TODAY'S GUN TIME

[paulsharvey]

Just left the reloading shop, with 200 SRMPs (at $15/100) and a pound of Shooters World Precision Rifle. The owner mentioned they actually where contacted by a dealer trying to sell SR primers from Russia, for $200/1000; and min purchase of 1,000,000 primers. No exactly a smoking deal...

I will say, I wouldnt have bought a 1000 brick for $150; but 2 sleeves will hold me over while, fingers crossed, prices come down.

 

[paulsharvey]

I will start with the bold assumption that the barrel was clean. I mean actually clean, not just that a patch came out with nothing on it. The Wby mags leave tons of carbon behind. Just the nature of an "overbore" magnum. And the 257 was for a time, their most "overbore" magnum cartridge. They carbon up quickly compared to say a 30-06, or even a 25-06. It can be very hard to get carbon out of a barrel without the right solvent. Most bore cleaners don't touch it. Also, what about copper in the bore. High speed cartidges copper up fast. Barnes bullets copper up a bore quickly in a high velocity round unless the bore is exceptionally smooth. Most factory barrels aren't.

I would have started with checking the barrel to stock clearance before I touched the scope (with those same symptoms you're describing). Taking a single business card, curling it around the barrel in front of the forend, can you pass that card down the barrel channel of the stock? We're checking for barrel clearance there. Now some barrels (usually thin barrels if they do) actually like having a pressure point near the tip of the stock forend. So if the business card trick shows the stock touching, it may not be an accident. After this check, then I would loosen the stock screws holding the action in the stock just enough to put a few business cards between the forend and the barrel. We're creating a pressure point on purpose here, to see if that changes your symptoms, or to see if the barrel "likes" having a pressure point there. The number of cards in the stack would vary depending on if there was an existing gap there or not. I wouldn't want more than 2 or 3 cards worth of pressure under the forend, unless the existing gap was larger.

But, you've already started with the scope (I don't think it's the scope, wrong symptoms). I assume you checked the bases while you had the rings off? Bases are tight to the receiver? Rings are not damaged or hardware bad where they screw to the bases? Rings are still round? Rings lapped? Again, all these are things that do not match your symptoms, but you started there, so may as well check this. After shooting it with the Simmons on it, unless it's now "fixed", I would put the Leupold back on, carefully checking the bases and rings and etc in the process.

Before taking a "suspect" scope off, I would shoot a "box test" with the scope first.

If its a wood stock that isn't free floated, and used to shoot fine, I wouldn't not expect that contact to suddenly cause an issue now. Not all rifles need to be free floated to shoot well, and I would exhaust all other options before I tried to float it now. I might start with a heavy, deep cleaning of chamber and bore. Might need to get some pretty aggressive cleaners, get it down to bare metal, and then clean that nasty corrosive copper-carbon remover out, and run a light oil patch. Then fire 5 rounds of the Barnes, and see if she evens out.

Edit: I say the stock probably isn't causing the issue based on an assumption the stock hasn't got wet and swelled, or something of the sort. If by chance the stock got wet and swelled, the barrel might be getting pressure on it that it did not used to have. We all assume its a perfect world, and a hunting gun never gets damp and put away; but in the real world, things happen.

 

[Buggs67]

Yes, I did actually get in some trigger time.

I recently bought a S&W Shied in .40. It was on consignment at a gun store that originally sold it to the owner who (I guess) upgraded to the new, latest, greatest 9MM CCW. It was very lightly used and I'd been looking for a small CCW. I'm familiar with the Glocks in .40 having carried a 23 and 27 for 15 years and this has the same feel but is slimmer.

I tried it first with the Gold Dot JHP 180 grain that we carried. Doing slow aimed fire, quick double taps and barricade supported from 25' all the rounds struck vital organ areas on the man-shape/size target. I saw a test where the same type/weight bullet over-penetrated when shot into ballistic gel covered w/4 layers of denim and did not mushroom AT ALL. The recovered bullet's hollow point was jam full of denim. A flat-nose FMJ (same spec) performed better . He speculated that with the short barrel (3+") the bullet didn't achieve sufficient velocity to start to mushroom.

Also being only 20 oz (unloaded) the gun has a lot of recoil. I managed to find some 165 grain flat-nose FMJ and the gun is easier to control. When the rain stops I am going to perform the same accuracy tests. I am also going to try a borrowed Ruger LCP 9MM; it's initial testing showed it was easier to shoot/control but as I was using Brown Bear ammo it's less accurate performance isn't meaningful.

My goal is to find a carry gun my wife (who is not an enthusiastic shooter) will be comfortable picking up and using in an emergency.

 

[sea2summit]

Yes, I did actually get in some trigger time.

I recently bought a S&W Shied in .40. It was on consignment at a gun store that originally sold it to the owner who (I guess) upgraded to the new, latest, greatest 9MM CCW. It was very lightly used and I'd been looking for a small CCW. I'm familiar with the Glocks in .40 having carried a 23 and 27 for 15 years and this has the same feel but is slimmer.

I tried it first with the Gold Dot JHP 180 grain that we carried. Doing slow aimed fire, quick double taps and barricade supported from 25' all the rounds struck vital organ areas on the man-shape/size target. I saw a test where the same type/weight bullet over-penetrated when shot into ballistic gel covered w/4 layers of denim and did not mushroom AT ALL. The recovered bullet's hollow point was jam full of denim. A flat-nose FMJ (same spec) performed better . He speculated that with the short barrel (3+") the bullet didn't achieve sufficient velocity to start to mushroom.

Also being only 20 oz (unloaded) the gun has a lot of recoil. I managed to find some 165 grain flat-nose FMJ and the gun is easier to control. When the rain stops I am going to perform the same accuracy tests. I am also going to try a borrowed Ruger LCP 9MM; it's initial testing showed it was easier to shoot/control but as I was using Brown Bear ammo it's less accurate performance isn't meaningful.

My goal is to find a carry gun my wife (who is not an enthusiastic shooter) will be comfortable picking up and using in an emergency.

Hornady Critical Duty has taken over as the primary ammo for all but one thing I carry regularly. Accuracy and function first, but it does do a nice job at expansion in all the cheap tests.

As for a wifes carry gun...I'm actually trying to get my hand on the 9mm EZ performance center, it's getting really good reviews and while I don't have any ported pistols I think she'd like it. She shoots a heavier gun now but doesn't carry it mostly because it's heavy.

 

[paulsharvey]

The guy in front of me, got a box of 20 Remington Core-Lok 7mm Rem Mag, at $110 for the box, that Has to hurt.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I know, I ended up paying $80 for a box of 35 Remington some time back....and $190 for 1000 large rifle primers, but now I'll start reloading it.

 

[RoyJackson]

Hornady Critical Duty has taken over as the primary ammo for all but one thing I carry regularly.

I use it (.380 and 9mm) for all my pistols, including the EDC (which is either a .380 or a 9mm, both Kahr CW models). Expansion and penetration is supposed to be good, but I've never measured either. What I do like is the reliability in feeding.
I am considering an LCP MAX in .380 though. Had one of the original LCPs, didn't much care for that pistol

 

[Buggs67]

Hornady Critical Duty has taken over as the primary ammo for all but one thing I carry regularly. Accuracy and function first, but it does do a nice job at expansion in all the cheap tests.

As for a wifes carry gun...I'm actually trying to get my hand on the 9mm EZ performance center, it's getting really good reviews and while I don't have any ported pistols I think she'd like it. She shoots a heavier gun now but doesn't carry it mostly because it's heavy.

I have the Critical Defense for my R1 1911 and got it long ago. Once I settle on what I like I'll get HCD for that.
I already have LEO 9MM because we carried H&K P7M8 before Glocks.

We have many small hobby gun shops around here and I was gonna take her to look at the Shield EZ in 9MM but she declined having her own gun, even if I painted it pink.

 

[the old grind]

.. If you have $20 a box ammo, get the scope dialed in to paper with that and then get busy loading up some brass with the good powder and bullets ...

Seeking H'dy 123 & 129 pills eventually. Have unassigned scopes for various uses ... someday.

Meanwhile, any half-decent optic will help me work up loads. $20/bx steel Russian FMJs promise nothing accuracy wise, but .350 Legend groups won't be hard to beat.

So, here's thermal, IR NV, 36 color illum reticle & side focus, 3-9x56 (6.2 mm exit pupil at 9x for low light), and SIONYX Aurora has inverted mode and rail mount to hang under the HG for recoil activated color video even in moonlight.

btw, making any more salad with the .357 B&D?

 

[Buggs67]

Personally I see no reason for .380 to even exist anymore with possibly the exception for very small people with very small hands. Most .380s are identical to their 9MM stable mates in size and weight. The only difference being recoil and the weight of the individual cartridges.

And with 9MM having 66% more energy it's no choice.