I tinkered with the lead pot today between interruptions.
Managed to cast 32# of forty's ,should net right at 1000 bullets.

178gr AMAX.

Not impressed.

UPDATE:

Still not impressed.

Did the OCW on both the 168 and 178 AMAX today using Varget. I was expecting more than I got.

The 168s I ran the following loads: All loaded to 2.800" as I was looking for a magazine length loading.

Sighters
---------
42.7
43.5
44.3

45.1, 45.5, 45.9, 46.3 (3ea)

I started getting very faint extractor marks at 45.9. Too bad as this was the best group of the day at about 3/8". It was running about 2800fps at 28.00" and 40F. I might bump it back a few tenths and see if it holds and the marks disappear.

Lots of "Err2" on the Chrony with these. The sun angle was playing havoc with the sensors for a while.

The 178s were the following: All were loaded .020' off the lands.

Sighters
----------
41.8
42.6
43.4

44.2, 44.6, 45.0, 45.4 (3ea)

I ran this test first so the Chrony was acting fine. Ran into the same issue with extractor wipes at 45.0 and 45.4. Both those were smoking along at about 2700fps. Good lesson on the pressure signs though. I actually had never seen this before.

The best I got with these was about 1/2" at 44.6. Those were running about 2690fps. Still on the warm side compared to my 43.2/RE15/175smk which was running about 2550 today.

All the OCW loads seemed to congregate at the 7-8 o'clock area. Don't know if that was self induced or not.

The highlight of the day was my coldbore shot using the 175smk load. It was downhill from there! I might try tweaking a couple of these a bit, but seriously just considering buying a bucket of MatchKings and going with that for now. They seem to work. I'd much rather be shooting and learning than shooting and farting around with more load development.

First we must clean the firing position!




Cold bore 175smk 100yds.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: entropy,

If you like cold bore shots, March 1st is a 1-shot 600 yard competition here.

$10 a shot. One shot per person per rifle, closest to bullseye takes it.

Loads seem a bit hot with the 178. I got nice groups in the 44Gr range with that bullet around 2640 fps. I still don't like it as well as the 175 SMK, but I haven't done extensive work with it.

RMD

Necked down 300pcs of new Lapua 6.5x47 to 6x47. Easy-peasy, squirt some One Shot on the cases, single pass with a full length 6x47 die.

Nice cold bore shot entropy!

exx1976, you going to enter the cold bore comp? Sounds like fun!

Actually, I'm not.. I have had my rifle in pieces lately changing stuff around, moving rings, adding a level, All sorts of stuff. Haven't had an opportunity to get it zeroed since, between work and the weather. They are calling for 14" of snow tomorrow, so that won't help either...

On the 15th is an autoloader shoot. 5 shot groups at 100, 200, and 300. 4 winners - one at each distance, and 1st place for add them all up smallest total size. I'm going to do that one with my 223 wylde.

Then on the 2nd is a 400 yard 5 shot group bolt gun match, I'm going to try to do that one. I figure I can zero there since they allow sighter shots.

On the 23rd is an indoor double-elimination bowling pin shoot. That should be fun, definitely doing that.

3 gun starts in April, that'll be nice.

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
They are calling for 14" of snow tomorrow, so that won't help either...

Got out of there just in time. Have to work Saturday morning, I could easily see myself getting stuck up there for a day or two.

Working first week of March pretty solid.

Well I got 38 more pounds cast yesterday of forty caliber.
I am going to keep hammering them out to get a five gallon bucket full

ordered some Hornady Amax 208 grains, and some Sierra MK 190's. Playing around with different loads for my 308 with RL17.

Managed to find 4# of WST for $69 and 1k of large pistol primer (at a price I don't want to discuss).

They also had 8# of lil'gun and 8# of 296, but I left those there. No need right now, still hunting for AA1680..

No Varget or CFE-223. Good selection of rifle bullets, but nothing in the niche I'm looking for, and some pistol bullets, but again, nothing I'm specifically looking for.

Aw c'mon exx, tell us how much you paid for the LPP. Inquiring minds want to know if you got a reach around or not.

Picked up 4lbs of H335 and 2lbs of Varget.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
Aw c'mon exx, tell us how much you paid for the LPP. Inquiring minds want to know if you got a reach around or not.

It wasn't THAT bad, and the way a lot of people on here talk, I'm sure some of them would even consider it reasonable. Anything more than $25/k and I'm not happy though.

They were $37.50/k.

That's high. I'll be going to a gunshow in Phoenix Sunday and a company called MiWall will be there.

They sell factory ammo, their own commercial reloads, powder, bullets and primers.

I guarantee you their LPP will be $27.95 for winchester and $24.95 for CCI.

It's a regional thing, though.

I feel your pain.

Well I cast another 35 pounds of forties.
Three days and my left arm is very tired.

Just received 500 rds Hornady .223 match bullets and 3 lbs H 322 powder, Guess what I'll be doing today?

quote:

Originally posted by oldseabag860:
Just received 500 rds Hornady .223 match bullets and 3 lbs H 322 powder, Guess what I'll be doing today?

Washing your car?

Picked up two more 4 hole turrets and another pro auto disc powder measure.

Slowly keep building supplys and equipment.

Too cold to shoot. Decided to reload some 30-30s for my grandfather's Win. 94. It's been a safe queen for 50+ years and time to clean out the barrel dust.

Yesterday I was planning on melting down a couple hundred pounds of lead wheel weights, but the wind was too strong. So I resorted to sorting the last batch of 300 wheel weights, was extremely happy that out of the roughly 180 lbs. that I went through only had about 10 lbs. of zinc, steel, valves-stem parts.