Long Range Rifle/Scope/PRS question(s)

Varminterror said:

There’s just so much fun in a 9mm carbine.

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Dang skippy

A generous THR member gifted me 100 Sierra 107 Gr SMKs, I picked up 100 Hornady 108 Gr ELDs, and of course I have some Berger 105 Gr Hybrids. It was raining here today, so I took the ejector out of the Impact's bolt, as well as the firing pin assembly, and used this method to see where they hit the lands. I had already done this with the Bergers, but did it again.

I did not try to get it exactly on the lands. I loaded them long in twice fired/sized cases and shortened them up .005 at a time. I logged the last Wilson seater setting where the bolt didn't drop of it own accord, and the seater setting where it did. I also used my Sinclair Comparator Body with the 6MM Insert to get a Base To Ogive number which I also recorded.

I have been loading the Berger to be .010 to .015 off the lands. I am going to fire form my latest batch of 100 Lapua 6 BR cases with some of each of these bullets, then load 25 of those fire formed cases to complete the number I might need for the Dec 14 match, which will leave me 75 fire formed cases to test things with.

I measured the OAL for reference purposes for anyone who might wonder how much difference there
is in the OALs for possible feeding issues. The only important measurement of course is base to ogive.

Alpha 6 Dasher brass came back in stock, so I have 100 on the way. My N-150 and N-160 came Monday. I'm ready to play around a little when I am up to it.

I may load another dummy round with the ELD and SMK, but this time at .010 to .015 into the lands to see how these shorter rounds will feed after seeing the video @Varminterror posted.

Earlier in the thread I had mentioned the issue of my old Sinclair hand priming tool not seating the CCI-450 below flush in the 6 BR cases. I bought a 21st Century tool and I love it.

But since I will be seating large primers in the Creedmoor using Hornady brass, at least to start I decided to fix the issue with the tool. It has shims (Thin washers) to put under the part that holds the primer punches if it is seating too deeply, but you are out of luck if it doesn't seat deeply enough.

I took .003 off of the one for the large punch and .005 off the one for the small punch. That is about what was needed as one was longer than the other, and a hair too much is ok, because you can lessen the depth with shims.

This is the piece that holds the large primer seater stem and determines seating depth. I removed .005 from the top, re-chamfered the inner and outer edges and polished a little with 600 grit.


Here it is in the tool, you can see the seater punch is above flush as it should be.
As is with no shims it is now seating Federal 210M primers .007 to .0075 below flush. Good to go.



I'll use the 21st Century tool for small primers and the Sinclair for large primers, no need to swap out
parts to switch back and forth, but if I should want to, the small primer part is also fixed.

I picked up the MPA Competition Ready Rifle today. I have three rounds ready to start breaking it in and get some fired cases from this rifle.
I'll use those three cases to tweak the sizer setup and then I'll be good to go. Gonna start with Hornady brass.

I have to mount the scope when I feel up to it, then go to the range. Actually feeling nearly human today.

Oh, the AIAW mag I did not "tweak" fits in it and looks like it will work, just have to try it. The P-Mag that came with it
has a lot of side to side play/wobble down low, but I doubt that will hurt anything. If the AIAW mag runs, I'll use it,
but I also ordered MDT AI style 10 & 12 round mags on the Black Friday sale the other day too.

I loaded 3 rounds with 43.0 Grs of Winchester PR StaBall 6.5 and Berger 105 Gr Hybrids. I found the distance to the lands with the Berger, the107 SMK and the 108 ELD. I loaded the Bergers to be .010 to .015 off the lands and they are a hair too long for the Magpul mag.

I buggered up the roll pin for the ejector so any shooting before I get a new on will be with no ejector. I need to make or buy a tool for removing/reinstalling it like I have for my two lug Impact/other Remish clones. It is a different size as well, the stock Remington ejector roll pin from Brownells fits the Impact.

5/64x3/8 for the Impact and 3/32x3/8 for the Axiom. Super cheap from somewhere like McMaster Carr. Expensive from Brownells, but then, we shouldn't be removing them much.

I am feeling better getting stir crazy, and curiosity killed the cat, so I went to the range and fired the three rounds with no ejector (Used to that from my Benchrest days), and no scope. Just lined up the chrono and shot.

1st shot = 3058 FPS
2nd shot = 3086 FPS
3rd shot = 3108 FPS

The four port brake limited recoil to next to nothing with minimal blast to shooter (Very little), more effective that the three port Little Bastard on the 6 Creed Havak and even on the 6 Dasher Impact.

I'll give it a leisurely cleaning and shoot a 4/5/6 rounds to get it near sighted in when I get the scope mounted and a clam evening. Then give it another leisurely cleaning.

It looks like it will take more StaBall 6.5 powder to settle things down and get lower ES/SD numbers. Hodgdon online data shows a max of 43.7 with a Hornady 105 Gr HPBT & 43.3 with the Sierra 107 Gr BTHP. (2.730 & 2.775 OALs - I was at 2.885 +/-)

The soft Fed 210M primers look fine, nice and flat across with a little curve at the edges. Zero sign of firing pin flow on the primers or ejector cutout marks on case heads.

I re-installed the ejector on the MPA rifle with a new roll pin, and my Alpha 6 Dasher brass came today.

I renewed my carry permit for five more years this morning, mounted the Bushnell Forge 4.5-27X56 scope this afternoon, then sold two more handguns this evening. I was productive today. Raised the cheek piece a little (After the pic), focused the eyepiece for my eye.

Grip is a bit different, is it meant to be used with the thumb on the right side?

Edit: Did some research and it is. I may need to grind a little off f the "trigger finger support" swell. We'll see.

I did not shoot free recoil even in Benchrest. I'll play a little with thumb on the right with this setup. Don't expect to change, but who knows.

I am looking forward to seeing how Sam likes this chassis setup, he perked up when I told him he could bolt his rifle into a chassis if he liked it.

Me to, it is just kind of there.

MarshallDodge said:

What model is the scope in that picture?

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https://www.bushnell.com/products/r...riflescope-4-5-27x50-FFP-Illuminated-Reticle/

Forge RF4275BF2

Like the link, but with no illuminated reticle

I had seven more 6 Creed cases left from that partial box of fired factory 108 Gr ELD ammo, so I loaded up three with 43.3, 43.6, & 43.8 Grs StaBall 6.5 with Berger 105 Hybrids, as well as four with 40.0, 40.3, 40.7, & 41.0 Grs N-160 with Berger 105 Hybrids. I loaded them to be .010 to .015 off the lands, which ended up at 2.865 to 2.875 OAL.

2.875 just does fit the mags with binder plates. I may end up having to load them a little shorter for good measure.

I have six or seven full boxes of once fired factory 108 Gr ELD ammo to work with, but these should give me an idea of what velocities to expect and perhaps where pressure shows up as well.

I also just received 300 new Hornady 6 Creed cases for later.

Weather here is crap.

Temps jumped up today to mid 70's, will be back in the mid 50's tomorrow, so I went to the range after work and shot them. I used the three StaBall 6.5 rounds (43.3, 43.6, & 43.8) to sight in. Bore sighted it the old fashioned way and shot one, adjusted over and down and shot one, 3 clicks up and shot one, pretty much dead on. The Jeff from work who shoots PRS (Shot at Blakely with Sam and I) shot the four N-160 rounds (40.0, 40.3, 40.7, 41.0) into a group that measured right at .458.

StaBall 6.5 105 Berger Hybrid Fed 210M
43.3 = 3108
43.6 = 3093
43.8 did not register (Very overcast)

N-160 105 Berger Hybrid Fed 210M
40.0 = 2898
40.3 = 2895
40.7 = 2969
41.0 = 2936

Primers all look good, N-160 looks like it has room to bump up a hair.


I used the center of the sheet for bore sighting and dialing in, then Jeff shot a group on the top right target. (4 rounds - .458)

We were both impressed with the Trigger Tech Special flat 1.5 Lb trigger (I would like some fine grooves in it). We both thought the rifle could use a hair more weight in the stock area, and we were both rally impressed with the MPA brake.

It had less recoil at 14.5 pounds no mag than my 6 dasher at 19.5 Lbs no mag.

The brake is canted slightly left, came mounted that way. I always wondered if brakes should be canted to counter the torque from the rifling, but all the videos make it sound like they are mounting them level. So I wonder if MPA didn't get it level, or if they mount them slightly canted, which way is better, which way is standard.....what do y'all do.....

And yes it is a four port vs the ABA Little Bastard 3 port on my Impact, but it sure was effective. Very nice, and not abusive to the shooter at all.