Shilen 1:8 243 AI chambered barrel swap

[Westcliffe01]

I just got my Shilen 1:8 varmint barrel in 243AI and today got the head space gauge from Mansonreamers.com... They seem to be the only company that not only makes Ackley head space gauges, but actually has them in stock. Now have to get the scope rail off, then the old barrel off... Hope to get it installed tomorrow.

I have a Savage 12 LPV with the varmint fluted 26" 1:9.25 barrel. I was maxed out at the 95gr SST, the 95 gr Bergers didn't group well. I decided on the 1:8 barrel and an Ackley chamber to allow for a bit more powder capacity for those heavy bullets. Northland Shooters Supply had the barrel, nut and thick recoil lug in stock, as well as an action and barrel nut wrench. So from here on out I can do all my own Savage barrel swaps. It can be tough getting NSS on the phone, its just a 2 person operation. You can basically forget about email.... But once I did get Jim on the phone, he had my package delivered to my door by the following evening.

I have a bunch of 95gr Berger VLD's for general work, and then I will start working on some 105 Match Hybrids. I am using the 95gr 243 as my general purpose coyote load (great for windy conditions and so superior to the 55gr Vmax bullets I started with in my 223....) and I figure the 105 grain hybrids should be good for wolves too.

[Westcliffe01]

Ok, so I got to shoot it this afternoon for the first time. Things went really well

I first fired a box (20) of PPU 100gr soft point hunting bullets. PPU are never loaded terribly hot and I wanted an idea how the fire forming of the cases was going to go. It went pretty smooth. All 20 rounds went into about 2" after I got the scope sighted back in.

After that, I cleaned the bore with hoppes and some patches. There was very little fouling and almost no drag on the patches. Then I started on the reloades I made last night with Remington Brass, CCI primer and Hybrid 100V powder. The Berger reloading manual gave the powder range as 39-41gr of 100V for the regular 243Win case. The Hodgdon website has the load listed from 39-43gr which is supposedly a compressed charge. So I decided to run with 41gr since I knew that pressures would be lower due to the expansion of the case into the chamber.

Here was my first group, including 1 sighter (POI shift from the PPU to Berger bullets) this was 6 rounds.
http://www.fotoshack.us/fotos/9072402-23-2013 Berger 95gr group1 243AI.jpg

Here was the second group this time 3 rounds
http://www.fotoshack.us/fotos/4191602-23-2013 Berger 95gr group 2 243AI.jpg

So much for Berger being a bear to get to shoot.... Of course final loads will be hotter with fireformed brass, but for now I have quite a lot of brass to work through with this load. Not sure I will go any hotter until done with fireforming.

I also shot my CZ 512 in 22 mag. It only has a 4.5 scope, which does not do me any favors at 100 yards and the wind was blowing too.. My gun consistently fails to reset the hammer at least once per 5 rounds. I have to get that problem figured out or I will be looking to get rid of it. I waited so darn long to get it too....
http://www.fotoshack.us/fotos/4544302-23-2013 CZ 512 22mag 50 rounds.jpg