Hand Loading

[Rule#.308]

I was wondering if there would be any interest in a separate forum geared to hand loading ammunition.  Someplace where hand loaders could share receipes  or perhaps help someone solve a problem they are having reloading a particular firearm (7.5x55 Swiss for instance ).  Just a thought

[Jay]

Rule-

That is definitely a possibility, but since this site is still new, we don't want to have too many separate boards and not have any traffic in them. The final say is not mine alone, but I think if you could get enough hand loading traffic going in the general ammunition board that we already have, there is a good chance we could split out hand loading and give it its own board down the road as the site grows.

We're only a couple months into NFOA, so the direction the forum boards takes depends on the growth of the members and the posts that are made.

Soooo.... start posting away and let's see what happens!

[Jay]

Also, we have the caliber guide boards that are available to post your favorite recipes as well. We discussed re-arranging some of these forum boards at the last Board of Directors meeting, and decided to let things play out for a while and re-evaluate the forums as the post count grows.

[Mikee Loxxer]

As handloading is one of my hobbies I would support such a sub-forum. That being said I am not sure how much traffic it would get. I have seen other handloading forums be pretty slow.

As someone who is getting ready to try their second attempt at loading 7.5X 55 Swiss I have to ask "what problem are you encountering?"

[Rule#.308]

I was having trouble with having to do double taps when I started trying different bullet types.  Those Swiss have a pretty tight tolerences in those rifles so I am finding out you cannot go by what the book says about C.O.L as different bullets have different silouettes.  I would suggest if you try say 130 grain bullet just to see what it will do, to make up a dummy first and smoke it.  Then you can drop it in your rifle to see how it fits.  I have started writing down my C.O.L. on everything I load for it now as there is quite difference bullet to bullet.  I have been trying to come up with formulas for Match and Hunting and the 130 just struck me as something to try although I have not found anything yet to beat the 168 grain BTHP.  Also I had to figure out the trim length as the book is a little off there too.  I go no higher than 2.079 and no lower than 2.074.  Lastly as much as I hate to admit it, I have found neck sizing just doesn't work on this rifle.  Again the Swiss and their tight tolerences.  But I can't believe the accuracy of the rifle.  I mounted a Burris 2.75 Scout scope on mine using S&K no tap mounts and I can ring the gong at 500 with no problem.  The scope keeps me out of Swiss matches however so I'm thinking of buying another one.

[Rule#.308]

OOPS forget my fist reply to Mikee Loxxer.  I was thinking off the top of my head without my notes and put some wrong numbers.  I will get the correct numbers and reply again.

What I meant to say was Trimmed Case Length should be 2.179 max. and 2.175 min.
The Overall Allowable Length is what is so variable in the K31.  The Lee book shows and OAL of 3.051, while other sources say 3.006 or 2.948 but it all boils down to the bullet you are loading.  If you are experimenting with lots of different bullet weights and manufacturers you will probably have to find your own OAL for each bullet type. This is where smoking a properly sized, trimmed and primerless cartridge and bullet will help find a sweet spot for each bullet type.  I apologize for sounding like an idiot in my first reply to your question.  That happens sometimes when you get old and don't have your notes in front of you.  Sooooooo, to help make it up to you I'm gonna give you a couple of loads that shoot pretty well in my K31
Hunting load; Nosler 150 grain Ballistic tip, 41.5 grains of Hodgen 4895 and a CCI 200 primer.
Match load; Hornady 168 Boat Tail Hollow Point Match, 40.6 Hodgen 4895 and a CCI primer.
The K31 is a very accurate rifle and if you tinker with your loads you will be amazed how well it will shoot.
There is a guy named Pierre St. Marie who has a lot of really sound information online about the K31, you can either google him and get his site or get to it through www.swissrifles.com.  Happy shooting.

[Randy]

As handloading is one of my hobbies I would support such a sub-forum. That being said I am not sure how much traffic it would get. I have seen other handloading forums be pretty slow.

As someone who is getting ready to try their second attempt at loading 7.5X 55 Swiss I have to ask "what problem are you encountering?"

This is a good site and includes reloading for the Swiss Rifles. For those who have not visited the site previously.    www.swissrifles.com/

[JimP]

I, too, love handloading, and have worked up  loads for .270 Win, .243., .45ACP., 8mm, .38, .357........ intersting stuff....... I have a Chrony, too.

[Randy]

I, too, love handloading, and have worked up  loads for .270 Win, .243., .45ACP., 8mm, .38, .357........ intersting stuff....... I have a Chrony, too.

Addictive it is.
You will not save any money. You will shot much more.

[Rule#.308]

My little 30-30 could not agree with you more, I ran about 90 rounds through it yesterday and I think its still panting in the safe.  I usually load a bunch for several rifles, head to the range and make a day out of it.

[JimP]

.... fergot Eldest's 30/30...... got several recipes for that one, too.

[Rule#.308]

On my little Marlin 36 (20" barrel) I have been getting some pretty nice groups with a 150 gr. bullet, 33.5 grains of Winchester 748 and a Federal 210 primer.

[JimP]

Best 30/30 load for Eldest's rifle to date: 150 gr Hornady RN ahead of 35.0 grains of H335 and a WLR primer = acceptable accuracy, and an average muzzle velocity of 2432 f/sec

I have a 170 gr. Nosler Partition load that was a lesson in overpenetration: at 2200 f/sec, that bullet will go in the front shoulder of a button buck and exit the opposite REAR quarter, without slowing the deer down a whole lot..... I tracked it in the snow a couple of hundred yards and shot it quartering away and and again the bullet traversed the deer's anatomy lengthwise without putting it on the ground immediately........ I quit trying to take out shoulders after that, and went to softer bullets in the lungs.......... less wasted meat.

[Rule#.308]

The Nosler was just the opposite for me.  I shot a nice 11 point this year with my .308 and Nosler Partition 150 grain.  I hit him about 8" to 10" below his back bone and behind his shoulder cutting the tops of his lungs.  On the inside the bullet passed about an inch or two below his spinal column and the shock of the expanding partition dropped him in his tracks.  He never took a step.  He tried to get up one time then flopped back down.  He was only 90 or so yards away and he was dead and bled out by the time I got to him.  The exit wound was a little bigger than a silver dollar.  No wasted meat at all even his heart and liver were in one piece.

[JimP]

I have gone back to conventional soft points...... in fact, I like Sierra GK's (about the softest out there!) for my .270: on shots under 50 yards, the bullet comes apart inside the chest cavity (Not even getting to the diaphram on frontal shots) and puts em right down, and still expands reliably (while holding together) at 500 yards.

[Rule#.308]

I just thought I would post the results of a new recipe I stumbled onto for my K-31 Swiss using 130 grain Hornady bullet.  Shots were taken from the bench at 100 meters.  With a 10.5 to 1 twist ratio, I would never have believed I would get a 5 shot group like this.  I was just goofing and tried different powder loads on a lark.  I was looking for something for a coyote round but think I have found one for military matches.

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