http://brownandbrowngunsmithing.com/

Brown and Brown Gunsmithing, 98 Beechwood Street, Thomaston, ME (2026)

10/26/2015

In this post It's rifle #4. A 300 Blackout build. Again, I had to reload a bunch rounds using no available data. Powders that have been out for years for a cartridge that has been out for years and not a whole lot of available data. Maybe the power of connectivity offered by facebook combined with my old-style get-it-done stubborn attitude will find some traction? I don't know if the term "going viral" applies here but I do sincerely hope the vast shooting community shares living daylights out of my posts.

Rifle #4.) AR-15 semi-automatic 16" carbine. Caliber: 300 AAC-Blackout. Aero Precision is logo on the receiver and Anderson Manufacturing stainless steel lower parts and Palmetto State Armory stock kit. Really sweet rifle.

Weather conditions during Saturday's, 10/24/15, range session overcast, 48 degF, winds mostly calm with only a few breezes. Rare here in Maine to not have strong gusty winds swirling all the damn place. Took total advantage of it.

Distance: 100 yards.

Reload #1) Absentmindedly used a nice reload of 17.5gr IMR4227 powder, 125gr Speer TNT bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2011, 1990, 1937, 1994, 1990. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure. No pic of the sight-in target.

Reload #2.) Orange dot with three rounds tight and two flyers. 17.2gr IMR4227 powder, 125gr Sierra Match King bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 1819, 1859, 1855, 1876,1883. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of excess pressure.

Reload #3.) Red dot with tight triangular and two flyers. 18gr Hodgdon Lil-Gun powder, Berger 115gr match HP bullet, CCI450 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2265, 2290, 2257, 2323, 2325.

Reload #4.) Green dot with three tight triangular and two a bit out there. 21gr Alliant 300-MP powder, Lapua 100gr HP bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2455, 2476, 2450, 2467, 2481. These Lapua bullets have a rather sharp edge near the ogive and punch a sharply defined hole in the paper. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #5.) Orange dot with tight four round cluster and one round that I purposely pulled because I could not mentally process that the first three rounds were all going into one hole and the fifth round I put back making the four round cluster. I wonder if match shooters play these kinds of mind-games on themselves? 19.8gr Alliant 300-MP powder, Hornady 110gr Z-Max .308 zombie-green poly-tip bullet, CCI450 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2277, 2192, 2201, 2195, 2196. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #6.) Green dot with five rounds in one tidy tiny little cluster, 19gr IMR4227 powder, 100gr Lapua match HP bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass, Velocities 1-5 fps: 2105, 2126, 2123, 2156, 2141. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #7) Red dot with three in the dot. 19gr Accurate LT-30 powder, Hornady 123gr FMJ .310 bulk bullet from Widener's, Wolf .223 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass, Velocities 1-5 fps: 1666, 1671, 1676, 1679, 1691. Cycled the action but failed to hold bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #8.) Red dot with 1.5 inch spread. 17.5gr IMR4227 powder, Hornady 150gr PSP bullet, Tula small rifle magnum primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 1846, 1896, 1903, 1900, 1880. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #9.) Orange dot with wide spread. 19gr Accurate LT-32 powder, 147gr FMJ M80 pulls, CCI450 primers, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 1607, 1626, 1618, 1633, 1638. Cycled the action but failed to hold bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #10.) Green dot with tight tiny cluster. 19gr Hodgdon Lil-Gun powder, 110gr Hornady PSP bullet, CCI450 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2351, 2384, 2395, 2394, 2397. Cycled the action but failed to hold bolt.

Reload #11.) Green dot with tipped "V" group. 19gr Accurate LT-32 powder, Hornady 155gr A-Max bullet, CCI450 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 1599, 1610, 1577, 1614, 1607. Cycled action but failed to hold bolt. No pressure signs of any kind.

Reload #12.) Green dot with a three shot and two shot. 18gr Alliant 300-MP powder, 130gr PSP bullets MidwayUSA major manufacturer seconds, Tula small rifle magnum primers, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2069, 2078, 2082, ER, 2069. Cycled action but failed to hold bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Bolt hold and cycling the action has always been a tuning art-form with the 300BLK cartridge and the AR-15 platform. What has always been a 100% cycling and bolt hold performer is IMR4227 powder. I have yet to have a 300BLK round loaded with any reasonable amount of IMR4227 powder fail to cycle and hold bolt on dozens of builds now. You can play with buffer weights and springs all you want but that IMR4227 powder is my go-to powder for the 300BLK.

10/26/2015

In this post It's rifle #4. A 300 Blackout build. Again, I had to reload a bunch rounds using no available data. Powders that have been out for years for a cartridge that has been out for years and not a whole lot of available data. Maybe the power of connectivity offered by facebook combined with my old-style get-it-done stubborn attitude will find some traction? I don't know if the term "going viral" applies here but I do sincerely hope the vast shooting community shares living daylights out of my posts.

Rifle #4.) AR-15 semi-automatic 16" carbine. Caliber: 300 AAC-Blackout. Aero Precision is logo on the receiver and Anderson Manufacturing stainless steel lower parts and Palmetto State Armory stock kit. Really sweet rifle.

Weather conditions during Saturday's, 10/24/15, range session overcast, 48 degF, winds mostly calm with only a few breezes. Rare here in Maine to not have strong gusty winds swirling all the damn place. Took total advantage of it.

Distance: 100 yards.

Reload #1) Absentmindedly used a nice reload of 17.5gr IMR4227 powder, 125gr Speer TNT bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2011, 1990, 1937, 1994, 1990. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure. No pic of the sight-in target.

Reload #2.) Orange dot with three rounds tight and two flyers. 17.2gr IMR4227 powder, 125gr Sierra Match King bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 1819, 1859, 1855, 1876,1883. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of excess pressure.

Reload #3.) Red dot with tight triangular and two flyers. 18gr Hodgdon Lil-Gun powder, Berger 115gr match HP bullet, CCI450 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2265, 2290, 2257, 2323, 2325.

Reload #4.) Green dot with three tight triangular and two a bit out there. 21gr Alliant 300-MP powder, Lapua 100gr HP bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2455, 2476, 2450, 2467, 2481. These Lapua bullets have a rather sharp edge near the ogive and punch a sharply defined hole in the paper. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #5.) Orange dot with tight four round cluster and one round that I purposely pulled because I could not mentally process that the first three rounds were all going into one hole and the fifth round I put back making the four round cluster. I wonder if match shooters play these kinds of mind-games on themselves? 19.8gr Alliant 300-MP powder, Hornady 110gr Z-Max .308 zombie-green poly-tip bullet, CCI450 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2277, 2192, 2201, 2195, 2196. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #6.) Green dot with five rounds in one tidy tiny little cluster, 19gr IMR4227 powder, 100gr Lapua match HP bullet, Re*****on 7 1/2 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass, Velocities 1-5 fps: 2105, 2126, 2123, 2156, 2141. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #7) Red dot with three in the dot. 19gr Accurate LT-30 powder, Hornady 123gr FMJ .310 bulk bullet from Widener's, Wolf .223 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass, Velocities 1-5 fps: 1666, 1671, 1676, 1679, 1691. Cycled the action but failed to hold bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #8.) Red dot with 1.5 inch spread. 17.5gr IMR4227 powder, Hornady 150gr PSP bullet, Tula small rifle magnum primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 1846, 1896, 1903, 1900, 1880. Cycled the action and held bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #9.) Orange dot with wide spread. 19gr Accurate LT-32 powder, 147gr FMJ M80 pulls, CCI450 primers, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 1607, 1626, 1618, 1633, 1638. Cycled the action but failed to hold bolt. No signs of any excess pressure.

Reload #10.) Green dot with tight tiny cluster. 19gr Hodgdon Lil-Gun powder, 110gr Hornady PSP bullet, CCI450 primer, Lapua untouched out of the box brass. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2351, 2384, 2395, 2394, 2397. Cycled the action but failed to hold bolt.

Gotta run. Pics coming.

10/25/2015

This rifle is rifle #3 and was tested along with three other rifles at an open gravel pit yesterday. Distance was 100 yards. Weather was overcast, 48 degF, mostly calm winds with only a few breezes.
Please share these posts because I'm getting reload data using real-world AR-15 rifles with 16" barrels that millions of us are building and buying and I hope reloading for. All my 7.62X39 rifles that I build use Wolff extra power hammer springs. All three 7.62X39 rifles functioned flawlessly. Share.

Rifle #3.) AR-15 semi-automatic 16" carbine. Caliber: 7.62X39. Anderson Manufacturing lower receiver.

Reload #1.) Green dot with tighter five round group. 28gr Hodgdon Benchmark powder, 123gr Hornady .310 FMJ bulk from Widener's, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2078, 2021, 2027, 1983, 2019.

Reload #2.) Red dot with three and two 1.7 inches apart. 27gr Alliant RL-7 powder, Hornady 123gr .310 poly-tip bullet, Sellier & Bellot large rifle magnum primers, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2361, 2387, 2378, 2365, 2345. Not that impressed with S&B primers.

Reload #3.) Green dot with wider group. 29.6gr Alliant 1200-R powder, 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet, Wi******er large rifle magnum primers, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Chrono missed two rounds but 1-3 fps: 2345, 2376, 2358. Come to think of it these 7.62X39 AR barrels that I love never have shot the .308 Nosler 125gr Green tips very well.

Reload #4.) Orange dot. 31.5gr Hodgdon H335 powder, 121gr FMJ .310 bullets purchased in bulk and might be Eastern-Block surplus, Wi******er large rifle magnum primers, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2220, 2229, 2250, 2244, 2234. Really nice plinking round.

Load #5.) Three rounds of Wolf WPA 123gr FMJ camo box.

10/25/2015

I'm posting a new...umm...post for each rifle tested yesterday. Lets me keep the rifles with their test targets and load data together in each post.

Rifle #2) AR-15 semi-automatic 16" barrel carbine. Caliber: 7.62X39. New Frontier Armory complete polymer lower.

Tried some loads that are not published, with powders that have been out for years and I can't find load info on. I can't figure why so I'll put my numbers out there and I'm hoping these posts not only show-off my rifles but provide some critically needed load data. For heavens sakes please share. There now millions of new AR-15 rifle shooters out there and thirsty for good load data. All these loads showed zero signs of excessive pressure and functioned 100% in the 7.62X39 ARs.

Weather conditions: Overcast, 48 degF, mostly calm winds with only a few light breezes.

Distance: 100 yards.

Reload #1.) Orange dot not as tightly strung as the other orange dot. 25.5gr AA1680 powder, 123gr Hornady V-Max .310 poly-tip, Federal 210 primer, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2230, 2264, 2241, 2226, 2242. No pressure signs at all.

Reload #2.) Green dot with five rounds. 27gr Alliant RL-7 powder, 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tip, Sellier & Bellot large rifle magnum primers, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2304, 2327, 2343, 2363, 2360.

Reload #3,) Red dot. 29gr Alliant RL-7 powder, 110gr Sierra Varminter bullet, Wi******er large rifle magnum primer, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2486, 2479, 2478, 2508, 2491.

Reload #4.) Orange dot 5 rounds making one vertical hole. 25.6gr Accurate LT-30 powder, 123gr Hornady .310 FMJ Bulk from Widener's, Wolf large rifle primers, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities 1-5 fps: 2191, 2214, 2218, 2202, 2228.

Load #5.) I like to put three rounds of Wolf WPA 123gr FMJ camo box through each 7.62X39 build to confirm function. Green dot with three rounds. Pulled round was shooter forgetting just how nice the NFA polymer trigger is.

10/25/2015

Range-tested four ARs yesterday: Three 7.62X39 ARs and one 300 AAC-Blackout. Wonderful afternoon. And why not post how my builds performed and how my reloads performed as well? These rifles will be available on my GunBroker page shortly and my GB seller handle is "gwb04861".

Years ago I might have posted on some sight with lots of moderators but I find those places filled with people who think they know everything when in all actuality they don't know squat. Arguing with moronic moderators who try to perpetuate complete falsehoods in the shooting realm gets tiring and gets you kicked off the site quickly. Here I get to show the world what reality looks like.

Lets start at the beginning of yesterday's range session.

Rifle #1.) AR-15 semi-automatic 16" barrel carbine. Caliber: 7.62X39.

I've been reloading ammunition for at least 30 years now and have always thoroughly enjoyed the cheap-a$$ aspect of range-pickup brass. But a couple weeks ago I splurged and bought 100 pieces of brand-new 7.62X39 Lapua brass. WOW!! Now we're talkin' the difference between filet mignon and chuck steak. What I also that I need desperately now is a reloading press up to the level of the Lapua brass. While loading the other night I noticed the Lee Classic "O" press with quick-change inserts deflecting quite a bit just while bullet seating. Can't be good for concentricity. Looking at a Redding T7 Turret press but a bit pricey.

Weather conditions during the range session was overcast, 48 degF and winds mostly calm with occasional breezes.

Distance: 100 yards.

Reload #1.) Orange dot. 26.6gr Alliant 1200-R powder, Hornady .310 V-Max 123gr poly-tip bullet, Federal 210 primer and Lapua brass that I didn't prep in any way. Rounds chronoed 1 thru 5 in fps: 2316, 2338, 2332, 2353, 2326. Very slight flattening of the primers but hard to tell. No bolt wipe and no ejector marks of any kind.

Reload #2) Green dot. 25.5gr AA1680 powder, 123gr .310 Hornady PSP bullet, Wolf Large Rifle primer, Lapua brass untouched out of the box. Velocities of rounds 4 and 5 didn't read but 1-3 read 2326, 2305, 2316. No signs of pressure at all. That pulled round was me psyching myself out and deliberately pulling the shot to prove that every shot wasn't making one ragged hole. I did that on several loads and have got trust myself more.

Reload #3) Five round Red dot. 24.5gr Alliant RL-7 powder, 147gr M80 pulls frow Widener's, Sellier & Bellot large rifle magnum primers. Velocity 1-5 in fps: 2084, 2122, 2093, 2073, 2122. Gotta say that I'm not that impressed with the S&B primers but it's early.

Load #4) Red dot with nice three round groupThree rounds of Wolf WPA camo box. 123gr FMJ. Velocities 2308, 2305 and 2301fps.

09/08/2014

Really loved Fox News' Greg Gutfeld's quick comment during last Friday's airing of The Five about Americans prolific fi****ms ownership being a significant deterrent to terrorist thinking about their options here in the States.

Brown and Brown Gunsmithing

10/26/2015

10/26/2015

10/25/2015

10/25/2015

10/25/2015

09/08/2014

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category