Lee Loader

I shot the incremental/evaluation loads a couple of days ago and thought I would post the target.



The first shot of the first load hit high, so I adjusted the Weaver K4 down and fired the second and third shots. The 43.5-grain load has promise, and the 45.0-grain load has no promise at 200 yards. The sweet spot would be somewhere between the two. I do think that this 180-grain bullet has little potential because of the exposed base in the case which is dictated by magazine restrictions with the 99.



Also, the 45.0-grain load did produce tough extraction. With QuickLoad corrected to the ambient range temperature, The actual vs. forecast velocity is together so will be the pressure. This load produced 54.0K PSI. If the group were interesting, I would investigate whether the chamber needed proper polishing, but I did hit it with JB Bore Paste, and it feels great to me. I think this load is just stretching the ability of the lever.

All this ended up being somewhat of a mute point as the mail brought me my Graf's order with the Speer #2035 165-grain HCSP bullets and MidwayUSA's order with the Weaver Classic V 2-7X32. The bullet will be able to be contained in the case neck now. Heck, I can reduce the COAL to 2.800 to give me further clearance in the magazine.



In that I was changing out the scope, I wanted to get real busy with the Weaver bases. With the Weaver product, the 99 uses the #19 up front and the #14 in the back. These fit many firearms so they are not perfect perhaps and that first high shot from a bore-sighted rifle suggested a slight mismatch which would flex the scope tube, throwing the shot. Sure enough not matched.



I'm not interested in a one-piece base in that I'm keeping the scope very low because of the carbine stock, and it's low comb Plus, the one-piece base always further restricts the receiver port. I got busy lapping with some 320 grit compound but soon realized this was going to be a big job so switched to 120 for some serious cutting. Worked my way back higher with the grit numbers as I finished the job. I'm not sure I've had to lap any rings this much and could have shimmed the front base higher but the scope will be 1.5" above the bore with the low rings, and I don't want it any higher. Anyway, that's done.



Going out to load this up and will shoot it this afternoon.

Good information.

Next batch is ready.
Decide not to shoot yesterday but go hunting instead. I really large buck but as a three-year-old, I'm going to give him time to become even better.

As I worked up through the incremental loads today, the groups were almost identical to the 180-grain bullet's performance, with the mid group being the best of both the 165 & 180-grain bullet. What is weird is that the mid-group with both bullets also had the stuck cases, stuck enough that I had to knock them out with a wooden dowel. Both of the bullet groups for this mid-range load were shot at 50 yards, and both three shot groups measured under 3/4".

I sat down with QuickLoad and looked at the "barrel timing" on the mid-increment loads for the 165 & 180-grain bullets, and it was near identical. So this is the millisecond interval where the barrel is near a null, the same thing you are looking at with a "Ladder" test. A specific Barrel timing ms interval is one thing QuickLoad can predict with any range of powders. In other words, for X.000 ms, what charge is required against your list of powder. Okay, that was generated.

Now to address extraction. These loads are not generating anywhere near max, so something is going on. I don't think the case is getting knocked hard enough. It expands, but it doesn't bounce back like the heavier load increments. I thought about a recoil energy equation, and the weight of the powder charge is part of the formula. So if barrel timing needs to be within a narrow range, barrel timing is somewhat controlling both velocity & pressure within a similar range. No matter which powder I choose, they are all going to have a similar extraction problem in this performance range unless I can find a powder that will operate at this timing with a heavier charge weight. The higher case fill/heavier charge will produce a slightly harder thump against the brass which hopefully will cause the case to bounce back and allow extraction. Hmmm.

So I punched the calculate button on QuickLoad and there sat my 303 British powder, Hodgdon's Hybrid 100V; 47.0-grains, 103% case fill and delivering the same barrel timing at the same velocity and pressure. Nice!



With the end of the day approaching, I loaded 3 rounds and went straight up the hill to the range and sent them out to 100 yards without much fanfare. I felt I pulled, ever so slightly, the second shot as I moved my eyeball to see if the Labradar had timed and sure enough I think I sent it slightly low. It is just three shots but I believe this will work, flier or not, and there were no extraction issues. The velocity for the three shots averaged 2514, slightly less than the BL-C(2).
Next up is a 10 shot string to measure the performance and shooting out to 200-yards. I think I'm getting there!

Loaded up the string of 10 for shooting the velocity stats, it took a while because I wasn't happy with the Auto Drum's charge performance. I ended up testing it a number of ways, not sure what to make of it. When compared to the Deluxe Perfect Powder Measure's performance, I'm not sure what is up with the Auto Drum's inconsistency.
Decide to heck with it, adjust the drum to drop as close as 47.0-grains as I could get it, I have the Prairie Dog baffle in the hopper where it has always been and will see what the rifle makes of all this.

As a note, the Deluxe Perfect Powder Measures' stats were with the Titan baffle in place so don't read anything in that product delivering less accuracy that the Prairie Dog. Just the luck of the drop I figure.

It's in the mid-eighties now so will give it just a bit and then send the bullets downrange to see what happens.

Thanks for posting the scope ring info. Now I understand why it's so important to lap the rings.

klr wrote:Thanks for posting the scope ring info. Now I understand why it's so important to lap the rings.

You're welcome. I lap all rings, helps them grip the tube better and it trues them to the tube. Here is the kit I use; Wheeler Scope Ring Alignment and Lapping Kit. Mine is the 1" kit, there was no such thing as a 30mm tube when I bought my kit 20 years ago but it is available now.

I think all scopes and all rings benefit for the lapping kit. Its a true fit if lapped.

.....plus scopes without tube dents and ring marks are much easier to sell.

GasGuzzler wrote:.....plus scopes without tube dents and ring marks are much easier to sell.

Good point.