Better Locking Rings for Your Dies

Many die manufacturers use locking rings that require a set-screw to be tightened down on the die threads. That can, eventually, deform the threads. There are some work-arounds, such as placing a piece of plastic between set screw and threads, but there is a better solution. We recommend upgrading your dies with Hornady’s cross-bolt style Sure-Loc Rings. These are made of steel with flats machined in the sides. Here are Sure Loc user reports from MidwayUSA: “Split ring design works better than rings with a set screw that tightens against the die threads. Wrench flats are a big plus–get these rings… and never struggle with your dies again.”-M. Masuda. “All die lock rings should be of the cross bolt design… this ring won’t damage the threads on the die body like factory RCBS and Redding lock rings do.” T. Little. The Hornady Sure-Loc Die Locking ring (mfg. #044000) is available from most major vendors for under $4.00 ($2.99 at PrecisionReloading.com).

Necking Down the 6.5×47 to 6mm

We’ve learned that, when necking down a 6.5×47 Lapua case to 6mm, it’s best not to simply run the brass into a 6-6.5×47 full-length sizer. Reader “Fireball”, who has worked with both a 6-6.5×47 and a 22-6.5×47, offers this tip: “You don’t want to bring the 6.5mm case all the way down to 6mm in one step–it’s too big of a jump. First, to smooth entry, you should run a 6.5mm expander in the case mouth, and chamfer the outside of the case mouth–be sure to remove all burrs and smooth the case mouth. Apply some lube to the neck. Then, if you have a bushing for a .257, put that in a 6BR bushing neck die, and run the case up. Alternatively, you can use a Redding 6BR body die. The body die will funnel the neck down about half way. Body dies are pretty inexpensive ($22.49 at MidwayUSA, item 458797). After running the brass through the 6BR body die, then you can run the case into the Forster 6-6.5×47 Full-length sizing die. The Forster die is excellent–it sizes a no-turn neck just about perfectly, so long as you do an intermediate step first.”

.260 Rem Neck Testing Results

TechShooter has been campaigning a 260 AI with great success. At the Cascade 600-yard range, he recently shot a 600-34X using the new 130-grain Bergers. However, like this editor before him, TechShooter has had signficant issues with doughnuts forming in necked-up Lapua .243 Win brass. In the hopes of avoiding the doughnut problem altogether, TechShooter has been testing Remington 260 brass. Chris reports: “I didn’t like the hassle of the inside neck-reaming the Lapua brass, as well as the possibility that this process could cause excessive runout. I measured the neck-wall thickness variation of Remington brass using the test fixture shown below. Only those cases that were under .0015″ total variation were selected, the rest were set aside. Only about 15 brass of the 500 were outside this tolerance, with the vast majority under .001″.” Chris concluded, and we agree, that the Rem brass is a viable alternative for .260 Rem or .260 AI shooters. Chris tells us: “I am using the Remington brass exclusively now. The Remington brass is of very good quality, at least the batch of 500 that I just got.”

.260 Rem Match Ammo Available

The .260 Remington is a popular long-range competition cartridge, particularly in Tactical and Silhouette matches. Check out Terry Cross’ Match-Winning 260. But until now, if you wanted to shoot the .260 Rem with high-BC match bullets you needed to hand-load. Now, for a limited time, Black Hills is offering .260 Rem match ammo loaded with Lapua Scenar 139gr bullets (.615 BC) in Remington brass. Price is $23 per 20rd box, $225 per 200, plus shipping. Order from
GA Precision, (816) 221-1844 (ask for Tracy).

.223 Rem Cartridge Guide Released

This morning AccurateShooter.com released its latest Cartridge Guide, covering the .223 Remington and .223 Rem Ackley Improved. This is a major, 8000-word, all-in-one guide to the most popular centerfire cartridge around. We have some exclusive test results on brass, suggested loads, and full info on bullets, primers, and powders. Bookmark this address: 223 Cartridge Guide

New Rimfire Ammunition Resource

Our friends at Sinclair Int’l told us about Steve Boelter’s new 352-page Rifleman’s Guide to Rimfire Ammunition. This is a comprehensive study of all types of rimfire ammunition, with over 600 photos. Steve Boelter fired every brand and sample of rimfire ammo he could acquire (including 22LR, 17 Mach 2, 17HMR and 22 WMR), and he recorded all the results. Eleven different brands and 137 different rimfire rounds were tested with over 32,000 rounds fired. Test guns included a Turbo custom BR rifle, Volquartzen Custom 10/22, and Anschutz and Sako competition and sporting rifles. We consider this book a “must-have” resource, even if you are not a hard-core rimfire shooter. The 6″x9″ softcover (Zediker Publishing) costs $29.95. Click HERE for more details and sample pages.

Updated Lapua Website with Cartridge Data

Folks, you should check this out. Lapua, maker of match ammo, Scenar bullets, and our favorite brass, has completely revamped its website. You’ll find detailed specs on .223 Rem, 6BR, 6.5×47, 6.5×55 and .308 Win Match Ammo. You can download a free Reloading Guide or the complete 2007 Lapua Brochure (A full megabyte but well worth the download). You can also leave feedback that will be read by the folks in Finland who actually build and test Lapua ammo, bullets and brass.

New Bench Mount for Spotting Scopes

Creedmoor Sports has a fine new product that lets you securely mount a spotting scope to a bench. You can position the scope right where you need it, without using “real estate” on the benchtop. We recently tried one of these units while testing our rimfire project gun and it worked great. The rifle had a 36X comp scope on top and the field of view was too small to see mirage running along the bottom of the target stand. With the scope set at 18x we could see the mirage plus wind flags. Being able to use the spotter without having to move off the bench was great. The $75.98 Creedmoor mount is made from 1″ aluminum tubing and works with any 1″ scope head. Note: the Kowa scope and Big Blue scope head, are NOT included.

Stuck Bullet? No Problem

When using the Stoney Point type OAL gauge (now sold by Hornady), we sometimes get a bullet stuck in the rifling. This can also happen with a squib load or when extracting a round with the bullet seated hard in the lands. You can use a cleaning rod or a wood dowel to tap out the bullet, but a brass drop rod will do the job faster and easier, with less risk of nicking your crown.

You can make a drop rod yourself from brass or bronze rod. Just make sure to smooth over any burrs or rough spots on the ends. Or just order the new brass bullet drop rods from Sinclair Int’l. You drop the Sinclair Rods down the barrel from the muzzle end with the rifle standing upright. Sinclair Bullet Drop Rods are made of brass so they will not harm the rifling in your barrel. Each $10.50 set consists of two Drop Rods that will handle .20 up to .416 caliber. Remember, for safety sake, Drop Rods are never to be used to dislodge live or loaded rounds! Always remove the Drop Rod from the barrel before chambering another round!

Cleaning Tip for Small Calibers

Using wet patches or wet brushes is an inefficient way to really saturate the tight bores of 17s, 20s, and 22s. Even with a cotton bore mop, most of the solvent will be squeezed out before it gets to the end of the bore, where most copper fouling occurs. Here’s a simple solution. Get a small plastic “wash bottle” and fill it with your preferred solvent. Then stick the tapered nozzle right in the chamber. The tapered end will press fit in the throat, sealing off the chamber. With the barrel slightly nose-down, give the bottle a couple good squirts until the solvent mists out the muzzle. In just a few seconds, this will put more solvent in the bore than a half-dozen wet patches. Alternatively, plug the chamber and squirt solvent in from the muzzle. It’s also much easier to saturate a bore brush (without spilling solvent on your stock), by using the wash bottle. You can get these bottles from USPlastic.com or lab supply stores.

Ultrasonic Case Cleaning

Do you want the cleanest brass on the block? Hate tumbling cases for hours on end? Then you should try ultrasonic cleaning. Jason Baney, our 1000-yard Editor, spent many hours testing various solvents and methods, and came up with a system that really works. Ultrasonic cleaning removes built-up carbon residues that can alter case capacity. Jason’s methodology has been followed by reloaders around the country with great success. All you need is a small ultrasonic machine (under $75 on Ebay), some beakers, and inexpensive solvents. The results, as you can see below, can be spectacular. CLICK HERE for the full story.