Catch-22

Ok thanks all, especially Terry for the low down on how the day runs.

If I’m honest, I can’t see a shoot happening with ODRC until 2021, so until then I think I’ll have to book some sessions at Bisley.

Cheers!

1 hour ago, Brillo said:

I’ve just been told that Kingsbury is re-opening. Can any regular, pre CV19 restrictions, Kingsbury users confirm this?

The Offas calendar note that planned Kingsbury A shoots for 27th and 29th Sept and 10th plus 25th Oct have all been cancelled.

There are no comments/notes as to why they’ve been cancelled but can only assume it’s COVID related.

You are right about John Macefield, he was a pleasant chap!

8 minutes ago, Popsbengo said:

The reason I left Offa's was the complete lack of communication and outright rudeness and arrogance.  John Masefield ran a great club, top bloke and much respected.  Then there's the new chap...

Yes, I’ve been mulling a move on from the club. Trouble is being in S Wales, the ranges further north are just too far unless doing overnights. There are plenty of lovely ranges close by but we can never get on them.

I’m thinking I need to book some private days in at Bisley, particularly Stickledown. I’ve not been to Bisley before so don’t know the process/procedure, whether you use electronic targets or arrange for a marker (how do you do that even??) etc but will have to check them out online.

Looks like Warminster is off for Thursday 17th.

Ive received no notification from the club secretary that it’s been cancelled (nice work there...thanks!) but lucky I checked the website tonight. Apparently due to the COVID restrictions.

Best double check with whomever you can before you travel for a no show.

Having used most systems out there; Balance beam, GemPro250, Target Master with Balance beam, Chargemaster Lite and now the FX120-i with Autotrickler & Autothrow, I’ll add my two pennies worth.

Balance beam was fairly accurate but very slow and subject to drafts.

GemPro250 is very accurate and convenient. You can mitigate drift using a wind guard and line conditioner to keep current stable. But it’s slow to throw and trickle up.

Target Master & Balance beam whilst fairly accurate posed the same problems with being slow to settle down. As I don’t have a permanent reloading bench, it was time consuming to setup each time, often taking as much time setting it up as actually time spent on reloading.

Chargemaster Lite was a great tool. In my own tests I published here a while back, I found it was exceptionally accurate when you know the quirks (under throw charge, remove pan and settle, replace pan and trickle up) often obtaining accuracy to 0.02gn and no worse than 0.04gn. That’s within 2-4 kernels of N140. When used in above method, I experienced no discernible drift, but did use a line conditioner which helps. However, the process of throwing the charge, removing pan then replacing before trickling up also took too long. It was less time than Beam scale, GemPro or Target Master, but still took too much faffing and time of loading 100-200 rounds in a go...for me anyway.

So upgrading to the FX120-i with Autotrickler/Autothrow combo was worth it to me. setting up each time is very quick, though I normally just have the scale on to warm up for at least an hour before loading. The accuracy is incredible as is the repeatability. I often find myself obsessing over a single kernel. I don’t need to but it’s my own OCD. The scale has a conditioner so doesn’t drift much other than when the room gets warm and the metal plate is in the sun. The warmth can drift is a bit...but only about 0.02gn, or two kernels of N140. So nothing major. But for this reason I choose to load on overcast days or do it in the evening.

For me, high volume and batch loading, the upgrade to the FX120-i was worth the money. It’s the time I lost in waiting for all the other methods to settle or time taken to setup, was worth the cost outlay.

Good luck!

Personally I like bulk buying. I buy my powder in 10kg barrels. It is both cheaper than 1kg tubs and ensures greater consistency as you don’t suffer lot to lot inconsistencies. Same goes with bullets too, which I also bulk buy.

Well that would be great news! Fingers crossed as I’ve got too many .338 rounds I need to chew through! 💥🥳😂

$hit...Offas were due to shoot at Warminster this coming Thursday. We haven’t heard if it’s on or off yet, can only assume it’s now off?!?

😭

30 minutes ago, Roy W said:

Lovely workhorse

Thank you again Roy for the help & advice. We’ll see how the 2 groove shoots, should be fun. 
Ive got a bunch of front sight blades so will do the 3” low grouping at 25m, swapping out the blades to suit.

Update. Had the headspace checked with my local gunsmith. Rim gauge was fine and chamber length gauge was just about crush on his CIP no-go. Definitely no closing at all on field. So all good and within military standards. 
 

I cleaned up the woodwork using the oven cleaner and boiling water method. I followed these steps and it worked well for me;

https://www.dummybullet.com/m1 garand stock restoration page 1.html

I must say that I was mightily impressed. Excellent results and very easy. I’ve since treated the woodwork with 10 coats of raw boiled linseed oil, following the Fiddes guidelines. I found I didn’t need to do any Feathering as the stock was smooth enough. It’s come out nicely and is much much better than before. No gumminess, just lovely smooth feeling wood. The butt is however rather damaged and pocked, which only showed up when oiling the wood. But I’m happy with it for now...it is after all a battle rifle that’s been in battle.

All metal work was thoroughly soaked with degreaser and scrubbed with CorrosionX to protect it from rusting and lubricate it. 

Ive worked up some test loads with a 174gn PPU bullet over some N140.

Cheers for all the help and advice!

Now SOLD

Purpose of the dial is to ensure each primer is seated to exactly the same depth each time in each case. It enhanced the process more than just the ‘feel’ you get through the handle as you note.

The 21st Century priming tool I use does the same thing (ensuring a greater level of consistency each prime) by using a 10thou click adjust system.
Once you’ve measured your flashole depth and know how deeply you want to seat the primer, you Set primer seating depth using the click system on the tool and all cases will be primed to the same depth. You still get the ‘feel’ through the handle but can be confident in knowing each primer was seated in exactly the same way as each other.

Bump - new reduced price!

Bump - new reduced price

Bump

On 8/13/2020 at 7:30 PM, lee w 118 said:

Tidy Catch, what mags are you using. 👍

Still haven’t made it out to the range but did a trial run with some loaded rounds (firing pin and spring removed from bolt) with 5x Mags.

2x were brand new .308 Accurate Mags 

2x were used .308 Accurate Mags 

1x was a well used .308 AICS mag

the used Mags came from various sources, so I couldn’t tell if the feedlips had been altered or not.

I loaded each mag with 10 rounds (6.5x47L) and ran them through the action. The Impact action simply ate everything, with a sewing machine like repeatability. Very very smooth and no issues either feeding or extracting and ejecting. The bolt raceway geometry is just perfect and the chassis and mag catch (which is big and easy to manipulate) was perfect - no need to modify or bodge anything.

I own a top of the line Defiance, but this Impact is a whole nother level!

Not to hijack but I find turret direction an interesting topic. All comes down to individual shooting technique and what you used in the past.
For me, I prefer CW as I use my right hand (RH shooter) to dial both elevation AND windage with one hand in one operation, then back on the trigger. CW is easier to crank ‘up’ when using your RH. I find when using CCW I use my LH to do elevation, then have to swap hands holding the rifle, then use RH to adjust windage then back on trigger. More individual steps and movement.

Interesting to think the mechanics and steps through. I’m definitely feeling rather reflective this afternoon!

I’ve always liked the AWSM. Don’t the Deutchies deploy them? 

Wrong forum, you might want to repost in the ‘Wanted’ section rather than the ‘For Sale’ section.

50 minutes ago, firstblood said:

What a beauty £1 bullet seems worth it 

£1 is only the cost of the Hornady ELD bullet. You’ll need to add the cost of the brass, powder and primer. Not sure but likely to be around £2.50 for each complete round.

1 hour ago, Popsbengo said:

Very nice.   Love the grip,  what is it?

Cheers!

It’s a walnut grip by Nill’s in Germany.

https://www.nill-griffe.com/Products_23.html

Mine is a .338 Norma Magnum built on a Defiance Mutant XL repeater tube gun action that I had DLC’d by Orlikon here, sat in an Eliseo RTM tube gibe chassis. I can switch lowers from long action to short in a minute.

Custom 27” Bartlein, 1-9.3” twist thats 1.35” at the breech, straight for 5” then gently tapers to around 1.2” at the muzzle. 
Area 419 Sidewinder brake tames the recoil, it feels like a .308w. Last time out I shot just over 100 rounds and simply could have kept going all day long. 
Fortmeier/Phoenix bipod, Huber concepts 2-stage ballbearing trigger, S&B PMII 5-25x56 ffp, MIL/MIL with H2CMR reticle (love the reticle as I have fine .2MIL windage marks). Mount is an Era-Tac QD one-piece mount and it’s been totally repeatable taking it on and off tens of times. Great bit of kit is the Era-Tac. Combined tilt of chassis and Era-Tac mount is 40MOA, or roughly 12MILs.

I shoot 300gn Lapua Scenars with HbN coating over 94.4gn of RS80 powder. Does around 2790fps.

I use the 21st Century hand primer as I don’t have a permanent reloading bench (everything gets packed away).

I must say that it’s beautifully engineered and is a joy to use. I once primed 500 .223 cases in one sitting and felt totally fine afterwards, no hand strain or pain. 

I too have a Lee Autoprime but the 21st Century is an infinitely better product and makes priming a lot lot easier than the Lee.
Plus the 21st Century has very fine click adjustments, making seating primers extremely precise and consistent.

Not cheap but I think it’s one of the best reloading tools I have. 

http://www.xxicsi.com/super-precision-click-head-br-priming-tool.html

20 minutes ago, lapua said:

What weight?

Apologies - that would have been helpful to add.

156gn