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Old 07-11-2017, 10:57 AM
Ivan the Butcher Ivan the Butcher is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Harlem, Ohio
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For plinking I bought 21,000 Winchester 55 grain FMJBT surplus when the Army went to the green tip bullet. I have experimented with the Hornady 55 FMJBT and the Winchester's are so much better.

For a plinking round powder, I like WW748, it meters very well and produces very accurate rounds with CCI primers. In the 80's we used Sm. Rifle Mag. primers, now most loading data is regular Sm. Rifle, be sure of the data!

For target/Varmint rounds I use H-332 with 50 gr Sierra BlitzKings with Federal 205M Primers Winchester brass. 1:12 & 1:10 twists Remington 700 and Cooper 21

For 600 to 1000 yard rounds I use Varget, 75 grain A-Max and Remington 7 1/2 primers In virgin Lake City brass. 1:9 twist Savage Bolt gun

I believe that any round I load needs to fit any rifle of that cartridge, so I full length size all ammo! My dies for the plinking ammo were a RCBS small base FL die set with a carbide expander button by Hornady. Today I would try the RCBS black box carbide dies and a carbide button. The dies still require a small amount of lube, so I would spray One Shot every 3rd to 5th case.

If using military brass, I swage out the primer crimp instead of cutting! I use the RCBS set (I misplaced one, and thought so highly of it ,I bought a second 30 years later, I now have 2!)

For precision ammo I use Redding Competition dies with changeable neck bushings and no button for the neck. These are very expensive dies but are worth it, IF your rifle is up to the challenge.

Case trimming is a personal thing. I use a L.E.Wilson trimmer. But I think the Lee system will serve most people better and save you lots of money. Set it up for a drill from the start! save you fingers!

I loaded my plinker ammo in 1984 and still have about 6500 rounds left. I used a Dillon 450 press, and the above dies and equipment. My ammo will outshoot anything I could find: 1/4" 100 yard groups from a very good bolt gun (Cooper 21). 1/3-1/2" 100 yard groups from my 1994 Bushmaster AR-15. Both guns have 6.5-20x scopes. Just like storing you guns, store your ammo clean and dry and it will last decades!

Ivan
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