Reloading and general gun talk thread

I gotchya. I figured you'd keep your fireformed brass fireformed and just resize the neck. But like I said in my original post, I don't consider myself an expert. I've never competed in F class and what I know about bench rifles is that they aren't something you carry around on a sling.
I know a little bit about them and F class but you're much better versed in those subjects. What's your F class rifle? Or do you have more than one? Custom actions all around I'm guessing.

 

I have 2 F-Class rifles, actually. Both of them are Tikka actions. I bought both mine as used barreled actions, I like Tikka because the actions are already "true", and you can buy shouldered profit barrels for them because the actions are so consistent. Most everyone else though uses a custom actions. I put both of them in MDT ACC chassis (both blems bought during black friday sales). One of the rifles is a 223, I shoot it in "FTR", the other is a 6.5 Creedmoor, I shoot it in "F-Open". Both are very accurate. I also shoot the 223 rifle in benchrest matches.

I also shoot CMP Service Rifle matches. Used to shoot a M14 (Smith Enterprise receiver and barrel, rest of the components were USGI), last couple matches were with a 16" AR15. AR15 is certainly easier to shoot offhand in those matches.

 

Wow, that's very cool! And yeah, the AR is considerably lighter than the M14. Did you accurize the M14?

 

The M14 has a medium weight, match quality, cryo treated barrel, NM sights, and a rather nice trigger job done by Smith Enterprises. I'm certainly the weak point shooting it, not the rifle.

 

That's exactly what I say about myself. My firearms are far more accurate than I am. I can shoot, but when I don't have a 5 shot, 1/2 MOA group, I know it's not the gun.
Sounds like a very accurate service rifle!!

 

Hey buddy, I forgot to mention you'll need case lube of some kind. If you don't use it, you'll get a stuck case and they can be a real PITA. Carbide dies will eliminate the need for lube but you may want to get some anyway. Personally I use Lee's case lube when I'm doing rifle cartridges. You may want to look at getting carbide dies. I just looked on Amazon and 9mm carbide dies are going for about 50 bucks. There is a "Challenger" basic kit for 91 something. It has the press and dies and a priming function. But I think that's all it comes with. Take a look at it and see what you think.

 

Thanks! I found the case lube.

Is this the kit your referring too?

$92 Lee Precision 92134: Challenger 40Th Anniversary Pack with 9Mm Luger Breech Lock Carbide 3-Die Set

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7QC6YQW

 

That's the one!!

 

Good morning everyone! I hope ya'll have a safe and wonderful day!!

 

I think everyone one should own at least one Battle Rifle.
You never know what may happen in this crazy world we live in.

 

I like the way you think!

 

There was a Japanese high ranking officer that supposedly said invading America would be impossible.
And went on to say there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.
He wasnt that far off in his assessment.

 

Looking at their prices and they dont seem that bad.
Especially when you consider the price of the FNX!!

 

Yep, if I'm not mistaken it was Admiral Yamamoto.

 

I believe you're right.

 

I found them very reasonable.

 

I’ve been reloading about 15 years. .223/.22-250/7.62x39/30-30/.243/6.5CM/.308/30-06/.300wm
10mm/.40/.45
12g

just running out of places to shoot

 

I've considered making my own suppressor but again the FEDs would likely frown on that.
They're pretty simple really.

 

This is a great thread! I usually frequent castboolits for my reloading info, as I'm a revolver and lever gun fan, but reload some 9mm and 45acp as well. My love is for 38/357, and even more so for the 32 cal rounds....32SW, 32SWL, 32HRM, and 327FM.

I do everything w my Lyman 6 turret press, and just keep multiple press heads for different calibers.

Recently, the last of my Dad's generation in my family passed a few weeks back, and I found some of his cast boolits. These are the boolits, and the bags are marked "38spl, 192gr":



In descending order, these are the closest loads I found:




For fun, some vintage(I'm 42, and he was twice that) powder cans:



And my favorite:


Thanks all!

 

Thats Really Cool!!!
Finding how your Pops did it years ago has to be very enlightening!!!

 

You can do it legally by assigning it a serial number and filling out a form 1. You still have to pay the $200.00 tax stamp. But you can make them. Just like you can make your own gun.

 

That's a lot of calibers! That's a shame you're running out of places to shoot. Maybe come down here! Ha ha ha

 

You got my mouth watering!!! All the goodies!!! I do the same thing of writing on whatever container I can find. A lot of my brass is in zip lock bags. Labeled of course.

 

Oh wow, that's awesome!! And welcome to the thread. I'm glad everyone here seems to be of the same ideal. You have some great treasures there. Love the vintage powder cans. As far load development goes, you get as close to a factory load as you can and go from there. I've developed several loads that weren't in any manual. Thank you for the pics!!

 

@Rakkasan & @Corndog123....when my Dad passed back in 2013, I counted up the calibers that we shot, and came out to 35 different ones! Had some odd balls like the 7.63x25mm for a C96 Mauser, or a .455 Webley(600 fps was fast for that round), and some other Cowyboy Action loads like the 45 Colt and 45-70.

Over the years, I've cut it down to the .32 calibers I mentioned above, the 38/357, 44spl/44mag, 308, 30-06, 223, 9mm, 45ACP and I think that is it for reloading.

I cast some 320gr gas check 44mag boolits a long time back that I worked up a pretty stout bear load for. Those things kick! I never shoot them out of my S&Ws, always test them in my Ruger revolvers, just being bit stronger metallurgy wise and lock-up.

If y'all think reloading itself is a rabbit hole, go down the casting side of it and that's an entire different universe!