Follow along for my 25 PRC build

[stagpanther]

I went out today and tried out the 4000MR--decidedly mediocre results, only one charge was slightly under MOA at 174 yds, though conditions are less than ideal and the rests tended to slide around on the hood of my truck. The good part was the muzzle exhaust did a good job of blowing off much of the stubborn ice clinging to my hood.

[std7mag]

It might be just me, but i wouldn't be trying to do load development or group shooting from the hood of my truck!
And mine has a lot less slope & wax on it. Lol

Time to build that sheltered firing position!

[stagpanther]

It might be just me, but i wouldn't be trying to do load development or group shooting from the hood of my truck!
And mine has a lot less slope & wax on it. Lol

Time to build that sheltered firing position!

Absolutely true--you're not the first to remark that. When conditions get bad I tend to be selective on erecting my full set-up. Where I shoot is an active quarry so any leave-behind is not an option. Further complicating the situation is heavy equipment and piles of product change every day, so I rarely even have the option of setting up in the same place twice. So I adapt.

[sako2]

Build a bench for the hood. LOL I would build 1 for in the box though.

[std7mag]

I'm amazed your allowed to shoot at an active quarry!!!

[stagpanther]

Build a bench for the hood. LOL I would build 1 for in the box though.

You think report sound inside a house is bad? Try shooting in a truck bed--especially one with a camper top.

I'm amazed your allowed to shoot at an active quarry!!!

It's a big one, so I can usually find a corner where nobody is working. I'll pack up and leave if his guys want to work wherever I am, happens all the time. It helps that the boss of the company is a friend. : )

[sako2]

Yeah that would be badhttps://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-9134/Folding-Tables-and-Chairs/Plastic-Seminar-Table-30-x-20?pricode=WC1245&gadtype=pla&id=H-9134&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIldrOsv-l9QIV1sfICh1Q_gPUEAYYByABEgJafvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds with a cap on. Would something like this help you out?

[stagpanther]

Yeah that would be badhttps://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-9134/Folding-Tables-and-Chairs/Plastic-Seminar-Table-30-x-20?pricode=WC1245&gadtype=pla&id=H-9134&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIldrOsv-l9QIV1sfICh1Q_gPUEAYYByABEgJafvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds with a cap on. Would something like this help you out?

I can't tell you how many different versions of portable shooting bench I've tried--long story short--if there is ANY movement in the table/bench/rest--that is going to translate into where the successive shots are going to go. Centerpoint support plastic table--no way that will be stable consistently without lots of modification. Leveling legs on anything other than a flat level terrain is a big issue also.

I'm itching to go out and test fire again--but our weather has gone truly haywire--after getting dumped on with snow we were hit with a rain storm--and now an arctic front is cascading in which will drop our temperatures down to around zero by this evening. Going to be a glacial mess and a long night vigil if the power goes down.

[sako2]

I wanted to get out over christmas and new years to shoot but it was to foggy. And now covid bit me.

[stagpanther]

I wanted to get out over christmas and new years to shoot but it was to foggy. And now covid bit me.

Hopefully you'll get over the virus without any deep complications--I think I've already had it--twice (hospital refused to test me due to test shortage).

[sako2]

I know a few people who've had it twice. And some who got it after getting the booster shot. I'm surprised i'm not really that sick. I'm at high risk with it.

[stagpanther]

I know people who have died from it too--in fact a friend of mine got sick about the same time I did in early 2020 when it still hadn't really spread in the US and testing wasn't really available except for emergency responders.--neither of us knew what we had at first but we compared notes and we both had similar symptoms--except I got better and he didn't, unfortunately.

[stagpanther]

Trying to decide if shooting today is such a good idea--6 degrees above zero and wind chill well below zero. Got these cartridges using ramshot magnum and another pistol cartridge using H110. But the forecast says it's going to blow stink after today.

[sako2]

Bundle up and go for it. And don't shut the truck off. Would really suck if it wouldn't start when your done.

[stagpanther]

Bundle up and go for it. And don't shut the truck off. Would really suck if it wouldn't start when your done.

Maybe--depends how motivated I am and if I can get the labradar set up and stay up. Just did a recon--it's already too windy to hassle with putting the stuff up and getting good readings (aka I'm a wimp) but I think I may try the PCC at close range. Currently it's 4 above zero and windchill is almost 20 below.

[stagpanther]

Went out and test fired the lower end ramshot magnum charges today--again very mediocre results, though `I was shooting at only 144 yds--normally I shoot this at at least 225 to 350 yds--but I have to take what I can get. That said--none of the 5 shot groups had an SD of over 12 fps, one was 5 and another was 3.7. Think, most likely, it was simply my poor shooting that accounted for the bad groupings. I'll have to try again.

[sako2]

My 6.5 is shooting great at 61.9 gns of magnum. 1'2 gn under max. That's with a 140gn hornady bthp.

[stagpanther]

I've shot groups at 230 yds that were well under .5 MOA with the same bullet and powder, probably something I did wrong loading the cartridges and/or not the right jump lands, plus I knew I just wasn't shooting well. I'm going to redo these. That is a very impressive group!

PS--the new Nosler 6.5 PRC brass just came in--I'm really looking forward to trying something else than the hornady brass. I necked a couple down with a .281 bushing and the neck tension seems perfect, already a difference between it and the hornady.

[std7mag]

I'm fighting with the dies for my 284 Win right now.
RCBS dies. Starting to crack necks.
Seems like the dies are 270-284.

[stagpanther]

I'm fighting with the dies for my 284 Win right now.
RCBS dies. Starting to crack necks.
Seems like the dies are 270-284.

Straight-up 284? Generally an easy to resize case unless maybe there is a big difference between your chamber and the die, resulting in excessive flow/overwork?

[std7mag]

I think both my neck & full length dies, are sizing the neck too small.
I have WAY too much neck tension!

I'll give more detail when i'm downstairs with the micrometer.

[stagpanther]

I think both my neck & full length dies, are sizing the neck too small.
I have WAY too much neck tension!

One reason I prefer bushing dies, but then I have trouble keeping track of all the bushings between all the dies. I'd be inclined to see what the difference is with brand-new brass, measure the OD of the case mouth and wall thickness to arrive at what the bullet (should) be gripped at, make a pass through the die and see what has changed, if anything, to isolate if it's strictly a die problem or a problem involving the chamber. (?)

Or just get a Redding bushing die set.

I as all set to go shooting today, but the forecast is less than ideal:

[std7mag]

Yeah, it's warmed up to a whopping 24°f here in central PA.
The kids just left for home in Shelbourne, Ontario. (North west of Toronto)

From the latest i've seen, i'll be driving through the worst part of the snow, headed into work, in the upcoming storm. Supposed to turn to ice while at work, then be pretty much over by the time i leave work.
Better than trying to drive in ice!

[stagpanther]

It ended up warming up to a balmy 8 degrees above zero with windchill of only 15 below zero, I was so curious about the new Nosler brass I had to go out and give it a try. I finally got to set up at something a little longer--234 yds, but was shooting directly into the sun. So I ended up using my left hand to shade the ocular with no support for the rifle--the group was about 4" but that doesn't mean anything (gusty winds were still 25 mph+). The Nosler brass performed perfectly right out of the box and neck-down, no rubbery stretch or stiffness in either closing or opening the bolt. I'm happy.

Don't know when I'll get full feeling back in my face.

[sako2]

You have bigger balls than me.