res45
01-10-2010, 06:18 PM
I got out this morning and tested out my M44 54r loads using the Lee TL .312 GC bullet and 16 grs. of 2400. I loaded up 5 rds. just to see what it would do before I go to far,to make a long story short I set my target at 50 yds. I figured the bullet would probably drop considerably which it did with the sights set like I have them plus slower MV, it shot about 8 " low but dead center side to side. The best thing was no leading and 2" 5 shot group. I like the 16 gr. load of 2400 nice shooting load
My case necks were a little sooty but not a lot,I may have possibly used the wrong expander ball,a couple of the necks had a slight bulge but no feeding problems except one case that just wouldn't chamber,I will check that today and also measure the fired case necks outside/inside dia.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1/rhsikes/Picture-1.jpg
Added: I'm having a problem with about one out of ever five rds. not wanting to chamber,the larger expander ball that came with my RCBS dies mic's out .308 which is the one I had in the die,the outside dia. of a fired case measures .339.5 inside dia. measures .312.5 The case that want chamber has a bright ring right about where the GC is applied I'm running it through a Lee .314 sizer so as not to resize the TL bullet any, my bore measures .300 across the lands and .313 across the grooves.
The cast bullet I'm using measures .312 across the back driving band and right at .313 on the GC. After further investigation with some Jacketed rds. I have loaded which use .312 Hornady bullets and Prvi Partizan brass and taking some reading from those components I have come to the conclusion that the Bulgarian berdan primed surplus brass I was using with these test loads has considerably thicker brass in the neck area and is causing the tight fit,plus it's also not consistent from one side to the other.
Hopefully in the next few day I can fire a few rds. of the jacketed reloads and use the brass to load some test rds. with the cast bullet and see if they all chamber,the jacketed loads using the Hornady .312 bullets in the Prvi brass mic's out at .333 outside dia. when loaded,we will see.
UPDATE: Problem solved on the rd chambering issue loaded some test rds. in the Prvi brass I had,it knocked .04 off the outside dia.and they all chamber smoothly the Bulgarian surplus brass was just to erratic on the brass thickness being they used a .310.5 FMJ bullet allowed it to work in the original factory loading,so I will just use it for jacketed bullets like I have in the past. Now to find some extra Prvi 54r brass.
My case necks were a little sooty but not a lot,I may have possibly used the wrong expander ball,a couple of the necks had a slight bulge but no feeding problems except one case that just wouldn't chamber,I will check that today and also measure the fired case necks outside/inside dia.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1/rhsikes/Picture-1.jpg
Added: I'm having a problem with about one out of ever five rds. not wanting to chamber,the larger expander ball that came with my RCBS dies mic's out .308 which is the one I had in the die,the outside dia. of a fired case measures .339.5 inside dia. measures .312.5 The case that want chamber has a bright ring right about where the GC is applied I'm running it through a Lee .314 sizer so as not to resize the TL bullet any, my bore measures .300 across the lands and .313 across the grooves.
The cast bullet I'm using measures .312 across the back driving band and right at .313 on the GC. After further investigation with some Jacketed rds. I have loaded which use .312 Hornady bullets and Prvi Partizan brass and taking some reading from those components I have come to the conclusion that the Bulgarian berdan primed surplus brass I was using with these test loads has considerably thicker brass in the neck area and is causing the tight fit,plus it's also not consistent from one side to the other.
Hopefully in the next few day I can fire a few rds. of the jacketed reloads and use the brass to load some test rds. with the cast bullet and see if they all chamber,the jacketed loads using the Hornady .312 bullets in the Prvi brass mic's out at .333 outside dia. when loaded,we will see.
UPDATE: Problem solved on the rd chambering issue loaded some test rds. in the Prvi brass I had,it knocked .04 off the outside dia.and they all chamber smoothly the Bulgarian surplus brass was just to erratic on the brass thickness being they used a .310.5 FMJ bullet allowed it to work in the original factory loading,so I will just use it for jacketed bullets like I have in the past. Now to find some extra Prvi 54r brass.