Secrets of the Houston Warehouse — Read this classic article

From the late ’70s through 1983, a huge, concrete-walled warehouse in Houston was used for benchrest testing. Virgil King and Bob Fisher set up a bullet-catching backstop at the end of a 30-yard-wide, 325-yard-long fire lane that remained unobstructed even when the warehouse was in use. This allowed accuracy tests in virtually perfect “no wind” conditions. Over a six-year period, about 30 shooters were invited to test their rifles. The results were amazing, with numerous “zero groups” being shot in the facility. Many of the lessons learned in the legendary Houston Warehouse still help benchresters achieve better accuracy today.

Dave Scott wrote a superb article, the Secrets of the Houston Warehouse which appeared in a special issue of Precision Shooting Magazine. That issue has long been sold out, but, thankfully, Secrets of the Houston Warehouse is now available on the web: CLICK HERE to read Secrets of the Houston Warehouse.

Dave Scott explains why the Warehouse was so unique:

“Over a period of six years, the levels of accuracy achieved in the Houston Warehouse went beyond what many precision shooters thought possible for lightweight rifles shot from sandbags and aimed shot-to-shot by human eye. For the first time, a handful of gifted, serious experimenters — armed with the very best performing rifles (with notable exceptions) — could boldly venture into the final frontiers of rifle accuracy, a journey made possible by eliminating the baffling uncertainties of conditions arising from wind and mirage. Under these steel skies, a shooter could, without question, confirm the absolute limits of accuracy of his rifle, or isolate the source of a problem. In the flawlessly stable containment of the Houston Warehouse … a very few exceptional rifles would display the real stuff, drilling repeated groups measuring well below the unbelievably tiny .100″ barrier. The bulk of rifles, however, embarrassed their owners.”

Scott’s article also reveals some interesting technical points: “One thing that IS important is that the bullet be precisely seated against the lands. T.J. Jackson reported this fact in the May 1987 issue of Precision Shooting. In a letter to the Editor, T.J. wrote, ‘…in all our testing in that Houston warehouse… and the dozens and dozens of groups that Virgil King shot in there ‘in the zeroes’… he NEVER fired a single official screamer group when he was ‘jumping’ bullets. All his best groups were always seated into the lands, or at the very least… touching the lands. Virgil said his practice was to seat the bullets so the engraving was half as long as the width of the lands. He noticed an interesting phenomenon with rifles that could really shoot: if the bullets were seated a little short and the powder charge was a bit on the light side, the groups formed vertically. As he seated the bullets farther out and increased the powder charge, the groups finally became horizontal. If he went still farther, the groups formed big globs. He said the trick is to find the midway point between vertical and horizontal. That point should be a small hole.”

You should definitely read the complete article, as it provides many more fascinating insights, including shooting technique, barrel cleaning, neck-turning, and case prep.

Ammo Sale at Cabela’s

A sure sign that ammunition supplies are on the rise (and panic buying has abated) is when vendors start cutting back prices. Well folks, Cabela’s has just announced a major ammo sale, with prices marked down as much as 25%. Here are some of Cabela’s discounted offerings:

Black Hills Gold .308 Win, 180gr Nosler Accubond cosmetic seconds (item 9IS-217122). Sale Price: $21.99 for 20 rounds (Reg. $29.99).

Federal 5.56mm NATO 55gr FMJBT Ammo on Stripper Clips (item 9IS-217197). Sale Price: $519.99 for 900 rounds (Reg: $649.99).

Ulyanovsk 7.62×39 Ammo, 122gr FMJ in Metal Tin (item 9IS-217277). Sale Price: $159.99 for 640 rounds.

Winchester USA Rifle Ammo (item 9IS-210889). Sale Price: $13.99 for 20 rounds (Reg. $16.99).

To get the lowest discounted prices, click the WEB DEALS link at left.

Much of Cabela’s ammunition inventory remains “sold out”, but the curren Ammo Sale is a good sign that the situation is getting better and the days of bare shelves and panic buying may be behind us. We note that large supplies of primers are also starting to arrive at vendors such as Powder Valley (Wolf) and Wideners.com (CCI and Wolf).

Winchester 50 Cal FMJ Bullets at Bargain Prices

Here’s a good deal for 50-Caliber shooters. Right now MidwayUSA has 650gr (0.510 diam.) Winchester FMJ bullets on sale. You can get a bulk pack of 420 bullets for just $308.90 (roughly $.74/bullet). That’s $91.09 off the regular $399.99 price, making this a real bargain. NOTE: These are new production overrun bullets that would otherwise be loaded in U.S. military M33 ammunition. The 650-grain full metal boat tail design features a copper jacket with cannelure over a steel insert and lead core. Limited quantities are available so you may want to act soon.

Greatest Hits: Amazing Kurzzeit Slow-Mo Bullet Videos

LINK: Ten-Minute Masterpiece of Slow-Mo from Kurzzeit
Werner Mehl of Kurzzeit.com produced a 10-minute video for the 2009 Shot Show. When syndicated via YouTube, this video became an internet phenomenon. It has been watched over 1.42 million times! Employing cameras that deliver up to 1,000,000 (one million) frames per second, Mehl’s bullet flight video has been called “astounding”, “mesmerizing”, and a “work of art.” If you haven’t seen it yet, sit back and enjoy!

Greatest Hits: Hornady Hydraulic Forming Die

LINK: Hydraulic Case-Forming Die
H20 and a hammer is all you need to form “improved” cases if you have one of Hornady’s hydraulic forming dies. Put a water-filled case in the die and slip in the piston from the top. A couple of stong wacks with a lead-faced mallet and “presto” you have formed cases. No powder, bullets, or fire-forming barrel needed.

Schwarzenegger Terminates Mail-Order Ammo Sales in California

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 962 yesterday. Consequently, effective February 1, 2011, Californians will have to provide complete personal information, plus a thumbprint, to buy pistol ammunition. In addition, the bill requires that all pistol ammo sales be “face to face”. This could effectively ban mail-order ammunition sales in California. Cabela’s, a leading outdoor retailer, has told customers that it will stop shipping ammo to California if AB 962 became law.

Though AB 962 was designed to control pistol ammunition purchases, it will also affect rifle ammunition sales because California law defining pistol ammo is broad and vague. Basically, AB 962 could be extended to virtually any ammo which has ever been used in a pistol. That certainly will include 22LR, 22 Magnum, .221 Fireball, and .223 Rem for starters.

Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed similar legislation a few years ago, based on the fact that a similar federal scheme had been tried and later abandoned as a complete failure. However, the Governor reversed himself, explaining: “Although I have previously vetoed legislation similar to this measure, local governments have demonstrated that requiring ammunition vendors to keep records on ammunition sales improves public safety. These records have allowed law enforcement to arrest and prosecute persons who have no business possessing firearms and ammunition: gang members, violent parolees, second and third strikers, and even people previously serving time in state prison for murder. Moreover, this type of record keeping is no more intrusive for law abiding citizens than similar laws governing pawnshops or the sale of cold medicine.”

Don’t Over-Chamfer Your Necks — Bullet Damage Can Result

Shaving bullet jackets is a problem reloaders encounter from time to time. It can be caused by excessive neck tension, burrs on the case mouth, or over-aggressive chamfering that leaves a ragged edge on the case mouth. Larry Medler discovered some rounds where the bullet jackets were getting shaved. Diagnosing the problem, he found that this was caused by his outside neck chamfer. He was using a powered screwdriver to rotate the case, and over-cutting plus tool chatter was causing the case neck to roll inwards. This created a thin, sharp edge that actually cut into the bullet jacket as the bullet was being seated.

Larry has a Load Force 250 measuring instrument that records the dynamic bullet seating force and displays the results on a computer screen. Larry noted that spikes in seating force were associated with the cases where the bullets were shaved. Inspecting the cases, Larry realized what was happening. Chamfering the outside after doing the inside allowed his tools to cut too much. Combined with tool chatter, this actually created a sharp, ragged edge that rolled inward towards the bullet: “I discovered I had rolled the case mouth rim inward while deburring the outer edge. When deburring the case mouth on the outside edge, every now and then I could hear some tool chatter. The effects of this chatter really show in the picture.”

The above chart shows the dynamic bullet seating force for the bullet with the shaved jacket. Note the large initial force used to cut and scratch the bullet outer surfaces. The final seating force of 47 pounds is just before the Wilson Seating Die bottoms out and the force on the load cell jumps. The chart below shows normal bullet seating force.

As a fix, Larry decided to reverse the neck deburring operations. Now he deburrs the outside first. This reduces tool chatter and prevents the edge from rolling over, because the neck thickness has not been thinned by inside chamfering. While Larry uses a powered screwdriver to speed his case processing, the lesson applies to those who chamfer manually as well–do the outside first and never overcut.

Remember, you simply want to remove burrs and create a slight chamfer. You don’t want to thin the brass significantly at the case mouth. This is why it is important to be very careful when using a deep-angle cutter such as the K&M inside neck chamferer. Click HERE to read Larry’s full report on neck chamfering, with more details on use of the Load Force 250 measuring instrument. Using device such as this, or a K&M arbor press equipped with a seating force gauge, will help you diagnose problems with your neck tension and reloading procedures.

Cool New Lapua Video Shows Ammo and Brass Being Made

Lapua has just released a very cool video — “eye candy” for any precision shooter or serious hand-loader. Definitely WATCH THIS VIDEO. This 12-minute video contains a surprising amount of “hard” information on Lapua products. As well, there are some amazing segments showing Lapua brass and rimfire ammo being produced. Watch carefully and you’ll see most of the processes used for forming and loading brass. Another short segment shows a Lapua technician inspecting a case for run-out. Neat.

The video spotlights some of the important American and international records set with Lapua ammo. You’ll see top 300m and Olympic rifle shooters in action, and there are also short comments from many champions, including American Benchrest legend Tony Boyer.

done

Yes, this video is first and foremost a marketing tool, but that doesn’t lessen that fact that it is fascinating to watch. Lapua’s video also does a great job making our sport seem important and exciting — NRA take note! We suspect many of you will want to save the video to your computer for future viewing. That’s easy to do. Just click on the link below. (Note: After downloading, we suggest that PC users play it back through Windows Media Player. You can then drag the Media Player corners to expand the video viewing size.)

CLICK HERE to download 25mb Lapua Video (fast connection recommended).

Mid-Sized 6mm Cartridges — Great Accuracy with More Zip than a 6BR

Many precision-oriented shooters are discovering that the “middle ground” in cartridge size is optimal for the 100gr to 115gr match bullets. With a mid-sized cartridge, you can run these pills faster than a 6BR or Dasher, without giving up much, if any, accuracy to a 6BR or BR Improved. The most accurate 600-yard rifle at this Editor’s local club is a 6-6.5×47. It can shoot as tight as a 6BR past 300 yards, plus it offers better ballistics, pushing 105 Bergers at 3140 fps.

If you’re considering a mid-sized 6mm cartridge for your next rifle, you’re probably wondering WHICH mid-size 6mm cartridge is best. We are often asked “what’s the difference between the 6×47 Swiss Match, the 6XC, and the 6.5×47 Lapua necked down to 6mm?” All three cartridges have 30° shoulders and fit a .308-sized boltface. However, alone among the three, the 6mm-6.5×47 has a small primer pocket and small flash hole. The 6×47 Swiss Match (made by RUAG), and the 6XC (produced by Norma), have a large primer pocket and large flash hole, just like a .308 Winchester.

Forum member DesertLefty has provided a line-up photo, with 6mmBR and .260 Rem cases provided for comparison. As you can see, the three mid-sized cases (6×47SM, 6.5×47 Lapua, and 6XC) are very similar. The Swiss Match has the longest neck, while the 6XC enjoys the highest capacity. But performance is very similar among the three cartridges (with the 6.5×47 necked down to 6mm). The same powders, (particularly H4350, Reloder 17, and IMR 4007SSC) work well in the 6×47 SM, the 6XC, and the 6-6.5×47 Lapua. The parent 6.5×47 Lapua case is rated at 63090 psi, while the new CIP rating for the 6XC is 63844 psi (4400 BAR). Both the necked-down Lapua brass and the Norma-brand 6XC brass can hold stout loads. Though the 6mm-6.5×47 has slightly less powder capacity than the 6XC, max velocities with 105-108gr bullets are quite similar. However, you should not substitute loads from the 6XC directly to the 6mm-6.5×47 or vice-versa. Because of the different case capacities and primer sizes, you should work up loads separately for each cartridge.

.243 Win Brass Comparison Test — Surprising Results

Forum member Andy (aka GreyMist) has completed an interesting test, with five (5) different types of .243 Winchester Brass. He collected Federal, Lapua, Remington, and two different lots of Winchester-brand brass. Then he selected ten (10) cases at random from each brand and measured their weights. To ascertain case capacity, three (3) cases from each brand/lot that were closest to the average weight for that brand/lot were selected. The results were surprising: there was less than one (1) grain capacity difference between all the cases, even with a 14.7 grain maximum difference in case weight!

Measuring Procedures
The cases were sized in a Redding body die then primed with a spent primer. All were weighed before and after filling them with distilled water. The capacity shown is an average of all three (3) cases from that lot and represents grains of water. Note, I tested two lots of Winchester brass. Lot A was purchased in 1999. Lot B was from factory .243 ammo. There is a rather large disparity in case weight between the two lots. For more info and to see the weights of individual tested cases, visit GreyMist’s webpage.

Brand	Federal	Lapua	Remington	Winchester A	Winchester B
Capacity	53.9	54.4	53.7	54.8	54.8
Aver. Weight	173.28	173.13	165.34	158.58	166.44
SD¹	0.46	0.39	0.17	0.58	0.42
Range²	1.70	1.10	0.40	1.80	1.40
% of Avg.³	0.98%	0.64%	0.24%	1.14%	0.84%

1) Standard Deviation in grains.
2) Range is the difference in weight between the heaviest and lightest cases in the test.
3) Case range weight divided by the average weight.

What the Numbers Mean
… And Some Speculations
Andy observes: “It certainly seems there is a huge difference in case weight between Winchester lot A and any other brand of 243 tested. What is also surprising is that there was less than one (1) grain capacity difference between all the cases, even with a 14.7 grain difference in case weight!

Should one be wary of trying the same loads that were initially tested in the light weight Winchester brass even though the capacity difference is small? I have had some interesting results with one brand brass that I cannot pass on yet, except to say I sent that company a sample of the lot I have been using. The Remington brass weight range was very low. These were taken from a box of once-fired factory ammo. I will have to acquire some more and measure it.”

Results of Larger Lapua Sample
In a previous session Andy weighed all 100 Lapua cases he had on hand. His measurements showed a total variation of 2.1 grains, with the weight range being 172.5 to 174.6 grains. That is a 1.2 percent spread. The most that came in at the same weight were 11 cases at 173.5 grains.

Carbide Cutter Upgrade for Wilson Case Trimmers

Do you frequently need to trim lots of cases, but can’t afford a powered trimmer such as the $280.00 Gracie machine? For manual trimming we like the L.E. Wilson units, and now there’s an upgrade that promises to increase the efficiency of your Wilson trimmer.

Sinclair Int’l has introduced a new Carbide Cutter Upgrade Kit that installs in place of a standard Wilson case trimmer cutter and crank handle. Very hard and ultra-sharp, the carbide cutter cuts quickly on contact without grabbing and leaves a nicely finished, square case mouth that is ready for deburring. With the carbide tip and larger, more comfortable handle, you should be able to trim cases more quickly, with less effort. The carbide cutter should also hold its edge longer than regular tool-steel cutter tips. The upgrade kit (item 05-4600) costs $69.95 and works with all Wilson case trimmer models (excluding 50 BMG).

Good Deal on Prvi Partisan .223 Rem Brass

Grafs.com is currently offering Prvi Partisan .223 Remington brass at very attractive prices. 100 cases cost just $22.99, and that includes shipping (but not the $4.50/order handling charge). Bulk orders of 500 or 1000 cases are even less. This is boxer brass, fully reloadable. The PRVI brass is very good brass for the price. We have tried it in the Prvi Partison loaded ammo as well as in reloads. The brass holds pressure well and is more weight-consistent than some brands of domestic .223 brass. This is a good choice for large-quantity varmint loads.

NOTE: Some lots of Prvi Partisan milsurp 5.56×45 loaded ammo have arrived in the US with crimped primer pockets. When reloaded, those cases may require prep with a primer pocket swager to ease primer seating. The unloaded, new .223 Rem brass sold by Graf & Sons is UNPRIMED and has not been crimped, so you should have no difficulty seating primers.