Odds and ends

This page is to gather together shooting related books that you've enjoyed reading. If you have any suggestions or additions, email me here

How well machined is your crown?
This image shows the end of the barrel of my 6.5x55 Tikka after 30 shots have been fired. The symetricality of the powder marks on the end of the barrel is a very good indication of how well crowned the barrel is. If this mark was less even it would would indicate that the rifle would benefit from having the barrel recrowned.
Shooting at 1,000 yards
The click adjustments on the vertical turret of most scopes have a problem when trying to shoot out to 1,000 yards; they simply run out of elevation clicks and the bullet doesn't reach the target. The simple solution to this problem is to give your scope a head start. My target rifle, on the left, is fitted with a 20 MOA (minute of angle) scope rail. If you look carefully, you can see the scope tilts downwards by one third of one degree or 20 MOA. This means that when the scope is pointing straight at the target, the rifle is already pointing upwards by 20 MOA.
On a scope where each click represents one quarter of an inch at 100 yards, this equates to having an extra 80 clicks of elevation to play with enabling you to get the rifle on the target at 1,000 yards. The only slight downside is that the minimum distance the rifle can be zeroed at is now around 200 yards.

The rail pictured on the left was bought from Ken Farrell in Montana and simply screwed to the top of my receiver and forms a 20 MOA picatinny rail.
Flattened primers
This image shows the primers of two fired .223 Rem cases. The one on the left shows a case that has been loaded too hot. It was 22.0 grains of Vihtavuori N530 under a 69 grain Scenar with a Winchester small rifle primer. There were no other signs of dangerous pressure such as stiff case extraction but this load definitely needs reducing. The primer on the right shows no signs of pressure and the primer still has it's radiused rim.
Working out ideal seating depth
For a cheap method of calculating the distance to the land in a particular barrel, you need a junior hacksaw, a bullet of the type you are loading and a fired case from your rifle
Use the junior hackshaw to saw a single slot down the case neck down to the shoulder. Use your press to seat a bullet about 2mm into the neck and carefully insert the round into the chamber of your rifle.
Now insert the bolt into your rifle and carefully close it on the round. Carefully lift and withdraw the bolt and catch the round as it is ejected. Measure the length of the round with a micrometer and you have the COAL with your bullet just touching the lands.