Next rifle/ammo testing you're thinking about?

[Picher]

It's hard winter in Maine now, but I'm thinking of getting out when the weather is warmer to test some new loads & factory ammo.

The newest factory ammo around these days is Winchester Deer Season, that the factory is touting as being the greatest deer ammo around. I've accuracy tested some 150 grain, .270 Win rounds and they are very accurate, but haven't had the chance to use them on game.

I also have some 95 grain, .243 Win rounds that I haven't tested yet. If they work well, I'll try them on coyotes and maybe on deer. Although the .243 isn't my favorite deer cartridge, I often carry my Tikka T3 Lite when scouting, or on varmint walkabouts in the spring/summer.

I've usually used handloads for hunting and like working up new loads/testing, etc. but factory ammo is often very good and works well also. It costs about the same, because I shoot more handloads than factory ammo when testing. I may give up on handloads for deer and concentrate on making range loads for target shooting with my .223 and .243 rifles.

What about you?

 

[e rex]

I want to try to make a load for my 6.5x55 Swedish mauser with some 100 grain Noaler BT bullets. I'd like it to finally get above freezing and the snow go away first.

 

[Slamfire]

More 35 Whelen rounds down range



More 150 Federal Fusion rounds through my SAKO to determine if the low velocities I saw over my chronograph were real or not




See if cast bullets loaded at 45/70 levels will shoot in a 458 Win Magnum







From what I have read in the in-print press, (and they are of course, the experts) 30-30 Win bullets will just bounce off deer, bunny rabbits, etc, so, tree rats, beware!, if the 405 grain bullet does not kill you, the tree falling on your rodent body, will.

And if that does not get them, then we are going to the big guns:

 

[22250Rem]

I'm also waiting for a break from winter's icy grip..... When that happens i'm actually planning on chronographing various 22 rimfire rounds out of the 16" or so barrel of the Savage Rascal that was picked up in Dec. for one of my step grand-daughters to shoot this coming summer. Gonna 'chrono short, long, and long rifle rounds out of it because it takes all three and also out of my 4 & 5/8" Ruger Single Six just out of curiosity. Been planning on doing the Single Six chronographing for months but between deer season and the weather it got put on the postponement list.

 

[wombat13]

I'm working on loads for .25-06 for my daughter. I started by finding a few factory loads for deer that shoot well. I wanted to confirm that the rifle was accurate before spending precious time working on loads. It's a Savage Axis II XP and it shoots all the 100 gr. loads into about an inch. Accuracy was poor with all of the 117 gr and 120 gr. loads I tried. I've got some 110 gr. Accubonds loaded with IMR 4350 and I'm working on a reduced recoil target load with 100 gr. Sierra MatchKings and H4895. I'm going to focus on the target load since I've got a few factory hunting loads to choose from.

 

[Varminterror]

Seekins Havak
Rock Creek 1:8” 24”
6mm Creedmoor
Lapua 6.5 Creed Brass
H4350 & H1000
Berger 105 Hybrid, Hornady 108 ELD-M, & Sierra 107 SMK

 

[Whiterook808]

.30 M1 Carbine. I just got in 200 starline cases and I am awaiting the Berry's plated 110 grain bullets. I am planning on using H110 and working up to something like 14.1 grains. I haven't shot my carbine in years. I hope I can still see the front sight.

 

[LoonWulf]

Full spectrum of 375 ruger loads.....gotta finish building the gum first tho.

 

[hdwhit]

I have components for roughly 20,000 rounds of ammunition either ordered, en route, stored or being processed in anticipation of retirement in 49 days. I'll be developing new loads for 38 Special, 9mm, 45 ACP, 223 and 5.7 Johnson throughout the rest of 2018.

My principal objective is to come up with a good 5.7 Johnson load (35 grain, 3000 fps, essentially no felt recoil) and a 223 loading accurate enough to do head shots on swimming muskrat at 200 yards.

 

[MCMXI]

I'll be testing a 6.5 PRC as soon as the new barrels for my Kimber 8400 WSM arrive and I get the stock back from dipping. I have a bunch of factory ammo, factory brass and bullets along with suitable powders. I'm going to get a baseline with Hornady factory ammo and then work up some handloads. This could turn out to be a really good all around hunting rifle if I can find a suitably tough bullet. I bought the rifle when it was a 300 WSM but rebarrelled it to .308 Win last year. Now I'm going back to the original bolt and the WSM case head. Here's the rifle with the .308 Win barrel. I do all of my hunting with a Talkeetna chambered in .375 H&H so this 6.5 PRC in combination with the Talkeetna could give me some options and might be all I need until I can no longer hunt.

 

[someguy2800]

First thing on the list is work up some loads for my 1898 Krag. I have dies and 50 rounds of brass for it. I bought some 180 grain nosler BT's and some 180 grain federal fusion pulled bullets and some IMR 4350. If it shows promise I may also try some 195 grain cast bullets with trail boss.



If I find a set of dies cheap enough I may also put together some deer loads for my 7.62x39 AR15. Don't know if I will ever actually use it but it wouldn't hurt to have some around.



Next project gun will be building a contender carbine. I have already collected a spare reciever, a pair of scope mounts, the scopes I intend to use on it, and a real nice exhibition grade stock set.



I would like to get two custom barrels made for it. Fist will either be a 30-30 AI or a 30 Herrett. I am leaning toward the 30 herrett as I already load that for my father in laws contender pistol. I should be able to drive a 125 to about 2400-2500 fps out of a 22" barrel I think. I intend to mount the baush and lomb elite scope above on this but using the engraved rings shown on the lower right. Below is a 30 herrett in the middle compared to a 300 blackout on the left and a 7.62x39 on the right.



The 2nd barrel I want to do a 20" barrel chambered in the FN 5.7 pistol cartridge with a 1:12 twist. The case capacity is about the same as a 22 hornet but unlike the hornet the brass is extremely plentiful and cheap and its designed for 50,000 psi pressure. I expect to be able to drive a 50 grain v max or tnt to about 2700 fps. Should be a fun little gopher rifle. FN5.7 below center loaded with a 50 tnt. Shown with a 223 on the left and 22 tcm on the right. I have a bushnell with a range dialing turret picked out for this one. It is an older baush and lomb made scope.



Below are the next ones in line. The AR15 as mentioned is done.



The hi point in the middle is going to get sent out to be threaded for a suppressor and I will work up a 147 grain load for it.

The 223 savage on the left I am unsure what to do with. This is one of the 12fv's that cabelas carries and sells for a song. The plan for this one was to refinish it and put it in a boyds featherweight thumbhole and rebarrel it to a sporter weight 6 TCU, which is like a 6mm-223 ackley improved. My ambition for that has kind of fizzled off as I can't really decide what I would do with it. I have also been considering getting a 16" 300 blackout barrel for it to suppress. I may just sell it whole and do something else. A cva scout or contender in 300 blackout would also be a fun lobber with a suppressor.

 

[C0untZer0]

I'm going to test the Federal 150gr "Micro" HST out of the new Ruger PC Carbine

 

[FL-NC]

It's hard winter in Maine now, but I'm thinking of getting out when the weather is warmer to test some new loads & factory ammo.

The newest factory ammo around these days is Winchester Deer Season, that the factory is touting as being the greatest deer ammo around. I've accuracy tested some 150 grain, .270 Win rounds and they are very accurate, but haven't had the chance to use them on game.

I also have some 95 grain, .243 Win rounds that I haven't tested yet. If they work well, I'll try them on coyotes and maybe on deer. Although the .243 isn't my favorite deer cartridge, I often carry my Tikka T3 Lite when scouting, or on varmint walkabouts in the spring/summer.

I've usually used handloads for hunting and like working up new loads/testing, etc. but factory ammo is often very good and works well also. It costs about the same, because I shoot more handloads than factory ammo when testing. I may give up on handloads for deer and concentrate on making range loads for target shooting with my .223 and .243 rifles.

What about you?

As far as hunting loads, my 243 (700 sporter) and 308 (RAR predator) both like the Winchester power points (100 and 150 grains, respectively). My 2 223 rifles I hunt with do very well with Hornady 75 grain BTHP (even though "everyone" says they won't stabilize in 1:9). As far as terminal performance, no issues with either of these wally-world rounds on deer, and the Hornadys (NOT wally-world) have dropped my last 4 deer. The only "new" thing I have my eye out for is the new Hornady sub-x rounds in 300 B-O. They are subsonic but reliably expand (so Hornady says). Depending on their accuracy through my RAR ranch with a can, they may become part of my future arsenal- after they become available to us mere mortals.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I'm not really satisfied with the 30-06 loads I'd worked up for my Gamemaster 760.

It's really just a (slightly) hotter version of my Garand loads, and I think it deserves a little more time to really see what it likes.
That's the only workup I have on my list.

 

[Skylerbone]

I’m hoping to test ammo through a few .22s I finished up late fall. Part two might involve some optics options depending on how things shake out. Third, and most important will be stepping my 11 year old daughter up to centerfire in preparation for a bigger game hunt either this year or next. That will begin with .223 and progress to 6.5 Creedmoor which will need to be dialed in for longer distance.

 

[adcoch1]

Got the parts to build a 35 whelen on the way, so some light, middle, and heavy weight loads will be in my future. Also want to try out a few subsonic load ideas for the blackout, and I'm always playing with plinking loads for 7.62x39. Oh, and a 38 special load for the model 10, got a few good ideas in mind there...

 

[ontarget]

Finally going to dip my toes into reloading. Probably starting with 30-06 for a Savage that still needs broken in. Then maybe try .223 for my Howa Mini.
I will also be testing .22lr in a couple new (old) rifles I've picked up this winter.

 

[Picher]

I have components for roughly 20,000 rounds of ammunition either ordered, en route, stored or being processed in anticipation of retirement in 49 days. I'll be developing new loads for 38 Special, 9mm, 45 ACP, 223 and 5.7 Johnson throughout the rest of 2018.

My principal objective is to come up with a good 5.7 Johnson load (35 grain, 3000 fps, essentially no felt recoil) and a 223 loading accurate enough to do head shots on swimming muskrat at 200 yards.

One of my favorite accuracy loads for .223 Rem is: 25.0 grains of AA2230 using Federal brass and primer to push 50 grain Hornady SX or Sierra 50 grain Blitz. Primers are federal or CCI standard. Blitz-type bullets MAY not ricochet as much as tougher bullets, especially when shooting at critters in water (which I don't normally recommend).

 

[Picher]

.30 M1 Carbine. I just got in 200 starline cases and I am awaiting the Berry's plated 110 grain bullets. I am planning on using H110 and working up to something like 14.1 grains. I haven't shot my carbine in years. I hope I can still see the front sight.

If you have trouble seeing the front sight, get a merit adjustable aperture for your shooting glasses. It works wonders for iron sights on both rifles and handguns. Before getting one, I used to punch holes in black target patches and stick them on the glasses in the right spot. Won an inter-club iron sighted military rifle shoot with one.

 

[Picher]

More 35 Whelen rounds down range

View attachment 777543

More 150 Federal Fusion rounds through my SAKO to determine if the low velocities I saw over my chronograph were real or not

View attachment 777544


See if cast bullets loaded at 45/70 levels will shoot in a 458 Win Magnum

View attachment 777545

View attachment 777546

View attachment 777547

From what I have read in the in-print press, (and they are of course, the experts) 30-30 Win bullets will just bounce off deer, bunny rabbits, etc, so, tree rats, beware!, if the 405 grain bullet does not kill you, the tree falling on your rodent body, will.

And if that does not get them, then we are going to the big guns:

View attachment 777548

I have a .270 Win version of your Remington 700, but put it in a Stocky's stock I had because I liked the flatter forend.

 

[bearleft]

I'm going to start ladder testing with Varget in my .308 PA-10, when I get enough post I'm going to post in the WTB reloading thread and buy and try multiple bullets

 

[Legionnaire]

I have two Remington’s at Tumbleweeds right now, a 700 SPS Varmint and a Model Seven, both being rebuilt in .243 Ackley Improved. As there is no factory ammo in that chambering, I’ll be building loads for both. The 700 will be a dedicated long range shooter; the Seven will be a lightweight hunting rig. I’ll be looking to build some target loads for the first, and a good varmint and a good deer load for the latter.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I am gathering up the necessary stuff to start loading for that 223 Savage that I got at Christmas. I have an assortment of bullets to try and already have some 335,4198,3031 and 4895 powders to load with so we'll see how that goes.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I'm going to buy an Aero Survival Rifle. Looking for one now.

I don't buy ammo so my standard 45 acp load will be tested.

The Ruger PCC would be another option but not sure if they will ever build a 45 acp.

 

[Whiterook808]

If you have trouble seeing the front sight, get a merit adjustable aperture for your shooting glasses. It works wonders for iron sights on both rifles and handguns. Before getting one, I used to punch holes in black target patches and stick them on the glasses in the right spot. Won an inter-club iron sighted military rifle shoot with one.

I just bought a set of Lyman Eyepals to try out that concept. They only run about $20, but they look kind of goofy on. It really helps with my pistols, even the holographic red dot. I haven't given it a serious try with rifles yet, but I am hopeful. Thanks for the tip, you give me encouragement.