Alamo

Hi JT, Well it wouldn't be a Redneck check if I used the proper tools now would it? 'Cept I'd still be a Redneck, so there's that - you can only say "Yes" to so many of Jeff Foxworthy's questions before you just break down and admit the truth - plus I spent years in an Airstream on a farm in central Georgia, that alone gets you an honorary induction. I started using this for an upper I have with a real tight chamber, everything it eats gets checked 1st (reminds me of a story about a monkey and a cue ball). Case gauge wouldn't tell me if the round will fit in my specific chamber. Another advantage over a case gauge is that you can tell if the projectile is loaded too long for its profile.

I've been doing this for a while to check/ ensure the chamber fit and function of both sized cases and loaded/ reloaded ammunition. Step 1: Separate the upper and place rail side down, with the ejection port facing away from you. Pull the charging handle and BCG far enough back to allow the insertion of a case through the ejection port. Step 2: Insert case through ejection port. Hook the case rim under the extractor and lever it down to depress the ejector and spring. Step 3: Hold the case in place and slide the BCG forward, keep your finger on the case until it passes the chamber throat. Step 4: Using only mild finger pressure, slide the BCG slowly all the way forward until it locks... don't use momentum or slam it into place. This should require barely more effort than closing the bolt on an empty chamber. If the bolt will not close with with only light effort, don't force it... and don't use that round. Step 4: Pull charging handle to eject case. This should also only take mild effort. A case or loaded round that requires any extra effort to chamber or demonstrates any stickiness on ejection should be set aside to be examined for cause and reworked. What say you folks, am I risking my family jewels by doing this with loaded rounds? There is only the mildest contact of firing pin to primer when I close the bolt. I've examined the rounds afterwards and there is no marring or the surface by the pin.

Speaking of grips. I really like the way the Ergo "Sure Grip" material feels in my hand (kind of like a stress ball) and have used both the ambidextrous and right hand models on various builds. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/3206111389/ergo-sure-grip-gen-2-pistol-grip-ar-15-ar-10-lr-308-ambidextrous-overmolded-rubber This would personally be the first thing I would upgrade on any new rifle when on a budget... it won't break the bank and changes the whole feeling you have on contact with your rifle, those hard plastic grips just don't do it for me.

Agree... and even if they cost about the same as other 3rd party mags, I'll say Magpul's are the best of the lot for both .308 and .223 (excluding fancy boutique stuff that costs a lot more)... though there are some on the internets that will tell you Magpul is junk, I just have not seen this personally.

Interested to see what y'all have for this category. I will nominate: 1. DPMS SASS barrel... I've seen it on sale sub $200. Great performance for the price. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/660397/dpms-sass-barrel-lr-308-308-winchester-bull-contour-1-in-10-twist-18-fluted-stainless-steel-black-teflon 2. Rise Armament Black trigger. I have one of these on my .300 Blk. Got it on sale for $79, amazing trigger at twice the price. http://www.risearmament.com/RA-140-SST 3. Miculek compensator. Not for the easily startled and your range mates will give you dirty looks... but works great at taming that .308 recoil at a price that's right. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/910504/dpms-muzzle-brake-miculek-5-8-24-thread-lr-308-steel-parkerized

I have one of these on my long range precision upper. Though it's not "tacticool" and doesn't have a bunch of rails attached for everything and the kitchen sink... it's sub $100 and from a great manufacturer. http://www.fulton-armory.com/handguard-float-tube-308-ar-12-pvr-dpms-pattern.aspx For a few dollars more, you can get this one... http://www.fulton-armory.com/handguard-float-tube-308-ar-12-pvr-dpms-pattern-3.aspx or this one... http://www.fulton-armory.com/handguard-float-tube-308-ar-12-pvr-dpms-pattern-3-3.aspx

Because I didn't know any better, I picked up some 75 gr Hornady ELD match bullets the other day. Upon seating them, realized they were way too long to go mag length. That's when my redneck roots kicked in... Used the TAC load data found here: http://www.ramshot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WesternLoadGuide1-2016_Web-1.pdf 24 gr powder with a CCI #450 in LC once fired brass, OAL 2.260. Initial length was 2.390... then I trimmed using nail clippers and evened them out to the proper length using a whetstone. I ended up with something similar in profile to a .308 soft point. I tried to be consistent as possible, interested to see how accuracy is affected without the point... not really wanting to use them at extreme range, was looking for a heavy for caliber expanding projectile for short/ intermediate range use. I already use Barnes 70 gr TSX in this space, but they're so pricey... do you guys have anything else you can recommend?

Hey there SS, thought about getting the 20" like yours... but then I figured I'd eventually want to get the 24" anyway and decided to just go whole hog. I'm not overcompensating or anything... honest

Howdy, I too am using the TAC for .223. Loading the Barnes 70 gr TSX over 22.3 gr of powder & CCI #400 to 2.250 OAL. Just starting with this load in this caliber, but I really like Barnes in .308 and have been using that for some time. 98Z, you mentioned you're using #41's for your 70 gr TSX loads. Is there some particular reason, did you experience any funkiness/ failure to ignite at a certain point with the #400's or are you just heading off possible troubles at the pass? Reason I'm asking is the kid at the reloading counter gave me a couple boxes of #450 the other day (basically equivalent to #41 right?) and I didn't realize it until I got home. I ended up sticking em in some once fired LC brass I had laying around, they're just waiting to get charged up. I worry that my gun stuff will get into mischief if it's just sitting around idly, "Devil's Hands" and all that, so I try to utilize as quickly and as often as possible. Figure I'll use those cases to do some 5.56 loads under the 70 gr TSX with the Barnes data (perhaps 25 gr of powder to start). http://www.barnesbullets.com/files/2016/03/5.56-NATO-16.5in-Barrel.pdf BTW, I'm shooting them out of an 18" 1/8 twist Palmetto State Armory barrel.

Barrel extension fit nice and snug in the receiver, didn't require too much force to fit in or remove again... just the right amount of tension. I'm liking it pretty good so far. Only gripe I got is it's a heavy beast, but that's to be expected. Will put up a report with more rounds from a bit farther out next time. This last range session was kind of a bust. We got out to the desert where we shoot (a good hour and a half from where I live) and I realized I brought the canopy, the tables and chairs, the ear protection, paper targets and frames and the steel gopher and some flourescent orange paint in case he gets too dinged up and the chronograph and the shooting bag and gallons of water in jugs... I brought it all... and I left the ammo boxes sitting on the floor of the Armory at home. Not to be deterred, we set up the canopy and targets and I make a run to the nearest Wally World to grab a box of commercial. It stung a bit to pay $18 plus tax for a box of 20 generic Federal soft points when I left hundreds of hand crafted bullets in 5 different flavors sitting at home :( ... but I sure didn't get all the way out there not to shoot the dang thing, so I reluctantly shell out a $20 and off I go back to the spot. About 3/4 of the way back down the badly rutted dirt road for the 2nd time that day, in a bit of a hurry... something breaks loose next to the left front wheel... I hit the brakes and there's a horrible juddering vibration... no bueno... I pull over to the side of the road, trying to baby the brakes on the way over, it's stopping but something is terribly wrong... along with the juddering when the brakes are applied, there's a clanging going over the ruts like something's loose... metal on metal... there's a final bang from somewhere underneath as I come to a complete stop. I get out to look, but can't really see anything from the outside, underneath or with the hood open. The wheel looks like it's on straight, can't see anything hanging off... fuggit... no way I'm stopping now (gun blue balls are the worst kind)... I start her back up and limp on back down the road... Turns out one of the bolts on the brake calipers had worked itself loose and dropped out somewhere on the road. Actually quite lucky if you think about it, that I was on that dirt road going 25 rather than on the highway going 75... and that, boys and girls, is how guns save lives :)

Had a smooth sided upper just laying around which came off my very 1st .308 AR (a $900 DPMS Sportical bought at Wally World back when they still sold semi autos)... so, of course something had to be done... 24" Criterion stainless steel match barrel from Fulton Armory (they have them on sale now for $280... not too shabby) Fulton Armory high pressure firing pin/ bolt and NiB BCG Fulton Armory 12" float tube Fulton Armory gas block... bought one of their tubes (since supposedly the hole is drilled at the Armalite length) but it was a bit too long and bottomed out on the gas key when hand cycling during function testing... switched out for a Spike's Tactical from my local shop and it's working fine. Charging handle is the one that came from DPMS with the upper. Here's a pic of the rounds shot during barrel break in/ scope adjustment. Target at 100 yds. Didn't drill down as to my form and accuracy until I got the scope dialed in for the last three shots (set it 3" high at 100 so that I can hit a softball from 1-300 yds by aiming straight at it)... didn't take much effort at all to put them into almost the same hole just on top and to the left of the bullseye. Bottom two and rightmost holes made by my friend during his trial run.

Saw this and thought it has some very interesting advantages... though that's gotta sting a bit when you pull the trigger.

Speaking of TAC. I know a lot of people that know a lot about reloading use Varget for .308. Buddy of mine came over to use my press last night, and when he was at the store buying components, the guy told him he wanted Varget (I had told him to get TAC). We did about 50 rounds. I can say that I really like the way the large pieces don't jam up the works of the powder thrower like the smaller grains of the TAC do... but that's about it. We had the dangdest time trying to get the thrower to give us a consistent load and then it was a pain to trickle up or trickle down as the slightest tap would cause too much to come out because of the much larger particles. I know the two powders are right next to each other on the burn rate chart... so, all things being (just about) equal... I'm sticking with the TAC.

Thanks Seargent, the more I know the more I realize I'm only scratching the surface of what a lot of the old timers have already "forgotten" so to speak. Appreciate the tip on TAC Survival, will have to check that out. I trim to 2.008 because it's a mnemonic device to ironically commemorate the greatest gun salesman in history. It's like if the book called for a trim length of 1.775, I'd for sure be trimming to 1.776.

Hi Folks, After looking over my buddy's shoulder for a couple of years, I finally took the plunge and laid down the $ for a set of reloading gear (and then I laid down some more $... and then just a few $ more... and then only a little bit more... and then...). Got a Lee press and RCBS dies in .308 and .300 BLK (so far) plus the various other accoutrements necessary to polish, measure, clean, trim, deburr/ chamfer, prime, etc.. etc... Anyway, here's what I've learned so far: I still know squat, but I now know more squat than before... I've made probably 400 or so .300 BLK cases from recycled .223 and have it down pretty good. I usually do these all in stages (examining the brass in detail each step of the way for any disqualifying characteristics): 1. Zip with the cutting tool on the Dremel right at the shoulder 2. Lube up and de-prime/ size 3. Use a Lee trim die with power drill to remove most of the extra brass and get within striking distance (around 1.370" or so) 4. Switch to a hand crank with de-burring/ chamfering attachment (Lee Quick Trim Deluxe) for the final few thousandths of an inch (I generally trim to 1.363") 4. Into the tumbler with walnut media for polishing 5. Clean primer pockets, remove stuck media from holes if needed 6. Polish with cloth, remove any stuck brass shavings as necessary 7. Prime, opening up any primer pockets as needed Did a case capacity study of the brass I'm using for .308 so there are no surprises from that perspective. Bought a lot of the Turkish ZQI 7.62x51 NATO from Wally World back when they were selling it, so I have a lot of the MKE stamped brass from that. Got Federal, Winchester and Perfecta recycled from store bought ammo and also Hornady and Winchester store bought brass. Was only able to test capacity on 3 Federal cases so far, will try to get another 2 measurements to round out the set. The protocol I used was to process the once fired brass as normal (sized, trimmed to 2.008" and primed). Brass was weighed empty, filled to capacity with water using an eyedropper, then weighed again. Conclusions: 1. MKE seems like it's fairly sturdy brass and processes well. Also fairly consistent as far as capacity. 2. Hornady averages 1 grain more and Winchester averages about 2 grains more than Federal and Perfecta commercial cases. 3. MKE has around the same capacity as recycled commercial Federal and Perfecta. 4. Winchester is the most consistent in capacity, followed by Hornady (did not include Federal here because of the small sample size) I'm experimenting with marking the primers with Sharpies in different colors depending on how many times the brass has been fired. It's working out fairly well, though some colors/ shades are turning out to be more durable than others for some reason... especially in the .308, which experiences significant duress during firing, some of the colors tend to come off easier than others. Gold = 1, Green = 2, Blue = 3, Orange = 4, Pink = 5, Red = 6, Purple = 7, Brown = 8, Black = 9 As far as loads... let me first say this: Any loads described here are for entertainment purposes only...no copying, no cribbing, no buts, do your own work... use of these loads in your firearm could have very serious consequences including (but not limited to): 1. Increased wear and tear on and damage to your firearm and/ or person 2. Shooting your eye out 3. A total solar eclipse 4. Mobs of Social Justice Warriors taking to the streets 5. The exit of Britain from the European Union 6. The breakup of the band Van Halen 7. Van Halen getting back together again 8. Van Halen breaking up again ... but seriously folks, you know the deal: Use published loads from dependable sources and work up from a minimum to see how it works with your own equipment and applications. I like to use funny names and mnemonic devices when working up my loads, it helps me to remember the recipe without having to refer to the paper. I use a BDC reticle on the scope I've got on the .308, so I've included distance figures for each load which correspond to the markings on the reticle as well as a ballistics table for general reference. Will be doing some accuracy testing as well as to see how the estimated trajectories match up to the actual. That's what I've got so far... will post up with some more stuff as things move along.

Poppa Bear... Mama Bear... and Baby Bear. In this picture you can see where I added the pressure switch and ran the coiled wire tucked under the red dot of "Baby Bear". It's secured to the upper using bits of industrial Velcro tape. I've shot it until it was almost too hot to hold and the tape seems to be holding up fine.

When the SJW mob shows up at my doorstep to take me off for re-education I'll say, "Sure thing, just let me get my guitar so we can all sing 'Kumbaya'". Built from scratch using an Anderson lower I got on sale for $45. PSA complete upper with 8.5" barrel, Miculek muzzle brake, Magpul handstop, Ergo grip, Shockwave brace, JP anti walk pins and Rise Black trigger (best $80 spent on a trigger ever... compares very well with my Velocity drop in at about twice the price and JP at three times the price). It's got a Bass Pro brand "Pursuit" red dot w/ laser (performance has been good and it's fairly sturdy for the price). I set up the pressure switch for the laser on the left side behind the handstop, right where my thumb naturally rests. It's my bedside gun and I have old/ bad eyes... if I have to get up in the middle of the night and can't put on my glasses, that laser setup will help me to no end.

Heard from a friend they may have someone in the Laveen area... Choppers & dogs searching right now

Hi guys, thanks for the feedback... called in and they had me write it up on the website

So everyone has probably heard what's going down here in Phoenix... this is a picture of my right headlight, got this a weekend about a month ago, driving my daughter back and forth for her SCUBA certification dives at Lake Pleasant. Somewhere around the I-17/I-10 interchange. Remembered hearing a "pop-tinkle" and thinking, "where did that come from", since there was no apparent source for a rock. With all the buzz recently, and it happening in the vicinity of the other attacks, I took a 2nd look... now I'm thinking it doesn't look much like a rock strike at all. Whatever it was came diagonally from the left of the driver's side, hit the pavement in front of the car, ricocheted up and spanged off the glass of the headlamp. From first look there's no damage to the inside of the housing, most likely didn't penetrate through the glass, the combination of the upward angle of the projectile coming off the road, the angle of the headlamp and toughness of the glass caused it to bounce rather than penetrate. The car is a 98 Benz, back from when they still had a tendency to build them like tanks... that's real glass in those headlights, good German glass. The force it would have taken to do that would have been considerable, especially after the projectile having bounced off the ground first. My car has been hit probably hundreds of times by all sizes of rocks kicked up off the road, never left a mark that looks like that... I don't want to waste LEOs time with a wild goose chase... so I figured I'd put it to the resident ballistics experts here first. What do you guys think, rock strike or bullet (possibly pellet)?

Best .308 ever...

Some slo mo splodin: Some mo slo mo splodin: I put the camera off to the side a ways, but kept it close enough to get a good view. You can hear the incoming round, that's a sound to make you pucker up

iPhone 6... the camera kicks donkey, 240 or 120 frames per second in 720p HD. Lifeproof case (and an extended warranty) helps with shots like this ... 168 gr Barnes TTSX vs water jugs: