VarmLR

I've always found Sierra smk 190's superb at 1000 yds from my 24 inch 1/11 Tikka. Very tolerant through transonic so you really don't need to push thyem harder than 2450 to 2500fps. I also tried the TMK 175's but they were no better and if anything, not as predictable in wind despite the slight BC advantage.

Thanks...yes, checked screwfix and way too expensive from them! Toolstation it is...

I agree. I think any suggestion for proof house testing will fall flat on its face. The whole point is that the SHOOTER evidences how their load was arrived at, wildcat or SAAMI spec chamber and together with some form of assessment on experience and knowledge, certification is granted or it isn't. There are ways and means of establishing this including the use of internal ballistic software to arrive at min and max pressures, that those pressures arrived at are within permissible max pressures as far as can be reasonably established and that the shooter has clearly used a safe system or procedure to arrive at those conclusions. Tools such as QL and GRT are one way to match tested velocities hence approximations for internal pressures, along with close control and examination of brass. Keep good records and evidence these things, and we'll see how far that the NRA go with what constitutes training and evidence. Any reloader worth their salt should be up to this and it is perfectly reasonable to weed out those that are not for the safety of those shooting with them as well as for themselves.

Yes, it's a colloidal graphite solution and personally, I wouldn't use it because as with many graphite pastes and solutions, once it sticks to cases you may find it harder to clean off than something like Imperial Wax, which is a natural Lanolin paste, which comes off readily in U/S baths, simply using a cloth or in a tumbler. I believe you buy it as a concentrated paste or solution then dilute it and apply it with a cotton bud or brush, leave to dry and the aqueous part of the solution evaporates and leaves a carbon coating behind. Not what I'd want on my cases due to the strength of the bond on metals. I've used similar compounds of graphite for other purposes and they are quite stubborn to remove. I would recommend a small jar of Imperial Wax. It'll last you years. Trouble is some put way too much on and complain it makes a mess or they get inconsistency in sizing. You only need a little, literally rub a little on your fingertips and apply a very thin coat to the case, it takes barely anything. I tend to use a tiny amount, just enough to make the fingers feel a little greasy without any being in blobs, much as you'd lightly use a hand cream and rub it in. That is enough to lightly coat half a dozen cases by just handling them. The heat in your hands keeps it nice and thin and a wipe over the case followed by a small brush with bristles lightly coated and the excess removed, then is used to lube insides of case necks. Again, you only need a little. I find that this gives very consistent sizing. I then trim and chamfer cases before dunking the prepped cases in an U/S bath using Seaclean for maybe 5 minutes, no more needed, and cases come out completely degreased ready for loading.

several tubs of N155 obtained. I'll start low and find how a few at some moderate steps shoot. Vhit data with SRP brass/magnum primers is showing a start load of 37.3 and a max load of 42gr which I'll not be working up to. Vhit start velocities are 2415 to a max of 2651. These loads are about a grain lighter than equivalent velocities for my rifle using RS62. GRT is showing considerably higher velocities for these loads with my rifle data and bullet details entered. I know that I have an accuracy node at 2640fps using RS62 and GRT calculates an OBT node at a load of 41.4gr for a pressure of 50,189PSI for an MV of 2,647 fps. I'll try a batch with that as the max load and start at around 39gr and work up in 0.3gr intervals to get the MVs which I can then use to true the GRT tool and look for a node with pressures well within max. N555 looks to develop good MVs with very moderate pressures, lower than RS62 for equivalent MVs. Speaking with Matt at HPS today, he confirms that RS will be unobtainable for the foreseeable, whilst Vhit is now only available in retail tubs (ie no more bulk supplies) but at least it's obtainable. The real problem will be projectiles going forward.

Many thanks...I have a screwfix locally so will pop in there.

Just had to replace my gosystem fine flame brass torch after a couple of scary flare ups and it not shutting off! Has anyone else experienced this at all? Also, I can't seem to buy the blue map gas cylinders on amazon any more which I usually use, just the yellow Mapp gas plus...not sure of the difference...are these ok for the annealer use? Not sure of the flame temp, but with the blue bottles, it worked out at just over 4 seconds for my creedmoor brass

Thanks Laurie, all noted. I don't need high MV's, perhaps 2650fps for my 139's which is a good accuracy node for my 24 inch CM rifle barrel, ditto around 2630fps for the 140 SST/ELDX's works well. I'm able to achieve that at moderate loads in SR brass at 43.7gr, equivalent in LR to approximately 42 gr RS62. N555 therefore seems ideal, so thank you for your learned insights as usual.

Many thanks Laurie, very useful. It seems that if I go the N555 route, and keep loads moderate, it may not be as barrel burning as loading N150/160 in full case loads. I note your reservations (in .308 anyway) using SR brass. Do you know if this is also true of SR CM brass? It seems that N160 and N555 would be my two best options. I am unsure of current availability of RL16 otherwise that would be a contender too. The only issue with powders presently is supply. We know the story with RS, but Vhit supply is also starting to get sketchy as are some others, so I guess we are stuck with what we can get. Primer availability is also getting very sketchy and I'me amazed at price hikes! For example, 1000 CCI450's are now £147!!! This price is reportedly set to rise too...

Looks as though N150/160 and 550 are the obvious choices but I don't like the idea of using a high energy powder which precludes N550 unless it's not a true double base. That or load moderately.

The distributor has been reported as stating (mentioned either on this forum or another I frequent) that once current supplies in the UK are used up there may not be any more due in for the next 3 years. Ukraine indeed being the case. Production is reportedly being prioritised for there.

I'm after suggestions for a powder which is still available to replace RS62 for a 6.5CM, bullet weights from 123 to 142gr. Has anyone had success using N150 or N160 or are there other single base propellants worth considering?

Same here john. The course we attended had us mark up range cards for various field locations and targets and use the mil rets to gauge distances, the beauty being that this also negated getting it wrong for "dead ground". It was way better than a small group of use guesstimating distance and taking an average! Where it fell short was on longer distances where any sort of slope was involved because you were ranging angular distances, so some quick rule of thumbs for adjustment in the field or a good understanding of trig came in handy! For me, it doesn't matter whether a scope uses a Mil or moa based ret, as long as the turrets are correspondingly graduated. I use the ret to compensate for POI to POA then hold off or dial accordingly. Rapid and effective. Holding off is my preference as wind changes sometimes rapidly.

Thinking about gyroscopic force, I guess it has to occur in the direction of barrel twist, so yes, spin drift has to be made up of both Magnusson and gyroscopic forces. I had thought that gyroscopic drift was the tendancy of the tip of the bullet to follow the direction of spin but that this was very small. I guess over the trajectory distance, it becomes significant

This has caught a few users out! Spin drift will do exactly that, and is noticeable at longer ranges. It's due to the Magnusson effect which creates an opposing force proportional to wind strength. As an aside, some countries experimented with Magnusson effect "sails" Circa WW1 era whereby cloth sails were replaced by large metal cylinders spinning via motor drive creating the thrust needed to propel the ship. Exact same forces acting on a spinning bullet, the magnitude of which are related to wind strength and direction. Litz's ballistic calculator (and others) have a separate column for spin drift. In order for it to be effective in Strelok, as well as wind strength, as you've pointed out, wind direction has to be entered and the check box for spin drift enabled. It becomes essential for first shot target hits much beyond 500 yds but the benefit of including it can be outweighed of course if wind strength is misjudged badly!

You're bang on about some Vhit powders and published data Laurie. I loaded a ladder a few years back to try N133 with some 60 v-max being careful to keep within published maximums of 24.7gr. I didn't get to within 1gr of that amount loaded to the stated coal before it blew the primer gas cutting my bolt face. Chrono'd MVs were way in excess of published too, as in almost 200fps! (even accounting for my barrel length). I don't trust any published data as being "accurate" or "safe", as it can ONLY be representative to the conditions at the time of testng, to that specific chamber and barrel, and brass & primer used. Change any one of those, and as we know, pressures are likely to be affected. I 've started using Gordon's Reloading Tool software to check my loads, when developing new ones and having entered all of my current load data found that it correlated remarkably closely to measured velocities, hence I trust the outputs it gives in relation to pressures. Bad news about RS Powders...must try and get a batch in if still available.

LoL! Yes, just my curiosity about things which make little sense to me! Good to be back...a couple of house moves have interrupted business and now we're settled again, back to putting more shooting time in.

Lapua tends to be pretty good. My PPU less so.

I was sat prepping brass recently and blithely using my Lyman case prep centre which I normally fit with a primer pocket cleaner or pocket uniformer. I got to thinking on the value (if any) of uniforming new brass pockets and something struck me as fundamentally wrong about the perceived wisdom of using a pocket uniformer. When priming an empty case, the reference for my ram is effectively the forward edge of the case rim as the downward stroke of the ram is what seats the primer, yet the uniforming tool references off the case head! I would have thought that the whole point of uniforming pockets was to both seat the primer and have the anvil legs at the same reference off datum (base of pocket) each time, or why bother? As brass migrates with each firing, referencing off the case head must be wrong as for example 2 thou below case head could mean variations in invil to pocket base within the same batch. I'm not sure how much difference slight variations in anvil make, but some suggest that it can be significant for ignition, hence MV (SD). I've obviously got too much time on my hands...

I agree. Many digital vernier gauges are only accurate to within 1% and that's if used correctly. A little too much pressure when using them combined with the accuracy target could render the measurement suspect. That's why I move back in 5 thou intervals. For those who don't shoot benchrest and go the extra mile with neck turning, annealing and checking run-out, it seems pointless to use such precise fine measurements. My own procedure when getting a new batch of bullets acknowledges the fact that throat erosion will have moved the lands forward effectively. I don't bother chasing the lands, even with VLD bullets, so I use the same start point which I've always used (10 thou off new barrel lands) and that is my OAL datum. I work back in 5 thou intervals until group sizes contract. There's always a node or two. That's for new to me bullets. For one's I've always used, I maintain the same OAL previously determined with seating depth changes(B to O) and vary powder charge for each batch to pick the best grouping load.

This can be true in many walks of life for H&S related issues, but those who have been reloading for ages I would have thought would be well known to the club and any concerns one might hope would have been raised if what they were doing was suspect. This is the whole focus though...unless someone checks individual loads the exercise is of limited value except as a form filling "check". A lot of clubs now organise their own reloading courses and I wouldn't be against something whereby club members who wish to use their home reloads should either be assessed for the cals they're using or otherwise attend one of these classes. It's no real hardship as a one off exercise. Finding someone willing to give their time up and organising such an event will have its usual difficulties. Then we have the conundrum "who assesses the assessor?". How far its taken might be one of the issues looked into for any set procedures that the NRA wishes to look at producing.

Thanks for the feedback. When I wind down from work, I'd like to do more competitive shooting so every day is still a learning day, even after many years. Thank you for the feedback. I place a lot of faith in Eric Cortina who has also been very open about his techniques to try and help bring others on, and the two of them obviously know one another well. Jack does seem like a nice guy. Just trying to get my head around a 2 thou jump tuning nodes!

Great shooting Darrel! That's quite an achievement and one to be proud of. I'm scratching my head over a UK record for factory rifles (open class??) set at Bisley a few years back where a chap with a Tikka TAC A1 in 260 Rem shot 2.7", which I thought was remarkable then for a non-benchrest rifle, but your group puts that into some perspective!

Great scopes, GLWTS. Would make a good stalking or foxing scope.