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Hayfield
05-17-2007, 08:00 PM
Had a chance to shoot my SMLE today over the chrony to check velocity before going any further with accuracy. Wanted 1600 fps or so. Used my 03 load of 28.5 of 4895 to start. First shot I loaded in the mag with the butt on my thigh, 1647...good. Second, same technique, 1636... I'm getting happy. Third.... I leave the rifle on the bag, load one in the mag and kinda just lower the butt and give it a bump......1436. Oh my! Go back to the butt on my thigh....1649 & 1633. Then try one with the lazy method again....1457. Would I use a filler (dacron I guess) given that I'll be shooting prone and raising the rifle to load would be almost impossible for a 60 shot silhoette match? Being that this is a bottle neck case what caveauts are in order? I'm a straight wall guy.

leftiye
05-17-2007, 08:12 PM
Actually, I've never used a filler. BUT it sounds pretty clear that you may need one. The standard is half of a grain of dacron. You push the front part down on the powder and then the rest, but leave it loose to fill the case behind the boolit. All kinds of other things are also used (which I wouldn't use) cream of wheat, corn meal, granulated plastic, etc. Cotton, and Kapok work well if you don't want to put plastic in your ctgs.

35remington
05-17-2007, 08:14 PM
Hayfield, it would certainly be worth a try. It would cut down on the velocity variation, and it may help accuracy. Only way to know is to do it.

Most commonly accepted and considered proper procedure here is to take up the space between powder and base of bullet by filling completely with dacron. Do not tamp it in or leave airspace. A volume of dacron (sold as 100% polyester fiberfill at craft and hobby stores as pillow stuffing) weighing considerably less than one grain would be the proper amount, most likely in the vicinity of a few to several tenths of a grain for your load. A square bladed screwdriver serves to push it in the case.

Vigorously tap the case, upside down, on the bench to check for powder movement before you seat the bullet to make sure the amount you added is adequate for holding the powder in place. Done right, it will resists some pretty rough handling.