Wasted range trip

cw308 · November 15, 2015, 12:15 PM

Great day for shooting. Loaded 25 rounds of Hornady A-Max 168gr ,trying them as a change from my 168gr Sierra HPBT 308cal. Used my RCBS Precision mic to the same ogive setting as my Sierra's, only problem I was 360 degrees out .050 on the mic.Couldn't chamber,kind of stumped me until l got home 1.5 hours later. Felt like a one legged man in a ass kicking contest. Will reseat and try them next weekend.

Metal god · November 15, 2015, 02:54 PM

I did not quite the same thing but close . I was loading 69gr smk for my AR . I seated two rounds checked OAL 2.258 GTG . cranked out 48 more and went shooting . Most hung up in the mag .

Got home and measured OAL on the rest . I'd say the average OAL was 2.262

. Pulled out the box of bullets and started measuring them . There lengths were very inconsistent by as much as .008 . Looks like the first two I did just happened to be the shorter bullets I guess . I have found that the 69 & 77 smk both have huge swings in length . I now load them to 2.255 and that seems to work .

I'll add to the ogive they're pretty consistent but there lengths are kinda of a joke .

cw308 · November 15, 2015, 03:26 PM

Metal god ,we have to look out for each other. One for all & all for one.

stubbicatt · November 16, 2015, 06:37 AM

Oh dear. I like the precision mic body and thimbles, but that little fake bullet gizmo they send with it I didn't find all that useful.

Some time ago I changed over to the Stoney Point (now Hornady) setup for gaging shoulder setback and ogive to rifling dimensions, and I have been pleased with it.

If a wasted range trip is the topic, try driving to the range only to find you left your ammo at home.

cw308 · November 16, 2015, 08:22 AM

One of my range friends left his bolt home. Even though with the screw UP's its still a nice time.

g.willikers · November 16, 2015, 12:46 PM

Now, wait a sec.
You got to go to the range,
You got to shoot a gun,
Why was the day a waste?

William T. Watts · November 16, 2015, 01:10 PM

Fellows I measure oal length of several of the just loaded rounds with a good set of calipers to ensure the length is correct, load four rounds into the magazine and cycle them thru the action to ensure they will chamber and eject correctly. Then either box them for storage or go shooting which ever is appropriate. Non-the-less I do have sympathy for others when things go awry, been there done that.. William

buck460XVR · November 16, 2015, 01:38 PM

One reason I always take more than one gun, and one batch of ammo whenever I go shooting. Even if it's jut to test a new load like the OP, I always take another known load to compare it to. Still, going to the range to me, is a reason to shoot and taking more than one gun and one load, means odds are, I'll get to shoot.

Metal god · November 16, 2015, 01:38 PM

I've left mags at home and another time left all the targets at home .

Clark · November 16, 2015, 01:43 PM

To quote a grumpy old gun owning mechanical engineering professor teaching engineering ethics at the Univ of Wash in 1976:
When a rocket blows up on the launch pad, you don't learn much.

cw308 · November 16, 2015, 01:56 PM

gwillikers, I really didn't think it was a waste of time, saw my friends but I didn't shoot a round.So as for trigger time, it was zero.

cw308 · November 16, 2015, 02:15 PM

William T, thank for understanding & believe me it will only happen once. What are the odds , with a change of a bullet, with the die set up for the only bullet I use the Sierra 168 HPBT. I was trying 25 rounds of A- Max 168gr HPBT checked it with my RCBS Precision mic, it was at the same setting I thought. No it was one complete turn off .050 longer. Once you know your chamber measurement setting a new bullet for a jump or jam is no big deal. I guess I will chalk it up to, what was I thinking. As long as I learn from from this mistake.

mikld · November 16, 2015, 02:25 PM

Oh Man, I ain't never done nuttin that silly 'afore! JK! When I live in LA rifle shooting was a 1-1 1/2 hour drive. I packed up all my stuff; gun? Check. Ammo? Check. Range Box w/tools? Check. Targets? Check. Water, snacks, etc? Check. Nasty traffic so after a nearly two hour drive I was getting set up and discovered I brought my finely tuned 30-30 handloads to shoot in my .223! Did a lot of cussing and had to buy a box of factory stuff (UGH!). Not a happy camper.

cw308 · November 16, 2015, 03:26 PM

Mikld in feel your pain, Ive been known to have used curse words nobody ever heard of.

November 15, 2015, 12:15 PM	#1
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	Wasted range trip Great day for shooting. Loaded 25 rounds of Hornady A-Max 168gr ,trying them as a change from my 168gr Sierra HPBT 308cal. Used my RCBS Precision mic to the same ogive setting as my Sierra's, only problem I was 360 degrees out .050 on the mic.Couldn't chamber,kind of stumped me until l got home 1.5 hours later. Felt like a one legged man in a ass kicking contest. Will reseat and try them next weekend. Last edited by cw308; November 15, 2015 at 03:31 PM.

November 15, 2015, 02:54 PM	#2
Metal god Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2012 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 6,876	I did not quite the same thing but close . I was loading 69gr smk for my AR . I seated two rounds checked OAL 2.258 GTG . cranked out 48 more and went shooting . Most hung up in the mag . Got home and measured OAL on the rest . I'd say the average OAL was 2.262 . Pulled out the box of bullets and started measuring them . There lengths were very inconsistent by as much as .008 . Looks like the first two I did just happened to be the shorter bullets I guess . I have found that the 69 & 77 smk both have huge swings in length . I now load them to 2.255 and that seems to work . I'll add to the ogive they're pretty consistent but there lengths are kinda of a joke . __________________ If Jesus had a gun , he'd probably still be alive ! I almost always write my posts regardless of content in a jovial manor and intent . If that's not how you took it , please try again .

November 16, 2015, 12:46 PM	#6
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Now, wait a sec. You got to go to the range, You got to shoot a gun, Why was the day a waste? __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

November 16, 2015, 01:38 PM	#9
Metal god Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2012 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 6,876	I've left mags at home and another time left all the targets at home . __________________ If Jesus had a gun , he'd probably still be alive ! I almost always write my posts regardless of content in a jovial manor and intent . If that's not how you took it , please try again .

November 16, 2015, 01:43 PM	#10
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	To quote a grumpy old gun owning mechanical engineering professor teaching engineering ethics at the Univ of Wash in 1976: When a rocket blows up on the launch pad, you don't learn much. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

November 15, 2015, 03:26 PM	#3
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	Metal god ,we have to look out for each other. One for all & all for one.

November 16, 2015, 06:37 AM	#4
stubbicatt Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Posts: 1,707	Oh dear. I like the precision mic body and thimbles, but that little fake bullet gizmo they send with it I didn't find all that useful. Some time ago I changed over to the Stoney Point (now Hornady) setup for gaging shoulder setback and ogive to rifling dimensions, and I have been pleased with it. If a wasted range trip is the topic, try driving to the range only to find you left your ammo at home.

November 16, 2015, 08:22 AM	#5
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	One of my range friends left his bolt home. Even though with the screw UP's its still a nice time.

November 16, 2015, 01:10 PM	#7
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	Fellows I measure oal length of several of the just loaded rounds with a good set of calipers to ensure the length is correct, load four rounds into the magazine and cycle them thru the action to ensure they will chamber and eject correctly. Then either box them for storage or go shooting which ever is appropriate. Non-the-less I do have sympathy for others when things go awry, been there done that.. William

November 16, 2015, 01:38 PM	#8
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	One reason I always take more than one gun, and one batch of ammo whenever I go shooting. Even if it's jut to test a new load like the OP, I always take another known load to compare it to. Still, going to the range to me, is a reason to shoot and taking more than one gun and one load, means odds are, I'll get to shoot.

November 16, 2015, 01:56 PM	#11
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	gwillikers, I really didn't think it was a waste of time, saw my friends but I didn't shoot a round.So as for trigger time, it was zero.

November 16, 2015, 02:15 PM	#12
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	William T, thank for understanding & believe me it will only happen once. What are the odds , with a change of a bullet, with the die set up for the only bullet I use the Sierra 168 HPBT. I was trying 25 rounds of A- Max 168gr HPBT checked it with my RCBS Precision mic, it was at the same setting I thought. No it was one complete turn off .050 longer. Once you know your chamber measurement setting a new bullet for a jump or jam is no big deal. I guess I will chalk it up to, what was I thinking. As long as I learn from from this mistake.

November 16, 2015, 02:25 PM	#13
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	Oh Man, I ain't never done nuttin that silly 'afore! JK! When I live in LA rifle shooting was a 1-1 1/2 hour drive. I packed up all my stuff; gun? Check. Ammo? Check. Range Box w/tools? Check. Targets? Check. Water, snacks, etc? Check. Nasty traffic so after a nearly two hour drive I was getting set up and discovered I brought my finely tuned 30-30 handloads to shoot in my .223! Did a lot of cussing and had to buy a box of factory stuff (UGH!). Not a happy camper. __________________ My Anchor is holding fast! I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...

November 16, 2015, 03:26 PM	#14
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	Mikld in feel your pain, Ive been known to have used curse words nobody ever heard of.