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Old 05-06-2007, 02:06 AM
scootertrash scootertrash is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lake George, Colorado
Posts: 257
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Thanks guys. Those loads were indeed neck sized, however the brass was not formed with a crush fit.

Shortly thereafter, I switched to the N120, mainly because I don't like the compressed loads, especially with a stick powder and the small cases.

This was about six months or so ago, and at which time I did not yet have QL.
I liked the performance of the N120 and it shot great using 17.6 grains, but I could tell I was on the ragged edge pressure wise. Since I primarily use this rifle for pdogs, and knowing the temperatures in the summer months, I backed the load down a bit.

After obtaining QL and running numbers, things became much clearer and confirmed what I already suspected. Both the 4198 and the N120 lots I purchased, have very fast burn rates. Regardless, I still could not safely reach that speed.

After decreasing the N120 load, I still experienced not what I'd call hard bolt lift, but difficulty at the top of the bolt lift and the ominous clicking. I had read, perhaps here, that once brass starts the bolt clicking, it will always remain. So, I got new brass and experimented some more. 17.2 grains shoots rather nicely, the bolt opens smoothly, and no clicking. The velocity is just at 3700 in 55° temps, and chrono testing over on the eastern plains a couple weeks ago showed 3732 in 85° temps with no issues.

And I'd like to make it clear, I'm not knocking anyone who choses to run warm, and that has a rifle capable of it. I also shoot some tight necked custom 6 PPC's that are run "over the top". Look in the back of Precision Shooter magazine and some of those loads I don't know how they get the bullet seated.

The point is, some rifles will do it, some won't. Most folks on this forum have a tremendous understanding of small calibers and their little quirks. I've been handloading and shooting right at forty years, am I disappointed I can't get 3800 from my little Cooper? Not at all, it's still a great little cartridge, and ballistically there isn't much difference between 3700 and 3800.

Since a lot of the calibers we deal with here, are a wildcat or some variant, more often than not, you won't find anything in a written manual. I just don't want folks new to the small calibers, and sometimes new to handloading as well, to pick a speed as a specific goal for a given caliber.

I'd also like to take this time to thank the folks here, the knowledge that you share is priceless, and you folks build some mighty awesome rifles.

Mike