Accurizing Privi rifle ammo

[sterling]

Hi all,

 

I've reloaded a fair bit of shotgun and pistol calibres in the past, but I've not done much reloading for rifle and don't have any kit now, so here's a quick question for you accuracy gurus out there;

 

With the current price of reloading kit, components and most factory ammo, I'm now using almost exclusively PPU in .243 at £12/box. They group brilliantly most of the time but those occaisional serious fliers that definitely aren't my doing are a concern. The widely varying OAL and cartridge weight (case capacity and more likely powder charge?) seem to explain this. Can any of you see why it wouldn't make sense to pull the bullets, average the powder charge and reload more precisely? I figure £70 would get me a kinetic puller, simple Lee press and dies.

 

Thanks in advance for any insight or just a reality check!

[steve_b_wales]

I've used these for a few years now, and don't bother reloading .243 because of the low cost of this ammunition. I have'nt had any fliers, that I know of. I only shoot fox with the .243, and the bullet strikes where I aim. You could pull a few and reload them, I suppose.

[sterling]

 

I will sit back now and ignore the thread when Kent gets involved and bores me to death.

 

That was a great post thanks Fister, really informative and I don't think that Kent could add much more. That answers the question for me - just accept the PPU for what it is and enjoy affordable shooting. To be honest, most of my deer stalking is no more than 150m and foxes under 300. The fliers were appearing at 250m and beyond on paper and in reality won't affect my hunting noticeably. I kind of liked the idea of dabbling in rifle reloading without spending a bunch but I think I'll bite the bullet and do it properly when time and funds allow.

 

Thanks again fellas!

[Alanl50]

 

 

 

Sounds like more trouble than it's worth. Pulling large quantities of bullets with a kinetic puller will be areal pain in the **** and very time consuming. The relatively light weight on the 243 bullet will require a lot of hard taps and I believe they are crimped too so I wouldn't expect the kinetic puller to last 50, never mind a hundred rounds without something breaking.

 

As for averaging the powder weight, hmm, sounds a bit too easy and won't compensate for your reported findings that case weight (therefore volume) varies and the fact some bullets seem `different`. In a well made short range hunting load, accrual powder weight variation doesn't cause as much inaccuracy as you might think. take for example load testing a rifle with increasing powder charge......you can often go up/down by whole grains and the mean POI varies little at 100 yards.......................obviously at longer ranges velocity variation will increase vertical inaccuracy but for shorter ranges and simple hunting hand loads, this is the benefit of ladder testing as it shows you how wide the accuracy nodes are and whether poi does move much.

 

Privi is OK ammo and IF it works in your gun its cheap shooting and takes the hassle and expense out of shooting so just keep you shooting ranges within `flyer` grouping size or perhaps try group batching 100 complete rounds into weighed batches and see if that improves things overall?

 

I will sit back now and ignore the thread when Kent gets involved and bores me to death.

Quality, if I had been drinking I would have choked lol

For what its worth I shoot PPU .243, 100g SP and find them spot on never had any flyers that were not attributable to anything but me.

I reload the empties with Hogdon powder and 90g Nosler ballistic tips they are the dogs do dahs

As above really I cant imagine you lasting out trying to pull factory rounds apart.

Alan

Edited December 22, 2013 by Alanl50

[al4x]

I'd agree entirely with fister and especially the last part. I would be interested though in how much the oal actually varies as most factory ammo that I've measured had surprisingly little variance.

[Beretta28g]

Why not measure and weigh em, then, use em in batches of the same weight/length?

[sterling]

I'd agree entirely with fister and especially the last part. I would be interested though in how much the oal actually varies as most factory ammo that I've measured had surprisingly little variance.

 

Do you know, I haven't even had the calipers on them yet, I actually noticed it by the naked eye. :o On some rounds, the cannelure is way out of the neck and on others it's barely visible. These are unchambered rounds so I'm sure I haven't caused the set-back. I just figured the Serbians were a bit relaxed with their manufacturing tolerances.

 

Why not measure and weigh em, then, use em in batches of the same weight/length?

 

In light of Fister's post, I kind of think I might be going over the top for a cheap, short range hunting load but being as I enjoy fiddling about with anything remotely technical, I might do the batching even just for punching paper.

[1066]

Just get into reloading! Even with a Lee hand press and dies you will make accurate ammunition, the more attention to detail the more accurate it will be. My Howa .243 with a 1/10 barrel wouldn't shoot 100g PPU in anything like a decent group.

[Dougy]

I dont suppose there would be any harm in using the kinetic hammer to knock them out a tad then seat them all to the same depth with a seating die, that would cure one of the issues thats bugging you. They will need to be concentric though so will need to come out enough for the die to seat them correctly or you will possibly make things worse.

 

But you need to ask yourself if its really worth it I think if you want to go down the reloading route then you need to do all of it not just 1/2 a job, if you know what i mean, then you will really start to fuss about thing not all being equal

[sterling]

But you need to ask yourself if its really worth it I think if you want to go down the reloading route then you need to do all of it not just 1/2 a job, if you know what i mean, then you will really start to fuss about thing not all being equal

 

That's probably why I'm avoiding jumping into rifle reloading with both feet - I already show signs of OCD.

[simon1979]

I use ppu 100g in .243 and I haven't had any probs, and yes at £12 a box there cheap, do you buy from UK customs.?

I started home loading but at that price I haven't bothered, plus I haven't got time either

[interlock]

I agree that pulling a load of bullets is a pain. It might be worth sorting them by wieght or running them through a die to all e the same length... however, if they are heavily crimped you might buckle the shoulders. I am just about to start using the 170 gr grom from my 30-06 for all of my stalking. i will be interested to see how accurate they are.

[JonathanL]

 

Do you know, I haven't even had the calipers on them yet, I actually noticed it by the naked eye. :o On some rounds, the cannelure is way out of the neck and on others it's barely visible. These are unchambered rounds so I'm sure I haven't caused the set-back. I just figured the Serbians were a bit relaxed with their manufacturing tolerances.

 

That may not even be an OAL problem but rather a case length problem. If so it will probably make virtually no difference from a performance point of view. It's actually not uncommon but people tend not to notice unless the bullet has a cannelure.

 

J.

[sterling]

I use ppu 100g in .243 and I haven't had any probs, and yes at £12 a box there cheap, do you buy from UK customs.?

I started home loading but at that price I haven't bothered, plus I haven't got time either

 

I used to buy from them but if you've been there recently, you'll know that they are steadily heading for closure. They don't stock anything these days and rather than import in bulk, they actually buy stock from other local shops in small quantities. I don't usually deal in rumours, but I honestly think there might be an ammo/components shortage looming.

 

That may not even be an OAL problem but rather a case length problem. If so it will probably make virtually no difference from a performance point of view. It's actually not uncommon but people tend not to notice unless the bullet has a cannelure.

 

J.

 

That's interesting Jonathan, I hadn't even thought that case length might vary that much on new brass. I've learned a lot from this thread! I've also slept on it and decided to commit to a decent reloading set up in the new year. I might even get a few mates on board and start a little reloading syndicate.

[sterling]

Component shortage, you must be having a laugh, its daft at the moment. What there is is hand to mouth and a LOT of stuff has been out of atock and totally unavailable for months.

 

 

 

Ah sod it then, it's time to get the flintlock out and head for the hills. :yp:

 

Yeah it's becoming a pretty dire situation. I've got friends in the US who say the shelves have been virtually empty for nearly two years and what ammo they have left, they're too uncertain to use. That's obviously having a knock-on effect here and I know that US export/ UK import laws for ammo/powder have tightened too. I suppose it's a lot less hassle to remove ammunition from circulation than guns. Now, I wonder if my FEO will agree that "impending doom" is a good reason to increase my possesion allowance before it's too late.

[simon1979]

I used to buy from them but if you've been there recently, you'll know that they are steadily heading for closure. They don't stock anything these days and rather than import in bulk, they actually buy stock from other local shops in small quantities. I don't usually deal in rumours, but I honestly think there might be an ammo/components shortage looming.

 

 

 

That's interesting Jonathan, I hadn't even thought that case length might vary that much on new brass. I've learned a lot from this thread! I've also slept on it and decided to commit to a decent reloading set up in the new year. I might even get a few mates on board and start a little reloading syndicate.

 

 

Yes I think your right they do seem to be down sizing a lot, shame as I do like that shop.

Where do you buy from now?

[sterling]

Yeah they were a cracking shop with good prices too - I hope they keep producing the wildcat moderators if the shop finally folds.

 

My last load of PPU was bought from a friend who just couldn't get on with them but I'm running dangerously low now. I can't get the 100grain to shoot well but if that's what you use, I'd get yourself over to "shooting supplies ltd" in bromsgrove, pronto. They have 80 left and who knows when another load might appear - they haven't heard from privi since placing their last order. UK custom shop has been back-ordered for nearly a year!

 

Personally, I've decided to go shopping today and get set up with reloading. I'm tired of relying on what odds and ends local shops have in and having to re-zero all the bleedin' time!

[simon1979]

hi sterling,

yes shooting suplies sell some ppu, slightly more money then josh though, yep i like the wild cat mods, they have light weight out now to which seems better.

If you want some used privi cases i have some which your welcome to if you want it.

atb

simon

[JonathanL]

 

I used to buy from them but if you've been there recently, you'll know that they are steadily heading for closure. They don't stock anything these days and rather than import in bulk, they actually buy stock from other local shops in small quantities. I don't usually deal in rumours, but I honestly think there might be an ammo/components shortage looming.

 

 

That's interesting Jonathan, I hadn't even thought that case length might vary that much on new brass. I've learned a lot from this thread! I've also slept on it and decided to commit to a decent reloading set up in the new year. I might even get a few mates on board and start a little reloading syndicate.

PPU brass can vary a bit, in my experience. A chap I know shoots a .338 Lapua and the PPU brass he got had rim variations. Three of them wouldn't fit his shell holder. I also know a chap who got a face full of primer gas because the PPU .308 round he was trying to fire had no flash hole in the case!

 

J.

[sterling]

PPU brass can vary a bit, in my experience. A chap I know shoots a .338 Lapua and the PPU brass he got had rim variations. Three of them wouldn't fit his shell holder. I also know a chap who got a face full of primer gas because the PPU .308 round he was trying to fire had no flash hole in the case!

 

J.

 

No flash hole? Flippin' heck that's worrying! I tried out my first reloads this morning and whilst I didn't think it was neccessary to tie a long piece of string to the trigger, I did make sure to wear safety glasses. I've got them shooting .25" at 100m (which is realistically my limit anyway) and they're only costing £8/box, so I'm happy with my set up. It'll take a while to cover the cost of the equipment but I find rifle reloading enjoyable and thankfully it's not the dark art I thought it would be.

 

Thanks for the advice chaps - without it, I might still be hammering away with a bullet puller.

 

Edited to add; In case you're reading this thread and wondering if it's financially worth you getting into reloading, going from Privi .243 to my own reloads will take 660 rounds to break even...

Edited December 29, 2013 by sterling