Wasted range trip

C

cw308

New member
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.
 
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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 :confused: . 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 .
 
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. :o
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.:(
 
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