DogmaDog

Huh. The EGW site doesn't say that it is a modified Lee die. They probably should. I only heard about it from here, and it's commonly referred to as the "EGW Lee U die", or words to that effect. I know my rounds feed and chamber, so I don't regret spending the $20. DD

The only time I've actually used a laser, it was an AN/PEQ-2 mounted on an M-249 SAW, and viewed through AN/PVS-7 night vision goggles--the laser isn't visible to the naked eye. If you have to wear NVGs, and you can't focus on close stuff like the sights, then an infrared laser works really well. A machinegun isn't so bad, either. Otherwise, I don't think you could be any faster with a laser than with a dot sight, and probably not even with iron sights...you always know where to look for the sights, but that laser dot could be anywhere, and if your target isn't against the wall, you might have to look way past it to find the red dot. DogmaDog

I've only seen one guy I was sure wasn't making major...a revolver shooter emtied a couple loads full on a half dozen poppers and only 2 of them went down. When tested with 9mm, they all fell from one shot. I used to make reduced power powder-puff loads to shoot plate rack matches with. My good times were 3.3 seconds for 5 plates at 25', and my outstanding times were about 3 seconds. Then I tried it one time with my major ammo, because I ran out of the wimp stuff. My good times were 3.3 seconds, and my best times were about 3 seconds. I may have shot slightly fewer "bad" runs (4 seconds) with the major ammo, but it would be hard to say for sure. It seems to me that the stronger impulse from the gun also prompts a stronger impulse from my body to return the sights to the target...no speed is lost. So before you go sneaking chronys into stages to catch cheaters, just bring a chrony and set it up to allow shooters to check themselves...maybe they don't know they're going minor? DD

I ran into scoresheets at www.gunracer.com Just click the "generic scoresheet" tab on the left, and there it is...universal, generic scoresheet. in .pdf. DD

Can you clarify something on overtime shots? U.S. 9.4.6.1 says overtime shots will be panalized the value of the maximum scoring hit available on that target. Does that refer to actual hits, or potential hits? If the shooter scored 2 charlie on a target, and one shot was overtime, does he get penalized 4 points (major), because a C is the maximum scoring hit on the target, or does he get penalized 5 because it was possible for him to hit the A zone? "maximum scoring hit available" is ambiguous to me. Thanks, DD

I don't know what to do about your timer, but I found a free ballistics program online that's pretty simple to use. Find "PointBlank" here: http://PointBlank You can calculate BCs if you know muzzle and 100 yard velocities. You enter what you know, and it will show you trajectories out to 1000 yards. Won't give you data for zeroes closer than 50 yards though. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the program's results...but for my 10/22, they work to within the limits of the rifle's accuracy, which is pretty limiting. DD DogmaDog

Hmmm. Shot this one a couple weeks ago. I drew to T4, then shot T3, T2, T1 Reload went OK...nothing special, nothing terrible. Shot T5 and PP1, then thought I saw enough of T6 to engage it right away, but hit PP1 again, then fired two more at T6, then T7 and PP2. B Limited 77 0 12.13 6.3479 Somewhere in the mid 50s??? won't help me. I'd like to hear how best to take the right hand array. Do you hit the close target, PP1, then transition to PP2 and work back to the left? I think that's how I would do it next time. DD

Thanks all, I just unloaded a wad of cash at midway, and ordered the scope from CDNN investments ($50, what a bargain). I also stumbled into www.rimfirecentral.com, which must be the 10/22 analog of the benosverse forums. I don't know if any of those guys know anything about shooting, but they know a lot about rimfire rifles and accessories. Lots of cool stuff if you need info about a .22 Thanks again, DogmaDog

Thanks, I picked out a power custom mount at midway. I hope 1" is the right diameter for the scope rings...if it isn't, i'm kinda hosed. I couldn't find THAT info anywhere, which must mean that almost all scopes are 1"...hmmm. Anyway, we'll see how it goes. DD

Hey all, I just bought a Ruger 10/22 to plink with, and perhaps turn into a cheap 3-gun practice rifle. I want to get a Simmons 1.5-5x pro-diamond scope, as seems popular here for 3-gun, and is cheap enough that I won't spend more on the scope than on the rifle. I've read that the scope mount included with the 10/22 isn't very good, but I have no idea how to tell what is good in terms of scopes and rings. I'm also going to want some high cap magazines for the thing. I see those all over the place, with 30 round "Eagle" brand going for $10 at CDNN investments. Can anyone recommend reasonably priced scope base and rings for my new toy? Can anyone recommend which magazines I should buy, or which I should steer clear of? Thanks for your help, DogmaDog

Oh my god! Heart attack wrapped in foil and served through your car window. I think my all-time fave has to have been the Chicken Shwarma Sandwich at Zankou Chicken in Glendale, CA. $2 for marinated chicken, diced tomato, and wonderful garlicky sauce wrapped in a pita. Mmmmmm. The spicy chicken taco at Taco Bell is pretty good. I used to like the Western Bacon Cheeseburger at Carl's Jr., but the last time I tried one, it was kinda dry and flavorless. DD

Granted, he's a new shooter, but I have to ask: The division is called Limited-TEN. What was he thinking??? DD

No one has mentioned a couple of things yet: Have you looked at your bullets, and weighed them? My 175 gr .40 bullets vary from about 170 to 176 grains, and average 174.5. Naturally, the heavier bullets will go slower with the same powder charge. If the bullets you shoot have a large variance in mass, that would contribute to your "problem". How's your loading method? Often, researchers will get inconsistent results the first few times they try an experiment, because they haven't developed a consistent technique yet. Once they do it a hundred times, the results become more consistent. If you're loading very small batches, you might be seeing larger deviations than you would if you sat and loaded 500 at a sitting. Using case lube may help with this--if you're having to use a lot of force on the handle, that can rattle the machine and cause inconsistent powder drops. Verify that your loaded rounds all have the same OAL, and crimp dimensions. Inconsistent or loose crimp, especially, could cause erratic performance. Anyway, I don't sort my cases by headstamp or number of firings. I pick up whatever .40 is lying on the range after a match, unless it's bent, split, or really dingy. I load with WST powder, and get extreme spreads of about 40 fps, and standard deviations of about 10 fps from sample sizes of 10 shots over the chrono. So ES of 60 to 80 isn't insanely large (if you're shooting more bullets over the chrono, then it might not be a greater variation than I see in my loads). All you want from the chrony is to ensure your loads will make power factor. Test for accuracy by shooting groups. Your loads may be accurate despite a large-ish variation in velocity. I bet your problems will disappear as you get some more experience reloading. Goo luck, DogmaDog

OK, bought some new springs for my CZ magazines, and finally got to go to the range and test them out. Experienced no problems at all, using Blazer ammo. So, thanks for your help. Very glad the problem was simple. Thanks, DD

Before I switched to limited, I shot a Kimber in L10. I loaded a 200gr SWC over 4.6gr WST, loaded to 1.260" OAL. Made right around 170 PF. WST was $98 for an 8lb can. I got the bullets from a local supplier for $35 per thousand (I think...might have been $30, or $40). I used Win large primers, and bought them by the 5000, to save money. Never had functioning problems with the SWCs in my Kimber. When working up a load, I loaded 50 of each candidate, starting with a low charge, and increasing in 0.2gr increments, using loading manuals to guide me (download free loading info from powder manufacturers websites! Lasercast also publishes a good manual they gave me free for buying 2000 of their bullets). I had to drive 1.5 hours to go to the range, so I wanted to make sure I would get ALL the data I'd need to decide on a load. I loaded 2 powders, 2 bullets, and 3 charge weights each...12 different loads, 50 rounds each. I chrony at least 10 per sample, and use the remaining 40 to get an idea of accuracy, "feel", and function of the load (if it didn't make major, I'd stop testing after the chrony). WST shot cleaner than Titegroup, and the 200 LSWCs were cheaper than the 230 LRNs, and I couldn't tell the difference otherwise, at a given PF, so I went with the 200s, and WST for my "standard load". Also, when I load, I weigh charges, and measure rounds both at the beginning of the session, and again at the end. If there's a difference, then I know something is going on with the press that needs fixing. Usually, weighing 10 charges at a time will vary within 0.3 grains, OALs will vary by +/- 0.001", or maybe 0.0015"...that's what I get, anyway. Enough yacking from me...hope it helps. DD

I don't know why anyone who needs ammo in quantity would buy a single stage press. It isn't rocket surgery! I learned on a 550, and it wasn't hard. I'm sure I can learn a lot more, but the ammo I make works just fine. Get a Dillon...you're smart enough! Get an electronic scale, and digital calipers (the inexpensive ones from Midway). A chrony, extra primer tubes and a flip tray, and maintenance items (spare parts and lubricants). You'll need other accessories to deal with the rifle stuff (case trimming? Other processes I'm unfamiliar with.) I have a "power tool stand" I got from Home Depot, and I anchored a double thickness of 5/8" plywood on top, with a surface area 18" x 24". It isn't big, but I find it big enough and sturdy enough. Your garage won't be too hot for the powder (though you should store it in a "cool, dry place"). It might be too hot for YOU to reload in there. Good luck, DogmaDog

How do you watch the sights and the laser at the same time? I would think you should be watching your sights, and reading them as the gun goes "click". DD

Hey all, I'm coming from a background in Highpower rifle, and thinking about getting into 3 gun. I'm wondering why a free-float tube is considered so important for 3-gun rifles. On a highpower rifle, the shooter uses a sling with enough tension pulling on the forward end of the gun that a non floating barrel can actually be pulled to the side, and an inconsistent sling tension will result in an inconsistent zero. I noticed in my last Marine Corps rifle requalification that going from a hasty sling at 300 to a loop sling at 500 also required me to add 2 minutes right windage because of the additional sling tension. But 3-gunners don't seem to use shooting slings! The rifle is either resting on a bipod, or in your hand. There isn't any tension pulling the barrel anywhere. Why do you need a free-float tube? DD

They didn't want to throw a frag in there, because if it didn't go off, then one of them would have to fish it out of the toilet (at least, every time I've been around military porta-potties, I've always been threatened with having to fish out whatever trash might be thrown in there). I have to teach a class on room-clearing this weekend...think I'll add this video to the presentation. DD

Another nod to the CZ-75. It was cheap. It is accurate. The rear sight notch was easy to file wider and deeper (which I like). The trigger is better when you put in a lighter mainspring, and disabling the magazine brake is easy to do by yourself. Hopefully my new mag springs take care of the problems I was having last match. Hmmm...not the most stunning review, is it. Still, it points better than a Glock! Finally, if you are determined to get an STI, just shoot limited. Shoot limited all the time. Don't mess with any other division until you've shot for a couple years. Get one gun and stick with it. I only use my CZ because they won't let me shoot the STI in IDPA. DogmaDog

My guess is the requirement to go to slide lock. It's a scenario stage, not a standards exercise, so the gun should start loaded to capacity. If you're only going to score 4 hits on a target, then why should I shoot more? Also, what would I be doing with filled magazines in the airport...the ammo would be in a separate container, and not in magazines. DD

I shoot limited, but I guess I was just too dumb to figure out the "overlap in the back" thing. I overlap in front, use the keeper, and haven't had a problem, so I just leave it that way. DD

I'm with patches on this one. The midway kit with tumbler and seperator was a bargain. Add one of those outlet timer thingies, set it going, and let it turn off automatically. Cheap. Mine has worked fine for 3 years so far (or thereabouts). And I can keep up with my 5000 rounds per year habit with it. If I shot 15000 rounds per year, I might want a bigger tumbler. DD

Yes on flip tray, though you don't need the Dillon one made of depleted uranium or whatever. Particleboard table is kinda sketchy. I'd reinforce with the plywood. My bench is a power tool stand from home depot, with a top about 18" by 24" out of plywood, to which I bolted my 550. Don't skimp on the time-saving accessories. Digital electronic scale and calipers. You'll be glad in the long run that you spent the extra cash. I get by with 5 primer tubes, cuz 500 is about as many rounds as I can load in a sitting without needing to get away from reloading. As for 550 vs. SDB, I chose the 550 and I'm very happy with it. I tried the SDB and thought it was easy to use and it turned out ammo just fine. The ball handle is not as comfy as the roller handle I got for the 550. If you ever decided to reload more calibers, or rifles, you wouldn't want the SDB, but you can sell a used SDB for most of what you paid for it when you get to that point. As far as mess, it won't get everywhere, but it is there. A quick vacuum after a reloading session should handle it. Spent primers and powder residue are most of it, then some fresh powder, and an occasional live primer will wind up on the floor. I also get some tumbling media spilled around. Probably not too much help. Good luck, though. DogmaDog

Wow. I got 166 PF out of 4.3 Gr WST using a 230 gr LRN (actually 227gr) out of a 5" Kimber. 4.42 gr produced 176 PF. 1.260" OAL, Win LP primers, 0.469" crimp. Jacketed bullets are slow. DogmaDog