Rob Tompkins
-
Posts
781 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Forums
Profiles
Events
Store
Posts posted by Rob Tompkins
-
-
170PF feels like 170PF to me.
But the powder does burn and leave the gun pretty clean. -
How many cartridges do you make in an average loading session? 500-1000 (sometimes 1500)
How many cartridges do you make in an average week? Most weeks 0, when my stock of a cal gets low (under 1000 rnds) I'll set up and load until I get 2k-3k loaded up. If I'm working up a load for a new powder or bullet then its 100-150 experimental runds once a week or every other week depending on range time to chrono then I'll do a 2k-3k batch over a one or two week period.
Which press do you use? LNL AP w/ case feeder. Had a Hornady bullet feeded but it was not a net improvement in productivity and was loud.
How many cartridges can you load in an hour? With QC checks (powder throw weight checks, COL measurements, and primmer tube filling it ranges between 300-500 rnds. I use range pick up or bought "once fiored" brass. If I get some crap brass mixed in I have to clear jams, if I'm loading 40 I run it through a bulge buster, et.c. Many non-press issues crop up.How long is your average loading session? I'll spend 2 to 6 hrs in my reloading room at a time doing reloading tasks. Of that I'll spend 1-5 hrs at the press, it depends on what I'm working on.
Knowing what you know now if your reloading equipment was lost or stolen what would you buy today? LNL AP most likely, since I know the design and how to set it up but I would price shop and if a good deal on a 650XL showed up I might go that route. Both machines have pro's and con's. For me it's kind of a coin toss. -
Can't offer any help, just sympathy. I’ve had similar experiences but not as bad, I’d just get the harry eyeball. Good luck.
-
I had a change in travel plans so I moved from a Sat squad to a Fri squad. Unless its been taken already, there should be a slot open on Squad 13 - Sat all day.
-
I agree there is a lot of pent up demand for Clays, no doubt. However, for a very long time on-line retails have not been taking back orders for pistol powder, any powder. When the Clays production line went down I know some (I assume many if not most) retailers would not take backorders since there was no way to project when it would be available.
I contend (yes, it's an opinion) there are not two years of backorders to fill since no one has been taking backorders for two years - at the retail to consumer level,
I suspect that even Hodgdon cancelled orders when the facility went down and only when they had a production schedule did they accept orders. In terms of supply line, Clays is practically a new product with a large demand.
-
Everyone loves a conspiracy!
I recall when the Clays production went down seeing all (or at least some) of the major online retailers putting up notices that they would not take back orders and any existing back orders were cancelled. Now that Clays is back in production with no back orders to fill, sure its showing up on the shelves in a seemingly quick manner. And its disappearing as fast if not faster than anything else.
While it doesn't stay available long, I'm seeing more and more popular powders available for slightly longer times. This tells me some people are getting their fill or at least as much as they are willing to buy at market prices. We are still a long way from going to any on-line retailers to buy whatever we want in any quantity we want and a low price, but it seems to be getting easier to find good powders at decent prices if you act quickly when you see it.
-
Its all about hit factor. For fast to very fast stages with lots of points it will tend to be better to accept a bad shot, even a Mike than to go slower or take a make up shot. Slow or very low points stages you tend to benifit from making up bad shots.
-
I'll use one at a major match but rarely at a local match - but have done so in the past.
There is good but limited info to be gained from the first person POV, more info exists in 3rd persion video.
If you have access to an iPad, you can use Shotcoach to collect some statistics that can point you to what needs practice but honestly, until you learn the rules and of the game and are VERY comfortable with safety procedures, I can not recommend the extra distraction of a 1st person POV camera for a new shooter. Better to ask someone else to video you.
-
Nice. :-)
-
Take it into the room. Most hotels have luggage carts, just ask at the front desk.
-
A 32 rnd stage would typically (not always) have 4 clear shooting psitions of 8 rnds each. One mag in the gun + 4 on the belt will often be all you need. However, in case of a fumbeled reload or mag failure you'll want one or two more on the belt. For major or minor I'll go to the line with one in the gun and six on the belt - even for short stages.
For minor scoring to not be a handicap you need to shoot faster and / or reload faster and / or reload less and / or be more accurate. On stages with steel you can push the speed a bit since you'll tend to have a few make up shots available. If you push for less reloads you'll likely find you're making flat footed reloads. We have a lot of good Production shooters locally and most of them reload after eight shots on many stages - of coure it's stage dependent. IMHO SSTK minor is more of an accuracy game at the same or faster speed.
-
Done testing with 180gr BBI bullets 40cal with the ETR7 powder today and got good results it meters good and is very clean burning powder.... Its very close to TiteGroup as it says it was 50fps slower than TiteGroup with same load..
In my guns using X-Treme plated 40 cal 180 grain bullets, it was closer to W231 than Tightgroup. I had to go up to 5.1 grain (+0.1 grain over their max recommended load) to get a consistant 170PF, very close to predicted W231 performance. Tightgroup data suggested I'd need about 0.5 grain less. I am loading to 1.150"-1.155" COL so I'm not suprised I needed a tad more than recommended.
-
So if I read those rules correctly, there is no magazine capacity limit in this division.
I can see how it is "not fair" to put the score in with other divisions. If it's going to be allowed, the MD needs to do the additional paperwork. We show our scores to family members, friends, even sponsors. We shouldn't have to tell all of them at the same time that the guy who beat you "didn't count." That's lame.
8.2.7.5. Clubs are not required to implement this provision, and Match Directors are allowed discretion with implementation so that match quality remains high.
The smart MD will limit mag capacity to 10 rounds so the only difference is the gun & mags.
-
When I laser bore sighted it its dead on. Could my grip affect this? It's dead on at about 25 yards.
As stated, boresights may or may not be 100% true to the bore and can only be counted on to make sure you are on paper but having said that if the sights AND laser line up with the POI it sounds like something is off.
Did you use a rest to sight it in? That should largely mitigate any grip issues.
-
For the 200 grain bullets, what was the powder charge weight using WSF? Has anyone used WSF at the 180 grain level and had much success?
Using X-Treme 180 plated loaded to 1.150-1.155 COl I needed ...
- 5.6 gr in my Kart barreled Kimiber 1911 for 973fps (175PF)
- 5.8 gr in my stock barreled M&P Pro for 945fps (170PF)
- 6.0 gr in my Kart barreled 2011 for 959fps (173PF)
I measured 9 shot strings in the 1911 and 18-20 shot strings in the M&P and 2011. SD's ranged from 16 fps to 41 fps. Bottom line, start low and work up as there can be a lot of variation gun-to-gun / barrel-to-barrel.
I've been testing some ETR-7 from Expansion Industries. Same bullet, same gun, same COL 5.1gr ETR-7 got me PF's from 167-172 with SD from 9 fps to 17 fps.
Both were low to no smoke and left the guns free of grit and major fouling.
-
Guilty as charged.
-
HEY, HEY, HEY, I didn't make you shoot all the NT or commit those PE's!!!
-
+P++++++++
-
Yes. IDPA and USPSA about equal plus a good sized portion of 3-gun.
I consder it good to shoot differnt games, each calls on a similar but differnt skill set and opens your mind to differnt ways to do stuff.
I'll admit some folks have a hard time process multipuls sets of rules, others not so much. Most non-crossover shooters I know only shoot one game becase that is what they like but some (often too many IMHO) are happy to tell you why their game is the best or even worse, why the other game is stupid and people who shoot it are #@!^%@$%^&$.
-
I was running a really hot load, at one point the load was hotter than minor power factor. I think it is OAL that is messing me around. i was factoring at 4.4 gr, and i increased it to 4.7 gr. now i am lightening the load back to 4.4 gr
Factory ammo is hotter than minor PF. Typical is 140-145, NATO spec and +P can be up to 150-155. Most shooters I know run 130-135 for relaible operation and to insure they dont go sub-minor at the chrono stage. At 125 your reloads are underpowerd.
-
Since the BUL M5 is a 1911 clone even a 29.3mm OAL may not be long enough - depending on the bullet profile. Some 9mm 1911's run fine with SAMMI spec lengh ammo, some not. Trunicated Cone's can be problamatic in 1911. You might try longer OALs.
Most factory 9mm ammo runs at a 135PF or higher and NATO spec 9mm can be hotter still. If the gun has springs designed for running NATO spec ammo a min power factor load of 125PF might not have enought energy for reliable operation. You stated factory ammo runs fine but reloads don't, they may be underpowered or your gun is over sprung for light loads.
-
I'll add that if you looking for productivity gains look for a primmer tube filler. I have a PAL Filler (kind of pricy) but the new Hornady looks one looks good. FA has a cheaper one that has gotten mixed reviews and Dillion has a fully automated one but its much more expensive.
-
Check out inline fabrication for AP accesories. I highly reccomend the standard ergo roller handle. There mounts look very well made but my press is mounted to my bench. Also Hornady just came out with pistol bullet feeder tubes so you don't need the whole bullet feeder assembly. It is in their 2015 catalog. Also Bill Morgan is yhe name of a youtube channel that has some pretty in depth material on the LNL AP. He gets long winded at times but he also gives some very good information for troubleshooting issues.
+1 on the Inline Fab stuff! I have the roller handle and the enhanced base plate that holds two bins - one to catch loaded ammo and one to hold bulltes. A real improvment in productivity.
I've tried the full up hornady bullet feeder. Bottom line I did not experence a net increase in productivity and I question the potetnial for real productivity gains using the die and feeder tubes.
-
Every different bullet shape has the potenial to feed differently and have a different "best" COL for differnt guns. The critical issue is what part of the bullte makes contact with what part of the chamber and when. In very general terms, shorter COLs with "flatter" bullets get pushed int the chamber a larger angles and will be more likely to jam. More pointed round nose bulltes will go into the chamber as a smaller angle and will be less likely to jam.
The good news, gun, ammo, and bullet deisgners know this so most bullets when loaded to "standard" lenghts work in most guns. When handloaders move out of "normal" things go weird.
Bottom line, get some to test and try it out.
But the powder does burn and leave the gun pretty clean.
2015 TN Sectional Sept 25, 26, 27
in Match Announcements - Pistol Only - USPSA, IPSC & Misc.
Posted
Mail box this morning.