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Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:06 PM.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
I just bought my first dilion 550, and it'll be here in 2 days. I've learned a ton on this thread. Thank you all for taking the time to post useful info for those of us that are just getting started.
Excellent post, very helpful.
A previous post got me thinking: Do any of the mold makers sell a grab bag of cast boolits from their molds for a shooter to mess with before buying the mold?
Say 20 count for each mold in a caliber? That way you could get an idea of what style/weight works well in your gun before buying an expensive mold.
After reading the post all the way through I have decided that shooting cast in rifles for me is way too complicated. I don't have the space or tools to do all that . Thanks for saving me a lot of frustration.
lt
Don't give up so quick... look at the .30-06....take a sized case, bell it enough so a bullet starts using a center punch...seat a cast bullet (150~180 grains) unsized, that you can hand lube. Use a std primer and 13.0 grains of Red Dot or 15.0 of Unique...seat the bullet just long enough that it barely touches the Leade. You will be delighted with the results. One can perfect this and on some calibers one has to do a lot of perfecting... Typically the .22 calibers are the most challenging. I shoot 9 different rifle calibers with cast bullets and only the .22's were difficult.
I'd just like to add one refinement. When you charge the cases, place in a loading block take a flashlight and look into each and every case to check the powder level...you want to make certain that you have charged all cases and you didn't double charge them. Should you fire an uncharged cases the bullet could get stuck in the barrel .....firing the next one could very well burst the barrel.
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Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:06 PM.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
Then you weren't paying very close attention with the flashlight inspection. The difference between a regular and double-charge of Unique in an '06 case is about 5/8", but if one is new to visual inspections it's a good idea to intentionally double-charge a case for comparison to a normal charge so you can calibrate your eyeball. (just don't forget to dump it out, eh?) I either use two blocks or work to opposite ends like you suggest, but I check with a pen light anyway as extra insurance.
Gear
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Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:06 PM.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
I charge them then seat the boolit in place.
habit I picked up long ago.
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Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:06 PM.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
Tim, IMO this is one of the best stickies on the forum!
The following pictures illustrate a good way to protect the muzzle from the rod being used to push the sizing slug through the bore or hammer the slug when taking chamber dimensions. I've been cleaning my M-1 and M1-A this way for decades, now. I learned these tricks back in the 70s and 80s from the old timers at our NRA High Power match. I used a tubing cutter and a .243 Win. case for this particular muzzle protector. Using different caliber bottle necked cases, this method could be used on different caliber rifles. Tt.
Here's a similar tip for the M1-A, a 12 ga. shell is the right size to fit the flash suppressor, just drill out the primer pocket to fit your rod:
"Treetop"
Sgt. USMC
1968-71
"Accuracy has a suppressive power all by itself."
Lt. Gen. George Flynn, USMC
“The Second Amendment was not written to protect your right to shoot deer.
It was written to protect your right to shoot tyrants…”
Judge Andrew Napolitano
Thanks for the great ideas Treetop!!
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Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:07 PM.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
That's a good one, too. Add the Richard Lee tip of upending each case just before charging to make sure it started out empty and it's even more foolproof.
I still batch-charge and use a light for final inspection because powder can do strange strange things like bridge or clump in the measure, or get static cling. You won't see that just charging each case and stuffing a boolit on top. I can usually see to within a couple grains if a charge is correct by comparing levels of all in the block. Once checked, all get sealed with a lead kiss and run through the seater die. I NEVER put a boolit on top of powder unless I've made a visual on the powder, even on a progressive and even if that means using a dentist's mirror.
The only reloading mentor I had when I started did the charge a case, seat a bullet thing, BUT he looked in each one with a light before putting it back in the shell holder. He dumped, weighed, and funneled back in every tenth charge for most stuff, and weighed every charge on some, one at a time, and always immediately seated a bullet on verified powder charges before the case left his hand.
Gear
I charge then seat a bullet. No loading blocks for me. Maybe this is why I dislike using a filler, it changes my pattern and habit.
Loading blocks scared me already but it got worse when I was shooting and had a few hunks of a stock go flying by me. Rifle being shot next to me got a double charge, stick the bolt, blew the sides of the magazine out. Scared the heck out of me and the shooter. Yes, he was shooting cast.
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Last edited by MBTcustom; 02-13-2018 at 02:07 PM.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |