July-August 1988 Number 13. US. and Canada, Foreign, 84.00

Transcription

1 A July-August 1988 Number 13 US. and Canada, Foreign, 84.00

2 - The Journal, of Ammunition Reloading The staff Dave Wolfe President Mark Harris Publisher Tom Gresham Editor A Miller Assistant Editor Holly McLean-Aldis Copy Editor Jana Kosco Advertising Manager Ted Curtis Promotion Manager Dave LeQate Art Director Becky Pinkley Production Supervisor Tammy Rossi Circulation Manager Mardell Harms Ruth Robinson Circulation Sharon Zalitis Book Sales Manager Dave Culver Photographer Ellen Fultz Publication Assistant Roberta Montgomery Executive Secretary lkchnical Number July-August Volume 23, Number 4 FEATURES Cast Bullets in the.243 and 6mm..Ron Carmichael 20 9mm Re-Update (Pet Loads).....Ken Waters 22 Anatomy of a Handloading Accident...Steve Timm 26 Muzzle-Region Pressures Can Affect Performance Fast Powder - - Tight Patterns?....Don Zutz 28 Light Loads for Light Rifles....Ron Carmichael The Wilk Gas Check....Dave Scovill DEPARTMENTS Reloader s Press...4 About Cast Bullets...16 Reader Bylines...6 Benchtopics...18 Capitol Watch...8 Loading Shot Cartridge Board ProducTests Handgun Feeding & Care...12 Product & Service News...66 Aiming for Answers...14 Propellant Profiles OY THE COVER This shows the quality of work being turned out by the Colt custom shop. Photo by Stan Trzoniec Sam Fadala Bob Hagel Neal Knox Wallace Labisky Ed Matunas Ludwig Olson Dave Scovill Layne Simpson Charles R. Suydam Mike Venturino Ken Waters SSN a 6471 *8uproR~ ~6. COPYRGHT 1988 The Handloader is published bimonthly by the Wolfe Publishing Company, nc. (Dave Wolfe, President), Airpark Drive, Prescott, Arimna (Also publisher of Rfb Magazine.) Telephone (602) , Second Class Postage paid at Prescott. Arizona. and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions and Canada - single issue, $3.00; 6 issues, $16.00; 12 issues, ; 18 issues. $ Foreign - single issue, $4.00; 6 issues, $23.00; 12 issues, $43.00; 18 issues. $ Advertising rates furnished on request. All rights reserved. Publisher of Handloader is not responsible for mishaps of any nature which might occur from use of published loading data, or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the editor. Manuscripts from free-lance writers must be accompanied by stamped self-addressed envelope and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts. Change of address: please give six weeks notice. Send both old and new address, plus mailing label if possible, to Circulation Dept., Handloader Magazine, 6471 Airpark Drive, Prescott. Arizona

3 .220 Swift Lover Handloader No. 131 contains an article entitled Norman Johnson Discovers an mproved Long-Range Varmint Load for the.220 Swift, which enjoyed very much. When was living in New Jersey in the late 1940s, used a target-weight Winchester Model Swift for woodchuck hunting. With 55-grain PSP bullets from Sisk or handmade by the late Robert F. Bley, and 36.0 to 39.0 grains of MR-4064 powder, Winchester primers and cases, we obtained excellent results on chucks at ranges of 300 yards or more. The rifle was sighted to hit one inch high at 100 yards using a 15x Lyman Super %getspot scope. still have two boxes of handloaded cases marked with the date , with 37.0 grains of MR-4064 powder and 55-grain Bley bullets, the load we finally settled on. Sisk bullets and 55-grain PSPs gave satisfactory results also. The estimated velocity of that load was about 3,700 fps. Several friends used this same load in their.220 Swift rifles with good results. One friend used a standard Winchester Model 70,.220 Swift, with Sisk 63-grain PSP bullets and 40 to 43 grains of MR4350, and reported this load was effective at 600 yards on chucks. J.M.S., Boulder CO Soft Gas Checks Vulnerable to Heat am writing about the About Cast Bullet column in Handloader No. 121, particularly the section pertaining to Soft Gas Checks manufactured by CFVentures. After reading the article, sent off an order for 20 sheets and used them per the directions. My experience with them matched yours - they were super. talked a friend into ordering them and his experience was somewhat different. He lives in Del Norte but our weather, elevations, etc., are alike. We both use the same load in a.45 Colt. He loaded 500 rounds. He keeps them in plastic cartridge boxes in the house like do, with the exception of the 6 ammo he keeps in his truck when he is working on the ranch. Here s what happened: While working fence, he stumbled upon a large rattlesnake, he backed up safely and went to the truck for his revolver (S&W Model 25-5) and ammo (.45 Colt, 9.0 grains of Unique, 255 GCSWC cast bullets plus a soft gas check) packed in a white, plastic, sliptop cartridge box (Herter s) that had been in the truck about two weeks sitting on the seat. He walked back to the snake to shoot it (normal for him). The first shot just poofed. He stopped to check the barrel - no slug in the barrel - and had to jump back as the snake struck at him. He then fired shot number two. Another poof. No slug in the barrel. He beat a hasty retreat to the truck. Neither cartridge had fired. Twenty more from the box would not fire, only their primers detonated. He sent me the rest of the box. took two shells apart and found the wax check gone, the powder a congealed hard mass. CFVentures said the wax melts at 130 degrees F. and tests conducted confirm that. will continue to use this product but not in cartridges take afield. K.B., Gunnison CO The s Great! Concerning Handloader No. 133 Reader Bylines, agree with W.R. from Frankenmuth M on rechambering the 7.65 to a have done this on numerous occasions and have never been disappointed. have had a couple that will shoot an inch or less. Somewhere along the line, have grown very fond of this caliber. t really is simple to load for. Just replace the standard.30-caliber expander button in the resizing die with a.310 or.311-inch one. Try different diameter bullets to find just the right combination. Sierra and Speer make.311s, Hornady makes.312s and there are a few old Speers around in 175-grain roundnose that were made in.313. f the bore is a little worn, just going to the next size larger bullet helps a lot. Of all the bullets, the 174-grain Hornady roundnose.312 usually shoots the best. n using various bullets on African game and whitetails, found the 174-grain Hornady did the best job. took my to Africa and it performed splendidly on smaller plains game. Even took kudu with it with no problem. T.B., Hudsonville M And Now, from Harry Hoffman s Corner... n reference to JGH, Pasadena CA, Reader Bylines, Handloader No. 133: he states that invented the Winchester concerning my cartridge in Handloader No The only thing that is the same is the rim diameter. My case is longer; it has a shoulder of 25 degrees (the has a shoulder of five degrees); and my case uses a.308-inch bullet compared to one of.312 inch for the.32-20! He also asks where has he (me) been for the last 100 years? n answer to that - spend my time comprehending what read..220 Swift Hater Harry Hoffman Norm Johnson s article about his.220 Swift load in Handloader No. 131 was a joke, wasn t it? f it wasn t, it was published in the wrong magazine. would expect to read tired, unimaginative pulp like this in some of the newsstand magazines but never in Handloader. To start with, the Swift is not a fine old cartridge. ts sides taper too much and its shoulder isn t steep enough. Trying to load this poorly designed round to anywhere near its potential is just simply begging for thick necks and head separations. Almost every SwiR owner know has used 55-grain Sierras and Winchester 760. So what s supposed to be new and improved about that? There is only one reason that drives the average shooter to buy a Swift - 4,000 feet per second! Fifty-five grains at 3,700? Give me a break! A friend of mine drives 55-grainers 3,650 fps in his mproved.222 Magnum! Commercial 52 to 53-grain hollow- Handloader 134

4 points may not make the best varmint bullets at.222 velocities but they blow up just fine at 4,000 fps. A 52-grainer at 4,000 fps will shoot just as flat and then some as any 55-grain bullet at 3,700! Yes, hot loads and rapid firing will shorten barrel life but see no sensible reason to rapid-fire a Swifi. The wear and tear of hot loads can be reduced by a more intelligently designed case. A longnecked, sharp-shouldered, nearly straight-sided, improved would give you all the velocity of a Swift with almost none of the hassles. Had Mr. Johnson saved the money from two or three of his 12 Swifts, he could have built an intelligent Swift. Now that would have made a good article! S.N., Lebanon L categories as my safe holds two.410s, two double 20s and a double 12. n addition, my occupation as a state trooper puts a 12 bore pump at my disposal. found no need or desire to own a 16. Then, in June 1987 was called to the bedside of a dear friend who was dying of cancer. Vernon told me to reach in his closet and bring out that shotgun on the pegs and put it in your Car. had owned two thaca Model gauge pumps in the years past but now have a 37 in 16 gauge that is in pristine condition. t was manufactured in This past fall as walked the woods with the 16, had Vernon and the article on my mind. Qualification Number One for membership in the Society has been met because of a dear friend. Qualification Number Two has been cancelled by Number One. The Third Qualification was fulfilled after hunting this past season. Friend Vernon has passed on. Now you see why my letter is a little late. W.D., Palestine TX 0 Segregating Charged Cases haven t been in the reloading game very long but have been forced into it because of my penchant for guns in obsolete calibers. enjoy my subscription to RifEe magazine and sometimes buy Handloader. The dread of doublecharging a.45-70, or case with smokeless has led me to adopt a method that is probably well known but which have never seen in print. use two loading blocks for my cases. One has the cases inserted upside down and obviously empty. As charge each case, place it in the block on the opposite side of the press right-side up. This prevents me from replacing a charged case in the same block where it might get double-charged and also prevents me missing a case which might get a bullet seated over just a primer. hope this idea may be of some use to your readers. D.W.D., Addison NY Another 16Gauge Convert This letter is overdue about a year now but if you will read on, will explain. n Handloader No. 125, an article by John Campbell on the 16-gauge caught my eye. John said he was the selfappointed chairman of the American Society for 16-Gauge Revival. He listed three qualifications for membership:... own a 18gauge shotgun, want a 16-gauge shotgun, or appreciate how good a 16-gauge really is. didn t fall into any of those i *ugh potycarbonate tip solves perfonnrnce prabiems caused 1 damage have shown that a ist deforming in ts are available in tne left actually dropped from a.466 ballistic coefficient to,362. This translates into nearly 300 ft./lbs. of energy lost at 500 yards, as well as significantly more bullet drop. The flattened one on the right was even worse! r and 1508, (yellow tip) 7mm 140 Gr. an 150 Gr. (red tip) Gr., 165 Gr. and 18OGr. Bullets, PO. Box 688, Beaverton, (green tip) OR

5 THE DWNTUREBOOH-S EWR MTTENf Relive all the excitement of a safari ur the exploration of unknown regions. DilSCOVER The vory Adve Classics A unique limited edition series mtended to be an exclusive collecti( of classic books on hunting, exploration and adventure. Assorted titles from such famous authors as Sir Samuel Baker, Admiral Byrd, H.M. Stanley, F.C. Selous, the Roosevelts, Robert Ruark, Gordon0 Cumming, William Hornaday, and others have been selected to make this series truly unique These books are dedicated to those adventurous souls who resent the restraint of the beaten path. Each book in the series is a limited edition of 1,OOO. Prices of the volumes will vary according to their size and the complexity of production - $25 to $40 range (plus $2.00 shipping and handling, $4.00 foreign). Premium features of construction make this series of books attractive and durable. Ths is a rare set of adven. ture books that will add beauty and value to your library. 1, New volumes in the series are issued to you at sir to eighteweek intervals. There is no minimum nu& to buy and you may cancel at any time. Books may be returned withm 15 days. There will be no charge if you are not A Continuing charge card le. Simply send a request for ths service along with your VSA or Mastercard number and expiration date. As volumes are released, your account will be charged and the rifle - you will cherish this collection. 1 Don't miss this Remember, each b copies - so order

6 Dave Scovill NCE TS introduction in Hand- S loader No. 129, the Wilk gas check has been the subject of quite a bit of reader mail. Let me make a few observations: First, there is no doubt that the Wilk gas check makes it possible to achieve unprecedented velocity and accuracy with cast rifle bullets; secondly, if fine accuracy at top velocities with semiwadcutters from a revolver is routine, there is no evidence to suggest the Wilk gas check will improve on those standards. The principal advantage served by the Wilk gas check in revolvers is to protect the bases of plain-based bullets. That is essentially how Ed Wilk saw their application as well. Although he may not have envisioned their remarkable potential with cast rifle bullets, the genius of the concept remains his alone. Finally, it is worth noting that it wasn t at Ed s suggestion that the Wilk gas check should carry his name. That was A1 Miller s recommendation, and couldn t have agreed more. The idea of a perforated gas check wasn t Ed s alone. Research and reader response to A1 Miller s comments in 34 Handloader No. 129 revealed there were at least three other individuals who came up with similar ideas. The essential difference between Wilk s contribution and those offered in the past was that Ed took the concept beyond previous efforts, designing tools and dies which made use of the Wilk gas check remarkably precise. Of course, there are some cast bullet designs which won t accept Wilk checks but a survey of inventories at Northeast ndustrial (NE), RCBS and Lyman suggests there is no shortage of accommodating designs among currently available moulds. With those comments out of the way, the following is a run-down on the Wilk gas check after Ed forwarded a few samples in the spring of At that time, he simply referred to them as perforated gas checks and that s exactly what they were: gas checks with holes in the centers. As Ed saw their application, they were to be installed in plainbased pistol bullet moulds. Because alloy could flow through the hole, they could be placed inside the cavity in any position where they might fit. Ed had fired a few loads with the gas checks mounted on the first, second, sometimes the third (base) driving bands using Lyman s SWC and reported good accuracy from a lead-free bore. To say that was intrigued by the idea would be a classic understatement. Versatility seemed limitless in terms of offering the advantages associated with standard gas-checked designs. Any loads which might produce leading as the result of excessive velocity or insufficient pressure (no bullet obturation) should be improved by these new, doughnut-shaped checks. There were problems of course. The first and most obvious concerned how to slip one of those perforated gas checks into a hot mould. Practicing with a cold mould and a pair of tweezers Ed designed to hold the gas checks proved it could be done. The only drawback was that some gas checks were.003 to.004 inch larger than the cavity diameters, making the blocks difficult to close completely. Ed solved that problem by designing a set of tapered dies that sized the checks to match the mould diameter. Whenever the checks were only.002 inch or so larger than cavity diameter, RCBS mould handles provided sufficient leverage to close the blocks easily. To speed the casting pace with the Wilk check, a pair of doeskin gloves improved dexterity and made it possible Handloader 134

7 Ed Wilk designed this set of punches to be used in standard reloading presses. The punches in the photo are for.278, 7mm,.30,.38,.44 and.45caliber gas checks. to handle the copper rings with my fingers and dispense with the tweezers. With practice, it became possible to install the gas check in the mould during the few seconds that normally elapsed between ejecting one set of bullets and casting the next. Satisfied that the concept was practical, ran off a series of Lyman SWCs with Wilk gas checks on their first driving bands and another series with the checks mounted on the front edges of the base bands. The alloy was a sor combination of wheelweights and pure lead that measured BHN 12 on LBT s hardness tester. For accuracy comparisons, a third set of standard bullets were cast from the same alloy. All bullets were seated over 8.0 grains of 800-X in Federal.45 Colt cases capped with Federal s 150 primers. At a range of 25 yards from the muzzle of a custom.45 Colt Single Action Army, the standard bullets scattered widely and produced severe leading in the 5%-inch barrel. Wilk July-August 1988 bullets with checks on the first driving bands cut a 1.45-inch group from the previously leaded barrel and bullets with the checks on the base bands grouped inside 2.5 inches. As inconclusive as any single test can be, it appeared the Wilk check did help a bad load shoot with acceptable accuracy and made it possible to use relatively soft alloys that would normally produce severe leading and terrible accuracy. Further trials with Lyman s , , and RCBS s produced similar results. t is also possible that the Wilk bullet requires some change in the powder charge ifaccuracy is to match the best groups produced by bullets equipped with conventional gas checks. Although 1.5-inch five-shot groups were recorded with Lyman s SWCHP and 15.0 grains of W-295, the Wilk bullet produced 1.75-inch groups with the same powder charge and 15.5 grains cut 1.4-inch clusters. Even then, the Wilk bullet always delivered remarkably consistent performance over an extended series. f leading did occur with standard bullets, one or two Wilk bullets scoured the barrel nicely. As a rule, the best groups were produced when the Wilk check was placed on the second driving band or the front edge of the base band. (The first driving band on some Keith-style SWCs is slightly smaller in diameter than the remaining bands and an oversized gas check makes it difficult to close the mould. Subsequent bullets are.003 to.004-inch larger than standard bullets and fins emanating from the side of the bullet prove that the mould wasn t fully closed.) With notes in hand, called Steve Hornady. While he had some reservations about the Wilk bullet, he agreed to supply all the Hornady gas checks could shoot. At my request, Ed Wilk also forwarded several hundred perforated.35-caliber gas checks and 35

8 sent a good supply along to A1 Miller, asking if he might like to give them a try in one of his target-grade handguns. He proffered a counterproposal: why not see how they would shoot from his favorite cast-bullet rifle, a.350 Remington Magnum? agreed it would be worth a try. The next step was to install the Wilk gas check on NE s GC bullet. As it turned out, the Hornady 7mm gas check fit the slot cut for the first driving band perfectly and a %-inch punch (.20 caliber) was used to produce several hundred Wilk checks. The logbook for my 7x57 Ruger Model 77 reveals that a top load with Speer s 160-grain bullet over 49.0 grains of MR-4350 produced about 2,700 fps and 1.2 MOA accuracy. f the Wilk bullet was to offer any significant improvement over standard bullets, it seemed a good starting load would be about 48.0 grains of MR-4350 for about 2,600 fps. Even that appeared to be asking a bit too much but as the saying goes: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. For the first test loads, bullets were heat-treated to BHN 28 and fired ascast at.2845 inch. For comparison, the same powder charge was used with the standard bullet. All bullets were seated to an overall loaded length of 3.1 inches and lubed with LBT Blue. Other details include the use of CC s 250 primer and Federal cases sized fulllength in RCBS dies. Case neck diameter was.281 inch and conven- tional Hornady gas checks were crimped on the bullets bases. Repairing to the range, two shots were fired to foul the bore. The next five went into 1.8 inches. The second fiveshot group from the fouled barrel printed inside 1.3 inches. The standard bullets scattered widely and averaged about 6.5 inches. ncreasing the powder charge to 49.0 grains of MR-4350 with the Wilk bullet saw the first shot from a clean barrel hit low and right of the point of aim. The next five went into 1.2 inches. All six shots spanned 1.97 inches. The last four bullets went through the chronograph at an average of 2,786 fps with 24 fps extreme spread. After increasing the powder charge to 49.5 grains, the largest of several groups spanned 2.2 inches. The tightest cluster miked 1.1 inches and some groups had four of five bullets snuggled up inside.75 inch. Muzzle velocity averaged 2,816 fps with 27 fps extreme spread for 10 shots. The same load with Hornady s 154-grain Spire Point produces 1.2 to 1.7 MOA from the same rifle. Table lists a summary of loads using MR-3031, MR-4064, MR-4350 and MR-4831 with the Wilk bullet in the Ruger 7x57. Group averages are the result of several range sessions under various weather and temperature conditions. n most instances, groups were fired from a clean bore with two fouling shots and five to score. From time to time, similar loads were tried with the standard bullet but they never produced the kind of accuracy routinely produced by the Wilk bullet. (Those loads are safe in the longthroated [.497 inch] Ruger 77 only and should not be used in surplus military rifles or short-throated [.295 inch] Remington and Winchester sporting rifles chambered for the 7x57mm Mauser.) Since tests in the 7x57 did not appear to be pushing the Wilk bullet to its limits, the next logical step was to try NE s (134.5 grains) bullet heat-treated to BHN 30 and left unsized (.2785 inch) with the Wilk check installed on the first driving band. Knowing the 7mm bullet could be pushed to 2,800 fps with,good accuracy, the starting load in the.270 Winchester consisted of 51.0 grains of MR-4350 with CC s 250 primer. As before, LBT Blue lube protected the bullets. Cases from Remington were sized full-length in RCBS dies; inside neck diameter was.272 inch. At an average of 2,860 fps, the first five shots cut a 1.15-inch cluster at 100 yards from a Remington Model 700 ADL. Fifty one and one-half grains of the same powder produced 2,882 fps and a 1.3-inch group. Switching to MR-4831 with the NE Wilk bullet, loads began with 54.0 grains, followed by 55.0, 56.0 and 57.0 grains. At 57.0 grains, five rounds zipped through the Oehler Skyscreens at an average of 3,021 fps and several three-shot groups homed in around 2.2 Ed also created dies with tapered bores so that the gas checks could be sized to match mould cavity diameters exactly. 36 A standard X6-inch punch was used to produce.20caiiber holes through Hornady.270 and 7mm gas checks. A pair of tweezers with notches filed outside both prongs makes an ideal tool for handling Wilk checks. Handloader 134

9 inches. Five-shot strings averaged 2.4 inches and trials with 10-shot groups remained stable around 2.3 inches. Extended tests with 55.0 and 56.0 grains of MR-4831 averaged less than two MOA and most hovered around 1.5 MOA for five-shot groups. Muzzle velocity averaged 2,912 and 2,980 fps, respectively. As trials progressed in the.270 Winchester, it was obvious that the Wilk bullet exceeded my wildest expectations. Not that 2.4 MOA at 3,000 fps is target-grade accuracy, but it certainly exceeds traditional cast bullet performance by a wide margin and comes dangerously close to matching velocity and accuracy standards offered by factory loads. Considering that six or seven bullets out of 10 usually printed inside two inches and the same rifle rarely put five jacketed bullets inside 1.7 inches, it would be fair to say the Wilk bullet had unparalleled potential. While continued experiments with the Wilk bullet in a variety of rifles, A1 Miller expanded tests to include Lyman s and in the and.350 Remington Magnum, respectively. Since his bullets weren t very hard (BHN 21) and groups averaged 1.2 inches with a selection of loads in both rifles, there s good evidence to suggest that moderately hard alloys like Linotype are suitable for high velocity cast bullet loads up to 2,600 or 2,700 fps. None of this is to suggest that the Wilk checks improve cast rifle bullet performance most when installed in either the first or second lubrication rings. July-August 1988 Wilk bullet should replace jacketed bullets. There are field conditions and some competitive disciplines where jacketed bullets are clearly superior. On the other hand, there are several instances where sub-two MOA performance from a cast bullet at jacketed bullet velocities might serve equally well. The first that comes to mind is the silhouette game. t is not unusual for dedicated steel ram shooters to go through several thousand jacketed bullets a year, most of which are consumed during practice. The Wilk bullet is considerably easier on the pocketbook while sacrificing little, if anything, in terms of accuracy at velocities traditionally reserved for their gilded metal counterparts. f you are interested in trying Wilk checks on rifle bullets, choose a design with a first or second driving band wide enough to accept the gas check. n.30 caliber, that is about.ob0 inch for Hornady gas checks. n 7mm and.270,.070 inch is optimum. n smaller calibers like the.257 and.243,.050 inch is about right. f the slot milled for the first driving band is much wider than the gas check, the copper ring is difficult to center properly and accuracy may suffer - although A1 Miller s experience with rejected bullets (Handloader No. 129) appears quite respectable. As a rule, accuracy with rifle bullets appears to benefit if the gas check is mounted on the first driving band, assuming it affords a snug fit with the Wilk check. For handguns and rifle bullets, tests Bullets equipped with Wilk checks and tested include: () NE , (2) NE , (3) Lee C R, (4) NE , (5) NE and (6) Lyman show the hole should be from.060 to.10 inch smaller than the gas check diameter. For.35 caliber, Ed Wilk decided on a %,-inch hole and the holes through the.44-caliber checks were punched out to.355 inch. n preliminary tests, a.20-caliber hole was tried in a few.45-caliber checks mated with Lyman s SWC but the recoil of heavy loads broke the noses off two bullets before their respective chambers came up to bat. From that experience, it appears that some caution is in order if the hole is so small that the gas check effectively cuts the cross-section of the bullet in half and recoil snaps the nose off. t may also pay to try mounting Wilk gas checks with the cups facing the nose as well as toward the base. Most experiments show bullets cast better if the cup faces forward but there is no evidence that direction affects group size. After the Wilk check is placed in the mould, close the blocks carefully, guiding them together with your free hand. As noted earlier, a little practice with a cold mould helps establish a workable system. For driving bands that are wider than the gas checks, try mounting the Wilk check toward the front of the slot. f gas checks are sized, they should be at least.001 inch over mould diameter or they may float and shift position as alloy rushes into the cavity. For twocavity blocks, the best system is to cast Wilk bullets in one cavity and standard bullets in the other. t may be easier to work with the forward cavity (furthest away from the caster) and long RCBS handles make it easier to close the mould on slightly oversized gas checks. t is possible to size gas checks in a bullet sizing die, but make sure it is perfectly clean or lubricant may end up in the mould and produce wrinkled bullets. The process of punching holes in gas checks isn t all that complicated. The requirements are a good sharp hole punch of desired diameter and a hard surface to work on. A sheet of brass offers a solid working surface but is not so hard that it will dull the punch. Wood or Formica bench tops don t work well at all. 37

10 As noted earlier, Ed Wilk designed a set of punches that can be used to punch holes in gas checks with a standard reloading press. have worked with the Wilk punches and they do an excellent job. The basic problem with using a hand punch and a hammer is centering the hole. Ed's kit cut them dead-center every time. During trials with Wilk rifle bullets, wheelweight alloy (BHN 12.5 to 14) appears adequate if bullets are heattreated to increase hardness. For the Winchester, BHN 21 to 24 is satisfactory. Using suggested starting loads for jacketed bullets in the.30-06,.270 or.308, BHN 28 to 32 is required to withstand higher pressures and velocities. 'Paracorp Magnum bullet alloy (BHN percent lead, six percent antimony and two percent tin) is probably the best commercial alloy available and it can be heat-treated to BHN 30 with ease. The principal advantage offered by Taracorp alloy is that it is highly refined and casts excellent bullets. b prevent voids from forming around the relatively cold Wilk check, it may help to wait a few seconds for the copper ring to reach mould temperature after the blocks are closed. Then too, the perforated copper ring absorbs heat Equipped with Wilk checks, NEl's recorded 1.15-inch groups consistently when backed by 49 grains of MR-4350 (above) at 2,756 fps and 38 grains of MR-3031 (below) at 2,546 fps. The test rifle was a Ruger Model 77 chambered for 7x57mm. quickly and 'm not sure the wait is absolutely necessary. Exhaustive trials with Wilk bullets proved beyond any doubt that sizing - in itself - does not affect accuracy except where some surface softening may occur if bullets are pushed through the sizing die following heat-treatment. The problem with sizing cast bullets in a lube-sizer is that the nose punch and die are often misaligned, albeit only.002 inch or so, and if bullets must be sized down.003 or.004 inch, the result is a round but unbalanced bullet. The solution is to size long bullets (NE1 and Lyman two-diameter designs) nose-first and use a flat-nosed base punch. The net effect is that the bullet is free to self-center as it is pushed into the die. As an alternative to lube-sizers, the Lee Precision sizing kit utilizes the nose-first approach as well. The issue of sizing is still highly controversial. Extensive tests with NE's GC Wilk bullet (7mm) sized nose-first to.277 proved it was capable of fine accuracy in the.270 Winchester. The point is simply this: f you must size bullets down by more than.002 powder charge primer (grains) MR CC CC CC 250 MR MR MR CC 200 CC 250 CC 200 CC 250 CC 250 Fed 215 CC 250 CC-250 CC 250 inch in a Lyman 450 machine or RCBS's Lube-A-Matic, try the nose-first approach. f bullets drop from the mould.001 to.002 inch larger than groove diameter, lube them by hand or use a sizing die with a diameter that merely lubricates and does little more than trim up the sides of the bullet. f bullets are heat-treated, size them before they are placed in the oven. Hard bullets require lots of force to crimp gas checks on and the job is a lot easier on you and the equipment if it is done while bullets are relatively soft. Then wait 24 hours for them to reach full hardness after casting. Freshly cast bullets are quite soft and they may suffer some distortion during sizing. That is particularly true if they must be reduced more than.002 inch to fit the bore properly. When Wilk bullets were sized to match barrel diameters, they shot quite well, although those fired as-cast, some.001 to.0015 inch larger than groove diameter, appeared to produce more consistent accuracy. A1 Miller used bullets as much as.002 inch larger than groove diameter and as he Table Wilk GC case velocity gmup remarks ups1 tinches) FC 2, FC 2, R-P 2, Alox lube FC Win R-P 2, FC 2, ,567 2,607 2,655 2,712 R-P FC R-P FC FC R-P 2,732 2,756 2,816 2,416 2, ,283 neck D neck D Overall cartridge length, 3.1 inches. Bullet diameter,,2845 inch, using LBT Blue lube except as noted.,281-inch case neck inside diameter, except as noted. Alloy was wheelweights cast at 13.5 BHN, heat-treated to 28 to 30 BHN. Test rifle was a Ruger Model 77 with a 22-inch barrel. Alox lube Be alert - Publisher cannot accept responsibllity for errors in published load data. 38 Handloader 134

11 noted in Handloader No. 129, accuracy was quite good. Based on overall results with the Wilk gas check in several rifles, a bullet that is as much as.002 inch over groove diameter appears to have a desirable effect on the pressure/velocity curve with moderate and slow-burning smokeless powders. As an alternative to using slightly oversized bullets, inside neck diameters should be.004 inch smaller than bullet diameters. Better yet, use a bullet that is.001 inch or so larger than groove diameter and a case neck that is.004 to.005 inch smaller. Either way, the desired effect is to create a heavy bullet pull, one which will prevent the bullet from moving until the powder charge develops optimum working pressure and temperature. Here again, the technique may be controversial but the point to bear in mind is that cast bullets have lower frictional coefficients than jacketed bullets. As jacketed bullets accelerate, friction is the catalyst that helps slower-burning rifle propellants reach optimum pressures and temperatures. n lieu of higher frictional coefficients, pressures and temperatures of cast bullet loads must be raised either by the use of heavier bullet pulls or slightly oversized bullets that increase friction in the bore. Either method, or both, will cause peak pressures to occur at approximately the same instant the same powder charge should be reaching peak pressure with a jacketed bullet of equal weight (sectional density). The unfortunate factor associated with cast bullets is that lubrication and relatively soft (compared to gilded metal counterparts) bullets combine to produce low friction. As Alfred Nobel discovered, slow burning smokeless powders require higher frictional coefficients to burn efficiently. Recent tests conducted by Scot Heter at Speer with standard cast bullets and their Wilk counterparts in the 7x57,.270 Winchester and.357 Magnum support Nobel s findings. n addition, tests summarized by McDonald and Howarth in the most recent edition of Lyman s Cast Bullet Handbook graphically reveal the same phenomenon. While a heavy bullet pull or slightly oversized cast bullets may help normalize the pressurehime curve with slower burning propellants, the Wilk gas check may be the missing ingredient that makes it possible to push cast bullets well beyond traditional limits. Even if that explanation appears to stretch the issue a bit, Wilk rifle bullets appear to have astonishing potential. Bble WinchestedNE Wilk GC powder charge primer velocity group remarks (grains) VPS) (inches) MR CC 200 2, MR CC neck D 48.0 CC Alox lube 48.0 CC CC 250 2, CC 250 2, CC 250 2, CC 250 2, MR Rem 9% 2, neck D 55.0 CC 250 2, ,277 bullet diameter 56.0 CC 250 2, ,277 bullet diameter 57.0 CC 250 3, Overall cartridge length, 2.95 inches. R-P cases used throughout, with case neck inside diameter of,272, except as noted. Bullet diameter, as-cast. was,278, except as noted LBT Blue lube used, except as noted. Alloy was nine pounds of wheelweights to one pound of Linotype, 15 BHN as-cast, heattreated to 30 to 32 BHN. Test rifle was a Remington Model 700 with a 22-inch barrel Be alert - Publisher cannot accept responsibility lor errors in published load data. Loads that produced good accuracy with standard bullets rarely produced the same accuracy with Wilk bullets - and vice versa. As an example, 23.0 grains of MR-4227 with CC s 250 primer and NE s GC bullet averaged about.6 inch at 100 yards for five shots from the Ruger 7x57mm Mauser. The same load with the Wilk bullet produced an average of 1.2 inches. At the other extreme, 27.0 grains of MFt-4198 with NE s GC Wilk bullet averaged.9 inch for six five-shot groups. The same load with the standard bullet never beat 1.5 inches. (Both loads used CC 250 primers.) Similar variations occurred in handguns using standard bullets and Wilk bullets with the check on the first or second driving band. Of course, Wilk bullets always produced better accuracy with rifle loads which developed velocities of 2,600 fps or better. When MOA accuracy is achieved with standard bullets at much lower velocities, don t expect to improve performance by simply swapping Wilk bullets for standard bullets or vice versa. Any variation in loads, even seemingly minor changes in seating depth or neck tension, can be expected to have some effect downrange. As a rule, use an overall loaded length that places the Wilk check about %, inch short of the lands. Once Five-shot groups with NEl s Wilk-checked ranged from 1.15 to 1.8 inches at 100 yards. The loads consisted of 48 grains of MR-4350 for 2,712 fps and 54 grains of MR-4831 for 2,876 fps. All test rounds were fired in a Remington Model 700 ADL in,270 Winchester. 39

12 accuracy standards are established, try adjusting seating depth one way or the other but don't expect much improvement. tried various loads in fulllength and neck-sized cases but couldn't see a significant difference in accuracy with either method Scovill included a number of plain-based and gas-checked handgun bullets in his test program: (1) Lyman , (2) Lyman , (3) Lyman , (4) Lyman , Lyman and Lyman and (5) Lyman ~~~ Table 11 Wilk Gas-Checked Handgun Loads.44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk, 71/-inch barrel bullet powder charge primer (grains) Lyman Blue Dot 13.0 Fed Fed CC Fed 150 Lyman Fed 150 velocity ups, ,023 1,376 1,167 group (inches) Magnum Ruger Blackhawk, 4%-inch barrel Lyman Blue Dot 10.0 CC 550 1, Lyman CC 550 1, Smith d Wesson Model 19, 6-inch barrel Lyman Blue Dot 12.0 CC 500 1, Colt Ruger Blackhawk, 7'/-inch barrel RCBS Blue Dot 13.0 Fed 150 1, Colt Single Action Army, 5Wnch barrel Lyman X 10.0 Fed 150 1, Case neck inside diameters:.44 Magnum,,424 inch,357 Magnum,,355 inch.45 Colt,,448 inch gas check on - none second band second band second band none second band none base band none second band Be alert - Publisher cannot accept responsibllity for errors in published load data. Most experienced cast bullet shooters recommend belling case mouths to prevent shaving lead as bullets are seated. found that unnecessary if die and shellholder were aligned properly. also chamfered case mouths at a rather steep angle to allow the bullet bases to enter the necks slightly. When case necks were.004 to.005 inch smaller than bullet diameters, the gas checks on the bullet bases acted as pilots and allowed hard bullets to be seated without measurable distortion. High-performance loads with Wilk bullets cause barrel temperature to climb. There is no question but that LBT Blue lube helps hold temperatures lower than Alox-blends might allow, but groups tend to grow as barrel temperature varies. The same thing usually occurs with jacketed bullets but accuracy with alloy bullets suffers to a greater degree, especially where ambient temperature is very low and barrel temperature changes rapidly from one shot to the next. To achieve the best possible accuracy, wait a minute or so between shots. f groups grow larger and barrel leading isn't obvious, it may be that the barrel is too hot. Either way, the Wilk bullet usually produced best results when a lube star was barely visible but precluded a flash of alloy on the crown. Limited tests in single-shot handguns chambered for the 7-30 Waters, 7mm T/CU and 7mm Remington BR also hint at fine accuracy potential with Wilk bullets at velocities routinely reserved for jacketed bullets of similar weight. nterestingly, visible pressure signs rather than barrel leading gave the first indication that maximum loads were being approached. Apparently, the test bullets (BHN 28 to 30) carried more than enough lubrication to see them safely to the end of a 14-inch handgun barrel without leading, even when pressures and velocities were way up there. n a nutshell, that may mean the Handloader 134

13 Wilk bullet has a great future in longbarreled, single-shot pistol cartridges that rely on moderate burning propellants like BL-C(2), MR-3031, W-748, RL-12, H-335, H or MR-4198, RL-7 and H-322 to produce top velocities. Those propellants don t appear to be so dependent on heavy bullet pull or increased frictional coefficients to burn efficiently. As a result, a marriage between the Wilk bullet and longbarreled pistols chambered for bottlenecked cartridges would appear to be ideal. Needless to say, you can t simply whip up a cast bullet alloy, install Wilk gas checks in a mould and expect the resultant bullets to produce 1.5 MOA performance at jacketed-bullet velocities from rifles or single-shot pistols. The key to success is a perfect cast bullet. That means quality control must be reduced to a fine art. Any imperfections which might not affect accuracy between 1,600 to 2,100 fps will usually cause Wilk bullets to scatter like quail from 2,700 to 3,000 fps. Even when they appear to be perfect, weight variation shouldn t exceed.2 grain above or below the average for any given run of bullets. The point is simply that you shouldn t be too quick to place blame for poor results with the Wilk check on the bullet. As A1 Miller once stated, There are no bad cast bullets, just bad bullet casters. That relates to quality control as well. f you can t get 1.5 MOA at 2,700 fps, chances are you are shooting bullets that should have been tossed back in the pot. On the other hand, if you have some experience with cast bullets and manage to produce MOA results on a routine basis, even if velocities are limited to 2,100 fps or less, you should be able to push Wilk bullets to their limits and expect something less than two-moa accuracy. Good accuracy with Wilk bullets depends on barrel condition, among other things. As trials progressed, came to rely on Shooter s Choice to maintain a spotless bore. At this point, m convinced it is the best solvent for the job. ts greatest advantage is that it works fast and there is no need to wait for fouling to loosen up, then scrub the barrel again. When you get a clean patch with Shooter s Choice, the barrel is clean. Table lv 7-30 WaterdNE Wilk GC in the TC Contender powder charge (grains1 H RL H H M R prlmer CC 250 WLRM CC 250 CC CC 200 CC 200 caw MloCity gmw remarks [PSl unchesl 1, R-P 1, BHN 21 1, BHN 26 1, , FC 1, BHN 21 1, Overall cartridge length, 2.65 inches. Bullet diameter,,2845 inch, as-cast, using LBT Blue lube for all loads. Case neck inside diameter,,281 inch. Cases: FCW - Federal 7-30 Waters. All other cases formed to 7-30 Waters: R-P - Remington.32 Special; from.30-30s, W-W (Winchester) and FC (Federal). Test gun was the ThompsonlCenter Contender Super 14, with 14-inch barrel. Be alert - Publfaher cannot accept mapondbllny for armn n publlahed load data. also experimented with various bullet lubricants during the tests and found LBT Blue was superior. NE s Hawkeye lubricant also boasts a great potential and the NRA Alox-blend came in third. Not that Alox-blends (NE s Ten-X and Lyman Alox) didn t allow respectable accuracy up to 2,600 or 2,700 fps but LBT Blue and Hawkeye appear to be able to withstand the heat and friction produced around 2,800 fps or higher and still maintain a lead-free bore. f you prefer Alox-blend lubricants, give them a try - but order some LBT Blue just in case. Owing to a limited supply, Rooster Red wasn t given a fair trial with Wilk rifle bullets. Based on previous tests with standard bullets, however, Rooster Red should do very well with the Wilk bullet. We ll see. The Wilk bullet concept is still in the developmental stage. During some of my tests, accuracy was terrible. While that may have been the fault of the bullet, alloy, lubricant or barrel - or some combination thereof, m not sure. For now, it is safe to say the Wilk gas check opens up a whole new ball game for cast bullet shooters. Moreover, some of the practices that have come to be synonymous with cast bullet accuracy in the past don t hold up when Wilk bullets are pushed to 2,700 fps and beyond. A1 Miller thinks we may need a powder designed especially for use with cast bullets if we are ever to realize their full potential. He may be right. 0 Dave found that the best accuracy was recorded when the loaded cartridge s overall length was adjusted so that the Wilk checks, mounted in the first lube ring, were just short of the lands when the rounds were chambered. Examples are the 7-30 Waters (left), the 7mm TCU (center) and Remington s 7mm BR (right). 41