Reloading update.

Well here is the good and the bad from this weeks hand loading of cartridges.

First off, I hate load manuals. You need to have half a dozen of the damn things because between the same bullet and powder and primer, each guy has a different load recipe. .223 in one book starts at one point and the top end is at the starting point for another manual.

Side note, LC stuff made from the mid 90's on up has a huge case capacity. I'm stuffing 27 Grains of Varget in to LC 97's for great accuracy! Figured this was the one! Made a classic reloading mistake. Took a batch of mixed twice fired British, PMC, Remington, Winchester cases... And with the exception of the British stuff, I couldn't fit more than 25 grains in each of the conventional cases. I topped off 40 of the rounds in the mindset that since the 27 grains filled the LC nicely that I can replicate that performance with the mixed civiliann stuff.
We will see. The LC 27 grain rounds with two called fliers out of five... Well I had three shots keyholeing at 100 yards.

Mostly however I want to get a good solid consistant load across multiple cases for the AR15's, using Varget. Varget seems to show better shot to shot consistency than IMR 4895. I have a pound and a half of the Varget stuff, and if I don't get something consistent I will go back to IMR 4895.

Status, ongoing.

Next up was the trial of the 30-30 Winchester in the Marlin 336, trying out W748 ball powder on a instinct to propel the 160 grain Hornady leverlution bullets. I had a scattering of rounds,  ranging from 2MOA to 4MOA. Disappointing, until....29.0 grains. Three shots touching, one fouling shot and perhaps one flyer? This is the load I will be going with. Oddly though this rifle can bring three in somewhat close with a powder charge it is okay with, and tosses two off in another, usually similar spot. Odd, but if the mentioned weight was a total of about 2 MOA, counting the two off shots. That is pretty damn good for a lever action rifle and a 4.5 power scope. I will load this up, so Success on this account.

Next up is the Thor. Which I think will perhaps become The Bastard. This is the Remington M700 in 300 WSM.
It showed great consistency with the 58.0 grains of IMR 4350 in the barrel break in shots. I even had three rounds in .5 in MOA during that process. After that things went to hell. (yes, I was cleaning the rifle). Again the Barnes bullets at the starting charge grouped acceptably well, then from there it went to hell. Sticky bolts, and that gun was SCREAMING. I know I was pushing the charge here. So I'm looking at backing off, trying the 58.0 grain weight charge again.. or going down from 180 grain pills to 165/168 or 150 grain bullets. Let me say something, I am glad Ides got me that lead sled and I had 2000 lead bullets holding the fucker down. Recoil was little to none in that. However at the sticky bolt phase of 59.0 grains... The report was impressive to say the least. I wish I had a chronograph of what they were pushing. The rifle held it well, but for some reason this thing still is just being a Bastard all the way around. I'll figure it out but still. Hmmm. Much research and thinking to be done on this one.

Status, ongoing.

Finally this is an embarrassing success. The Remington M700 Classic, year model of 2003, .300 Savage.

Nothing really to report, I knew this thing keyholed 180 grain Federals. So I went with Sierra 180 grain plain spitzers. Flat based bullet, sold in packs of 100. Model number 2150. I took aim at a target I had previously shot at with the .300 WSM. Charge IMR 4895 35.5 Murphy's law here. I managed to hit a spot where I shot two rounds in to. They were part of the break in process. However I put 4 shots in 1/4 in MOA, Ill give one thats at just outside of that the called fouler shot. All I can say to this is America, Fuck Yeah. I don't know why but that is what popped in to my head. So I took that mixed batch of brass I had, loaded up 50 of these babys and called it a day today.
Yep, I know, Mixed brass, this is bad bad for long range precision target shooting. However if I can cover these up with a half dollar at 100 yards and a pie plate at 200 this will put any white tail deer down in out there. Not bad for a cartridge that dates from the 1920's

Yes that's right folks, the 300 Savage was decades ahead of its time. It was initially made to take advantage of the better powders out there at that time to replace the 30-06 or replicate its performance, roughly in a smaller magazine and bolt. (Sounds much like the Super Short Magnums that came out in...2001?). This cartridge was even offered to the US military for trials, but the somewhat odd neck on it did not apparently lend itself well to Machine gun applications. This cartridge has nearly identical ballistics to the .308 Winchester/7.62Nato, though that later cartridge does have the performance edge. As such its obselete
Still, I enjoy the cartridge and it does pretty good for what it is.

So, two successes with this Range report. I have Workhorse and one back up rifle, and one that perhaps can be loaned out this season to someone in need. Or whatever. Or just practice with.

Peace out folks.