From: "Alex Hamilton", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I think Ed has a point about the different brass being used for
military and civilian ammunition.
I do not load to maximum pressures, so I have not noticed that the
military cases generate higher pressures, but the case life is very
different.
I have been reloading Radway Green cases (berdan) so many times that I
have lost count - probably more than 20 times. Several years ago I
bought some Winchester ammunition loaded by Jensen Sustom Ammo. Tuscon,
Arizona. On reloading thest cases I thought that I got noticeably better
accuracy, which partly justified the �45 per 100 I paid for the
ammunition 5 years ago (that is about 70 Dollars per 100, Ed).
However, to my great surprize and disappointment, several cases are
showing the begining of head separation after only 9 reloads, which
proves Ed's point about the thinner case walls.
That means that those who have worked up gradually to the maximum load
with these Winchester commercial cases and then used the same powder
charge in military cases would have gone over the maximum. Whether the
higher pressures would damage anything I would not know, but I do know
that near maximum load even a small change in air space above the powder
can have a significant difference.
I was shooting my .303 #4 Enfield prone at 200 in the Imperial Historic
Arms meeting and then I moved to 200yds Standing. I was using 200 grn
cast lead, gas checked bullets with 18 grains of Alliant 2400 and during
the reloading session I inadvernently seated the first bullet about 1/8"
deeper into the case. I put the bullet in the corner of the box so that
I could avoid it. During the prone match the box got tipped over and I
"lost" this cartridge in the rush to clear the firing point.
My first sighter at 200 yds Standing hit the top of the black, about 3
MOA high, so I came down three clicks thinking that the next shot would
be a V bull when it hit the bottom of the black, 3 MOA low. As I could
not find the deep seated cartridge afterwards, I can only assume that it
was my first sighter and 1/8" deeper seated bullet hit the target just
over 6" high at 200 yds - that's a big difference and 303 is a higher
capacity case.
Alex
--
Just as a matter of interest, how do you de-prime your Berdan cases?
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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