quickload request 325wsm
- Thread starter chet
- Start date
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,531
- 6,580
Chet,
The Barnes Number 4 Reloading Manual lists 66.5 grains of Big Game as a maximum charge with the 180 grain TSX. If the cases were fired in his rifle, I'd be more concerned about fit in your chamber than I would about the powder charge. As it is, they are mildly over pressure.
The Barnes Number 4 Reloading Manual lists 66.5 grains of Big Game as a maximum charge with the 180 grain TSX. If the cases were fired in his rifle, I'd be more concerned about fit in your chamber than I would about the powder charge. As it is, they are mildly over pressure.
- Thread starter
- #3
I havent tried chambering one yet, I just recieved them here at work. I'll test chamber them tonight. Not sure if they're full length sized, I'll check em with my headspace guage tonight. Some of them are new-unfired, so I'm sure they'll be fine. If they're seated too long I can seat them in a little deeper quite easily.
G
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I take it from your comments on headspace gauge use that you handload, Chet? You could always pull the bullet on nine of them, and lower three by 4-5gr and lower the next three by 3-4gr, and lower the last three by 1-2gr, to do a mini-workup. If the cases are once fired and not FL-sized, you could just resize the whole lot, pulling the bullet, dumping the powder in your scale pan, resize (without the decap pin), recharge, and reseat, and you'd be all set.
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- #5
G
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If you're just thinking "break-in" I'd just lower every round by 5gr and you'd be okay. But, one thought is, that the solid copper TSX is not a good choice for break in, IMO. It's going to be a lot softer than an alloy jacket (gilding metal with some zinc content), and consequently it's going to slough off a lot of copper and not burnish the barrel as well, I believe. maybe save these rounds for other purposes?
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- #7
I've been breaking in with 220gr power points (factory loading) boy they are some copper fouling suns-a-guns!!!
the fouling has reduced alot, and I want to try something different just to see.... you know - get an idea of the bore condition.....
I'll pull 3 apart, reduce the charge. and seat them .050 off the lands. then shoot a three shot group, clean, and go from there. Maybe they'll leave less copper than the PP????? and maybe they'll shoot a 4 foot group and I can use the rest for fishing sinkers :lol:
the factory winchester PP ammo shoots about 2 moa, and they seem to make the bolt just a tad sticky, so I'm a little worried that this rifle is pressure sensitive. (like my kimber 84m)
thanks for your thoughts!
the fouling has reduced alot, and I want to try something different just to see.... you know - get an idea of the bore condition.....
I'll pull 3 apart, reduce the charge. and seat them .050 off the lands. then shoot a three shot group, clean, and go from there. Maybe they'll leave less copper than the PP????? and maybe they'll shoot a 4 foot group and I can use the rest for fishing sinkers :lol:
the factory winchester PP ammo shoots about 2 moa, and they seem to make the bolt just a tad sticky, so I'm a little worried that this rifle is pressure sensitive. (like my kimber 84m)
thanks for your thoughts!
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,531
- 6,580
Chet,
I doubt that the Power Points foul any worse than any other bullet. It sounds more like you have a rough throat. When you break-in, it is not the barrel that is being treated, but the throat. As the bullet engages the lands, tool marks and rough spots strip copper from the bullet which passes down the barrel with the hot gases to be deposited. I would imagine that about any bullet will give you significant copper deposits at this point. Some judicious use of JB paste will go a long way toward addressing any roughness in the barrel, though I doubt that it is significant there. A bore scope will show you precisely where the roughness is. The good news is that you are smoothing things out pretty quickly. Your accuracy should begin to show marked improvement shortly as the throat is dressed.
I doubt that the Power Points foul any worse than any other bullet. It sounds more like you have a rough throat. When you break-in, it is not the barrel that is being treated, but the throat. As the bullet engages the lands, tool marks and rough spots strip copper from the bullet which passes down the barrel with the hot gases to be deposited. I would imagine that about any bullet will give you significant copper deposits at this point. Some judicious use of JB paste will go a long way toward addressing any roughness in the barrel, though I doubt that it is significant there. A bore scope will show you precisely where the roughness is. The good news is that you are smoothing things out pretty quickly. Your accuracy should begin to show marked improvement shortly as the throat is dressed.
- Thread starter
- #9
mike, fouling has reduced greatly, and I figure it's time to shoot some groups 8)
ditto on the JB!!!! wonderful stuff!!!
so, measuring gregs fired, un-sized cases I determined a few things.....
my kimber has a tighter neck than his rifle, and his rifle has just a tad more headspace.
The case bodies are near identical however, I full length sized all his fired brass and now they all say "GO"
And as far as his handloads - they are all full-length sized and all chamber just fine.
I now have quite the stockpile of 325 goods - looking forward to a lifelong relationship with this gun.
ditto on the JB!!!! wonderful stuff!!!
so, measuring gregs fired, un-sized cases I determined a few things.....
my kimber has a tighter neck than his rifle, and his rifle has just a tad more headspace.
The case bodies are near identical however, I full length sized all his fired brass and now they all say "GO"
And as far as his handloads - they are all full-length sized and all chamber just fine.
I now have quite the stockpile of 325 goods - looking forward to a lifelong relationship with this gun.
