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Author
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Topic: handloading for dummies
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Field Marshall, Southern Minneesota Sector
Member # 794
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posted April 24, 2012 11:51 AM
I was just asking how you do it. Not saying there is a right way or wrong way..
Does your brass stretch more when fired in a AR compared to a bolt gun or is it the same???
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5064 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 24, 2012 12:05 PM
Tempting offer, koko. I will ponder.
What AZ says reminds me of my old partner, Pat. I always thought he was the best shot on game I ever saw, and he thought the same of me, if you can believe it?
But, the thing is, I was anal in my approach, cleaning, handloading, willing to do anything that would better my accuracy by fractions and he was an indifferent handloader but always shot tiny bug holes. I helped him win "Big Gun" one year with his gun, I shot first and told him I hit exactly where I held, 3 o'clock ¼" off dead center. He held dead center and won, so I sure as hell felt I deserved part of that belt buckle.
He was always blessed with perfect barrels and I had to nudge and massage mine to stay close....and I knew this because we routinely shot each other's rifles off the rack, at night. His double set trigger Mauser in 22-250 with that 6X24 Balvar was an impressive piece. He sold that rig to Rick Orelli (RIP) and I could have rung his chicken neck!
Good hunting. LB
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31463 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Az-Hunter
Hi, I'm Vic WELCOME TO THE U.S. Free baloney sandwiches here
Member # 17
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posted April 24, 2012 12:47 PM
Indifferent, might be a just label to my approach, I don't know? I just don't concern myself with minutia. I will look thru brass to check general condition, cracks,neck splits,ring lines around web of cases etc. Always try to label powder dump hopper with appropiate powder brand and number, those kinds of precautions, but thats about it.
In 43 years of reloading,Ive never once cleaned a primer pocket, reamed a flash hole,sorted bullets by weight or sorted cases by brand or weight or dribbled powder from a trickler. Ive never measured runout, or concentricty or measured how close or far from the lands a bullet sits. Ive neck sized a single case, everything I shoot goes thru a full length sizer die.
Man, after typing that, I can imagine the number of guys who wonder how I ever got a round to go bang and still shoot a postage stamp size group:)
I have friends that like to really get into it, and I'd never knock that level of interest and attention to detail, I just don't have it in me. I love to shoot, and I loved to shoot competitively, reloading allowed me to do that for 25 years without going broke. I always wanted to spend my time at the range practicing instead of tinkering with shit at the loading bench, that in the end, had little to no bearing on my performance or my firearms.
[ April 24, 2012, 01:19 PM: Message edited by: Az-Hunter ]
Posts: 1629 | From: 5 miles west of Tim | Registered: Jan 2003
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TOM64
Knows what it's all about
Member # 561
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posted April 24, 2012 01:15 PM
Tim, as far as I can tell, there is no difference in my Lapua cases fired from my LTR bolt gun or my LC, WW and RP cases fired from my AR's.
Now I use top end loads and heavy buffers in my AR's. I also have only used a Lee neck die on my LTR's Lapua cases and full length size the rest. They still grow about the same rate.
Posts: 2283 | From: okieland | Registered: Feb 2005
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Field Marshall, Southern Minneesota Sector
Member # 794
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posted April 24, 2012 01:43 PM
Thanks Tom.. Do you have to trim them each time you reload???
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5064 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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TOM64
Knows what it's all about
Member # 561
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posted April 24, 2012 02:10 PM
No I trim them to 1.750" and it'll take 4 or 5 firings before they get close to 1.760" but I do trim em every time I prep em just to be consistant and it doesn't take but a few turns of the handle. I also clean my primer pockets cause I can't stand not to.
Posts: 2283 | From: okieland | Registered: Feb 2005
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Cayotaytalker
DOES NOT TEACH/SUSPECTED OKIE
Member # 1954
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posted April 24, 2012 02:41 PM
Tom64,have you ever shot any of your LC brass in a bolt rifle? I have 500 of them and my goal is to use them in by bolt rifle. I plan to load up some nosler 55 grain balllistic tip,60 grain Hornady V-Max,70 grain Berger VLD Target,80 grain Berger VLD Target.
I went with the LC brass just be cause it was the right price and I thought it would last be a long time.
I my self don't see way not. And yes I'm up to speed on knowing they can cause higher presure.
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Now thats prime coyote country!
Posts: 403 | From: LasVegas Nevada | Registered: Oct 2007
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 24, 2012 02:43 PM
Vic, you are a little worse in your approach than Pat, same general attitude and skill set, he's a natural pointer. I need to work at it. Where we converged was at killing predators with damned few loses; average night 12-15 no misses, no loses. That's prime time, prime areas, but hardly ever took a low percentage shot so I never thought it was a big deal.
Those numbers are probably not possible under current conditions due to a number of factors. Oh, in Mexico it's possible, but that would be pretty risky. I blame Foxpro for the blanketing of coyote country with sound by rank amateurs. The old days were pretty special.
Good hunting. LB
[ April 24, 2012, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31463 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 24, 2012 02:46 PM
Cayotaytalker, if you can get all those bullets to group, that would be interesting. What twist is your barrel?
Good hunting. LB
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31463 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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TOM64
Knows what it's all about
Member # 561
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posted April 24, 2012 04:55 PM
Cayotaytalker, yes I have used LC brass in my LTR. In fact I was looking for a load for it and wondered about my 77gr SMK's I load for my AR's. The 1/9 twisted barrel shot them at 1/2" groups even jumping from 2.260".
I don't think the brass is any different sized than standard 223 Rem, the leade in the 5.56 NATO chamber is longer than the 223, which like Weatherby's chambers allows for the 62000psi to ease up a bit before jumping into the lands.
As for the VLD bullets, I hope you have at least a 1/8 twist to shoot them. Some 1/9's will shoot them and some won't. My LTR prefers 55gr NBT's so that's what it's gonna get fed, only in Lapua cases so I can distinguish them.
Posts: 2283 | From: okieland | Registered: Feb 2005
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Field Marshall, Southern Minneesota Sector
Member # 794
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posted April 24, 2012 05:32 PM
In my DPMS I ran every weight from 55 gr. up to 77 gr. with a 1-9" and accuracy was good to great with all of them. Ammo used was Blackhills and Ultramax.. It was a good shooter but to bad it was lacking in other areas.. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5064 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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Cayotaytalker
DOES NOT TEACH/SUSPECTED OKIE
Member # 1954
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posted April 26, 2012 11:56 AM
LB, my rifle is 1-9" and shoots very well lucky me. I have shot any where from 45gr USMC 200 round packs to 55gr Nosler and Wolf 55gr as well as 62gr wolf. My rifle likes it all I have shot out to 475 yards with the 55gr and 62 gr ammo.
It's not my goal to shoot 300 yard coyotes with a 223. But my rifle does shoot well out to 300 yards. Shooting 300 or more would just before my own self intrest or pesonal goals is all.
I do feal like my rifle will eat the 55gr,60gr up a live. And I'm ok with the Berger VLD Target. Now for the Berger VLD 80 gr yes I went over a bit of a cliff buying those.
LB, if you are any one ever want to help me out with tips ideas and so on I,m all ears.I went with the Lee press not RCBS just so you guys know.I have been picking up alittle gear here and there for around two years now and have not loaded a damn thing yet.
And hey thanks for opening up this new forum just for me. lol
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Now thats prime coyote country!
Posts: 403 | From: LasVegas Nevada | Registered: Oct 2007
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 26, 2012 01:14 PM
It's good that you are getting into handloading. Understand, it's a bottomless pit, as you peel back the layers, you will find a lot more to consider. You never know it all. But, it is all beneficial, makes you a smarter shooter, more knowledgable.
For instance, there is some service match stuff I don't know beans about, never had any interest. I don't really care about targets in general. My application is toward hunting, punching paper and gongs ain't my bag, but if others enjoy it, that's fine.
Good hunting. LB
[ April 26, 2012, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31463 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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