Time at the bench.... (Updated)

 (It was turrible.  No groups, only patterns.  Oh, Bother)

Doing some hand loads for testing in the accuracy rifle.  Two entries, ten of each.  

The case are Speer nickel, because I have a small number from the same lot, already fired from this rifle once.  The cases are sized.... sorta.  I lost the expander ball from the decapping rod of the sizing die.  Total mystery where it went, and I thought I was out of business loading .223.

Then, I engaged my thinker on the function of the expander ball.  Okay, if I use the die as is, the neck will be tight.  How tight?  How far does the expander move the neck?  That sent me searching for my 'Good' 0-1" mic, which I could not find.   BLOODY HELL.

But, it did let me re-discover *this* little goodie in my tool box.  

I haven't seen this in years.  Luckily, I pulled the battery...  which is likely why it got put away and forgotten.

It still works just fiiiine with no electron flow, so back to the bench.

Un-expanded .223 outside case neck, 0.240" across a sample of twenty cases.  Hmm..

I loaded a dummy round using a .224 Sierra HPBT Match bullet.  Outside case neck now 0.249".   Almost 0.009" of neck tension in that round.  I'm aware that accuracy hand loaders usually look for something like 0.001" to 0.002" expansion/tension.

But, I use and have had good results with a tapered crimp die when loading .223 for the AR15 family.   How is that different from just having a good tight neck on the bullet.  In fact, it should be less deformation of the bullet.

Anywho... the sized cases are cleaned, trimmed, chamfered, pockets cleaned, flash-holes seen to, and have Bench Rest primers seated by hand.

The first ten are 69 grain sierra match bullets over 25 grains of BLC2 with an OAL of 2.260.  They will fit and feed from a magazine.   That's the setup I'd like to be close-to for everyday match use.

The second ten use a 75 grain Hornady VLD bullet over the same charge, with an OAL 2.278".  These are single feed only, and I'm okay with that.

The next time I can quietly slip away to the range, I'll dial up the zen and see what the beastie can do with these.