Andrew

There are options.

https://tacticalsol.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=1386286&CAT=13314

Getting one exported to the UK night be a hassle.

~Andrew

I shoot both. If it was a target shooting venue only, I would opt for the CTR. Wonderfully accurate but for shooting prone, I would drop it into a more target oriented stock or chassis. My neck would hurt until I got a PSE. ~Andrew

Really then, the instructor could issue a reloading book like the Lee Manual to the students and Lantra could approve the content. Lee's attorneys probably did already. ~Andrew

I'm based in the US. I looked up LANTRA and had a hard time finding anything about reloading. Industrial safety was the closest tie to it.  What's the connection?  I'm curious. ~Andrew

FWIW: i make 577 Snider from brass 24 gauge cases. (MagTec, Brazil) I also use 32 gauge to make 50-70. I cut the case to length and then anneal. For the 450-577 you'd want to anneal before the final forming to an area approximately at the shoulder. These two parent shotgun hulls have been a godsend. There is a lot about forming 450-577 on the Net. ~Andrew

Is this the first time you've had this bolt apart? Order a new bolt head if this one won't function. ~Andrew

I had the occasion to attempt to use Imperial for reforming a 32 ga brass shotgun hull to 50-70 US. It would not work. I wiped it off the cases and applied Hornady Unique wax and it slid though the die like butter. I use them both for light work, with no preference, but this was the first heavy resizing attempted with the Imperial and it absolutely failed. The Imperial is $15US/2 ounces here. Hornady is $5 US/4 ounces. 

If you think you might have the need for some FL sizing it might be good to have a tub of the Hornady lying around. JMO ~Andrew

Have a couple of dozen Lee's in many configurations and have seen a chip gone out of the threads before. Never caused any issues. Did you find the pieces? has your rifle been refinished?  Wouldn't the chipped area be expected to be bare grey metal? ~Andrew

Only in 6.5 CM. Consistency in weight was dead-on. Needed to be FL resized out of the box for top accuracy. Loaded 50 from the same Lot out of the box and the accuracy was not as good as another fifty from the same Lot that I FL resized before loading. Decent brass. ~Andrew

I shot a friends. Extremely accurate. ~Andrew

19 hours ago, Popsbengo said:

How many rounds did you test at each increment of load ?

 

The most important question...... ~Andrew

I've got a plain based 9.3 you can have. (for free) Ordered (by catalogue number) a 365" GAS CHECK bullet and NEI Bullet molds sent me a plain base. I called them and the idiot shop foreman, "Jesse" insisted I'd ordered a plain base even though the GC catalogue number matched the receipt in the box. It was custom cut in iron blocks and I'm sure he was the one who screwed up. He said, "No returns. That's final!" and hung up. Never bought another mold from them again.

I do have, somewhere, a .408 RNFB as well. Old Ideal, I believe. ~Andrew

After a while there wasn't much else to explore in shooting. Performance cast bullet shooting is a study in itself...and an expensive one; I think I have +/- 150 bullet molds -commercial and custom. ~Andrew

20 hours ago, Scrumbag said:

Thanks both,

I have been looking at the Lyman 4^th Ed. Cast Bullet handbook.

Lyman publishes data for the 240gr #429667 out of a Rifle (This looks to be a RNFP or maybe a truncated cone). It isn't gas checked and includes load data for Unique, N110 and H110 so makes me wonder what’s possible.

The other thing with the Lyman data is the bullet is seated at COAL 1.645 which is a) Longer than CIP spec (1.61") and b) the Shellhouse bullets have a seating depth at rather less than that (About 1.58" as memory serves) if you want to crimp into the cannelure.

So, thoughts welcomed. Can you shoot plated bullets as fast as gas checked?

Scrummy

The plated bullets sold here usually list 2000 fps as a max.

Gas checks on a bullet will not avoid gas cutting or leading. Much of that has to do with the bullet fit in the throat. When picking a powder to drive a well-fitting bullet at higher speeds, it's important to match the alloy strength (hardness) to the pressure of the loads, which is why I usually recommend choosing a powder that delivers the target velocity at the lowest pressure. I did 20+ years of work with high velocity cast bullet loads in bottle necked rifle cartridges and this never failed me.  ~Andrew

Unique might be pushing it with a FB bullet, pressure wise. (Which leads to leading) I have used Lil Gun with good results with regards to accuracy and pressure. ~Andrew

You're welcome. Shoot a lot of LOVEX powder marketed by this company. I especialy like that their data is updated regularly.~Andrew

https://shootersworldpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ShootersWorldManualInterior_CHRIS_WITH-COVER__03102020-1.pdf

This is data (less than a year old) from the US importer of Lovex. Looks like 23.5 grains is the top end. Look under "AR-PLUS" data. ~Andrew

"Under the Lovex brand, this propellant is referred to as D073.4."

Dump the brass. I find bulk ammo of any kind is made quickly to sell cheaply. A poor brass mix, or not sufficient annealing, will not let you draw much conclusion as to 'fireformed' dimensions.  I have the same vintage CZ223 and have shot my handloads loaded on new FL sized brass with no issues. ~Andrew

On 4/27/2022 at 7:28 AM, KABOOM said:

Not to be found in the USA either, I don't look very often but seen none for at least a year. Wonder where they all went, for that matter the other reloading supplies claimed to be made at record pace.

Interestingly, Midway USA lists them as "Out of Stock, No back Order" so they are either over the distant horizon, manufacturing -wise, or they are not going to be made.  I use Nosler Custom Competition.~ Andrew

I have a Tac A1 Tikka I consider a serious 6.5 CM. I ony use it or steel banging from 500 to 1400 yards. Trigger is excellent. Accuracy is superb. Not fussy, either: 123 to 143 grain with accuracy.

No 'issues' so far.  ~Andrew

Throw them in a bucket and put a lid on it.

It's the American way, at least... 🙂     ~Andrew

150 to 2250 yards at our private range but you guys might need to parachute in. 😉 ~Andrew

Laurie might be the only person old enough on this thread to remember when "seating depth" was the standard measurement given in load manuals.  It was how I learned to reload. My uncle tried to promote a tool that would allow a shooter to make a dummy round measuring the setting depth via a collared spring steel rod that slipped into the empty primer pocket of a prepped case. It never caught a whiff of interest but he was right when he opined that the distance from the base of the bullet to the ignition source was ballistically more important than any other measurement. Which is what this thread is about. ~Andrew

My guess is that it's not worth it. When totalling up all of the variables, including CZ's (usually) generous throating of their chambers, adjusting seating depth won't do much. You could, as an experiment, randomly select a couple of 20 round LOTs. Rework one lot, leave the other.

I have the same rifle, same vintage. Shoots 50 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips exceedingly well.~ Andrew

10 hours ago, Scrumbag said:

Hi Andy, I guess it could well be just it seems to take a while reloading them and a mornings shooting you can burn through quite a few in a lever action.

Plus - new set of skills, way of doing things and I quite like learning.

Scrummy

I thought you'd taken up some form of competitive shooting.

I would size all the cases one evening (carbide, of course) and clean the pockets. Prime and flare the next. Charge and seat one caliber, the next evening. Finish the following. Shoot on the weekends, begin again. I guess I wasn't in much of a hurry back then. I even enjoyed it. I have never loaded straight walled cases on a progressive but I wonder if they would be as accurate as my single stage loads. I would swear by them!~Andrew