Anyone been shooting today?

[Angelfire]

ovenpaa,

Aye that's the way, be selective who uses your kit.

As a retired hobby hunter of deer and not target shooting oriented, I can only look on with awe at the distances you guys perform at. If I could not stalk to 200 yds or even less, then I did not shoot. I was with my mate one day when he put 3 rounds into a Red Stag at around 200 yds, and the bugger ran off. Despite following on the quad, it still made its escape over the march, to be found dead the next day on the next estate. How it survived to run that far is a complete mystery.

Regards

Phil*

[Ovenpaa]

...and I am in awe of how you guys get so close to Deer sometimes, shooting at long range is fun but to stalk an animal takes a very special ability and I would like to try it one day.

[Blu]

Was out at the range today sighting in my inline muzzle loader because I changed the scope on it. The thermometer on the range hut said it was -11C. Tonight it is supposed to get down to -23C. Tomorrow morning I will be up at 5:30AM to go chase deer and try to put a sabot in one.

Around this time every year my wife makes the same statement of "your nuts". She's probably right but I just love being out there in the woods.

Blu

[Blu]

Phil, your story of the wrecked .223 brought to mind of a fella I know who did something similar. This fella is a very knowledgeable man when it comes to firearms and reloading unfortunately he used to like to tipple when he reloaded. Well one night while he was reloading under the influence he doubled charged a round, the next day at the range he managed to destroy a beautiful Swedish Mauser. Suffice to say he did learn his lesson and never mixed booze and reloading again.

Like you guys I also keep a record of all my reloads as well. When I am reloading as soon as the powder has been dispensed I check the shell is empty and then charge it after which I seat the bullet right away while the next charge is being dispensed.

Blu

[dazeroo]

A few years ago, while I had a connection to the gun trade, I remember a phone call along the lines of, "Thanks for the load advice, far better than factory stuff, but my brother in law has given me some bullets, still .224 but 55gr instead of 50gr. I fancy trying them, how much "more" powder do I use."

Please bear in mind this was what I call Easter Tuesday, after being closed for 4 days, and the phones were red hot. What you don't know is that this person was so tight, he was reloading purely to save money. I've got no beef with that, as long as they've got a brain as well! He'd borrowed a press, dies, and a partial set of "LEE" scoops. His only data came from the photocopied pages of my 3 manuals, given as a favour, because he wouldn't buy a basic manual.

While I was grabbing my first coffee of the day, about 10:30, I was replaying the "tape of my morning", in my head.

Can't explain this, but since I've turned 30, I cannot remember anything I've done that is finished, but I'm getting better at remembering anything I haven't done yet. I think it's my brain compensating for itself!

Anyway, I recalled the phrase, "How much more powder to drive the heavier bullet", and rang him straight away. From memory, I was pushing a 50gr tnt with 36.5gr of H4350 through a brand new Remy 700, 22.250. About 0.5gr from max, just suited that rifle. Anyway when I called him, for no other reason than, "It sounded right", he was in the process of filling 22/250 cases with 41gr or H4350, to be behind a 55gr Nosler, max load, 37gr!

After a half hour of heated banter, I retreived my phootocopied manual pages, for my sake, and wished him luck. When I left he was still pondering the concept of heavier bullet, better burn. He rang me once more to question the borrowed data, and I'm sorry, but I told him to p*ss off and buy a manual.

[Ovenpaa]

We normally charge to close to case capacity which is a deliberate move and throwing a double charge is impossible as you end up with a tray full of powder and a sulky wife. However in theory it is possible for the scales to have a mad moment and over throw and to this day I prefer to only load by the tray so I have a batch of 50 cases. last check as I take them away from from Christel is to peer in the top and do a quick visual check to confirm the level is the same in all the cases.

When reloading safety margins can be very small and accordingly we always question each others work if we are remotely unsure. Despite all this I have been know to give her a tray of prepped brass without primers in before

[Robin128]

That checking has stood the test of time, effective when reloading 223rem and 308win to be sure.

Concentration levels and repeated simple charging sequences work, minimise disturbance, don't charge whilst watching Wales getting another hammering at rugby or baby sitting a 2 year old.

As David says, the risk of double charges are greater when case capacity allows...especially when charging light loads for your 38specials and 44Mag for your LBR/underlever.

Digressing very slightly and perhaps being a little anecdotal (again) I know an expert who reloaded 100 308win for someone else, and only one would chamber. :roll: What was the problem? Didn't full length re-size, just neck sized. OK for brass out of one's own gun to be fired again by the same gun,....but.....

Well trodden path innit?

Rob

[Mike357]

Military have cried off twice now on the MOD range at Barry Buddon. Soft arses. Can't get near our club range because of the snow.

[Blu]

Mike357, Military crying off is a result of Elfin Safety mate. It's been that way since the early 90's when the Armed Forces lost their Crown immunity. The only thing that gets them out of it is emergencies and war.

Blu

[25Pdr]

Military have cried off twice now on the MOD range at Barry Buddon. Soft arses. Can't get near our club range because of the snow.

The shoot at Gareloch Military Range for Sunday 12th Dec. has been cancelled. The Range Wardens cant get up the hill to fly the safety flags.