Building for distance!

[e.maynard16]

I gotta tell someone because my wife would kill me! Haha

- 116 stainless action, trued
- 7 rem mag Shilen select match barrel. 1:8 twist ratchet rifling. 26" finished
- PTG Lug and nut
- McMillan A5 stock
- Atlas bipod with American Defense 170s clamp
- Vortex Razor HD optics

Barrel will be here next week and stock will be here in April.

[GaCop]

Should be a good shooter! Of course, pictures will be necessary when you get it together AND a range report too. :becky:

[e.maynard16]

Load development has already begun haha. So far, five recipes waiting. Pictures and Range report to follow! :-D

I actually got the confirmation today that the barrel is in the mail and on it's way! Oh man... can't wait.

[scooterf79]

Looking forward to the pics and targets! Should be a shooter!
Scooter

[e.maynard16]

Thanks Scooter!

There will be tons of pics. I bought the rifle as a 116 weather warrior and in stock form with factory loaded sierra gamekings, it was holding .75 at 100. Trued, new barrel, and McMillan stock, I expect nothing less than spectacular.

[scooterf79]

Those are good expectations! 😆. It should shoot really well! What kinda loads do you have ready?
Scooter

[e.maynard16]

Those are good expectations! 😆. It should shoot really well! What kinda loads do you have ready?
Scooter

Remington brass, FGMM, 168 SMK

Retumbo:
68
68.5
69
69.5
70

70.4g is maximum according to the book. I've read that people running into the 71s without showing pressure signs. Once I'm comfortable with the barrel break-in, I'll start playing with seating depths and really fine tuning.

[WinnieTheBoom]

Don't expect great brass life if you're going to be mag loading them...

Those belted cases (especially the softer ones like Hornady) are not going to take a much of a beating before giving up the ghost.

[yobuck]

Don't expect great brass life if you're going to be mag loading them...

Those belted cases (especially the softer ones like Hornady) are not going to take a much of a beating before giving up the ghost.

The second hundred cases as a rule hold up much longer than the first hundred.
Maybe the novelty factor has something to do with that. Maybe practicing with other guns helps also who knows. lol

[e.maynard16]

These remington brass are once fired. I should be able to get a few loads out of them at magnum pressure. I expect to trim every other loading. I guess we will see once we get into it.

[LongRange]

nosler will take a beating.

[WinnieTheBoom]

Yeah it depends on manufacturer. You'll lose the primer pockets far before you get case head separation, but you still gotta watch it.

Post some pics when you get a chance!

[LongRange]

Yeah it depends on manufacturer. You'll lose the primer pockets far before you get case head separation, but you still gotta watch it.

Post some pics when you get a chance!

winnie be careful thinking you'll loose pocket before head separation...im going to post a few pics here and hope the OP dont mind...

nosler 300wm brass...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454555.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454555.jpg.html)

this piece was loaded 17 times and FL sized every second firing...shooting 208g hornadys and 210g smks just over 2900FPS....one more load and this case would of separated BUT the primer pockets were still snug

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454365.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454365.jpg.html)

same piece you can see the gold ring that you need to watch for...this lot should of been retired at 15 loads but i decided to see how far i could push them and got scared at 17 LOL...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454525.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454525.jpg.html)

this piece was loaded 15 times...primer pockets still snug...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454376.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454376.jpg.html)

same piece and the gold ring...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454527.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454527.jpg.html)

with GOOD belted mag brass dont use the primer pockets as a guide watch for the gold ring in the pics...i had 2 head separations in my 300wm but i was WAY farther above books maxes then most PPL would ever think of going.

[LongRange]

and heres a good picture to put things in perspective...

the case closest loaded 10 times...second case 15 times and the third was 17 times...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456456182.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456456182.jpg.html)

[e.maynard16]

winnie be careful thinking you'll loose pocket before head separation...im going to post a few pics here and hope the OP dont mind...

nosler 300wm brass...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454555.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454555.jpg.html)

this piece was loaded 17 times and FL sized every second firing...shooting 208g hornadys and 210g smks just over 2900FPS....one more load and this case would of separated BUT the primer pockets were still snug

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454365.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454365.jpg.html)

same piece you can see the gold ring that you need to watch for...this lot should of been retired at 15 loads but i decided to see how far i could push them and got scared at 17 LOL...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454525.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454525.jpg.html)

this piece was loaded 15 times...primer pockets still snug...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454376.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454376.jpg.html)

same piece and the gold ring...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff515/LTT-/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454527.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/LTT-/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1456454527.jpg.html)

with GOOD belted mag brass dont use the primer pockets as a guide watch for the gold ring in the pics...i had 2 head separations in my 300wm but i was WAY farther above books maxes then most PPL would ever think of going.
17.... holy.... haha


Pictures will some as soon as the goods start showing up! Got my order confirmation from McMillan today. Molding begins next week. Should see it first week of May as long as their workload stays where it's at. Barrel will be here Monday so the barreled action should be together by next weekend.

*Debating on whether or not to do the shake n spray duracoat or send it out for coating. (Input?)

[LongRange]

Me personally....I'd send it out and have it cerakoated or check around local first...a guy I shoot with does all my coating.

[WinnieTheBoom]

****, it must be brass specific then. I know my Hornady 300wm brass and 7mm rem mag brass both lost the primer pockets on like their 2nd or 3rd firing with a mag load. No signs of case head separation though. I guess with the higher quality brass, the pockets will stay tight but the body itself will start to lose integrity over time.

Lapua brass is very much the same way... Mag loading .338 rounds and that brass is still going strong. Wouldn't want to be doing it with RP or Hornady though. You learn something new every day I guess.

+1 on getting it coated! Rattle can jobs just don't look as good, but if you do go that route, prep work is EVERYTHING!

[LongRange]

yes it is and i would imagine the norma brass is even tougher than the nosler...i bought a 50 box of hornady and the internal capacities where all over the place...i dont remember exactly but i think i had one piece that was 13g different than the rest and i ended up with 13 pieces that were within acceptable capacities...to me...the rest of it was 3 to 6g apart...i only shot 5 pieces 1 time and ended up giving it to a hunter buddy of mine. im not knocking hornady brass im just saying its not the best and most certainly not for me.

like ive said before...i dont believe most of what i see and even less of what i hear so i do my own testing and draw my own conclusions...and a lot of what IVE found is WAY off base with a LOT of what ive read.

[yobuck]

You can straighten a paper clip and then put about an 1/8th" bend on one end.
Use that to reach in and feel for signs of head seperation. Ive never gotten that many
loads from my brass. But ive never used nosler brass either. Primer pockets as a rule are first to go.
In fact on my magnum cartridges i test the primer pocket by seating a primer before i go to the trouble
of resizing. I use a seperate press with a decapping die to knock out primers. While that case is still in my hands
i reseat a primer by hand. If i can easily push it out with a punch i chuck the case. That would also be the time to
feel for any head seperation signs.

[LongRange]

i did the paper clip trick and its pretty hard to tell until the case is pretty far gone and why i started cutting cases open at X times loaded...the case that was loaded 10xs had a small ring developing and the case that was loaded 15xs had a pretty good ring in it....the 10x case i couldnt tell the difference between it an a new piece...the 15xs load piece i could just BARELY feel with a paper clip but it has a pretty good ring in it...the 17xs piece i could definitely feel because it would hook in the ring so IMHO the papper clip isnt the best way to gauge belted brass either.

when the gold ring on the outside of the case starts its pretty wide and as the case stretches more the ring will get thinner...when the ring starts is a good time to cut a case open and see where its at and as it gets thinner(a couple of more loads)cut another case open...or thats how i did it anyway...with 60,000+PSI a few inches from my face i like to know whats going on.
as i said i had two head separations in my 300...first one wasnt to bad..second one i was lucky because it was a full separation and blew the primer outta the pocket but i was way back on the rifle and was wearing shooting glasses.