Ok got a martini cadet action and a 1:8 twist barrel coming. Suggestions?

[barrabruce]

Thanks Mike.
I made a few pp bullets with some 2205 and 2207 powder to try.
Even lashed out and used some gas checks on a 165 grainer.
@180 is as big as I have at the moment.
See if anyone around here has one of those boolits like pencil stubs to try.

Looks like we could be in for a little weather.
Hope you get all the rain you need down there.
Cheers.
It only has taken me 6-7 years to get it to this stage.
And probably another 35 off and on since I first shot a martini cadet when younger.
Ha.

[Rapier]

Sorry, did not get a notice on the question about the 200 cast and the 30-20. The gun was a Merrill/XL single shot pistol with a 1-10 .308 barrel, 10 inches. Load was 11 grains of H-4227 at 1,306 fps SD 13 fps, 1” at 50 meters. Bullet was a Saeco mold.
Just in case you can use them….
180g RCBS 12.5g H4227 1,432 fps 1” SD 5
165g RCBS 12.5g H-4227 1,533 fps .5” SD 7
150g RCBS 14g H-4227 1,633 fps .8” SD 4

Some loads go from case falling out to stuck case in 1/2 grain increase.

If I recall you folks down under have an equivalent powder.

[barrabruce]

Well last session was a dud.
I did learn however that I cannot focus on a bead or a post or point with a 20" sight radius anymore.
I did make a new bead with a hole in it to use like a globe front sight, higher than my last and Guesstimated how much higher I needed it.
Worked well for me today.
Got it sighted in pretty near and quick.
I was doing O.k. Till I thought I would shoot a beverage container at 50yrds offhand on the ground.
The wind flag was in the way a little so I waited for the wind to change.
After about 4 hits it had moved some and going for 5 in a row I could see the point of the flag near the bottle.
Nah it’ll be right enough room.
Whack the flag went flying.
On inspection at the next cease fire I found I had hit the wire protruding out the wind flag for stability.
The lead sinker was gone and a big bend in the wire.
Who woulda thunk it possible.

Any way back to business.

It’s doing better that I thought it would.
I made a size die that sizes the nose and body in one and use a rod to knock it back out.
That way I can seat cast bullets so it doesn’t go below the neck of the case.
It maybe a bees Willy large as trying to seat longer bullets are hard and the nose is engraved a little much for just a simple plug case and hand seating.
The semi breach seated cases. IE: firm but slip fit in the case seem to allow for deeper and not constant seating depth.
This will need to be fixed.

Any hoo.
After getting it mostly sighted in a few groups using the Lee soupcan and 150 grn 308241 shows there is nothing wrong with the way it wants to shoot.



I have to explain the marked shots.
I had started off with some fixed ammo but ran out and reloaded some more up.
But used the wrong bush in the powder thrower.

The 150’s at 50 and 100


The flyer at 5 I do not know what I did so I shot another and it went into the group.

The wind died for a while and I sighted in my 120 Lee bullet in at 50yrds

My learning curve on the maths to click ratio needs a little refining to the new sight radius But I’m getting there.
One flyer high but the last 2 or 3 just a little high and a tad left.
I have left it set at that for now.

About as good as I may ever get with open sights in a 5 lb rifle off the elbows and bags off the bench.

If I could have adjusted for the wind well sky’s the limit.

Now just have to find a heavy bullet to try and play with one day.

Note this seems to shoot the heavier bullets to the right more as I go up in weight.
Up and down obviously.
Do you think it could be a bedding issue or do fast twist barrels do that?
I haven’t had this happen to me before.

Thanks for wasting your time reading this.
I’ve had a blast over the last few months playing around with this project.

Fast bullets may prove to be a whole new ball game with this thing as the fast twist may need a different approach than I’m used to.

Such is life.

How hard could it be I thought.
Ha

[barrabruce]

It’s all Jedman’s fault!
He inspired me to do it.
Glad I did.
Getting somewhere with it.
Ness safety bullet at 50 yards.

Hunter 150 at 100 yards.

Very happy with how it’s shooting.
I could use a little refining but looks like I can go forth now and harass the "coke can cartel" or whatever.

[school of mines]

Great project! Thanks for the awesome right up. Really enjoyed it!

[rjmelehan]

Bruce,
Would you please let me know where you acquired a barrel blank for your Martini..?
I have a cadet that someone turned into a 32 WS...
which doesn't suite me.
Looking for a new barrel.

Thanks in advance
Bob

[barrabruce]

Bruce,
Would you please let me know where you acquired a barrel blank for your Martini..?
I have a cadet that someone turned into a 32 WS...
which doesn't suite me.
Looking for a new barrel.

Thanks in advance
Bob

I got mine off abusedguns.com I think.
It came up and seemed reasonable at the time.
Most were 30 cal take off barrels that were "good for age " at the time and didn’t appear a half decent buy.
A new one would be 3mths wait at least by one provider and most were out of stock or too expensive for me.

You maybe be able to cut back that chamber to 32 s&w or 32-20 8mm something if you have enough meat left for a 120 grn pill.

It all depends on what you would like to end up using it for I suppose in the end and what you can find.

A few grains of bulleye under a tufted or Dacron and a fitted 120 grain bullet would still shoot nice in it/or 310 performance.
I load my 30-30 like that and it works well for that duty.

Cheers.

[rjmelehan]

Thanks Bruce..!

[Rapier]

I found it fairly easy to find a short 16-17 inch .308 or .358 barrel in the US. Last two I bought were from Gun Parts. A 1” in diameter is plenty enough to work with. You leave 6-9” in front of the shoulder straight to mount REM 541 scope bases on and the forearm to. Taper if you wish, to the muzzle diameter. Turn and thread the shank and then cut the angles for the extractor. When the extractor angles function, cut the new chamber.
The Cadet extractor can be hard to come by in the US. So be careful with an original.
If you can find the dies, the 7mm Super Mag (357 Super Mag (Max) necked to 7mm is a real nice cartridge for the Cadet action).

[barrabruce]

Did a ladder test with some 2205 and 2207 powder the other day.
165 grn rn 311466 gc’ed n speed green.
Some were a bit dodgy, but most were in a cluster of @ 1" at 50 yards.
Will try some at 14.2 gns and see how they fly.
14-1500 fps?

Ironically they shot 3 1/2" low from a lot slower speed sight setting.
Haven’t seen that before.
Anyone have a clue?
Could it be a barrel vibration thing or more of a bedding issue?
Strange.
Well it is left handed ,maybe I put it together upside down.

Will have to live with it I suppose.