Finally bit the bullet

[Steve Steyr]

A quick, handy hint. I keep a bore light at my reloading bench. After I have charged the cases with powder. I stand above them and shine the bore light down over the cases. This always gives me enough light to determine all cases are charged and that the powder level is even in all of them.

 

[lcq]

A quick, handy hint. I keep a bore light at my reloading bench. After I have charged the cases with powder. I stand above them and shine the bore light down over the cases. This always gives me enough light to determine all cases are charged and that the powder level is even in all of them.

I have removed some squibs for people with handguns and it wasn't easy, can't imagine what it would be like in a rifle. Good trick

 

[Pheroze]

Hey Royal, how is the reloading going? I am finding it an interesting exercise in patience and humility. Matt85 has been generous with his knowledge and patient with my silly questions. I don't know about you, but I seem to learn something new every time I sit at my bench!

 

[Royal27]

I'll be honest, I haven't gotten much further. Time has not been my friend here lately.... Not so much the time to reload, but getting out to shoot at 100 yards is tough for me and I just haven't been able to do it much.

 

[Pheroze]

I hear ya, my range is an hour drive. So I am just tinkering with the reloading process. Next goal is figuring out maximum COL for the rifles.

 

[Royal27]

I hear ya, my range is an hour drive. So I am just tinkering with the reloading process. Next goal is figuring out maximum COL for the rifles.

There is A range I can go to that is just over an hour, but my lease where I like to shoot is over two hours, so I usually try and make an overnight deal out of it....

The 30 yard indoor range is fine for offhand practice, but not for load development. It is fun to shoot the .375 H&H next to all of those ARs... In fact, I need to take the Lott!!!

 

[Pheroze]

I find those ARs deafening at an outdoor range never mind an indoor range I agree, the looks I get when the 375 goes off are fun

 

[Royal27]

So this has gone much slower than I intended!

I FINALLY shot the first eight rounds I loaded, this weekend. I've been shooting several times and just kept forgetting to take them.

My rifle is sighted in with Barnes TSX 180 grain, so these actually ended up pretty close, which surprised me a little bit. I thought the 200 grain Nosler might be a little further off.

I definitely wouldn't call this load development yet. I had four sets of two cartridges starting with the minimum powder charge like a good little beginner.as the charge increased they definitely walked up the paper, although I did have one flier that is out of the picture. Not sure what happened on that one...

The last two shots with the hottest charge are the ones closest to the bullseye. I at least have some place to start!!! It was also interesting that I could really tell a difference in recoil between the light and heavy loads. Of course by the time I shot these I had already played with the .458 Lott.

 

[woods1126]

Excellent Royal!! You will never entertain hunting with "factories" again!! Enjoy. Kevin

 

[Royal27]

Excellent Royal!! You will never entertain hunting with "factories" again!! Enjoy. Kevin

Thanks!

And I think you are right. I'm already thinking about elk hunting with the partitions in the fall. Heck, I might even have some of my own TSX loads by then.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Went to the rifle range today to try out my "new" .375........all I can say is that you certainly know when you've touched one off!!! Probably shouldn't have brought the .338 AND a slug gun as well!

Only one other bolt action gun there today...........all the rest were (you guessed it), AR15s!!!! I remember when (now I'm in 'old codger' mode) you used to go to the range an have a very eclectic variety of firearms presented......you had some bolt guns, some lever actions (mostly Winchester 94s and Marlin 336s), some tradtional muzzleloaders (in-lines weren't all the rage back then), some hunting handguns (T/C or long barreled revolvers), some slug guns (mostly Ithaca M37s, but a few others), some sporting semi autos (Remington 742s mostly, but an occasional Browning BAR), and......maybe......an AR15, M1A1, Garand, or M1 carbine. Now its all AR15s and Mosin-Nagants.

Sorry...........didn't mean to hijack the thread. Royal, you will find it extremely satisfying when you manage to take your game with a handload that you developed yourself; almost as good as taking a trout with a fly that you tied some rainy Saturday.

 

[Pheroze]

Nice work! Did you use a chronograph?

 

[Royal27]

Nice work! Did you use a chronograph?

Thanks!

Not yet. That is still on the to buy list.

 

[woods1126]

Royal, I've loaded and used Nosler Accubonds, 200 grainers in my 300 RUM on my past two safaris. I'm very impressed with both Partition's and Accubond's performance on everything from Spingbok to Kudu. Have fun! Kevin

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Royal, I've loaded and used Nosler Accubonds, 200 grainers in my 300 RUM on my past two safaris. I'm very impressed with both Partition's and Accubond's performance on everything from Spingbok to Kudu. Have fun! Kevin

Interestingly enough, I used accubonds (.338) and 200 grain partitions (.30-06) on my first safari.......did a little more load testing this past winter and found a 180 grain partition load that shoots well in my .30-06, so I think I might take that one on the next trip.
I plan on trying both Nosler bullets in my .375...... I already have the partitions; just have to purchase some accubonds.

Woods1126;
What powders are you using? I found that H414 works consistently well in my '06, although Reloader 19 worked well with the 180 grain partitions. In the .338, H4895 gave the best accuracy with the accubonds.

 

[Royal27]

Nothing wrong with partitions for sure!

Like I said, I think I might try and use them for elk this fall.

I just know that both my .30/06 and .375 shoot at or under one inch with Barnes TSX factory loads, so it can only get better. I hope. And I think the TSX is just devastating.

Now when I get around to the Lott I want to try out CEB.

 

[woods1126]

Mr. 16 gauge, I'm using 92 grains of H1000, to push the 200 grain Accubonds, out of the 300 RUM. I don't have a crony, but they should be going about 3050-3100fps. I also load for my 375 H&H. Off the he top of my head I can't remember what my 260 gr. Accubonds load is. I do know I have to tweek it quite a bit. I can't seem to get better than 4" groups at 100 yards. But I'm having great luck with 235 gr. TSX and 250 gr. TTSX bullets, keeping them right at an inch or better at 100 yards. If. You would like those recipies, I can look them up. My rifle is a Remington KS Mountain Rifle. Kevin

 

[Royal27]

So today I finalized the load for my .300 wsm for this summer's trip.

64 grain of IMR 4350 and a 180 grain ttsx. I did get a chronograph and the average was 2852 fps.

Three shot group below:

 

[sestoppelman]

That will do all you need to do for pg. Nice group.

 

[gizmo]

Very nice Royal