Three Days of Shooting

[pmclaine]

Kids are on vacation this week so I will be able to stop by the range for three straight days.

Today I did the high end of a load workup Ive been doing on my new rifle. 300 yards, 180 MK, IMR 4064 powder as marked. Made a .5 mil adjustment down after the first five because I didnt want to be off paper... [IMG2=JSON]{"alt":"photo P2187310_zpsd2d5h9co.jpg","data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"560.546875","width":"1000","src":"http:\/\/i1005.photobucket.com\/albums\/af178\/pmclaine\/P2187310_zpsd2d5h9co.jpg"}[/IMG2]



The rifle.... [IMG2=JSON]{"alt":"photo P2187309_zpsctjgjt4i.jpg","data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"525.390625","width":"1000","src":"http:\/\/i1005.photobucket.com\/albums\/af178\/pmclaine\/P2187309_zpsctjgjt4i.jpg"}[/IMG2]



Bolt lift was getting stiff, had some ejector swipe and had the primer on my last round blow by before I got to the 42.2 loads so I never fired those. Kind of surprised that this rifle seems sensitive to what I think are, by book, mild loads...
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This was the work up for the small end of that load string done previously... [IMG2=JSON]{"alt":"photo P1287294_zpstavxlcpq.jpg","data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"551","width":"957","src":"http:\/\/i1005.photobucket.com\/albums\/af178\/pmclaine\/P1287294_zpstavxlcpq.jpg"}[/IMG2]



Ill be hanging at the 39.8 end with some length testing.

Tomorrow same gun but some 100 yard stuff I want to do for fun.

 

[Jibnast]

My only question is why did you choose the 180. I'm thinking is you don't get the benefit of the 185 Berger and don't gain anything of the 175 SMK to justify the additional cost.

 

[pmclaine]

No additional cost actually cheaper.

Bought them off a guy in the CMP WTS that had a bunch of NOS 168 Internationals and these 180 Match Kings. They are pristine little time capsules still sealed in their old cardboard green boxes.

Both bullets were precursors to the SMK and I only got them after shooters from the era confirmed they shot very well.

I'm curious how the 168 Internationals will work out as the boat tail has an angle more like a 175 SMK than a 168 SMK. Probably silly to think they may work better as there is a reason they made the new bullet and it wasn't decided to do so that they could provide a less capable bullet.

Besides being a mediocre shot I am a cheap fuck. The latter probably leads to the former.

 

[cav has been]

pmclaine, That burn through appears to be on the radius of the primer. Could be the dreaded curse of some batches of Winchester primers rather than pressure. I have been bitten by it and it is not pretty.

 

[pmclaine]

pmclaine, That burn through appears to be on the radius of the primer. Could be the dreaded curse of some batches of Winchester primers rather than pressure. I have been bitten by it and it is not pretty.

They are Win primers. Ive had the curse of which you speak in small primer but through almost this entire case of 5000 plus a few seperately purchased 1000 unit boxes shot through 3-4 30-06 mil surps an AR10 and 3-4 .308s this is the first burn through.

This gun has a tight chamber/throat. Im getting some odd shit going on. Factory FGMM 175 measures about 2.81 or so COAL and doesn't seem to hit lands yet when I loaded 175 SMKs to FGMM length I seem to hit. Im burying my rounds now to something in the 2.7+ range and staying off the lands.

I just fired Day 2 with the 180s at 39.8. Good extraction, no burn through, good accuracy. Pictures to follow. Seeing as I post so much in the Bear Pit I guess I have to prove my bona fides that I actually do shoot rifles not just my mouth.

 

[cav has been]

Something hinky like a short necked chamber? As in fired brass neck is too long for chamber? ( Happened on a custom barreled 25-06 I own ). I was using the WLR primers in a new to me CRF Winny in 300WM. Chased my tail over pressure signs,burn through,erratic performance etc. Primers, just Primers.

 

[pmclaine]

Day two...Shot some Danglers...

100 yards, 180 MK, 39.8 I4064. Check 100 yard zero

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Dropped .2 mils under 0 after first two shots.

The targets before....

https://youtu.be/YVpgYyHDHTY

The targets after....

https://youtu.be/wVp-i7qf2y8

Fronts

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Backs
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I can pretty much tell a miss when the shot breaks. Any trying to time the turn of the tag in hopes it will be face on when the trigger breaks results in a miss. You have to wait until it is really face on and your patience will either give you a solid hit or at worst a glancing blow or a notch on the edge. Pretty good wind today. I was hoping for an evening calm, you know that period when your fishing and the lake goes from all ripples to a flat mirror. Didnt happen.

 

[pmclaine]

Something hinky like a short necked chamber? As in fired brass neck is too long for chamber? ( Happened on a custom barreled 25-06 I own ). I was using the WLR primers in a new to me CRF Winny in 300WM. Chased my tail over pressure signs,burn through,erratic performance etc. Primers, just Primers.

I used a hornady overall length tool with my bullets and a hornady threaded case. The ogive to lands in my chamber was about 2.171 for a 175 SMK. Im loading everything to ogive of about 2.169-2.170 now. [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i1005.photobucket.com\/albums\/af178\/pmclaine\/P1087266_zpso4rctohw.jpg"}[/IMG2]







FGMM factory doesnt hit. My reload 175SMK to FGMM 175 SMK length does hit. My 2.170's dont hit.

I dont see anything to indicate the necks are entering the throat.

 

[pmclaine]

Day three, back to 300 yards to do a length test with some 42 grain I4064 and 175 SMKs. Anyone contemplating building their own range DONT HAVE IT FACE WEST!!!!
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Even from behind my super Snipershide shade the glare from the sun as well as the snow was creating all kinds of chimeras in the glass.

Targets posted... [IMG2=JSON]{"alt":"photo P2207320_zpsowtaiyjn.jpg","data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"562.5","width":"1000","src":"http:\/\/i1005.photobucket.com\/albums\/af178\/pmclaine\/P2207320_zpsowtaiyjn.jpg"}[/IMG2]

Short to long. Measurements are base to ogive.

Shorts [IMG2=JSON]{"alt":"photo P2207321_zpscvzkj34a.jpg","data-align":"none","data-size":"full","height":"580","width":"321.71875","src":"http:\/\/i1005.photobucket.com\/albums\/af178\/pmclaine\/P2207321_zpscvzkj34a.jpg"}[/IMG2]


Mediums
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Longs
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and some pics of my rifle because posting pictures of my shit is really the only reason I do these posts. I consider myself fortunate to be able to play these silly games...

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So now I know what Ill do when I have 175s in hand and I4064. I suck at this reloading game, being more the guy that goes for the better group than being scientific with an OCW or ladder. If I can get something that will scare an appropriate sized circle for the appropriate yardage 1" at 100, 2" at 200, 3" at 300 etc Im happy.

No shooting this weekend, skiing with the kids. Next time it will be a different rifle and thats what Ill call the thread.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I have the same issue (West facing range) at our local shooting pit. We tend to do our shooting before 1PM. The actual formal range around here is 50 miles South, right on the Mexican Border in Douglas AZ. The club maintains a retired Army Reserve base 300 meter range, and shares the facility to CBP and ICE.

NATO 7.62 brass has been frequently described as thicker, with a corresponding reduction on its internal capacity amounting to requiring a charge reduction of around 2gr. This would make my own old (2000-ish) loads in Remington brass, 42.2gr IMR-4064 with 175SMK equivalent to 44.2gr and a significantly hotter load. So I'm not so surprised that issues resembling excess pressures might rear their heads. I'm thinking somewhere around 40gr would be appropriate.

I just acquired a Savage 11VT .308 and it will be my first attempt at a return to .308 for me since around 2001. I will probably be using PPU brass, and starting my loads at abut 40gr IMR-4064, since I'm not at all certain about how PPU's capacities relate to Remington's.

Greg

 

[pmclaine]

Good info Greg. Let me know what you end up with in your workup.

 

[58blackflag]

Love the little tags for targets idea. Adds a little challenge...seems like a good idea if you're bored with just shooting paper.
great looking rifle by the way

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I like the colored dots found in the stationery aisle. I use them as a precise aiming point, but also shift the POI so the aiming point isn't shot away. When groups get small, the POI can be offset repeatedly to other positions, allowing group comparisons more easily. A 1/2' dot can be resolved pretty well at respectable distances, depending on scope magnification.

For target backers, I use Corroplast lawn sign blanks, on the corresponding supports. The wire supports flex too much with wind, but the plastic single spider stakes don't. Combo

Just mark where the support wires pass inside the Corroplast panel and try not to hit the wires. We have hard ground here in the high desert, so I have a humongous screwdriver and a small sledge to drive holes for the spider stakes.

Last night, I did some thinking about brass, and decided I would be using Hornady .308 virgin brass instead of PPU. I use the Hornady 7-08 for making my .260 brass and have never had any issues with it.

IMHO, the .7.62 case is already hobbled with limited case capacity, and I can probably get some small advantage from using a known product with an appreciably larger internal capacity. I strongly suggest that as good a rep as NATO (LC?) brass has, there is no viable reason to use it outside of a military context. That extra brass is just not required, and could well be counterproductive.

Same source for my upcoming 7.62x39 project with 110gr GMX bullets from the Savage Scout.

For one thing, Midway has sales going on right now and the Hornady brass is significantly cheaper.


Greg

 

[pmclaine]

Love the little tags for targets idea. Adds a little challenge...seems like a good idea if you're bored with just shooting paper.
great looking rifle by the way

They measure about 2 inch wide by 3 inch tall. They move pretty good in the lightest of breezes.

With the naked eye at 100 yards they appear to flash as they spin. People left and right don't know wtf they are. 10-15X scope they get bigger.

I haven't had any luck timing my shots.

Patience equals hits.

Ive got some bigger card tags about 2.5 inch x 4 inch I'm going to try at 300 yards. I'm thinking at distance patience, and waiting for the full face shot will be that much more important.

Not sure what Ill shoot next weekend. Maybe an M40A1, maybe the M40, maybe an 03, maybe just some .22s. Skiing in NH this weekend, weather in 60's. Nice shooting weather I'm missing but spring skiing in February aint bad either.