dogdoc1

East Alabama you can shoot matches around Atlanta, Montgomery, Columbus Ga, Florida( 3 to 4 hours away), Birmingham al. Probable North Alabama as well. Should be no problem locating some land to buy for horses but you may have to improve it . Property tax lowest in nation I think . Google steel matches to be sure there are enough for you. We like conservative gun people.

No downside as I have used one for years

I would not worry about that variation. Remember your scale is only accurate to +- .1 grain so some of that could be from measurement as well

Your expander in your powder die may be too large . 4 or 5 thousandths less than bullet diameter is what I shoot for bit at least 3 thousandths.

Dfox could you run an rcbs lockout die (powder check) with your bullet feeder? Is the priming system as reliable as the 650s? thanks dogdoc

The one thing I like about my two 650s is the primer mechanism . I never have problems with them. The primer mechanism on my 550s is usually what gives me grief but it usually from debris from the depriming. Anybody actually run a new 750?

The one thing I like about my two 650s is the primer mechanism . I never have problems with them. The primer mechanism on my 550s is usually what gives me grief but it usually from debris from the depriming.

The plug gauges are for specific degrees(5 degree for example ). I find often the plug gauges are swallowed by the factory cuts.(factory cuts are often very deep.) I don’t think you can recut an existing cone all the way to rifling so that all the old cone is gone without being deeper than the brownells plug gauges. The only way I could cut with the plug gage was to set a barrel back. I do not think most worry about the plug gauges when they recut a new cone. You just want to make sure the old cone is cut away so you do not have a compound angle. There is a good write up on Ruger forum.net in the library section by a gunsmith on it and also a recent post in the gunsmithing section relating to this. Worth checking it out.

Going to order some 147 and maybe some 160s at 357. Got plenty of 231, sport pistol, titegroup and just about everything but very n320.

Thanks just the info I was looking for. I may need to get some 160 grain to try.

I recently picked up a new Smith 929 9 mm revolver and am having trouble getting any loads that will group less than 4 or 5 inches at 25 yards. I have read a lot of old threads but few have any actual loads listed or actual rested groups achieved at 25 yards. My throats are uniform .357 so I purchased some eggleston munitions 124 grain coated sized .357 and have tried some loads with 231 and cfe pistol but no luck yet. I mounted a 4 x leupold on-the revolver temporarily to assist with load testing to eliminate my poor eyesight . I want some thing that will group around 2 inches for all 8 shots at 25 yards. If anybody has some combinations that will do that, please tell me and I will try some in my revolver. I have multiple powders but no vv at this time. I can buy some if I have to. I used to shoot uspsa with revolver some 12 or 15 years ago with a 625 and it took a while to find loads with that one. I have been shooting limited with a 40 sti this year no thought about trying revolver again for the hell of it. The revolver seems put together nicely but he’ll if I can get it to group off a rest. Thanks dogdoc

Do not really think it is any cleaner than titegroup . A lot of residue is from bullets I think. I am using blue bullets and really like them as they seem to feed real well in my sti

Egw undersized sizer die(Lee) and lee factory crip die with Blue 180 grain 40 bullets run great in two sti 2011s my son and I shoot. Use both, they are cheap insurance .

Good data in the sierra manual for 180s with n320 and wst

Just went and shot . The 4.5 grain of wst load with 180 blue bullets definitely felt softer than 4.5 grains of titegroup with the same bullet. I will go with wst for now. Shot some decent 20 yard groups with the wst as well

Thanks for replies. Off to load a few hundred with 4.5 wst with 180 grain blue bullet and shoot them later this am!

I use hornady one shot ina pump spray bottle. I find after it sits a day or so the cases are dry and if resized require as much effort as nonlubed case so I do not wipe each one after loading. Do others wipe each case off after loading?

I would like some opinion s on felt recoil with 180 grain coated /blue bullets using Winchester super target powder at major pf. I have been out of the game for close to 10 years and recently started back with my 17 year old son. When I shoot 45 acp I use clays but I know that is no longer recommended in 40 s&w. I have a good bit of wst and titegroup from back in the day. I am currently loading about 4.5 grains of titegroup behind a 180 blue bullet at 1.180 in a 2011. It feels ok but I really have not compared it to anything. I know vv n320 is supposed to be the best but I would have to buy some. Any major loads with 180 coated with wst would be appreciated. I found jacketed data in the sierra manual with wst so I guess I will use it with lead. thanks sonny

Anybody know any good 357 mag loads with a 158 grain lead bullet that will just make major. I know full house 357 loads are way overkill. I am looking for a load that is easy on the gun as well hence the downloaded 357 mag load. I also have some 200 grain roundnose lead I could load but they are harder to find. I have a 686 I want to shoot is uspsa for something different. thanks dogdoc

I have alot of brass that i have fired upteem times with major loads. How long have any of you had your 45 brass last? I get a split every now and then but it seems to last forever. Sonny

Thanks to your books I have progressed in my gunsmithing to include Smith and Wesson barrel setback/rebarreling. I have purchased a 12 by 36 lathe and a medium size (700 #) bench mill/ drill and it is all your fault. My question is do you think barrel life with 158 grain lead major class loads(1050 fps 5.9 universal clays with 158 grain swc or lead round nose) should be extremely long ? I know you have shot a lot in this catagory. I ask this because I noticed on a Smith 27 whose barrel I setback recently, that after a couple hundred of rounds in the class mentioned above, that there is a slight feathering on the edge of the forcing cone out toward the outside edge of the barrel face( barrel/cylinder gap .004 and a 11 degree forcing cone cut). There is no visible wear inside the forcing cone. It has not progressed after 500 or so rounds. I notice the same thing on another factory original 27 I have. Is this normal? Funny thing is that I do not notice this in my 44 specials or magnums just the 27's with the large surface area barrel face. A range rod indicates excellent barrel cylinder alignment.I guess the bottom line is they shoot great and I have not fired any heavy 357 mag loads in it. Just wanted your opinion. Thanks Keep writing the books and articles as You and Brian Pearce are among the few who write for the serious enthusiest and not just the novice. Sonny

Anybody got any major 357 lead swc loads. I want to shoot my 357s in some small matches for the heck of it and need some loads that will be just over major.

I am considering a springfield longslide for the hell of it to shoot in limited 10. Anybody got any thoughts on this. Do the longslides reduce muzzle flip. Are they even Legal? They are production guns and one guy in my club has been shooting one.

I have several 45 revolvers including a PC 625 with a 5 1/4 inch barrel. My 4 inch standard 625 is a tackdriver with the right loads. I find I use my 4 inch in USPSA shooting the most. My PC 625 is an ok grouper but not great 2 inch 25 yard groups. My 4 inch will go 1 inch 25 yards. I would go with a standard model and spend the extra money on loading componets. I think the deep rifling on the PC guns does not allow as good of a seal as I seem to get more leading. It shoots best with soft swaged bullets whereas my four inches does good with cast 200's and 230rn. The pc model does look cool and the gold bead is nice.

Hello I recently geared up with all the tools needed to set back barrels or install new barrels on Smith or other revolvers. ( A new lathe is on the way but for now I use the setback tool)I have done a couple with Patrick Sweeneys book as my main guide. I purchased the expensive 11 and 18 degree cone gauges from brownells and quickly found that factory barrels are all over the place with many much deeper than the gauges say is correct. One of my accurate model 29s swallows the gauge. Go figure? I just rebarreled a 629 with a 3 inch and found it was already deeper than the gauge with no cut in the cone after setting the barrel. The factory cone was very rough and the gun leaded badly. I said what the hell and went ahead and cut the cone without regard to depth and diameter to make it smooth. With the right load off a ransom rest it will put 6 shots into about an inch.Am I crazy or is it more important to have the cone smooth? The factory sure does not seem to go by the "proper" gauge dimensions. Two brand new factory barrels were already too deep when I purchased them. Does the gauge apply aftermarket match barrels with no cones precut more than factory barrels? How can you smooth a cone without making it deeper as the come from the factory? Some of my factory Smiths are so deep I do not think 1 or 2 threads setback would be enough but does it matter if they shoot good?( I do not think so)