My try at HV cast
- Thread starter Will
- Start date
Will
Well-Known Member
I don’t know if I’ll try cast in the tikka or not I bought it to have a nice lightweight hunting rifle. I planned to work up a fast 150gr load using Sierra game kings.
I have to admit that a couple pounds makes a huge difference at the bench. It definitely had a lot more thump on the shoulder than the howa.
As far as seating depth goes I plan to play with it more after I do one more test with the lake city brass, which I worry about now after Ian brought up neck turning.
I think I’m also going to see if I can seat some of the heat treated bullets without expanding the necks. After running them through my bushing die there is not much neck tension. Maybe I’m making a bigger deal of it than what it really is but seems like things might be more uniform without running that expander through the neck.
I have to admit that a couple pounds makes a huge difference at the bench. It definitely had a lot more thump on the shoulder than the howa.
As far as seating depth goes I plan to play with it more after I do one more test with the lake city brass, which I worry about now after Ian brought up neck turning.
I think I’m also going to see if I can seat some of the heat treated bullets without expanding the necks. After running them through my bushing die there is not much neck tension. Maybe I’m making a bigger deal of it than what it really is but seems like things might be more uniform without running that expander through the neck.
fiver
Well-Known Member
it's for sure worth a try.
I have used all kinds of neck tension in my loads.
usually I just settle in on about 1.5-2.0 and go with it.
sometimes I don't need that much because the bullet itself is doing the job of providing initial resistance to the primer and pressure rise of the powder.
either way the ultimate goal is to get the bullet from point A into the 308 diameter tube straight, and then accelerate it.
whether we slap it in there, or slide it in there.
I have used all kinds of neck tension in my loads.
usually I just settle in on about 1.5-2.0 and go with it.
sometimes I don't need that much because the bullet itself is doing the job of providing initial resistance to the primer and pressure rise of the powder.
either way the ultimate goal is to get the bullet from point A into the 308 diameter tube straight, and then accelerate it.
whether we slap it in there, or slide it in there.
Will
Well-Known Member
Wanted to post a pic of the engraving on my mihec 308 hunting bullet when chambered.
I had a really hard time getting my cell to focus enough to see the detail. Right in the center of the bullet you can see the engraving mark that goes all the way down below the crimp groove.
I had a really hard time getting my cell to focus enough to see the detail. Right in the center of the bullet you can see the engraving mark that goes all the way down below the crimp groove.
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Will
Well-Known Member
That wasn’t a great pic either but it shows the engraving mark in the middle of the bullet.
It’s actually a very light mark. I have to get the light just right for me to see it. Some others can weigh in but I think that light contact is really helping me out.
I feel like with that light contact, slow powder, and very little bullet in the neck I’m able to get the bullet fully bumped up and completely in the rifling before the pressure really takes off.
It’s actually a very light mark. I have to get the light just right for me to see it. Some others can weigh in but I think that light contact is really helping me out.
I feel like with that light contact, slow powder, and very little bullet in the neck I’m able to get the bullet fully bumped up and completely in the rifling before the pressure really takes off.
fiver
Well-Known Member
I can see the engraving lines.
I'm surprised they go so far down the bullet, but they have to be helping you align the bullet holding everything in place like that.
I don't get that much engraving length on anything I have without the larger part of the bullet hitting the ball seat area.
it has to be helping you get the bullet kicked out and into the full diameter of the barrel before accelerating it.
you might do even better with a slower powder, or a slightly harder alloy that takes the rifling just a little bit more.
I know when I went to a harder alloy with the rcbs silhouette bullet my groups tightened up I attributed most of it to the better alignment from the sight diameter increase.
I'm surprised they go so far down the bullet, but they have to be helping you align the bullet holding everything in place like that.
I don't get that much engraving length on anything I have without the larger part of the bullet hitting the ball seat area.
it has to be helping you get the bullet kicked out and into the full diameter of the barrel before accelerating it.
you might do even better with a slower powder, or a slightly harder alloy that takes the rifling just a little bit more.
I know when I went to a harder alloy with the rcbs silhouette bullet my groups tightened up I attributed most of it to the better alignment from the sight diameter increase.
Will
Well-Known Member
The nose on these bullets came out a little larger than the last batch.
This is from the ones I cast a few weeks ago and heat treated at 425 deg. They are definitely harder than what I’ve been shooting.
It will be interesting to see how they do. They are loaded up in the fire formed thicker necked lake city brass. I have 30 loaded with 4350 up around the 47gr and 20 loaded with 760.
Getting ready to load some of the xcb’s up with 760.
This is from the ones I cast a few weeks ago and heat treated at 425 deg. They are definitely harder than what I’ve been shooting.
It will be interesting to see how they do. They are loaded up in the fire formed thicker necked lake city brass. I have 30 loaded with 4350 up around the 47gr and 20 loaded with 760.
Getting ready to load some of the xcb’s up with 760.
fiver
Well-Known Member
put your XCB results up in my Range report thread if you would.
I'm kind of trying to gather up a bunch of real world info there.
I'm kicking around some more loads for the empty 308 brass from that trip.
I'm thinking about taking 10 rounds up in 2 more steps with the 4064 , and trying some cfe-223 as a next step.
I need to put a shim under the front of the scope and see if I can't get the cross hairs on the dot instead of shooting 3-4"s high.
I'm kind of trying to gather up a bunch of real world info there.
I'm kicking around some more loads for the empty 308 brass from that trip.
I'm thinking about taking 10 rounds up in 2 more steps with the 4064 , and trying some cfe-223 as a next step.
I need to put a shim under the front of the scope and see if I can't get the cross hairs on the dot instead of shooting 3-4"s high.
fiver
Well-Known Member
it's slower than 4064 that's the only reason I'm moving to it [shrug]
the only reason I used 4064 the first time is because it was in the hopper [same reason I'm using 748 to fire-form the xcb cases]
I'm planning on going through a pretty good work through with various powders just to see what happens.
I'm getting the XCB rifle up and going finally.
I might have to pull the Huber trigger out of the hunting rifle, and with any luck I can find a good stock for it, but it will be used as a companion rifle to the 308 switching bullets and loads back and forth as I go.
I'm not worried about uber accuracy just a consistent case prep and a lets see attitude.
the only reason I used 4064 the first time is because it was in the hopper [same reason I'm using 748 to fire-form the xcb cases]
I'm planning on going through a pretty good work through with various powders just to see what happens.
I'm getting the XCB rifle up and going finally.
I might have to pull the Huber trigger out of the hunting rifle, and with any luck I can find a good stock for it, but it will be used as a companion rifle to the 308 switching bullets and loads back and forth as I go.
I'm not worried about uber accuracy just a consistent case prep and a lets see attitude.
Will
Well-Known Member
I can’t wait to see the results. The more people we can get trying different things the more we can learn.
I really believe there is no set in stone methods here. I learned a great deal from reading about others journey, but there is no substitute for pulling the trigger and seeing what happens.
I’m hoping once it gets warmer more will jump in and share their experience.
I really believe there is no set in stone methods here. I learned a great deal from reading about others journey, but there is no substitute for pulling the trigger and seeing what happens.
I’m hoping once it gets warmer more will jump in and share their experience.
fiver
Well-Known Member
yep.
more ideas from more people would definitely help.
it's really been pretty easy so far, just use a good bullet and put some powder behind it..
I just like to do powder step work ups with some of my rifles.
sometimes you find a sweet spot, sometimes just a practical limit, sometimes you just burn powder LOL.
I think the lesson will be in powder manipulation through start pressure, if nothing else I will learn about how the different powders react to it.
more ideas from more people would definitely help.
it's really been pretty easy so far, just use a good bullet and put some powder behind it..
I just like to do powder step work ups with some of my rifles.
sometimes you find a sweet spot, sometimes just a practical limit, sometimes you just burn powder LOL.
I think the lesson will be in powder manipulation through start pressure, if nothing else I will learn about how the different powders react to it.