What did you do today?

[Oldbloke]

Went and saw my dad in the mental ward for his 70th. For once he was mostly coherent,for the first half hour anyway. Was nice

[NTSOG]

G'day Oldbloke,

I used to visit my elderly mother whose faculties had failed until the last time she told me I was not her son, though she stated she did have a son, but I wasn't him. It didn't bother me as I worked with people with impaired mental function and understood what was happening in her brain. After that I stopped visiting for fear that my incursion into her sheltered world would destabilise her behaviour and make things difficult for the nursing staff after I left.

Jim

[bigpete]

G'day Oldbloke,

I used to visit my elderly mother whose faculties had failed until the last time she told me I was not her son, though she stated she did have a son, but I wasn't him. It didn't bother me as I worked with people with impaired mental function and understood what was happening in her brain. After that I stopped visiting for fear that my incursion into her sheltered world would destabilise her behaviour and make things difficult for the nursing staff after I left.

Jim

I think you're talking to the wrong bloke

[NTSOG]

Thanks bigpete. I apologise for my confusion.

Jim

[Oldbloke]

Yeh, I also thought you meant BP

[bigpete]

Thanks bigpete. I apologise for my confusion.

Jim

All good.
Hasn't been fun watching dad go from being smart as a whip to being a dribbling mess in under a year.

[Flyonline]

Loaded up my first batch today. Nothing special, just a reduced (60%) load of 2206H under a 150g interlock for gits and shiggles. The only difference was I used my bench bottle capper to seat the projectiles rather than banging it in with a hammer (lee classic loader), it worked a lot better than I expected. It did take a bit of friggin around to work out the rifles max COAL with a couple of different methods and 2x DIY bullet comparitors. It seemed a little short, but could be just me. Interesting that it appears that the 168g Hog Hammers are jammed into the lands in my rifle - not sure that's all that good seeing as they're copper monos.

As an aside, at what stage to reduced load shells need to be kept seperate from full loads? These are once fired (in this rifle) shells.

IMG_5550.jpg (370.49 KiB) Viewed 625 times

[Oldbloke]

Why is the one on the left so blue?

Caper is a good idea. But don't be afraid to use the hammer. A plastic/nylon hammer is ideal or a small wooden mallet.

[Oldbloke]

I've tried 3-4 methods.
This how Inow find the lands. I've found just removing the firing pin works ok.

Then give the bullet a 0.5mm jump.

https://youtu.be/tYZu7RG28ow?si=HtLYd41YkZkA53pG

[Oldbloke]

Made a Venison and mushroom pie. Including the pastry.

IMG_20240601_183634.jpg (287.02 KiB) Viewed 606 times

[Flyonline]

Why is the one on the left so blue?

Caper is a good idea. But don't be afraid to use the hammer. A plastic/nylon hammer is ideal or a small wooden mallet.

Not sure why it's blue, must be a light artifact as it's no different in the hand.

I hear ya on the hammer, I have a small nylon hammer that works well and I'm sure x00'000s of rounds have been loaded this way, I just don't like smacking something designed to go off with a bang

Can't access that video as it's age restricted and I ain't giving google squat of my info if I can help it. I had a sized case, lubricated the inside of the neck and then closed the bolt on it with a projectile seated long. I'm assuming that as the primer is removed, the pin isn't an issue? I did have a little trouble as it hits the lands right where the cannelure enters the neck, so it hung up a poofteenth off closing, then jumped forward when I pushed on the bolt.

Nice pie, might have to pinch that idea.......

[bigpete]

If they're touching the lands then they're too long.

[bigpete]

I took Jemima,my 36 cal Thompson Seneca, out on a date. Lovely little thing she is.

[Oldbloke]

If they're touching the lands then they're too long.

BP is correct.

If touching the lands pressure can spike. Push them in another 0.5mm or so.

[Oldbloke]

I'll try and explained how to find the lands.

Remove firing pin because when closing it may change the restriction upon closing, the bolt.
Bolt should now drop closed, just by gravity, no friction.
Take a sized case, no primer.
Check when it's in the chamber that bolt drops freely, no restriction.
Seat a bullet into the case, but too long.
Chamber it, it will now not close. Don't force it.
Seat the bullet in further, about 0.005" or less.
Try again in the chamber. If it won't chamber, seat the pullet in another 0.005". Or less.
Try again.
Repeat until bolt closes with no resistance or just a tiny bit of resistance.

You now have COAL touching lands. Take a measurement and write it down. You can retain the case as a "standard" if you wish. Label it including bullet brand, type, weight etc.

Now load up ammo BUT seat bullet about 0.5mm (0.020") deeper.
This gives a 0.5mm jump to lands. A good general spot to start. Most shoot well at 0.5mm.

If you later buy a press you can set your FLS Die in the same way.

I'm assuming you have a set of vernier?

[bigpete]

I'll try and explained how to find the lands.

Remove firing pin because when closing it may change the restriction upon closing, the bolt.
Bolt should now drop closed, just by gravity, no friction.
Take a sized case, no primer.
Check when it's in the chamber that bolt drops freely, no restriction.
Seat a bullet into the case, but too long.
Chamber it, it will now not close. Don't force it.
Seat the bullet in further, about 0.005" or less.
Try again in the chamber. If it won't chamber, seat the pullet in another 0.005". Or less.
Try again.
Repeat until bolt closes with no resistance or just a tiny bit of resistance.

You now have COAL touching lands. Take a measurement and write it down. You can retain the case as a "standard" if you wish. Label it including bullet brand, type, weight etc.

Now load up ammo BUT seat bullet about 0.5mm (0.020") deeper.
This gives a 0.5mm jump to lands. A good general spot to start. Most shoot well at 0.5mm.

If you later buy a press you can set your FLS Die in the same way.

I'm assuming you have a set of vernier?

We've always just coloured the bullet with texta and just carefully slid it into the chamber and looked for marks. A lot less f***ing around

[Oldbloke]

I'll try and explained how to find the lands.

Remove firing pin because when closing it may change the restriction upon closing, the bolt.
Bolt should now drop closed, just by gravity, no friction.
Take a sized case, no primer.
Check when it's in the chamber that bolt drops freely, no restriction.
Seat a bullet into the case, but too long.
Chamber it, it will now not close. Don't force it.
Seat the bullet in further, about 0.005" or less.
Try again in the chamber. If it won't chamber, seat the pullet in another 0.005". Or less.
Try again.
Repeat until bolt closes with no resistance or just a tiny bit of resistance.

You now have COAL touching lands. Take a measurement and write it down. You can retain the case as a "standard" if you wish. Label it including bullet brand, type, weight etc.

Now load up ammo BUT seat bullet about 0.5mm (0.020") deeper.
This gives a 0.5mm jump to lands. A good general spot to start. Most shoot well at 0.5mm.

If you later buy a press you can set your FLS Die in the same way.

I'm assuming you have a set of vernier?

We've always just coloured the bullet with texta and just carefully slid it into the chamber and looked for marks. A lot less f***ing around

I found it unreliable/inconsistent. But it works just like many others.

[bigpete]

I've found it more than consistent enough to produce ½ moa groups with the smallest amount of playing with powder charges

[Oldbloke]

Horses for courses. Must be 4-5 ways of doing it.

[Flyonline]

I ended up doing a bit of both - first with with the texta/candle smoke then moved the die a further .02" and re-checked with a dummy round. No marks, and they fired ok so I'll start there and go forth.

Took the air rifle, torch and DIY red lens for a wander out at the olds last night. The rabbits were not impressed with my red lens and buggered off as soon as the light swung over them. The white light didn't seem to bother them as much, but it was still very dry and crunchy underfoot and I couldn't manage to get within shooting distance so I'll try a pair of neoprene wading boots I have to cut down on noise. Strangely, the couple of wallabies didn't seem to pick up the red light at all. Obviously the range of light fall was limited with the red lens, so if I'm going to do more of this I might have to invest in a better torch (or even better, a cheap thermal, but that ain't likely).

[bigpete]

Checked a game camera today. Had a good sized buck on it.

[Oldbloke]

Checked a game camera today. Had a good sized buck on it.

Pic? Or is it a secret?

[No1Mk3]

Picked up a Pattern 1853 Enfield 3 band, Khyber Pass lockplate on a British rifle which has been smooth-bored for a foraging gun, good enough to fire. Whilst there bought an 1866/74 Gras rifle in good nick, discussed upcoming Hamilton and Western District Gun Show,

[NTSOG]

G'day,

I had both 'flu and Chinese virus vaccination two days ago and was rather affected all yesterday. The two inoculations left me with a lightly bruised shoulder and feeling somewhat stranger than normal, so I avoided using any serious machinery, left the rifles in the gun safes and simply lubed and changed filters on one of my tractors. We are informed locally that the 'flu and the ChinCom virus are running amok so, as I have a compromised immune system due to Leukaemia, I felt it better to get jabbed.

Jim

[Flyonline]

Scored half a tin of unicorn poop, and 150 or so of hens teeth

[Oldbloke]

Don't have a need. But what did the trailboss cost?

[bigpete]

Scored half a tin of unicorn poop, and 150 or so of hens teeth

Good ol trailboss. Can load anything with it

[Flyonline]

Don't have a need. But what did the trailboss cost?

Nix. It's not what you know, but who

Actually, I'll be donating a load or so of firewood to the giver but he would have given it to me anyway, and I would have given him the wood anyway (without the TB), so I think that makes us even

[bigpete]

Had breakfast club with my lad down the Goolwa bird hide, then dropped into the local gunshop for a yak and saw the most ridiculous hunting rifle set-up ( a beautiful model 70 featherweight with the most enormous nightforce scope on it lol ),then went to check on a mates place while they're away and collected a heap of apples and macadamia nuts,then out to my dads farm to move the bulls and the cows and calves into fresh paddocks. Also tested a magnetic barrel mounted torch on my 22 for accuracy,no discernible difference between when it was attached or off. Was going to go deer hunting this arvo but I've had a pretty bad cold for 2 days and thought I might just have a rest.

[Die Judicii]

G'day,

I had both 'flu and Chinese virus vaccination two days ago and was rather affected all yesterday. The two inoculations left me with a lightly bruised shoulder and feeling somewhat stranger than normal, so I avoided using any serious machinery, left the rifles in the gun safes and simply lubed and changed filters on one of my tractors. We are informed locally that the 'flu and the ChinCom virus are running amok so, as I have a compromised immune system due to Leukaemia, I felt it better to get jabbed.

Jim

I too have a pretty seriously compromised immune system,,,,, and also only recently (fortnight) had both jabs in the one shoulder.
Over the years of hearing people say that the flu jab severely impacts the shoulder as well as having flu like symptoms from the vax,,, I have yet to experience any such issues.
The recent two jabs together in the same shoulder has not been a problem either.
It's like as if i'm impervious for some reason.