Beagling/lapping results

Doug

Member
Just a grateful shout-out for those who helped, wh/ is pretty much everyone, from understanding of proper fit to beagling before lapping. Concentrating on my wife's BP 45-70 for an upcoming (first time ever) match in one week, w/ a tested Postell mould and a new Money mould. Before this site I'd focused on muzzle dia fit, and afterwards went and found pertinent confirmation for chamber fit.

Postell beagled the entire length w/ 1/8" aluminum tape. This actually restored true roundness to the nose and bumped it f/ .448" to .4495". Base went from .458" to .460" I resized to .459" and they perfectly thumb seated in her fire formed brass. (Compared these w/ some neck tensioned at about .002" tension but thumb seating is much preferred.) Seating depth was about .002" off the lands as per previous testing.

Money I lapped the nose from .448" to .4495" but for the base I beagled--only a 1/16" aluminum strip and only half the length of the base, and further out from the edges. (This took 4 tries to find the sweet spot.) Resulting base was .460" wh/ I then resized to .459. This money has a reduced first band--seating depth lightly etched this reduced band halfway down.

Important to note that neither bullet nose will fit into the muzzle end, and maybe also that the reduced first band design of the money allows for something like the small running start that the Postell needs. Whatever the case, she significantly reduced her groups today to 1.5 MOA for both bullets. Beagling definitely helped tighten things up for us by giving a better chamber fit. Amazing what the target can show, and what a better fit can accomplish. Thanks.
 
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Doug

Member
Will do. Toughest part will be the sights as we've never shot past 200 and my wife hasn't learned to read the Soule yet. We'll cover that Wednesday.
 

Doug

Member
Sorry Guys,

Forgot to post our results but the lapping to proper dia. did not disappoint. We've never shot past 200, and I only managed to get 60 fire formed cases ready for this new rifle. Neither have we shot prone...we were sitting there and Kate said, "Where are the benches?" We both just sat there with mouths open and lookin really stupid. Comp. was 200, 300, 600 yds. At 200 I was a little shocked w/ my first 4 shots XXXX and wound up w/ a 97. This is a HUGE improvement over the previously undersized nose. Kate did great w/ a 91. Can't express how proud I am of her. By match end she had a perfect butt plate bruise from her 535 gr bullets over 68 gr powder. Her shoulder recoil pad arrives Monday, to go under the Beretta Uniform vest that arrived yesterday. Also gonna load down for next weekend's match, a 485 grainer hopefully over about 63 gr. We're goin tomorrow to ladder for this lighter load.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Congrats Doug to Kate! She did very well, & considering the recoil and bruise would say she is a guttsie lady!
Paul
 

Doug

Member
Honestly Paul, I just really like watchin her over the rifle. Always have. Just seems such a natural, and tryin to make up for the lost time when her brothers (hunting family) wouldn't let her touch a gun.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
The more women and girls we have shooting, loading, casting, the better it is regarding support for the 2nd. Amendment!
Paul
 

Doug

Member
Not to disagree, but as a former attorney I have absolutely no faith in law, in any of its various forms. Vox populi is what it's all for anyhoo, and we're payin for the marginalization of our better halves.