drgondog
Major
I may have to break down and get a 550
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Hi Drgondog,
Thanks for the compliment. Regarding 1 MOA rifles, M1, M1A, AR-15 can be tuned rather easily, but I really don't know any methods for SKS, AK, FAL, HK, Mauser 98, and the like. That doesn't mean that I own these rifles, but if one should come along at a good price legally, I would not turn it down even if the gun isn't expected to shoot MOA or better.
I have never had the SKS/AK/FAL so can't comment.
M98/bolt action FN, M700, M70, etc are all easy to tune - but as you know getting below 1 MOA requires starting with a barrel that will get you there.
You already do the important stuff - but a quick synopsis re: what I do -
is what every decent custom rifle maker does. Blueprint the bolt face, make sure the lugs all make the contact, check the chamber for concentricity/ head space, check the firing pin and spring, check the crown and the bore. I like Sako extractors for the Mauser/FN/M70.
For the bolt action stock I will play around with fore end tip pressure
. If that shows enough improvement to drop to 1 MOA, I generally stop.
If not I Free float and try. If this sin't good enough then I bed it.
If that doesn't work - off to someone who likes it more than I do.
I have a couple of top bench rest shooters in Dallas (Prachyl/Berger)that have similar concerns to expander balls on the old resize dies - but at the end of the day they are neck size devotees.
Regarding some esoteric aspects of reloading, I really hate the expander balls that are used with typical rifle full length sizers. I bought some Redding S dies along with a couple bushings in the expected range of neck diameters for .308 Winchester in an attempt to full length size the case without the expander ball. I have not had the chance to try them yet. Another method would be an attempt to combine the Lee Collet set with some other method for reducing only the body of the case and a shoulder bump die. When you are using a Dillon 550 to just process rifle cases, there are quite a few possibilities with dies in each station.
- Ivan.
I figure some rifles are had for the nostalgia and it doesn't make sense to destroy the collector value by accurizing them. I probably would not carve up the stock on a Nazi marked K.98 or a 1920's M1903 Springfield no matter how horrible the accuracy. I also probably would not rebarrel a Garand if it had a slightly worn WW2 dated barrel.
I concur but the only battle rifle I have for nostalgia purposes is the M-1 and it is already a shooter with standard military ball and spectacular with Hornady 150's
Regarding the Benchrest folks, Neck sizing with an occasional visit with a shoulder bump die is good enough for them, but that method won't work with a semiauto gun. I remember an old Air Force Colonel at our range who was a benchrest shooter. He was always wondering why I was tweaking a loads for service rifles because from his view, the ammunition and especially the guns were breaking all his accuracy rules. I think he saw enough sub-MOA groups to believe I was actually accomplishing something.
- Ivan.
That has been changed, Think a couple of North Dakota or Montana Senators jumped all over that and Mr. Obama changed the order.
FWIW, I spent about $200 on just minor accessories and Magazines for various guns at the last gun show. Nothing of great consequence, but it is amazing how items at $25 and $30 each start adding up pretty quickly.
Pity those pictures had to go away. I was trying to figure out how to get a picture of my own setup without all the clutter that is in the same room.
- Ivan.
Damn i asked about the M1A1 he has it's a BB