What did you reload today?

[Slickshooter]

Yeah, but there's a fingerprint left on one of the WM bullets. What is your anneal process? I'm about to start with the water pan and hand torch on a record player method. Don't laugh.

I need a pic of this method lol
Here’s mine…

 

[DaddyFlip]

I need a pic of this method lol
Here’s mine…
View attachment 755415

I'll try to produce a video tomorrow.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I need a pic of this method lol
Here’s mine…
View attachment 755415

That is basically what I do, complete with the dewalt drill. I drop mine into water , not for any annealing reason ( it doesn’t matter with brass) but as I do it in low light to easily see the change in colour and I accidentally grabbed a hot case once
Gumpy

 

[mdwest]

Punched primers, resized, deburred, scraped primer pockets, cleaned, and dried 200 pieces of….

You guessed it… 308 Winchester brass…

Will probably prime all the cases tomorrow if I get a little time… then charge and seat bullets later in the week whenever time avails…

 

[BryceM]

Today it was .260 Ackley. For quite a while I've been beating my head against the wall to make 140gr H-VLDs work. I eventually found a pretty accurate load, but it was a touch on the hot side and gave me extractor marks once in a while. Velocity wasn't all that great and it was a bit on the finicky side. One day it was 1/2 MOA and the next it was a bit over 1 MOA. Needing to seat -0.070 off the lands to make the magazine work probably didn't help.

I moved to 135 grain Berger Classic Hybrid Hunters. About 11 rounds in, I was seeing higher velocities with less powder (even beyond the difference a 5 grain lighter bullet should have made), absolutely no pressure signs, and a load that stayed way under 1 MOA within a wide range of charge weights. Happy, happy. Also, I was able to move to about -0.030 and still feed from the magazine just fine.

 

[Miletic]

Today for driven hunt
.3006 spr
Hornady FP 170gr
Viht N550 53.5gr
case PPU (2xshoot) 63mm (cap 68.40gr)
OAL 76.70mm
speed 820m/s
group is ok (use red dot) Zastava M70

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

A tale of four rifles. Two M70's in 7x57 and two M70's in .30-06.

It's hard to believe how time flies sometimes. But some 10 years plus ago I bought a M70 FW in 7x57 for my rather young son and not too long after that a M70 FW in .30-06 for my wife. Two calibers that I had never owned before....yes including the venerable 'turdy odd six.

Well load development was a breeze with both rifles. Bullet wise I wanted to stay on the lighter side with recoil being a concern for both wife and son. I also wanted to stay with my favorite North Forks bonded cores.

No problem, the 140gr for the 7 and 165gr for the 30, a dose of IMR4350 behind each and wham bam it was done quickly. 1" or better groups with both rifles. Time to go hunting and I was very happy with the bullet performance.

So now the boy has the 7x57 at his house, but still have the .30-06. Well I wanted a 7x57 for myself and decided also on picking up another .30-06, both of these of the Super Grade flavor.

So it would seem reasonable to expect those loads to repeat in the new rifles. Reasonable but in reality it hasn't been so. I struggled with the lighter bullets in both of these rifles. The only decent results I got was with the .30-06 and using Winchester Staball 6.5 with 1.25-1.5" groups, not bad but not great either. All other combinations were in the 2" or worse groups at 100 yards. I just won't accept that.

So on to 160gr for the 7x57 and 180gr for the .30-06 I've gone now. First results with IMR4350 didn't result in much improvement. So on to Vihtavuori N160 and things improved a bit but still not great. It was time to then try and old friend, H4831. It wouldn't be the first time that when going to heavier for caliber bullets that this powder worked out for me. Results are preliminary and I still have work to do to ensure repeatability, but today's results were very encouraging with a sub 1" group in the .30-06 and a 1" group in the 7x57.

H4831 will never be a fan of those seeking maximum velocity, but I load for accuracy. I'd rather miss small going slower than miss bigger going faster.

It seems just odd to me how two rifles of the same caliber from the same manufacturer, virtually identical except for the stock can shoot so differently.

 

[DaddyFlip]

A tale of four rifles. Two M70's in 7x57 and two M70's in .30-06.

It's hard to believe how time flies sometimes. But some 10 years plus ago I bought a M70 FW in 7x57 for my rather young son and not too long after that a M70 FW in .30-06 for my wife. Two calibers that I had never owned before....yes including the venerable 'turdy odd six.

Well load development was a breeze with both rifles. Bullet wise I wanted to stay on the lighter side with recoil being a concern for both wife and son. I also wanted to stay with my favorite North Forks bonded cores.

No problem, the 140gr for the 7 and 165gr for the 30, a dose of IMR4350 behind each and wham bam it was done quickly. 1" or better groups with both rifles. Time to go hunting and I was very happy with the bullet performance.

So now the boy has the 7x57 at his house, but still have the .30-06. Well I wanted a 7x57 for myself and decided also on picking up another .30-06, both of these of the Super Grade flavor.

So it would seem reasonable to expect those loads to repeat in the new rifles. Reasonable but in reality it hasn't been so. I struggled with the lighter bullets in both of these rifles. The only decent results I got was with the .30-06 and using Winchester Staball 6.5 with 1.25-1.5" groups, not bad but not great either. All other combinations were in the 2" or worse groups at 100 yards. I just won't accept that.

So on to 160gr for the 7x57 and 180gr for the .30-06 I've gone now. First results with IMR4350 didn't result in much improvement. So on to Vihtavuori N160 and things improved a bit but still not great. It was time to then try and old friend, H4831. It wouldn't be the first time that when going to heavier for caliber bullets that this powder worked out for me. Results are preliminary and I still have work to do to ensure repeatability, but today's results were very encouraging with a sub 1" group in the .30-06 and a 1" group in the 7x57.

H4831 will never be a fan of those seeking maximum velocity, but I load for accuracy. I'd rather miss small going slower than miss bigger going faster.

It seems just odd to me how two rifles of the same caliber from the same manufacturer, virtually identical except for the stock can shoot so differently.

Torque, tolerances, twist, time.

 

[meigsbucks]

6.5 Grendel with 120gr Barnes TTSX
.375 Wby mag with 300gr Barnes TSX
6.5. Creedmoor with 140gr SST

 

[Green Chile]

Reloaded some 204 Ruger with 35 Bergers for hunting klippie this summer in RSA.

 

[Rare Breed]

Today it was .260 Ackley. For quite a while I've been beating my head against the wall to make 140gr H-VLDs work. I eventually found a pretty accurate load, but it was a touch on the hot side and gave me extractor marks once in a while. Velocity wasn't all that great and it was a bit on the finicky side. One day it was 1/2 MOA and the next it was a bit over 1 MOA. Needing to seat -0.070 off the lands to make the magazine work probably didn't help.

I moved to 135 grain Berger Classic Hybrid Hunters. About 11 rounds in, I was seeing higher velocities with less powder (even beyond the difference a 5 grain lighter bullet should have made), absolutely no pressure signs, and a load that stayed way under 1 MOA within a wide range of charge weights. Happy, happy. Also, I was able to move to about -0.030 and still feed from the magazine just fine.

I have finally decided to use Swift A-Frame in 286 grain for my leopard. I loaded up 20 rounds using Big Game 60 grains producing 2442 FPS 6,000 under max PSI. Sighted it in today at 100 yards with my new Swaro VX5i 3.5-18-50. Very happy with results!

 

[Green Chile]

Thrilled with your scope choice!

 

[Tintin]

Our Big Game Rifle Club annual Woodleigh Shoot is next weekend, with Geoff in attendance and shooting.

After a stocktake, the only loading that was required today was some .500 Jeffery, 535 grain Woodleigh softs and brass from Uncle Bruce. All done and each round test chambered.

 

[ldmay375]

10mm Auto. Accurate No.9, Montana Bullet Works 200 grain WFN-GC Hy-Tek coated.

 

[skydiver386]

@tinktink12 and I loaded some 257 Roberts for our upcoming group hunt with Mattanja Safari's.

90 grain Hammer Furhammer bullets for Klipspringer and other Tiny Ten critters.

 

[tinktink12]

@tinktink12 and I loaded some 257 Roberts for our upcoming group hunt with Mattanja Safari's.

90 grain Hammer Furhammer bullets for Klipspringer and other Tiny Ten critters.

I plan to hunt a klippie, red duiker and hopefully a sharpe’s grysbok. I could not find a solid bullet so we reloaded the perfect bullet to preserve their hides.

 

[Atticus]

Interested to hear results. I’m about to start loading for a 257 Roberts and have a lot of H4350 on hand.

I’m still figuring out loads for the 257 Bob with the 100 grain TTSX. So far I’ve been unimpressed with velocities using H4350. Max load should give me 3000fps per the Barnes recipe but I’m getting 2900. That said, the accuracy 1 grain below max is exactly the thing I’m looking for albeit at a somewhat anemic 2835fps.

The 2835 muzzle velocity will carry 2000fps to 350 yards which is likely further than I’d ever shoot. I’ll try out a couple other powders—IMR 4350 and Ramshot Hunter next.

 

[skydiver386]

I’m still figuring out loads for the 257 Bob with the 100 grain TTSX. So far I’ve been unimpressed with velocities using H4350. Max load should give me 3000fps per the Barnes recipe but I’m getting 2900. That said, the accuracy 1 grain below max is exactly the thing I’m looking for albeit at a somewhat anemic 2835fps.

The 2835 muzzle velocity will carry 2000fps to 350 yards which is likely further than I’d ever shoot. I’ll try out a couple other powders—IMR 4350 and Ramshot Hunter next.

I’m still figuring out loads for the 257 Bob with the 100 grain TTSX. So far I’ve been unimpressed with velocities using H4350. Max load should give me 3000fps per the Barnes recipe but I’m getting 2900. That said, the accuracy 1 grain below max is exactly the thing I’m looking for albeit at a somewhat anemic 2835fps.

The 2835 muzzle velocity will carry 2000fps to 350 yards which is likely further than I’d ever shoot. I’ll try out a couple other powders—IMR 4350 and Ramshot Hunter next.

That's the only real negative about all copper bullets like the Barnes X. They are not only longer for any given weight, but their best accuracy comes when they are seated deep and have a long jump to the rifling, the opposite of most jacketed lead core bullets. This lowers the available powder space, and therefore velocity.

Most of the time I go for the most accurate load and consider it done. If I really need another few hundred foot pounds of energy, it's probably time to move up in bullet weight, or a larger caliber.

 

[dneaster3]

Most of the time I go for the most accurate load and consider it done. If I really need another few hundred foot pounds of energy, it's probably time to move up in bullet weight, or a larger caliber

Truth.

 

[Atticus]

True enough and I’d be fine hunting whitetails or pronghorn at that velocity especially with sub 1/2 MOA. I’d still like to get a bit more velocity though. I don’t chase speed in my reloading, but that bullet should be easily getting over 3000fps. I picked up a pound of IMR 4350 today to try it out.