Making them bullets
Adjusting Windage affect Elevation? WTF?!?! Wasted so much time today zeroing the gun. Make sure you adjust the windage, tighten up the retaining screw, then adjust the elevation and reconfirm.
Someone needs to make a modern big lens red-dot alternative to a C-More. *sigh*
I’ve been using the Frankford Arsenal Vibra Prime primer filler for a while now and I swear by it’s use. It’s the best time saving investment I’ve made after buying the Dillon 650XL case feeder.
here’s a quick video I put together that talks about the benefits and share some tips on how to use it effectively.
The Vibra Prime will decrease your reloading time & make it more fun to reload ammo.
You can get one on MidwayUSA for a very reasonable price ~$44.00.
I recently found out that there was a company who’s making 170mm magazines that is purported to be able to fit 30 rounds of 9mm ammo so I decided to purchase one to give it a try.
Company is called MBXExtreme.com and they currently have four models of magazines 170/140 in 9mm and 140mm in 40S&W and 140mm in 45ACP.
According to the website, the 140mm 9mm magazines can hold 24 rounds and 170mm can hold 29-30 rounds.
As you can see from the video, I could fit 30 rounds in the magazine but not without some help. I think it’ll get better after “breaking in” the springs.
It is still not very clear to me how beneficial 30+1 rounds would be for me as most stages are around 30-32 rounds max especially with the stress that it puts on my grip. Perhaps it would be most beneficial if it was 31+1 for a maximum of 32rounds in the magazine.
I have a match coming up in a few days, I’ll take it out for a spin and report back with another video.
Bought a new Competition Electronics Chrono from Amazon and managed to get out to chrono my 7.0gr CFE Pistol rounds. Here’s the report using my old 8.1gr HS-6 as a benchmark. Looks like the 7.0gr is a winner for me at 172pf.
| 8.1gr HS-6 124gr MG CMJ, WSRP, 1.165 OAL | |
| 1 | 1345 |
| 2 | 1363 |
| 3 | 1380 |
| 4 | 1372 |
| 5 | 1352 |
| Avg | 1362.4 |
| PF | 169 |
| 6.8gr CFE Pistol 124gr MG CMJ, WSRP, 1.165 OAL | |
| 1 | 1356 |
| 2 | 1394 |
| 3 | 1355 |
| 4 | 1361 |
| 5 | 1350 |
| Avg | 1363.2 |
| PF | 169 |
| 7.0gr CFE Pistol 124gr MG CMJ, WSRP, 1.165 OAL | |
| 1 | 1381 |
| 2 | 1393 |
| 3 | 1402 |
| 4 | 1390 |
| 5 | 1384 |
| Avg | 1390 |
| PF | 172 |
With regards to my previous chrono session (9mm major Chrono results with Hodgdon CFE Pistol). Here’s an update. I went to chrono the rounds I made using CFE Pistol at 6.8gr of powder using a different type of Chronograph. The first session was using a Chrony but this session I was using a Competition Electronics chrono so the results are a little unexpected. I should really stick to just using one Chrono.
As you can see i’m using my typical 8.1gr HS-6 as a calibration round. this time the results were really low at average 1323fps, that puts me at 164pf which is under the power factor floor. The deviation is huge too which could mean that the rounds were loaded inconsistently.
CFE pistol on the other hand, metered VERY well. the SD is only 6 and the 3 averages of 5 rounds is 1363, 1357 and 1351. Super consistent. I’m liking this powder already.
The average is 1357fps and with a 124gr projectile, that puts me at 168pf.
I trust the Competition Electronics chrono more than the Chrony so I’ll bump it up to 7grs of CFE Pistol hoping to get around 170-171pf. The old result using the Chrony at 7grs gets me to 172.5. The Chrony is a little “exaggerated” in terms of fps so 7.0gr should put be at 170pf with the Competition Electronics chrono.
7.0 it is!
Chrono results for 9mm major using Hodgdon CFE Pistol.
124gr Montana Gold CMJ
various brass
Winchester Small Rifle Primer
1.165 OAL.
Top result is using 8.1gr Hodgdon HS-6 bottom is using Rainier Plated 124RN
Guess I can back it down to 6.6 or 6.8.
ShockBottle Case Gauge by BanksBullets.com is a tremendously useful reloading/handloading tool. It takes the drudgery of case gauging or chamber checking every single round before putting them away. In this review, I show you the two major benefits of the ShockBottle Case Gauge.
Checkout : http://banksbullets.com
I’ve seen SO many people in the competitive shooting sports getting equipment failures, jams, stove pipes etc. Just because they think their guns don’t need cleaning, or that their reloading equipment works 100% of the time. Seriously dudes, get your shit in order. A gun malfunction will cost you your win. All it takes is that stove pipe and you lose the match.
How hard is it to clean your gun after every match? how hard is it to make sure your mags work 100%, how hard is it to look in the case for the appropriate amount of powder and chamber check every round you reload?
nothing compare to the potential win you could have if you did.
if you want to win and if you consider yourself a competitor, get your shit right.
Went to the range today with Rick (from the PowerFactor Show) and chrono-ed some rounds that I’ve tweaked since my Inland Empire match. Here are the results of a 10 shot average.
8.1gr Hodgdon HS-6
124gr Montana Gold CMJ
Winchester Small Rifle Primer
1,423
1,377
1,369
1,394
1,394
1,363
1,381
1,391
1,346
1,384
Ave – 1,382
PF – 171
Just where I need to be 🙂
Ever since I’ve switched to using a Dillon XL 650 reloader, I’ve been frustrated with the design of the primer system. Unlike the Dillon 550B, primers that you don’t use, get tossed out by the reloader, forcing you to pick them up and put them back in the primer feed system manually. The Dillon 550b will keep the primers in the primer tubes even when you’re not using them, which makes for a cleaner solution.
On top of that problem, the missed LIVE primers fall down a chute into a super small tray, which probably holds 3-4 primers before the others start to launch off onto your floor or behind a nook.
Steve Thorne has built a more secure chute system that catches all the live primers in a small bottle. You can find this chute upgrade on Ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271215943809
Here’s how the ugly 650 XL tray looks. All you do is to remove the retaining screws and remove the entire ramp.
Here’s how the new system fits.
Lock it down with one screw and attach the plastic “bottle” that’s provided.
and voila! no more dropped live primers.
Gunbot! 