Lee Loader

I checked my OAL max for the Speer 180 RN in my rifle. It was 3.110 +/-.005.

I noticed that your best group was with BL-C(2). Are you planning to further test that powder? I have a full pound that I was thinking I might try.

So I was finally able to check just how far out the worst case is from being concentric. I assume centricity is measured as a radius from a ninety degree axis from the centre of the base. Using this assumption my worst case is approximately .0115 out at the case mouth. Some cases are much better in the .003-008 range. My measurement technique is not ideal and I have an idea for a jig that will improve accuracy but need some solid square stock to make it. In the meantime I am going to fl size a few cases and see if that straightens them up.

Macd wrote:I checked my OAL max for the Speer 180 RN in my rifle. It was 3.110 +/-.005.

Does your Parker Hale depend on an SMLE magazine? If so, you will face a 3.070" to 3.075" cartridge length limit.

Macd wrote:I noticed that your best group was with BL-C(2). Are you planning to further test that powder? I have a full pound that I was thinking I might try.

I will be shooting the BL-C(2) with both the PPU and Speer bullet as well. I had planned on shooting the PPU loads; BL-C(2), H100V, H4895, and Varget, but had a case separate at the web on the first shot. So that's that for this lot of brass. I'm going to pull the remaining 19 rounds and start over with new brass. I knew I was pushing it just based on the cycle count on the brass. There was no evidence that the case would fail by feel (the wire) or visually (the borescope) but it sure as chit did. I will have some pictures of this and how I quickly extracted the greater part of the case and removed the carbon residue ring.

The B of this is that I had hoped to work through the PPU today and the Speer in the morning as I need to start farming in the afternoon and that will last for the better part of the week if not more. The shooting didn't and isn't going to happen so this work is to be put on hold now.

I really want to do this shooting with the Woodleighs, both the 174-grain and 215-grain round noses. I don't like the thought of an 80¢ bullet heading down range, but the 215 shot like a laser in my No. 5. The killing authority of that bullet was amazing.

Yes it is a standard magazine and I will be loading them at 3.070 to start. This works in the magazines I have.

I also discovered that the 32 ACP expander insert for the Lyman powder through die die is .310. I can use it to slightly expand the case mouth to easily accept the .311 Speer bullets. If I find them too loose I can polish down the button as I do not load that calibre.

I put my borescope down in a few pieces of brass. What do you you think? These have all been shot maybe 10 times. (I hate to admit I didn't keep track.)

They look good to me, but then I just did this!



For all my cartridges, 10 cycles, has always seemed to keep me from cleaning up the mess and that is what I will do with the 303 British.

Yea, for the volume I shoot, better safe than sorry. I think I'll pitch this batch.

I loaded 20 rounds using IMR 3031 and the Speer RN 180 grain bullet. Started at 34.0 and went to 37.0. OAL was set at 3.070. This puts the 1.060 long bullet at a seating depth at .220 which is a bit shallower than I would normally seat but as these are flat based bullets they look and feel secure. As usual I gave them a good crimp with the FCD. It remains to be seen how they stand-up to coming out of the magazine. That will have to wait till I get to the range.

I almost forgot to mention that 3.070 is the absolute max for the three magazines I have. Two are original and the other a Pro-Mag. This echoes Ranch Dogs comments above. The Pro-mag spring is quite strong and loading even a half mag of 5 rounds was a real chore.

Nice looking cartridge. My farming has a thunderstorm delay, so I'm working with the new brass along with the PPU 180 SPBT and Speer RN. Should have them ready for when the weather takes a break, it will be too wet to get the tractor in the dirt so I should be able to finish this shooting.

I also did some minor fitting on my reproduction magazines to get the feed slick and then worked with loading from clips into the magazine. I had never done that before, pretty slick.

Finished redoing all my reloading with the PPU 180-grain BTSP last night. I had to redo everything to include the load grains as the case capacity is quite different (lower). Weather still nasty here, starting on the loads for the Speer 180-grain HCRN.