georgewxxx
08-22-2007, 05:03 PM
Yesterday while testing my Springfield 35 Whelen cast loads, I got about half way through the 50 rounds I had loaded up and the chronograph went blank. With thunder and lightning fast approaching I was in a hurry to finish, so I just kept on shooting till all the loads were gone. I packed up the gear and went in the house just before it started raining. Today I decided to see just what the problem was this time. I've had the misfortune twice before of embedding a gas check in the cord that links the sky screens to my Beta Chrony. Both those time it was wayward .22 gas checks bouncing off the stands. When it happened before, a error would show up after every shot. This time it just went blank. Thinking it was battery power, I grabbed the 9 volt battery to check it and it was hot. The 35 cal gas check did is bigger than a .22 and did more damage to those tiny wires and shorted out the system. You can't believe how much fun it is trying to splice those fine wires. There are 6 of them almost like your cat-5 compute line wires. I've three pieces of lexan attached to the front of the sky screens to protect it just in case. It's been pasted by gas checks that have fallen off several time before and after I added the lexan.
Often wondered how the guys that have a Alpha chrony do it with their readout right in harms way under the sky screens. Crimp on gas checks is all I use, but even they come off on occasion. Just guessing, I'd say that's why some of our groups get unexplained flyer's. When we have a boolit that is easy to attach the check to the shank, it just might have a down side to it. The gas check might fall off easier too. On this test, I'm sizing my boolits .356. You'd think it would squeeze then on better yet.
BTW, if you think .356 is too small for a 35 Whelen, thinking is your problem. Testing is what tells you what will shoot best. I've used .356, .357, .358 sizing dies and so far .356 out-shoots the others at 1800 to 2200fps area with my Douglas barrel. ....unless a gas check come off....Geo
Often wondered how the guys that have a Alpha chrony do it with their readout right in harms way under the sky screens. Crimp on gas checks is all I use, but even they come off on occasion. Just guessing, I'd say that's why some of our groups get unexplained flyer's. When we have a boolit that is easy to attach the check to the shank, it just might have a down side to it. The gas check might fall off easier too. On this test, I'm sizing my boolits .356. You'd think it would squeeze then on better yet.
BTW, if you think .356 is too small for a 35 Whelen, thinking is your problem. Testing is what tells you what will shoot best. I've used .356, .357, .358 sizing dies and so far .356 out-shoots the others at 1800 to 2200fps area with my Douglas barrel. ....unless a gas check come off....Geo