Maven
09-13-2005, 07:16 PM
I've been experimenting with WC 860 and a "fat" 195gr. Loverin (Jim Allison/Cast Bullet Enterprises made the mold.) in my Arg. Mau. (with a Lyman receiver sight + a Swedish Mau. front sight, thanks to KCSO) with satisfying results. 44gr. WC 860 (maybe 1,670fps) + Fed. 215 primers gave fairly consistent groups with an occasional flyer to keep me humble. The best 50 yd. group was 5 in 1" (As we shoot to the SW, the afternoon light on our 100 yd. range isn't favorable to open or aperture sights, thus the shorter distance.)
As I was running short of standard LR primers, I decided to substitute 43gr. IMR 5010 + .5cc powdered bran (Bf) under the same CB. Experience has shown that 5010 -> almost the same velocity as 860, particularly when using a filler. The results were better in some respects, but the dispersion of hits on the target (50 yds.) was greater (getting humbler by the minute!). My best groups were 5 out of 15 in 1" and 8 of 15 that could be covered by a quarter. Oddly enough, I forgot to use Fed. 215 (mag.) primers with this load (a first), which may have helped disperse some of them.
Brass I used reformed Rem. & Win. .30-06 brass, which are good for ~5-7 firings before the necks split or are burned through. I also tried 20 new pieces of Graf's brass (2 firings to date and appear nearly new). Two things are apparent with it. First, pressure seems a bit higher with it as the same hold -> higher groupings on the target. Second, the rim thickness is less than that of the Fed., Rem. and Win. '06 brass, which means the Lee handheld priming tool won't seat primers to the proper depth using their #2 shell holder. Moreover, the diameter of base/rim is slightly wider than that of '06 brass so that some wouldn't even enter that same shell holder (or the one on my Lachmiller priming tool either). I finally managed to seat them using my little-used Forster (a PITA to use) Co-Ax priming tool.
Next test will be with WC 820 v. IMR 4198 and the same CB, but with standard LR primers.
As I was running short of standard LR primers, I decided to substitute 43gr. IMR 5010 + .5cc powdered bran (Bf) under the same CB. Experience has shown that 5010 -> almost the same velocity as 860, particularly when using a filler. The results were better in some respects, but the dispersion of hits on the target (50 yds.) was greater (getting humbler by the minute!). My best groups were 5 out of 15 in 1" and 8 of 15 that could be covered by a quarter. Oddly enough, I forgot to use Fed. 215 (mag.) primers with this load (a first), which may have helped disperse some of them.
Brass I used reformed Rem. & Win. .30-06 brass, which are good for ~5-7 firings before the necks split or are burned through. I also tried 20 new pieces of Graf's brass (2 firings to date and appear nearly new). Two things are apparent with it. First, pressure seems a bit higher with it as the same hold -> higher groupings on the target. Second, the rim thickness is less than that of the Fed., Rem. and Win. '06 brass, which means the Lee handheld priming tool won't seat primers to the proper depth using their #2 shell holder. Moreover, the diameter of base/rim is slightly wider than that of '06 brass so that some wouldn't even enter that same shell holder (or the one on my Lachmiller priming tool either). I finally managed to seat them using my little-used Forster (a PITA to use) Co-Ax priming tool.
Next test will be with WC 820 v. IMR 4198 and the same CB, but with standard LR primers.