Project: Medium Bore, Part II

Ammunition: Reloading Dies, Concentricity & Loads

Range Time: The Eagle Soars!

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In the first article of this series (Project: Medium Bore, Part I - The Metamorphosis of a K98 Mauser Action from Ugly Duckling to Soaring Eagle), we had E.R. Shaw custom barrel a Mauser 98 action in caliber 7mm-08 Remington.  We fitted the barreled action to a stock and mounted a scope.  In Part II of this series, by using standard components & tools, we will assemble the most concentric loads we can, move out to the range and see what we have.   

Part I.  Dies

A person who already reloads can simply acquire dies, shell holder, brass & bullets for a new caliber; consult a loading current manual, check the selected load against at least two other current sources, and be in business to produce safe ammunition.  However, just how “good” is that ammunition?  Is it as good or better then fresh, commercially assembled ammunition?

The mechanical quality of reloaded or hand loaded ammunition is directly related to the concentricity of all the items involved in the process, and to the procedure developed by the man pulling the press handle.                                                                                       

In a perfect world, a press ram would line up  + / - 0.000 with the die station at the top of the press.  Reloading dies would be perfectly concentric “circles within circles”.  Of course, it’s not a perfect world.  For every item made, there has to be production tolerances.  Production tolerances for ammunition are cumulative.  They take into account press, dies, shell holder, brass & bullets.  SAAMI has a standard of acceptable maximum & minimum sizes for brass, bullets, dies & shell holders.  In addition, each manufacturer has their own spec sheet.  They decide how close they will work to the top or bottom of the SAAMI standard.  

The good folks at Redding, www.redding-reloading.com, Redding Reloading Equipment, 1089 Starr Road, Cortland, NY 13045 • Phone (607) 753-3331 • FAX (607) 756-8445, supplied a set of Redding, Series A, Full Length 7mm-08 Die Set & Shell holder in support of this article (Note1).  Let’s take a look at Redding’s dies.

It’s said first impressions are lasting ones.  The moment I opened the package from Redding, I was favorably impressed.  Redding’s die box itself is rather unique.  It has cartridge case recesses in the top, so the die box doubles as a loading tray.  Very clever!  Included is an Allen wrench for the lock ring, and a spare decapping pin.  Opening the box brings one word, quality.  The outside finish on Redding dies is absolutely the best I’ve ever seen on a reloading die!  The knurling is deep & perfect.  The section in the center is highly polished and the adjustable stems & lock ring nicely blued.  The male & female threaded sections have just the right amount of fit, not to loose or two tight.  After being cleaned, (Note1) the interior showed perfect polishing.  Attractive finish is nice, but performance is where it counts.  We will see just how well Redding Dies perform.

Redding 7mm-08 Remington dies
(Note Allen wrench & spare decapping pin at top of picture)

Holes in top of die box act as loading block.

Room for 20 rounds, on the bench, or at the range.

Redding stands behind their tools, with normal care, these dies will last several lifetimes.

Redding equipment has a reputation for having tighter tolerances, and being more concentric then most.  Redding’s Benchrest Series Dies have set the standard in competition 7/8-14 threaded dies.   Redding’s Series A, dies are considered “standard” dies by Redding.  We are going to find out just how concentric ammunition produced with these dies will be.  However, first let’s consider the components & load powder.  

I used standard, 139 grain Hornady hunting bullets for this test, NOT Match Grade bullets.  I also used new, Winchester 7mm 08 bulk brass.  The cases were run thru the resizing die to iron out any minor dents or dings acquired during shipment.  The case necks were lightly deburred prior to loading.  I DID NOT match prep the brass by turning the case necks, weighting cases, etc. 

Case mouth as brass comes from the bag.

A quick trip thru the Redding Full Length  (FL) die, and it’s ready to be lightly inside & outside deburred.

Part II.  Primer, Powder & Loads

I used Winchester standard large rifle primers, and seated them with a hand tool.  The reason for using these primers will be apparent in a moment.                                                                     

I consulted several of my current loading manuals.  One powder seemed to stand out as having a favorable velocity / pressure / charge weight ratio.  That powder is IMR 4064.  IMR 4064 is one of the all time classics for medium capacity cartridges.  In fact, it was designed around medium capacity military cartridges.   Standard primers should ignite any powder in this class.                                                 

A consensus of the manuals consulted gave a bottom load of 38 grains with a 139 to 140 grain bullet.  I felt this load was going to somewhat light, however, as one who “practices what he preaches” I started with the bottom load. 

I’d already put the Redding Master # 3 Powder Measure thru the course in a previous article, http://surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/powdermeasure/index.asp, and found it to be the most consistent of the standard-grade measures tested.   I will use it to load the cases for this article.                                                                                  

I adjusted the Redding # 3 Master Powder Measure to drop 38 grains & preceded to load all the brass at one time, this leads to more consistent loads by maintaining a steady rhythm.  After checking all brass for powder, I seated bullets in a separate, second step. 

Redding #3 Master powder measure set up to load cases.   Redding Ultramag 700 press ready to seat bullets

(Note: Redding powder measure stand is ridged cast iron, carriage bolted to piece of 2X4, 4 Large C clamps secure it to the bench.  Powder measures MUST be secure.  Flimsy stamped steel brackets WON’T cut it.)

Dispensing powder.

Important: check to insure all cases have powder.

Recall we said procedure is just as important as tools & loads?  My procedure was to line a bullet as straight as possible with the case mouth and guide it into the die, seating the bullet ½ way.  Them lower the ram a bit, rotate the shell holder ½ way and finish seating the bullet.  This helps get everything straight.

I start with Redding shell holder on the right.

Line up bullet.

Ram moving…

Begin seating bullet…

Seated ½ way

Rotate shell holder ½ way

(Note: Redding Shell holder is unique.  Angled entrance makes inserting case easy, and knurling makes it easy to grip, looks cool too.)

Done!

Ready for the range 

I initially seated the Hornady 139 grain bullets 0.005 back from land engagement.  To determine seating depth, I used the technique my friend Ted & I developed in the article, http://surplusrifle.com/shooting/oal/index.asp.

Before I mentioned concentricity. Just what are the recognized standards of ammunition concentricity?   In “Precision Reloading & Shooting Handbook, 10^th Edition by Bill Gravatt & Fred Sinclair, (Sinclair International, 1999), they state by using match prepped (neck turned) cases, and using strictly match-type, hand tools, the loader should achieve a runout of about 0.002. They further state by using standard cases, (non-neck turned), and 7/8X14 competition dies the loader should be able to achieve a runout of about 0.004. These are Benchrest standards, the most exacting shooting discipline.

Sporting (hunting) ammunition gets a bit more grace, with a usual run-out tolerance 0.008 to 0.010.  Standard components & standard tools are used to achieve this level. 

The way to verify the mechanical integrity of ammunition is with a Concentricity Gauge.  It has a .000 dial indicator to disclose runout.  By setting up a loaded round in the gauge, with the indicator tip resting on the bullet olgive, any deviation from zero will show up.  

After the gauge’s length rod is adjusted so the indicator point rests on the bullet olgive, and the indicator set on zero, a round is carefully rotated.  The amount of runout noted on the dial indicator.  Remember now, this is total, cumulative deviation.  That means it includes the concentricity of dies, press, operator procedure, bullets & case necks. 

I randomly selected a handful of completed rounds from the loading block for testing. 

The greatest amount of run out using Redding equipment was only + / - 0.002.  Some rounds had a run out of slightly less.   A few of rounds were +/- 0.001.  One round was, as the machinist’s say “dead nuts” the dial indicator stayed right at zero!                

Redding’s Standard, Series A, Full Length 7mm-08 Die Set performed like a Competition Die Set!   Moreover, this was accomplished with standard brass & bullets.   Had I been using neck turned, match prepped brass & match grade bullets, the run out would likely have been even less.  Any man looking for best quality, standard-reloading dies need look no further then Redding.   

Seating a loaded round in the Concentricity Gauge.

Gauge is zeroed.

Rubber band on flat piece of wood rolls cartridge in a smooth motion.

This was the greatest runout noted; only + /- 0.002

This was the least runout noted; only + /- 0.001 

All righty then, we have rifle & ammo; let’s load up the Durango & head to the range.

Part III.  Breaking In The New Barrel

A new barrel requires breaking in.  The barrel will be more accurate and foul less if it’s given a proper break in procedure.  Before we get to the break in, let’s take a moment to discuss equipment.  A bore guide is mandatory to insure the cleaning rod travels straight.  About every web based supplier has a full selection of bore guides.  Cleaning rods & jags often get little thought; and that’s a mistake.  To protect & properly clean a good bore the best bet is a one-piece steel rod (coated or uncoated), and a proper brass jag (Dewey or Bore Tech).  I like Bore Tech coated rods best, however, any quality one-piece rod is OK.  Patches deserve a bit of discussion.  Double knapped cloth patches best. Cloth really holds the solvent and picks up fouling to push it out of the bore.  Those woven paper patches are a poor second.                                                                    

Another nice item to have is a Bore Tech “Patch Hog”. It pushes onto the muzzle of your rifle, and then an empty water bottle is threaded onto the end.  It catches all the old patches; so they don’t fall on the ground.  When the bottle is full, toss the bottle and thread on a new one.                                                                                                         Prior to initial shooting, put a patch soaked with powder solvent through the bore to remove any shop dust, etc.  Follow it up with a dry patch.  Now, let’s break in the barrel.                                                                                     

Step 1:  Fire ONE round.  Put two patches with powder solvent through the bore and dry patch it out.  Put a patch soaked with copper solvent through the bore.  Wait a few minutes and put two dry patches through the bore.  Do this procedure for FOUR more rounds.  

Step 2:  Fire TWO rounds.  Put two patches with powder solvent through the bore and dry patch it out.  Put a patch soaked with copper solvent through the bore.  Wait a few minutes and put two dry patches through the bore. Do this procedure five times.   By now you will have fired a total of 15 rounds through the barrel. 

Step 3:  Fire THREE rounds in succession, put two patches with powder solvent through the bore and dry patch it out.  Put a patch soaked with copper solvent through the bore.  Wait a few minutes and put two dry patches through the bore.   Do this one more time.  Now you will have a total of 21 rounds through the barrel.                                               

If no blue or green is showing on the patches, then you can fire some 5 round groups. 

Barrel break-in does take a bit of time, but pays dividends in tighter groups, less fouling & longer barrel life.  It is well worth the time & labor invested.

I’m extremely pleased to report the ER Shaw barrel broke in VERY fast.  Their barrels are SMOOTH!  Hardly any copper showed up on the patches. 

Breaking in the barrel.  Note Bore Tech cleaning rod, Sinclair bore guide, Bore Tech “Patch Hog”

(Coffee isn’t for cleaning rifle; it’s strictly for your editor ;-)

Close-up of Bore Tech “Patch Hog”; slips over end of barrel, not required, but very nice to have.

Part IV.  Making It All Come Together: Group Shooting!

The E.R. Shaw barreled, Mauser 98, heavy sporter really preformed!   As usual, a stiff, blustery, cross breeze was running from west to east across the range.  While the wind caused horizontal stringing, one only has to look at the targets to see this rifle is fully capable of putting them all in the X ring.

All groups are 5 shot, gotta love it!

As I suspected, the initial load of 38 grains of IMR 4064 was a bit on the light side.  Powder fouling was evident on the case shoulders of the brass.  This means the brass was not fully obertrating to fully fill the chamber.  Usually, the only place a fit of powder fouling should be is on the case necks.

Note how far down powder fouling goes on case shoulder, 38-grain load is a bit mild.  New case on right for comparison.

40-grain load is much better; fouling only covers neck of case

Since the book allows up to 42.5 grains of IMR 4064 as the top load, my next batch of loads was 40 grains of IMR 4064.  Two things happened right away.  The groups tightened up, and the fouling disappeared from the case shoulders.  There was almost no perceptible increase in recoil.

Speaking of recoil, this rifle recoils straight back.   A combination of barrel length, heft and the inherit straightness & comb height of a classic style stock make this a very easy shooting rifle!  The long tube keeps muzzle report quite low.  

I’m extremely pleased with the outcome.  E.R. Shaw did a flawless job of converting & barreling the Mauser 98 action.  I can wholeheartedly recommend them for all your custom long gun needs. The selection of a classic style stock make for a rifle that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but extremely functional too.  Brownells Agraglas Gel provides a stress-free bedding area that cannot be duplicated in wood alone. Weaver bases & Burris Signature Zee rings secure the scope in line with the barrel, without imposing any side stress on the scope tube, or having to adjust the turrets but a few clicks from optical center.  See article http://surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/duckeaglepart1/index.asp

Concentric dies are a prerequisite for producing accurate ammunition.  Redding dies are very, very concentric, and attractive to boot.  A combination of Redding’s standard dies and proper procedure made producing ammunition of match grade consistency with regular components, (brass & bullets) a snap.

A unique, and very personal rifle can be yours in less time, and for less money then you think.  Concept, planning, contracting with a company you trust to do excellent work, and fitting it all together makes for an extremely satisfying experience.                     

Gathering components & selecting best-quality loading tools gives one the raw materials & tools to develop accurate ammunition.   There’s nothing like seeing a 100-yard, MOA group appear from a rifle that initially started life as idea in your head!  Now, for my next project…

Project Summary

This project exceeded my expectations!  Of course there is a price to construct such a personal rife.  What did all the work & various components cost?  Let’s recap the labor preformed by E.R. Shaw & the components they supplied & fitted.

● Supply & fit an E.R. Shaw # 3 contour, 26-inch barrel in 7mm08 caliber.

● Supply & fit a custom bolt handle.

● Lap Bolt lugs into action recesses.

● True receiver & bolt face so they are axially aligned.

● Supply & fit a Timney Sportsman Trigger (set trigger weight at 2.5 lb).

● Replace military leaf safety with a low profile safety lever.

● Drill & Tap the action (four holes) for Weaver scope bases.

● Bead blast & satin blue the action & barrel 

The total charged by E.R. Shaw for the above labor and components, which includes return shipping of the complete arm is $533.00.  Remember, this is totally custom work, each & every piece is hand fitted.   It is built exactly to customer specifications. When one considers the level of expertise, workmanship & pride E.R. Shaw puts into every job, their price is surprisingly low.

The time factor must also be considered.  E.R. Shaw gets the job turned out in a matter of months.  A custom gunsmith usually takes a year or more to turn out such work.  Often, it can take several years for a custom gunsmith to deliver a rifle. 

Once the basic rifle is complete, sighting equipment must be acquired.  The total retail cost, including shipping from a web based supplier for scope, bases, rings & insert kit would be about $268.00 (The scope selected will have a major effect on this price group, the Bushnell Trophy 6-18X40 is $214.00 by itself).

Dies and shell holder must be purchased if one isn’t already set up to reload the caliber of the new rifle. The total retail cost, including shipping from a web based supplier for Redding Series A Rifle Dies & Redding shell holder would be about $40.00 

Since I got the action & stock many years ago, I decided to see what a comparable semi-inletted stock would cost today.  I went to the site of Richards Microfit Stocks www.rifle-stocks.com and checked the current retail price of a classic stock in “select grade” American Black Walnut.  The cost is about $85.00 

Many fellows may already have an action (like my mismatch Mauser action) that is ripe for a conversion job in their gun locker.   If you have a complete, matching rifle, make haste slowly before sending it off to be converted, especially if it’s in great shape.  You may do better to sell it to one of your shooting buddies and acquire an orphan action for your conversion project.   Sometimes a barreled action can be found where the action itself is in great shape, but the barrel irreparably eaten away by corrosive primers & bad cleaning techniques. 

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