LikesToShoot

Ed, I'm going to be playing with loading off the lands shortly but will be using some borrowed tools to get measurements off the ogive. This video was helpful, when it's not bogged down, Here's another one showing how bullet lengths can vary greatly and explain why COL can be so different using the same bullet. For sure I won't be loading down into the lands with my AR. Once, while shooting bench rest, they had to call a cease fire during the match and when the guy next to me pulled his cartridge the bullet was stuck in the barrel with powder all over the place. That guy then too had a problem that needed to be corrected. I'd be interested in how far off the lands works with those 77gr.

Pat, that's good to know Marshall stands behind his products well past warranty time. I've seen the pics and video from Vortex where they took care of scopes that were destroyed. Not that I plan to put mine in harms way but seeing them replace those abused scopes would be worth the extra money. IMHO

I bought the PA several months ago and it's a very nice inexpensive scope but it has a 3 year warranty. The current prices mentioned certainly favor the Vortex with their Life Time warranty.

I've used 296 in 357 mag loads but never in .223. The Win. warning about not going below min. charges makes me real careful when I use that powder. Many other powders seem to work ok at lighter than min. charges but 296 gets my caution alert going. Hodgdon does list Trail Boss, 4.0gr, Titegroup, 3.1gr and Clays, 3.2 as powders for .223 55gr bullets. http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle I've loaded a few with Clays and they did work to send the bullet down the barrel. Of course it didn't cycle the bolt but it was fun to see how low I could go with listed load data.

Ben, What distance were you shooting when you had trouble and how often will you be shooting 3 gun? I jumped in and bought the PA 1X6 because I KNEW (so I thought) my red dot wouldn't work if I had to shoot long shots and the new Vortex wasn't available. Now almost two months after my first match with this new rig, and no planned match's in my near future, I think waiting for the new Vortex would have been a better choice for my needs. If the rumor mill is correct and the new Vortex 1x6 is basically the same as the PA and other scopes then the $100 extra for the Vortex Lifetime warranty is certainly worth it, IMHO.

Cool, looking forward to shooting this hose fest again. Sign up here: https://clubs.practiscore.com/2015-uso-charity-monster-match/register

Midway shows in comes with a peel washer. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/845015/alg-defense-single-chamber-muzzle-brake-ar-15-1-2-28-thread-steel-black-nitride Why don't you just open the hole up a little with a dremel? You're not anywhere near the rifling, just the exit hole of the brake and you could leave it on the barrel. If you put a patch on a cleaning rod and ran it down the barrel, to near the crown, there's no chance of getting any junk were it's not wanted.

Bummer, long way to travel and not meet specs.

Mink got bumped to Open, any details?

Enough said about not using the 1100 for three gun. Remington is offering special pricing for USPSA members this month where you can get a VM tactical for a pretty decent price, as well as a few other decent buys. http://www.uspsa.com/ROC.php http://www.uspsa.com/ROC/FoUSPSA%20Product%20List.pdf

A 10x25 Tasco in my range bag saved me from having to do "the walk" recently when I forgot my spotting scope. If your 3x9 isn'y working for you maybe a 12x25 will benefit you a little longer. http://www.amazon.com/Tasco-Essentials-Binocular/dp/B00E0FZEAC

I'm with Steve, if it's within the rules why not? Stages designs can influence choke and shot shell choices why not rifle ammo? Start a hose fest close rifle stage with 55gr light loads, change to the "blue" base pad mag & 55gr regular loads for long shots and if need be change to the "red" base pad mag with the 77gr loads for longer shots. To save bullets and powder I've practiced with .22LR conversions in my rifle and pistol. The other plus was not needing to recover the brass.

With FREE shipping on your first order it's hard to beat Freedom Munitions price. Not sure if you can get the extra 5% NRA discount. http://www.freedommunitions.com/#&panel1-4

Any excuse to buy another gun works for me. I know a few guys running Rock River 9mm AR's and they seem to like them for short range 3-gun matches. The ammo and brass availability is the greatest benefit. http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=237 I was shooting a CX4 Storm 9mm carbine until our local short range 3gun matches dried up. Case prep and using 5x the powder for .223 ammo stinks compared to 9mm reloading.

"You don't need to decap before you tumble your cases or size them. " +1 Tumble, re-size / decap, trim, prep cases, prime,load and shoot. I'm comfortable that my flash hole is cleared when I reload in that order. Tumbling after decapping would make me worry a bit unless I ran it through the re-size /decap again. That's not out of the question but not what I'm doing right now.

After all I've read here it seems like a tight chamber in the SL barrel. I'm all on board with the "bullet in case" for COL, that's what I do when I change bullets. (I made a split case, enlarged flash hole, finished case to determine COL for each caliber I reload for.) To make it simple, I suggest you just go with a Lee Factory crimp die. It'll resize your round AFTER crimping which could overcome the suspected tight chamber of the SL barrel. Many don't like the LFC die with lead or coated bullets but your talking HAP bullets. (next will come the Coke bottle comments, normal.)

Works in the case gauge but not the Storm Lake barrel? My Storm Lake barrel has a tight chamber and is finicky about bullets too. You might want to contact Storm Lake (they'll most likely offer to have you send the barrel back and they'd open it up a little more for you) I like their CS. Many local smith's could ream your chamber for a fair price and have you shooting right away, depending on their work load.

According to "dauntedfuture", in post 23, the 1.760" shouldn't be a problem but I'm not so sure. Could be OK, I guess, IF the chamber on YOUR barrel works with that length. Since Hodgdon recommends 1.750", my Lee trimmer cuts them down to 1.745" and all 200 rounds of LE Federal brass I full length resized measured between 1.732" and 1.740" I'm not going to go above 1.750". (LE was at our range and I know the guy that scored all their once fired brass.) I set my new Little Crow Gun Works WFT up at 1.745". Please let us know if lowering your die and trimming shorter cures your issue.

Did you trim the brass after re-sizing? If, so to what length?

Nice shooting Dillon! How many stars did you use? https://practiscore.com/results.php?uuid=4c983ce8-470c-40fe-87c3-7fea13e81d17&page=matchCombined

I like the BLADE-TECH with their Tek-Lok attachment. The Tek-Lok makes them easy to remove, relocate and adjust. http://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=bladetech+mag+pouches&ksubmit=y

That's discouraging to hear. I've got that, H335, TAC, & CFE Rifle to try to find a replacement for the 2230. I'd rather just find some 2230 though... Its not the powder that makes it bad its the bullet. 55 gr fmj bt does not have a great bc and if you plan on shooting beyond 300 I would reccomend at least a 69 gr hpbt 75 or 77 gr is even better. I zero my rifle for my long range stuff and my 55 gr stuff is always within an inch or 2. Which is good enough to ring steel out to 300 yards. I like that approach. What range and bullet weight do you zero for? After that you then see were your 55grs are hitting for close, hosier stages and 100+ targets? Thanks for any more info.

Most people I've talked to shoot 55gr bullets, they're cheaper, and whatever primer and powder they can get their hands on. There are so many options, and opinions, out here and not just one right answer. Most everyone has a "pet" load but currently we just can't buy what we want whenever we want it. You may want to see what's available locally, to save on Haz. Matt., and work your way up from there.

+1 for #3. Just get an STI again. It covers both games and the next time you go crazy someone else can be up a bargain if you sell off again. If you're reloading 9mm then #1 with an APEX would get you playing again really cheap.

Hurry Dillon, only 13 left. http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Sure-Strike-Heavy/dp/B006IX8ZAU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426393673&sr=8-3&keywords=throwing+stars With Prime, you should have them by next weekend.