The Accurate Chain

Published by SUN MeDIA Stellenbosch under the RAP imprint.

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2013 Hendrik van Rensburg

All trademarks, product names and logos cited herein are the property of their respective owners.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, photographic or mechanical means, including photocopying and recording on record, tape or laser disk, on microfilm, via the Internet, by e-mail, or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission by the publisher.

Views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

First edition 2013.

ISBN 978-1-919985-48-0

Set in 11/15 Amerigo BT

Concept design: Liezel Meintjes Language editing: Louis Botes Typesetting and layout: Johannes Richter

Rapid Access Publishers (RAP) is an imprint of SUN MeDIA Stellenbosch. General works are published under this imprint in print and electronic format. This publication may be ordered directly from www.sun-e-shop.co.za.

www.africansunmedia.co.za

HENDRIK VAN RENSBURG

A manual to help the ordinary hunter and sport shooter achieve a more accurate

shooting platform

Disclaimer The reloading techniques and equipment described in this manual have been tried and tested by me and have helped me to obtain better results. Personal interpretation and behavior, variations in quality of equipment, tools and components, changes in techniques and even atmospheric conditions are all factors which can change results. Since I have no control over variations in ballistics, equipment, tools, components and the interpretation of the given information, I accept no liability for any damage that any person may suffer as a result of the application, use or abuse of any information contained by this publication.

Only firearm owners in possession of a valid license to possess a firearm may load ammunition for that specific firearm and I accept no liability for the actions of anyone indulging in any illegal reloading practices.

I have tried to make the illustrations and explanations in the book as self-explanatory and as clear as possible. Anyone without previous practical training or proven experience in reloading rifle ammunition should first receive adequate practical training and instruction from a recognized body before attempting reloading.

Any person making use of the information contained in this publication, whether proven or not, acknowledges that he or she is fully aware that the reloading of ammunition and the discharge of a firearm is potentially dangerous and can lead to damage, injury and even death. Such a person consequently recognizes that by using information such as contained in this book, he or she accepts the risk of damage, injury and death.

The person who reads this manual and makes use of the information contained herein waives any right to institute any claim of whatever kind on behalf of him- or herself or on behalf of dependents or of any interests for the recovery of damages or compensation for any form of prejudice whatsoever including but not limited to injury, mutilation, trauma or death arising directly or indirectly from the use and application of any information contained in this book.

Copyright is held by the author. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever, be it electronic or mechanical, including any form of copying or recording by any other data storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the author.

contents

10 Foreword

12 IntroductIon

PArt 1 The Rifle

15 FIreArm sAFety

17 the rIFle’s ActIon17 types of actions20 checks of a rifle’s action

22 the bArrel23 the crown24 the chamber24 the rifling

27 the trIgger

28 the stock

29 the telescoPe

31 telescoPe mountIng systems

36 recoIl36 Fit a recoil breaker36 Fit a muzzle brake37 Fit a silencer

38 cleAnIng A rIFle38 barrel-cleaning products42 barrel-cleaning equipment45 steps to follow when cleaning a rifle barrel47 the chamber, bolt and stock

47 breAkIng In A bArrel (bore-lAPPIng)48 types of barrels49 how to break in a barrel

PArt 2 equipmenT foR Reloading meTallic Rifle caRTRidges

51 A room For reloAdIng

52 PurchAsIng reloAdIng equIPment

53 reloAdIng tAble/bench

54 reloAdIng Press55 traditional single-stage press56 turret press57 Forster’s co-Ax bonanza press57 Arbor press58 Progressive type of press58 more on presses

58 shell holder

60 reloAdIng dIes60 components of a die

65 tyPes And FunctIons oF dIes65 Full-length sizing dies66 neck sizing dies67 bullet seating dies68 competition dies70 bushing- or competition-type sizing dies72 custom dies like wilson and other brands72 universal decapping dies73 dies with specific purposes73 review on dies

74 cAse-cleAnIng devIces And Agents

75 stuck-cAse removAl kIt

76 scAles76 mechanical or beam scale77 electronic scale

78 Powder dIsPensers78 electronic powder dispenser79 mechanical powder measure79 Powder trickler80 Powder funnel

81 vernIer/cAlIPers

81 cAse-length trImmer

83 InsIde/outsIde deburrIng tool

84 lubrIcAnt

86 PrImer seAtIng tool

87 FlAsh-hole deburrIng tool

88 PrImer-Pocket unIFormer And PrImer-Pocket cleAner

89 cAse holder And drIver

90 bAttery-Powered drIll/drIver

90 loAdIng trAy

91 AnneAlIng kIt91 A gas torch91 tempilaq (heat-indicating fluid)91 Annealing cup91 battery-powered drill

92 mAgnIFyIng glAss

92 cAse And cArtrIdge InsPector/run-out gAuge

93 outsIde neck turner

93 neck exPAnder dIe And mAndrel

94 tube/bAll mIcrometer

94 bullet Puller

95 reloAdIng mAnuAls

95 PersonAl record book

PArt 3 Reloading Rifle ammuniTion

97 some words on sAFety when reloAdIng

98 the treAtment oF new cAses98 Flash-hole deburring99 Full sizing100 classification of cases102 trimming cases to the same length with a case trimmer103 Inside/outside deburring104 Primer pocket uniforming104 expanding necks with expander die105 outside neck turning – cutting case neck walls to the same thickness108 neck sizing cases108 cleaning the cases108 seating the primer108 loading cases with propellant for fire forming109 seating bullets for fire forming110 Fire forming

110 the treAtment oF FIred cAses110 cleaning cases113 case inspection117 case annealing119 case lubrication120 sizing of cases122 trimming cases with a case trimmer123 Inside/outside deburring123 Primer pocket uniforming/cleaning123 the primer128 developing a load131 the sweetspot technique of load development135 charging the cases with propellant137 determining cartridge overall length140 setting up the bullet seating die and seating the bullet142 determining concentricity

143 A lAst word

143 A loAded cArtrIdge

144 sPecIAl thAnks And recognItIon

10

ForeworD Many reloaders have authored scripts on reloading of metallic cartridges. You will find scientific approaches, some of them of little practical value, but with lots of important background for the ardent reloader. Some publications reflect on personal experiences and practical applications that will make the brows of the Scientifics raise, but that achieved the desired results set by the reloader who is prepared to share his recipes. You will find the textbooks on loading for competition, with all the paraphernalia required for custom designed chambers and shooting under controlled conditions where minute accuracy is required to enjoy the edge over contenders. A number of publications contain loading data for specific calibers with reference to applied loading techniques that might contribute towards producing a more appropriate cartridge for a specific application, but which is of little universal value. You will find video recordings that endeavor to capture the reloading process in a graphic way to demonstrate techniques to novice and self-tutored, soon to be found out-dated due to technological advances, but that contributes in a momentous way to impress habits and customs on the mind of the curious learner. You will find many advocates of reloading, and somehow everybody ends up with a cartridge that achieves the aim it was loaded for.

When I first started to read THE ACCURATE CHAIN, I soon realized that this is not a book to be read and then to be shoved into a shelf as yet another addition to a bibliographic display. It is actually a manual in which a reloading doctrine is captured. The author succeeded in blending the requirements for preparing ammunition for competitive application, with practical reloading practices that are within the capabilities of any hand loader of centre fire rifle ammunition. It stands to reason that there are many resemblances to published works of famous authors like Zediker, Tubb, Hackett and others, each specialists in their own field. This is inevitable, since the loading of ammunition can only be done in one correct way, from a methodics point of view… The difference lies in how the methodics is applied, and this is where this publication excels. Hendrik succeeded in presenting the reloading process and the use of appropriate tooling in a logical way, dished up in the South African idiomatic expression as only he can describe it. It is more than a book. It is a manual on the reloading of metallic cartridges with the emphasis on accurizing ammunition for the hunting rifle, using precision shooting reloading techniques, equipment and procedures.

11

The quips on supportive subjects like maintenance of rifles, load development, barrel conditioning, contribute to the practical guidance offered to the shooting enthusiast who takes the trouble to prepare his own ammunition for more efficient application, and virtually completes the mechanics of hand loading. The book wisely steers clear of the dynamics of loading of ammunition… a trap into which so many authors of related publications may fall, as unqualified opinions on this field, offered to the uninformed hand loader, may tarnish an excellent doctrinal publication.

THE ACCURATE CHAIN is a book the South African reloader has been waiting for a long time. It will put an end to the many novice doctrines in the field of hand loading of rifle ammunition. It will stimulate the desire to improve the quality of hand loaded ammunition. It will enhance the pride of rifle owners and contribute to the positive image of the South African shooter.

KASSIE KASSELMAN

12

introDuctionMany reloaders have asked me about reloading rifle ammunition and accurizing a rifle. These questions led to the idea of combining general reloading and accurizing methodology with some advanced content in one manual – a manual of benefit not only to the active shooter seeking more advanced techniques, but also to the novice.

The aim of this book is to help the average hunter and sport shooter, who uses a bolt action rifle, to accurize his or her shooting system and to be able shoot more competitively and with more self-confidence. This aim led to the title of the manual – ‘The Accurate Chain’. ‘The accuracy chain’ consists of three main ‘links’– the rifle, the ammunition and the human factor. These are joined together with lots of smaller links. If just one of the links is broken, you don’t have a chain.

This manual says very little about internal, external and terminal ballistics. If you feel that you need more information about these subjects, I suggest that you consult ballistics manuals such as the Reloading Powders Ballistic Data Manual by Nosler et al. These manuals cover the minimum and maximum loads for different calibers and different bullet weights. You could also use ballistics-calculating computer software, with which you can, besides working out loads, also work out trajectory at various distances, wind drift and even create a shooting range to simulate the exact external ballistics of your rifle. The best comprehensive and user-friendly ballistics software I have used is called ‘Quick Load’.

In some cases reloading for big-bore cartridges differs a little from reloading for the average hunting calibers. It is not easy to find reloading data on big-bore calibers and I advise reloaders of these calibers to consult books such as Big-Bore Cartridge Load Data Collection by Pierre van der Walt and The Perfect Shot by Kevin Robertson.

Modern firearms control laws force gun owners to be active shooters. That means that if you wish to own a firearm, you have to lawfully use it and prove that you do. Firearm owners who weren’t active shooters for some years were shocked to find out how expensive cartridges had become. They now had to pay 20 times more for the same quantity and quality as before. They realized that the only way to continue shooting without going bankrupt is to reload their own ammunition. It goes beyond that because shooting is no longer just shooting – one has to be able to shoot competitively.

Those who have always been active shooters and reloaders have also started to become more competitive. Whereas before they had been satisfied with a

13

grouping of between one and two inches, this is no longer good enough. It is not just a matter of pouring propellant into a case, seating a bullet and then firing. One has to look to more advanced methods of accurizing your equipment and reloading ammunition to achieve an accuracy that is good enough not to be an embarrassment on Saturdays at the shooting range. As a result, many shooters who have so perfected their methodology are today satisfied with nothing less than consistent half-inch groups.

I’m not suggesting that everyone should strive to shoot benchrest groups or even that all wish to. However, if you want to improve your shooting, you should consider two things, namely, the financial considerations and the moral/psychological factors.

As already stated, ammunition has become so expensive that the average man in the street can no longer readily afford it. The initial capital outlay one must bear in order to start reloading is rather high but, when one begins to analyze costs, it soon becomes apparent that the break-even point comes sooner than one would expect. You cannot shoot competitively or consistently using factory ammunition, and it is also far cheaper to load ammunition than to buy factory-loaded ammunition.

If you want to shoot well or reasonably well, you have to practice – at least, I have to. Although I admit that there are people who are natural shots and who apparently never practice but still manages to shoot well. Practice is something you have to like doing; otherwise you should give the sport up. It can become depressing to pay a lot of money for a box of good factory ammunition and shoot hundred shots at competitions once a month merely to compare poorly with the performance of the others. When I go alone to the shooting range or take part in shooting practices, I gain self-confidence when I shoot well with ammunition that I know have loaded myself. When I go hunting, I take pleasure in being able to hunt successfully and ethically. The only way I can maintain confidence and self-respect is to know my rifle and ammunition. This is something you cannot do unless you load your own ammunition.

If you work through this manual attentively, you will find out how to accurize your rifle correctly and how to choose and use the correct equipment and tools for accurate reloading and load development for your rifle. The manual consists of three parts. Part 1 examines the rifle, Part 2 explores reloading material and equipment, and the final part, Part 3, considers the reloading of rifle ammunition including the treatment of new and of old cases.

14

PART 1

The Rifle

Part 1 of the manual explores the first aspect of the accuracy chain, namely, the rifle. Even if you spend lots of money on reloading equipment, you will not be able to shoot accurately if your rifle (including everything attached to it) is set up badly.

This section opens with some thoughts on firearm safety. I then discuss how I consider a rifle to be accurate, looking at its various parts. I have included the important subject of cleaning a rifle and conclude with some words on recoil and breaking in a barrel.

An accurate rifle is an interesting rifle

15

Firearm saFetySafety must be an absolute priority when handling firearms or reloading ammunition. A primer contains a high explosive that is ignited by percussion or heat. This propellant (powder) burns very rapidly and at a high temperature. In addition, tremendous pressures are developed when a cartridge is fired in the chamber of a rifle. For example, the pressure, in the case of a .308 Winchester, is in the region of 3 600 bar (52 220 psi). Compare that with an automobile tire that is pumped to only 20 bar (290 psi) but will burst with a loud bang.

These are some safety guidelines to think about and to adhere to:

1. Do not consume alcohol before or when handling a firearm or reloading ammunition.

2. Always handle a firearm as if it were loaded. Always point a firearm in a safe direction – a direction where, if a shot would go off, no harm or damage would come to any person, animal or property which you don’t intend to shoot.

3. When finished shooting always make the firearm safe – clear it of all live ammunition.

4. Never ride on or in a vehicle or climb through a fence with a loaded firearm, and never trust a safety catch. Years of experience in the field as a professional hunter and on the range as firearms instructor has proved that there is always enough time to de-chamber a round – there’s no sense in walking or driving around with a chambered round. (Even if you uncock the firing pin and close the bolt on a cartridge as a ‘safety measure’, the firing pin still presses against the primer. Moreover, some rifles are already cocked when the bolt handle is scarcely halfway down!)

5. Always go through ‘safe-making’ procedures – thus clearing the firearm of all live ammunition – before cleaning it or before handing the firearm to somebody else.

6. We are always told to keep firearms out of reach of children. That’s true. I however also believe we should let our children grow up with firearms and learn from a young age to respect firearms and all the safety rules and procedures with regard to them. Firearm safety must become a habit.

7. Do not smoke near the place where you reload and do not reload in the vicinity of any open fire. Also avoid heaters with exposed elements.

8. Keep small children away from the room where you do reloading.

9. Store propellant and primers in a prescribed firearm safe. Do not let different propellants and primers stand on the table and in the room. Positively

...

PART 1 The Rifle16

identify the propellant and the primers you are going to use before using them and keep only those products on the table.

10. Be acutely aware of static electricity. Always ‘discharge’ yourself before touching a tin of propellant or a tray with primers. Try not to wear clothes or shoes which are known to generate static electricity.

11. Stick rigidly to the propellant manufacturer’s indicated minimum and maximum loads. Make use of published ballistics data manuals such as Somchem Reloading Powders.

12. Always adhere to the logical and correct reloading sequence and don’t take shortcuts.

13. Always inspect the cases (whether new or fired) for defects before working with them.

14. Always use the right tools for the job.

15. After pouring the propellant into the cases and before seating the bullets, it is essential to take a flashlight (a beamed light) and visually check the levels of the propellant. If in doubt of some loads, simply weigh those loads again.

16. Keep careful records of you reloading data.

17. Handle primers with care and store them in the containers in which they were bought. The force of an exploding primer is largely underestimated, and can kill a person.

18. Do not use an electric vacuum cleaner to pick up spilt primers and propellant.

19. Never mix black powder and smokeless propellant (nitrocellulose).

20. Before beginning to reload, firstly check the settings of your scale and powder measure – even if resuming after only a short break.

21. When annealing cases, make sure there are no live primers in any of the cases. Should there be a live primer in a case, remove it carefully with a universal decapping die.

22. When annealing cases, make sure that no propellant, primers or any other form of flammable material is nearby.

23. Always wear safety eye protection when seating primers and keep the case neck pointing away from your face during the seating process.

24. Never allow propellant (powder) primers or loaded ammunition to stand in the sun. The heat alters the combustion properties and increases the chamber pressure.

...

The Rifle’s AcTion 17

25. Never let your ammunition bounce and roll around in a vehicle. The coating on the grains of propellant becomes abraded with the result that the combustion rate rises dangerously.

26. Never store nitrocellulose propellant with other flammable chemicals, especially with black powder.

the riFle’s actionThe action of a rifle, which includes the bolt (bolt face, locking lugs and bolt handle) and receiver (with or without magazine), is the heart of the rifle. Everything else that forms part of the rifle (the barrel, the trigger, the stock and the telescope) are usually attached to the action. If you have a good action, you’re already a long way towards having a good accurate rifle.

Hendrik at a bench shooting range

Types of actionsAccording to my experience there are two main categories of actions. Let’s look at both of these.

PART 1 The Rifle18

� Potentially ‘very accurate’ actions

These actions normally have a very short lock-time (the time it takes from the moment you press the trigger till the firing pin initiates the primer), mainly two but sometimes three locking lugs that can be lapped accurately, a strong and firm receiver and a way to mount an accurate trigger system. A positive feature of these actions is that they are normally very smooth in operation. Examples of these types of actions are the Remington mod.700, the Savage mod.12, the Tikka T3, the Sako mod.85 and the Howa actions. A negative feature of some of these actions is that they sometimes have weak unreliable extracting systems. This is why one would normally think twice before choosing one of these rifles for hunting dangerous game.

Sako TRG ActionSteyr Manlicher Pro Hunter ActionHowa Mod.1500 Action

Remington Mod.700 ActionTikka Mod.T3 Action

Sako Mod.85 ActionSavage Action

The Rifle’s AcTion 19

� Very strong and reliable actions

Winchester M70 ActionMauser K98 Action

CZ Mod.550 ActionRuger M77 Action

These actions are normally rough and robust and are usually some or other type of modification of the original Mauser K98 action. The extractor type is normally the controlled feeding type of the Mauser K98 and is very reliable. Although it has a long lock time, which is detrimental to good pinpoint accuracy, the firing pin strikes well and is very reliable. This feature makes these types of actions suitable for use on caliber rifles, which can be used with ease on dangerous game. Examples of these actions are the Ruger M77, CZ mod.550, Winchester Pre 64 and all the brand name rifles that are built on Mauser K98 actions. It is possible to make these rifles accurate, but this normally needs the close attention of a good gunsmith.

PART 1 The Rifle20

Checks of a rifle’s actionI strongly recommend that a normal production rifle off the shelf ’s action be blueprinted by a good gunsmith, even if it’s brand new. These are the most important checks of a rifle’s action:

1 The bolt face should be square in respect of the central axis of the barrel, in other words the bolt face should be trued.

Bolt face outside action – SteyrBolt face outside action – RemingtonBolt face inside action

2 The locking lugs of the bolt should be lapped. It is very important that the engagement of the lugs with the surfaces of the lug recesses be equal.

Bearing surface of locking lugsDifferent types of locking lugs

Rear locking lugs – Steyr

Multiple locking lugs – Steyr

Duel locking lugs – Remington

You can test this by coloring the lugs with a marking pen and closing and opening the bolt a few times – preferably with an empty case in the chamber. When you take the bolt out again, at least 80 per cent of the marking ink on the surface of both (or all) lugs should have been removed. Some bolts have more than two lugs and with such actions it is usually more difficult to achieve a minimum of 80 per cent contact amongst the lugs. If the lugs or the bolt face are skew, the heads of

The Rifle’s AcTion 21

all the cases fired in that action will bend. This will cause the cases to push down skew on the shell holder during sizing and the cases thus to be sized skew.

3 The action of a rifle should be properly bedded. By ‘bedding’, I mean the manner in which the action fits into the stock and how the action presses upon the stock when the screws are tightened. Among gunsmiths, there are differing beliefs and practices concerning the bedding of actions. The most popular method is to embed the action in the stock using some or other epoxy so that the epoxy becomes molded to the shape of the action. The epoxy then forms part of the stock and becomes rock hard. Thus, when you lay the action into the stock, it fits like a glove. Some gunsmiths also believe in doing the same with the barrel, but I don’t. I feel the barrel should be free-floating from the point where it screws into the action to the end of the stock. I personally prefer to have an action glass-bedded and pillar-bedded. Two aluminum or preferably steel pillars are screwed and glued into the deep holes accommodating the screws attaching the action to the stock. The two screws then tighten the action against the pillars. Consequently, the pillars serve as pressure points on which the action presses within the stock. Aluminum bedding consists of a solid block of aluminum. The shape of the bottom part of the action is milled out of the solid metal block and then glued to the inside of the stock with very strong epoxy. The action is then screwed onto this block where-in it fits precisely. This is the most durable and accurate way to bed an action.

Aluminium block bedding

Glass bedding kit