bolt action board on this too. I guess I'll focus on it there instead of double posting it.
Simply AWESOME thread eflster!!
I can't thank you enough for posting this. Took me several hours to go through the entire thing, but WELL worth it! Bookmarking this for future reference!
One Q for you though. I see you like the 60 gr Vmax. Ever tried the 69gr Sierras, 77 gr Sierras, or Nosler custom competition in these same bullet weights? Might have better luck with the wind on the heavier 77s. Just a thought.
Hey, elfster...For those looking a reloading bench that is cheap, classy, and ultra durable finished top that can hold up to break cleaner for a little over $100 dollars which includes the metal bench frame (that also has adjustable feet for a level bench surface for an un-level floor)
Hey, elfster...
I don't know if you've covered this, but what is the safety protocol for reloading locations for those of us that haven't done it? Can it be done in the basement with the natural gas or propane water heater and/or furnace down there too?
Hey, elfster...
I don't know if you've covered this, but what is the safety protocol for reloading locations for those of us that haven't done it? Can it be done in the basement with the natural gas or propane water heater and/or furnace down there too?
That was excellent! Gonna have to read that again a couple time because it had other stuff in there that was worth knowing.best I could find my friend: