Need help with an idea

[doctordoctor]

I am not familiar with powder temperature sensitivities as I have only fed my 308 Varget. Well obviously I can't find any so I wanted to try Erik cortinas method or the essentially the Ocw method seeing I am snowed in.

The Powders I want to test are Reloader 15, XBR, BlC-2, and 4064. No 4895 available for purchase... I know it is cold outside with the snow and all here in Erie PA.

What if I place hand warmers in with my ammo containers warm up the rifle with some foulers, then test my loads? The ammo should stay warm if I insulate them so the cold shouldn't be a factor, right?

Is this a stupid idea? I am moving back to southern California in the summer and will be shooting mostly out there. I need something to do this winter. So I thought this was what would get me through this last winter here.

Let me know your thoughts guys.

 

[milo 2.0]

Thoughts, OK

First, why would a sane gun owner move back? Sorry

Any load development you do this winter in PA, probably wont fly in So Cal next summer. Sure you can warm things up ,barrel, ammo, pockets work also. It's tough to get a barrel warm in 45 degree weather, I mean you have to really hammer it.

Why not just load for your current conditions and cross the bridge when you get moved? Load development in these colder states in winter is somewhat futile anyway, but one must do it if you want to shoot. Varget is supposedly not temp sensitive, why not stay with it?

 

[doctordoctor]

Trust me I know it is crazy as a gun owner to move back to CA. But I love to surf as much as I love to shoot. Plus it is where all of my family is at etc. And frankly you can't beat the weather!

Why switch from Varget... because I can't find any to buy. Plus like it said I am looking for something to do this winter.

At a 100 yards I doubt the atmosphere will have much of an effect on the loads. I know it has some but heck at a 100 yards... it would be negligible.

I could be wrong. feel free to correct. thanks.

 

[milo 2.0]

At a 100 yards I doubt the atmosphere will have much of an effect on the loads. I know it has some but heck at a 100 yards... it would be negligible.

I could be wrong. feel free to correct. thanks.

No, you're mostly correct. I thought you were talking whether or not the load would pressure up in a warmer climate, and yes it will. For that, varget would be your best powder selection. If you can't find it, well??

Other than watching for pressure, a simple re-zero may be all it takes to transition from coast to coast.

 

[SWThomas]

Fuck that! I would give up surfing...



I kid.

 

[doctordoctor]

HAHA. I wish I could. I have always dreamed of surfing with my kids. But then again I have also dreamed of sitting there on a mat watching my sons hit their first steel target at a 1000 yards. But i will concede the point. CA is stupid. The taxes the politics and the gun laws are CRAZY. Unsustainable. I know it will cost me dearly in taxes and other things... but hey ask me how I feel about it this time next year... Instead of driving in freezing rain with snow now blasting us... i will have a fish taco in my mouth and my windows down with sunglasses on working on some more skin cancer...

 

[Pinecone]

I think it was someone here that does load development in the summer, but also has a cooler to keep some rounds cold. And maybe even a setup to warm them.

But basically the idea will work. Just make sure you know the temp you are at. And don't let the rounds sit in the chamber very long.

 

[No1]

Don't use those Jon-E handwarmers, they get hot enough to set off a primer if they contact the ammo.

 

[105gr]

I thought you wanted the gun/ammo/atmosphere to be as close to the same as possible

 

[nnn66]

If you're just looking for something to entertain yourself over the winter, then I'd say you should go for it. Part of the attraction to reloading for me has been that I enjoy experimentation to discover what works best. You'll never know if you don't try it. As long as you practice proper safety precautions, experimenting will provide firsthand knowledge that you otherwise wouldn't have.

I'm not sure how safe it is to pack your ammo in hand warmers, so I'd probably keep them out of direct contact. Just last week, I was deer hunting and my feet got so cold that I stuck a hand warmer inside of each of my boots. About 45 minutes later, I had to take them out because they got so hot that it became painful.

 

[fireEMT5]

Just thinking out loud here, but won't the action/chamber of the gun not being warmed up (cold), act as a big heat sink or in this case cold sink and just suck the warmth out of your warmed rounds, thus skewing your results?

If you have time before your move, I'd recommend getting on MidSouth Shooters website and back order some Varget. I did just that when there was none to be found in stock. Granted I waited several months, buy I'm not looking for any today.

 

[Pinecone]

If you have time before your move, I'd recommend getting on MidSouth Shooters website and back order some Varget. I did just that when there was none to be found in stock. Granted I waited several months, buy I'm not looking for any today.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Don't tell people that.



Still waiting on my Varget, but got backorders of CFE223 and H335 in.

 

[jmorris]

Your body temp will be more constant than a hand warmer. Put them in a pocket.