Share your deepest secrets with me

When using 69gr SMK HPBT what do you set your OAL to?

I had some good and bad results with mine today.
A string of eight all joined up under a half inch with two complete flyers over 3-4 inches away.

Alliant recomends minimum of 2.260 with the Hornaday and my SMK's were about the same. They did look to be seated too far in compared (Mk1 eyeball) next to a surplus round the ogive/profile is sharper so should i seat them not so deep.
Do you guys seat till you can just about get them into the mag?

I'll keep it a secret

Taffy


Also I've only been using 24gr reloader 15 should I work up to 25gr .?

I don't understand this OAL, how are you measuring?

Micrometer/Caliper thingies?

Dave

Vernier Caliper

Heel to tip


like this but without the adaptor


Taffy

The max length you can safely go to is 2.260", because that's the max length that can be fitted into a mag.
All bullets differ in oal,, so it's best to measure about 20 or so and find the longest one and then set that to around 2.250"-2.255". I've found that Sierra's can differ by up to .020" in oal but the ogive measurements will be the same, because that's what the bullet's seating off.
The Hornady's and Sierra's will be different in oal because the bullets are different shapes, so you'll have to adjust your seater.

As for powder....do what you have to do, it's your rifle, and if 25gn gives you better accuracy then go for it.

Mark

Dismall results with 69gr SMK and 25gr R15 today...grouping about 4inches @50m

I'll work it up a tadge but I can see me going back to 52gr SMK's


BTW

anyone use Varget powder?...results?

It's about £10 cheaper than I can get R15

cheers


Taffy

Quoted: Dismall results with 69gr SMK and 25gr R15 today...grouping about 4inches @50m I'll work it up a tadge but I can see me going back to 52gr SMK's BTW anyone use Varget powder?...results? It's about £10 cheaper than I can get R15 cheers Taffy

Were the bullet holes round? or were they unstable??

Mark

If you're going to stick to 52's then Reloder 15 and Varget aren't the powders for you.

You should be using something faster.

Varget is an excellent powder though.

Mark

Quoted: Dismall results with 69gr SMK and 25gr R15 today...grouping about 4inches @50m I'll work it up a tadge but I can see me going back to 52gr SMK's BTW anyone use Varget powder?...results? It's about £10 cheaper than I can get R15 cheers Taffy

I've used Varget, and its pretty damn good. 25gn with a 69SMK = 0.5" groups out of my PSS.

£10 cheaper than I can get R15 - you've either got some expensive RL15 or some VERY cheap Varget. I paid £25 for a tub of RL15 last weekend.
If you can get Varget for £15/tub - I'll take a sh1tload of it!

Quoted:
Dismall results with 69gr SMK and 25gr R15 today...grouping about 4inches @50m

I'll work it up a tadge but I can see me going back to 52gr SMK's


BTW

anyone use Varget powder?...results]

69gr SMK seated to 2.25 OAL, 24.5g of Varget goes well through my 16" speedy.
anywhere out to 600yds.
.75" at 100yds pretty consistently

£30 for a tub of Reloader 15 and my mate who shoots with me (he has an AR too)  but wont post here saw some Varget online for £20 for the same weight and the p&p was only a tenner ish for up to 4lb of the stuff so we thought we could save some money.

£30 is cheap . I have to travel to get it at that price. My local Gun shop that I begrudge using £35 a tub of Reloader 15

Any help on cheaper powder is always appreciated.


52 gr SMK with 24gr R15 was giving me sub 1/2 inch groups @ 50m. I've yet to reproduce that with heavier bullets

I'm prepared to give the Varget a go

I've been varying loads from 24gr up to 25 gr with the same results using these 69 SMK and the groups are sporadic @ 3-4 inches they do not tumble however like the 68gr Hornaday ones did. (another thread in the reloading forum mentions lots of people having problems with the 68gr Hornaday)

I did load these at the recomended 2.260 depth first time round and today I set the OAL giving just enough room for them to load into the clip... ok the mag I could only go out to 2.265 otherwise they were fouling on the front of the mag.
I'll check my other mags to see if I can load them out more.

Cheers

Taffy

Reloading is great when it works but days like this make those good days even better.

Quoted: saw some Varget online for £20... Cheers Taffy

Who was selling the Varget for £20?

Nick

Taffy Old mate,
If I have to tell you once more that you should be using a faster powder with 52's, I'm going to have to drive down to Swansea and jump up and down on your bad back

Besides that.....seating depth isn't critical. Bullets have tough jackets, especially Sierra's, so 2.250-2.265 doesn't matter.
But as bullets vary in length, it's wise to seat them shorter so you don't get caught out by the longer ones.

I don't think the problem lies with the 69/RL15 combo. If the bullets are stable, then my thinking is the crown might need looking at. I can't be sure though without seeing it.

You used to shoot a lot of lead bullets so if I was you, I'd give the barrel a thorough cleaning first.

Mark

Quoted: Taffy Old mate, If I have to tell you once more that you should be using a faster powder with 52's, I'm going to have to drive down to Swansea and jump up and down on your bad back Besides that.....seating depth isn't critical. Bullets have tough jackets, especially Sierra's, so 2.250-2.265 doesn't matter. But as bullets vary in length, it's wise to seat them shorter so you don't get caught out by the longer ones. I don't think the problem lies with the 69/RL15 combo. If the bullets are stable, then my thinking is the crown might need looking at. I can't be sure though without seeing it. You used to shoot a lot of lead bullets so if I was you, I'd give the barrel a thorough cleaning first. Mark

The barrel is fine and the crown is fine !!!!
I treat this little rifle very well. It's always cleaned after every use. We thought about this today and even cleaned the bore while at the range today. It's spotless.

Why do I need to vary my load for 52gr SMK??? I had great results with that combination.
The best so far.


And just to confirm todays results after I gave up with my reloads I fired 10 rounds of 5.56 NATO surplus and achieved 3/4 - 1 inch groups  without trying

Taffy


BTW after my tinkering with my trigger...polish sear and reduce hammer spring tension

It's crisper than a crispy thing on crispy day in crispsville

It's not me....It's the bloody ammo....OK MY ammo

Then I would give up with the heavier bullets.
Your rifle obvious like them.

The point I'm making about the powder is.....Reloder 15 was never designed for small light bullets.
That's what Reloder 7 & 12 are for, along with W748 and H335.
If you used H335, you could get some killer groups

Mark

I fucked up guys

It did not mean Varget....the Stuff I was refering to is Vectan from Peter Lawman's site

My mistake


sorry

Taffy

Quoted: Then I would give up with the heavier bullets. Your rifle obvious like them. The point I'm making about the powder is.....Reloder 15 was never designed for small light bullets. That's what Reloder 7 & 12 are for, along with W748 and H335. If you used H335, you could get some killer groups Mark

How much is the H335?
I'm open for suggestions

Cheers

Taffy

Quoted: Quoted: Then I would give up with the heavier bullets. Your rifle obvious like them. The point I'm making about the powder is.....Reloder 15 was never designed for small light bullets. That's what Reloder 7 & 12 are for, along with W748 and H335. If you used H335, you could get some killer groups Mark How much is the H335? I'm open for suggestions Cheers Taffy

About £25, mind you down your way, you could add a tenner to that

Mark

The thing is we aint in the dark ages down here

We have the M4 it's not like the powder has to come down the "Ho Chi Min Trail" by donkey

FFS

I feel like opening up my own Gun shop

One small back street gunshop thinks it has the monopoly ...i'll effin show em

I'll stick to buying over the web.
I had all my reloading equipment from a little place in Armagh...
Tiss true. And they were cheaper than anywhere on the mainland.
I suppose reloading is popular in Armagh

Taffy