As a newbie reloader I couldn't understand why I could shoot sub MOA groups with FGMM, Georgia Arms Match, and HSM Match ammo, while my own loads were sometimes as good or better and sometimes all over the map. Last Saturday I checked my zero, then shot a 1" four-shot group at 300 yards. Next I shot four at 400 and got two right on the button and two off the paper! I was beginning to wonder about the weapon a little bit.

But I checked my brass capacities with a new scale yesterday and found I'd been reloading PMC brass same as my Win/BHA brass despite a much less reduced capacity, leading to higher pressures. I've always separated my Lake City/NATO from commercial but was told early on by someone that "PMC is the same as Winchester." so I never weighed it. It isn't. Case capacities are close enough to load it like Lake City.

So I separated my loaded Win/BHA and PMC ammo and went to 100 yards. Shot a fouler (shown) then two Winchester and one PMC at targets 1, 2, and 3. Sure enough ... two touching and one high every time. I thought I was just getting a lot of flyers and my technique had a long way to go, or the rifle needed to be looked at. Not so ... group number 4 is five rounds as fast as I could crank em out, and being the last group of the day the barrel was pretty darned hot. Now I love my FCP-K again. I love it so much I've started sleeping with it and my wife is NOT amused. :-* :-* :-*

[img width=524 height=450]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l16/snakum/100yds.jpg[/img]

Next challenge is trying to shoot a three-shot bug hole at 100 and getting down to 1/2 MOA past 300 yards - from 400 to 600 I've never done better than MOA on my best day. I have eight pounds of Hodgen 4895 and 500 Hornady Amax bullets coming in today and will be working up a load for the FCP-K and my scout rifle. The 168gr SMKs have been great, but I need one bullet that is always available, good to 800 yards, and can also be hunted with on whitetails. Amax have gotten very good reviews for hunting thinner-skinned big game and for accuracy and stability when subsonic, so I'm going to try them.