dunganick Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Well finally on Wed the action (and temp. synthetic stock) arrived. I picked them up, they were everything i expected, the gun is great, the trigger has a touch of creep, but ive tried worse triggers in tikka's. The scope, mounts, bipod all fitted without a snag. So i then started to handload for this saturday when i should get a chance to use it. Started off using a range pickup .223 and a bullet in the end chambered to find the lands, took about 10 measurements and found the lands. Then got the bullet comparitor on the bullet, got a measurement, backed it off 20 thou and we had our initial seating depth. However we then went to resize a piece of brass so we could use one of the range pickups with a nice tight bullet fit to setup the seating die. Case was lubed, as was the internals of the dies. One push of the lever on the reloading press and the thing gets stuck. So a bit more force is applied, the case is still only half way done. So we decide to remove the expander ball, repeat again with the same resistance incurred. A quick phone to Bob (or was it Bill?) on the Forster helpline and he encourages us to use some of my beloved New Lapua brass. So we fire the primed case and place it in the shell holder push the lever down and it goes 3/4 of the way down without much force, a bit more pressure then has the case resized, however then we repeat the process again with the expander ball fitted, we incur ALOT of force and Bob at forster is encouraging us to use more force so we do..... and finally the case is de primed and resized..... however... now we cant get the case out of the die. Again Bob instructs us to use force.... suddenly it releases. Result a head seperation. So i now have to send my brand new Forster resizing die and one mullered Brand new lapua case with it.. still very much stuck in the die. The good news is we have been told a 9 day turn around, and we have delt with forster previously and they are very quick. So hopefully i will have the die back in no time. As you can imagine once again im not a happy bunny, im starting to wounder is i should fire this gun.... as im woundering what else can go wrong. However i did eventually manage to setup the bullet seating die using another piece of new brass and managed to load up 30 rounds for running in the gun. And will do another 20 this evening with different powder charges. Now the only thing i need doing to this gun is it to be screw cut and the new stock to arrive so i can get this awful plastic thing off it. Yes the stock really is that awfull, it lives up to all the bad things the reviewers said about it and i cant wait to get some wood on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 that should look great with nice bit of wood on it nick i dont really like synthetics that much either, i can tolerate them on a semi auto shotgun but not on rifles for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Thats a cracking looking rifle mate. Congratulations. At long last ha? The plastic stock does not look too bad , but lovely bit of timber will have it looking champion im sure. Let us know how you get on, dying to see how it groups like. The best of luck with it Nick, hope it culls many foxes and prehaps roe in Scotland . Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Thats a cracking looking rifle mate. Congratulations. At long last ha? The plastic stock does not look too bad , but lovely bit of timber will have it looking champion im sure. Let us know how you get on, dying to see how it groups like. The best of luck with it Nick, hope it culls many foxes and prehaps roe in Scotland . Frank. thanks mate, its been a long time coming, will enjoy shooting it this weekend, and if i can get a working load for it, maybe foxing sunday evening. The stock is just nasty... join lines everywhere, very flexible in the forend, i am currently up to my ears in swarf as im floating it (as this is how the wooden stock will be when i recieve it there is no point doing load development with a contacting stock) Bring on the wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the last engineer Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Good looking gun Nick, i hope it all works out for you, love to see the new stock when its finished . Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadeye ive Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Bring on the wood ...............Good man Best of luck with the Rifle Nick Forget the homeloads for now and get some American eagle ..................Get out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Bring on the wood ...............Good man Best of luck with the Rifle Nick Forget the homeloads for now and get some American eagle ..................Get out there Well said Get some of them AE Nick and run that baby in. You have nothing to loose, their dead cheap and accurate too. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Bring on the wood ...............Good man Best of luck with the Rifle Nick Forget the homeloads for now and get some American eagle ..................Get out there Well said Get some of them AE Nick and run that baby in. You have nothing to loose, their dead cheap and accurate too. Frank. This rifle like many in me and my dads collection wont ever taste factory ammo. These initial handloads are cheaper and will give me a place to start with the load development which the factory wont. Each to their own though, i will stick to homeloads for now though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Bring on the wood ...............Good man Best of luck with the Rifle Nick Forget the homeloads for now and get some American eagle ..................Get out there Well said Get some of them AE Nick and run that baby in. You have nothing to loose, their dead cheap and accurate too. Frank. This rifle like many in me and my dads collection wont ever taste factory ammo. These initial handloads are cheaper and will give me a place to start with the load development which the factory wont. Each to their own though, i will stick to homeloads for now though Fair enough, what ever makes you happy Nick. The AE, im led to believe, in the UK, are dead cheap for testing rifles, their only 10 Euro for 20 here. Not to worry, im sure the homeloads will proove me rong. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Bring on the wood ...............Good man Best of luck with the Rifle Nick Forget the homeloads for now and get some American eagle ..................Get out there Well said Get some of them AE Nick and run that baby in. You have nothing to loose, their dead cheap and accurate too. Frank. This rifle like many in me and my dads collection wont ever taste factory ammo. These initial handloads are cheaper and will give me a place to start with the load development which the factory wont. Each to their own though, i will stick to homeloads for now though Fair enough, what ever makes you happy Nick. The AE, im led to believe, in the UK, are dead cheap for testing rifles, their only 10 Euro for 20 here. Not to worry, im sure the homeloads will proove me rong. Frank. i do hope so otherwise humble pie might be on the menu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 I'd repeat Ive's comments of Best of luck, but with all the bad luck you've had so far, I reckon you've had a belly full of it. So, lets hope the remaining parts 4,5,6 go to plan without hick-ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stirky Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Congrats on the howa, at last, ive been looking at the heavey barrel stainless varminter in .243 in a laminate stock, they look . I think i will be spending some money soon. I know that the triggers are not the best on howa rifles, a bit like remis, but timney replacements are just over £50, so thats what i am thinking. 1/2" groups at 100yds is about the norm, so i am told. Best of luck running in your barrel, What powder/bullet are you starting with ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Congrats on the howa, at last, ive been looking at the heavey barrel stainless varminter in .243 in a laminate stock, they look . I think i will be spending some money soon. I know that the triggers are not the best on howa rifles, a bit like remis, but timney replacements are just over £50, so thats what i am thinking. 1/2" groups at 100yds is about the norm, so i am told. Best of luck running in your barrel, What powder/bullet are you starting with ?. thanks all hopefully the bad luck will end now, and i can get down to some work with the gun, the anoying thing is that i have had 3 foxes recently which had the gun arrived ontime would have fallen to the Howa. Stirky, the triggers can be very bad im told, but the trigger on mine isnt all that bad, i will probably get around to replacing it in time, however before i do this i will have the trigger stoned and lighten it up a bit and see how it feels. Just consider that when you start buying all these parts for a rifle which was originally supposed to be cheap quickly gets into Tikka money. My first load is 22grains of Vit. N133 with a 50grain Vmax, CCI small bore primer and unfired lapua match brass. Tonight i am loading up 20 more of the above but with different powder charges. 5x 22.0 5x 22.5 5x23.0 and 5x 23.5 Which ever gives the best groups will then be replicated and further loads developed 1 grain intervals either side of that load. I will also choose the best load and use that as something to 'be getting on with' for foxing, as i dont need 1 hole groups to hit a fox at 200yrds. The laminate stock is a very good idea, this synthetic stock on my rifle at the moment is awful, floating it was a complete pain as it has some much flex in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham M Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Now the only thing i need doing to this gun is it to be screw cut Screw-cut Nick... ..you mean you are going to put a MODERATOR on it G.M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Now the only thing i need doing to this gun is it to be screw cut Screw-cut Nick... ..you mean you are going to put a MODERATOR on it G.M. yup, well we will see anyway. Ive been offered a mod for £10 (one of the non shroud types) so i will have it screw cut (as i can call in a favour and get it done for free) so i can try it with a mod. And if i dont like it or the gun falls over forwards then i will just put the cap on it and leave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadeye ive Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Ive been offered a mod for £10 (one of the non shroud types) I know money is tight for you Nick but I have been there myself ..............Put something decent on it or don't bother especially if your going to develop a load for it and not use factory .............You could end up wasting alot of time ,not to mention money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham M Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 The trouble is Nick, if you put a big fullbore can on the front, and it isn’t one of the Reflex type ones, then you will find it very front heavy. This in turn will give you an unrealistic impression of what it’s like to use a decent moderator and could spoil your chances of creating a very nice foxing set-up. Couldn’t you borrow a T8 to try. G.M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Having the gun screw cut and using this cheap mod will only serve to get me a gun which can be moderated if the situation calls for it (which is a must have for anyone offering a serious foxing service) the rest of the time i will leave the thread protector on. Obviously i will do load development with the gun unmoderated , then try the Mod. and if it effects accuracy will bin it. I know how well a T8/4 moderates and as long as this cheap silencer does actually moderate it will do. The T4/8's are good, and i really enjoy using them on both my old mans moderated centerfires, but i can live without them if it saves me £160ish (the sort of price i could get one for). Unfortuantly money is tight at the moment as i have to start considering a car and insurance (which is going to cost several times the value of this rifle), otherwise i would buy a decent mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadeye ive Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Obviously i will do load development with the gun unmoderated , then try the Mod. and if it effects accuracy will bin it. It'll definately make a diffrence ,moderated to unmoderated ...................Start as you mean to go on Wop out the plastic ................and join the other 99% of shooters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Obviously i will do load development with the gun unmoderated , then try the Mod. and if it effects accuracy will bin it. It'll definately make a diffrence ,moderated to unmoderated ...................Start as you mean to go on Wop out the plastic ................and join the other 99% of shooters what plastic and you think im joking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mry716 Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stirky Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Cheers for that mry716, i have tried a howa trigger before its been adjusted and found it to be about 7lb ?, but like you said once it had been worked on for a few hours it wasnt that bad, certainly ok for a stalking rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Totally agree about the bore snake Mry. They will eventually damage the crown. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted June 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 well today was a fekin disaster on the rifle front the gun is shooting about 2ft low, there is something seriously wrong and i cant yet identify what it is or where it is. Im mighty ****** off right now regarding the trigger, i will have it stoned, but wont be messing with that safety pin for the time being, i had a fiddle with it the other night and its now much lighter than before and only has a tiny bit of creep at the start. At the moment 1mm of creep is the least of my worries. I recall someone commenting on shiming their Howa, was it gemini saying he shimed his RWS when he had it? Any advice much appreciated Any ' i told you so's ' will be met with a barage of swear words Also regarding running in, i always use a plastic brush and jag and a rod. as me and my dad have been for years, its the most sensible thing to use. Regarding the thread choice, i wont be sharing silencers with any guns, i dont think its a good practice, so not an issue, and even if it was i can get the barrel re threaded as i like, and i dont mind loosing 1/2" and having it re crowned for the sake of a thread replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Sorry to hear that Nick mate. You say 2 ft low, how is it grouping at 2 ft low? Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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