Lane Posted May 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 This was my morning excitement; mostly LC 12 with about 20% of 06-10. Completely lacking in LC 11 from what I can tell, though I left a few extras uncut from the bag of 500 once fired surplus. Going to need to buy some tools to do some of the further processing. De-burring a thousand cases by hand would be a bit much for my taste. Not sure if I'm just going to buy a tool to chuck up in a high speed drill, or look at something designed for the purpose. Either way; these should keep me busy for it little while longer here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 As I know way too well - that's alot of work in that pic above. Lots of steps, to get that many, that far. Just want you to know that what's seen, is appreciated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted May 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 That was all sorts of a can of Pringles. Once you pop; you... can't stop. Every time a case flew up in my face I looked at the tray, and thought; "I can fill it out still, with care"... I believe my loss rate is; and will be below 2% after conversion to 300BLK. That bag in particular appeared to have a lot more than 1% extra. Once they are all re-accounted for I will post back. There is some kind of extra cutting (neck trim) die that came in my original reloading kit. I think I can be rigged up for this purpose on a motor. The other hand tool should fit in my Unimat, so that could at least do one of the other trims at least. There were only a few cases in the whole bag that looked questionable in any way. One looked like a torn extraction event. Another had a boinked neck (cut right off for 300 Blackout). Otherwise it's pristine other than the residual powder residue. I prefer more than less. I bought some brass locally that was over-processed by a long shot; brass I will not likely fire in any gun... The shot timer could have calculated my inefficiencies there; but I wasn't quite programmed for that. I do have a brand new computer workstation though... One that allows me to code hardware at my desk; and perform all of my other work at the same time. This has been a long time coming (wanted to spend more on metallic hardware in the mean time here lately though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNP Posted June 1, 2019 Report Share Posted June 1, 2019 Phuck yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted June 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2019 Stopped by the local rod and gun club yet again... This time they were open; and the president was loading some kind of vending machine (not even sure what it is used for). We talked for about half an hour about various things. Turns out I can NOT shoot there without being a member. I would need to find two members to sponsor me still; and it was recommended that I stop by for trap shooting on Sundays to meet other members. Interestingly; they don't have a 100 yard rifle range on site, it's up on the mountain near my residence... That all seemed nice; but it's an effort I have yet to make. The real kicker is the $165 first year cost. There are a lot of things that $165 still does for me in terms of this project and many others. All for a mere 25 yards. Truth be told; I have 100 yards here, it's just not convenient. It forces me to either keyhole shots, or shoot in a direction I would prefer not to. So I'm still on the fence about which why this early testing will go... It may well be here while I seek out other places to shoot 100 yards in the short term. I will certainly join the rod and gun club at some point (seems like good people there); but it's not the most immediate need I have. Sad picture of the day. While setting up my new computer I had wires everywhere. I didn't notice until this morning that the shot timer ended up on the floor; disconnected from its programming/charging cable. I found the USB jack still on the end of the cable; having been ripped off the board. That rubbed me the wrong way for a while, but I've come to terms with it. It was a great reminder that these things are designed and made quickly, for cheap, in China. If one were to build something for longevity that jack should have been glued on first, then soldered; and perhaps even epoxy potted afterward. I am not sure I can hot air solder it back on with the screen already mounted to the other side of the board. I will have to sharpen a soldering iron tip and do it manually. This time will certainly include glue, generous amounts of solder on the shield wings, and then epoxy. Assuming I even succeed that is... That brings me to some considerations about the future of the shot timer hardware. I could already design a circuit board to meet my requirements, and have a few made (or etch them myself). That would make them fit in a small case, and be able to use readily available hardware. I could also standardize on a newer style module; and perhaps modify my design to meet my needs and desires. And then there is the "ban plastic straws" approach... Ignore all the benefits of this particular design, and just wait around for something better to be invented out of the vacuum created. I did spend a few more minutes reading about plastic straws. I think this idea really was rooted in a school science project... Plastic straws are typical made of Polypropylene, which is recycling number 5. Plenty of things that are number 5 are recycled, and valuable as such. The documentation I got from the local recycling contractor specifically states that the problem is clogging and jamming in their mechanized system. The plastic bags and straws clog up the conveyor belts, and cause feeding issues among other things. For what reason we need a law to ban products that don't work well in the single stream sorting process, or associated machinery is beyond me. Instead of building (or really buying) better equipment that already exists; or converting to a more efficient process... We here in NY (and a few other states), have decided legislation is the solution. "Knee jerk reactions to problems that do not exist"; should be the slogan of our legislature. I had considered whether this was worth my time; but seriously considering recycling some straws to make something for this project. I wouldn't have been so excited if I didn't read that pellets are extruded at 4,640 F (2,400 C). That's right up my alley... Seems like that would require an inert atmosphere as well? I'm thinking custom pistol grips right off the bat... But, I also have quite a number of much more humorous ideas... More on the brass soon. I have a few more to collect and count before I have much to say. All good though. BTW: Those paper straws you all refer to aren't what I'm getting around here. Eco-straws here appear to be clear PLA, which is a fine material for many purposes. I use it for 3D printing because it's a direct analog for wax in the lost wax casting process (where ABS is certainly not). It also smells like maple syrup when printing, so I have no issue with using it indoors. Not sure what kind of Eco-straws you all have to put up with in other places. Hopefully not actual paper straws... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sketch Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 damn thats a hard gulp of hard work on the floor. I wouldn't buy into the range either.. but if it's all you get, it's a start.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted June 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 Don't absolutely NEED to buy in for this project... There are other ranges that I could use one way or another. I did measure out the property; and shooting 100 yards at my normal target isn't even close to safe... Sad. Soldering on that USB connector again won't be much trouble at all once I get set up for that kind of work again. Things keep moving around here; and I haven't settled on how to efficiently configure these tools in the long term. Some new jokes; and other things to report once I can have a single day to myself, but not today... One last comment about these plastic straws... I did not expect this outcome. I don't follow politics much, because it's simply not entertaining (it is abrasive to me actually). I was aware of the plastic bag ban, and the straw situation... I simply assumed that the " best " minds were at work here behind the scenes... I could not fathom that there was a law (with no sunset?) to ban a material or device that didn't work with a poorly designed mechanical system. I thought for SURE I would find some scientific reason to ban straws and bags... But no... It is complete non-sense. Full stop. Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted June 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2019 I scoped out the only place I would want to shoot 100 yards here again; this time on foot. It wasn't quite as bad as I thought. There are still limitations; but I think I'm going to try it since the weather is nice. I'm going to call it 99 yards since I believe 100 yards puts me inside of a bush. It's a tight squeeze in a few different ways; but field expedient. Just waiting to be voted in as a member of the local club could take some number of weeks; so that's just not on my list right now. Ordered up the last one or two things I wanted to facilitate case prep en masse. I'll be spinning two lathes at the same time to de-burr brass, then die forming, and neck trim (with drill power this time I hope). I may be missing a piece for that last part; I have yet to try it out. Attempted to anneal a .308 Win case neck via induction. Unfortunately I blew up the cooling fan running the system at high power (fan not rated for voltage (my own oversight)). Not sure if this will work out for me or not. There are a few different coil designs I could try for this purpose (looping the coil backwards looks promising). I do know I have the power required (and it's on a meter); but I'm not getting brass red hot in seconds yet. I've been meaning to qualify this machine for a while now... I've only used it a few times with a graphite crucible; which it can get to 2,000F in a few minutes at lower power. I may need to anneal a whole bundle of cases at once to get the speed I want (so as not to anneal more than the neck). Strangely enough I don't have a folding table or anything portable around here for the initial testing. I've been working over the design of a portable shooting bench in my mind for quite some time; so I will likely fabricate something basic in the morning. Looked for a crucible I had previously used to pour copper, but have not located it yet. There are a few more around here that could be used as a substitute if needed. Also setting up a laser cutter with multiple sources. The included co2 laser tube is fine for non-metals (woods, glass, and some plastics); but my requirements don't end there. Still exploring options in terms of power and wavelength. I have a few modules I've used in the past ready to install. In the end it might get a full array, or fiber laser depending on their performance with metallica. I only need to etch a variety of metals (not cut), so my requirements might already be met with what I have. I smoked myself out the other day etching stone without good ventilation. Everything has been plumbed now (vents and water); my last adventure is elevating the water cooling unit, adding a second pump as a backup; monitoring flow rate, etc. First beam is already aligned; and tested functional in hardware and software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted June 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2019 Small update here; I cut down a sapling with a single bullet? I've yet to inspect all the features of that particular happening; but it was interesting to me none the less. Trimmed the growth around my short range shooting log; but have yet to collect all the bullets from the surface again. I like to inspect anything I can find. Might as well, considering the craters that I've created already. This particular hard wood captures everything I've fired at it so far; so long as I don't miss (mountain stops the rest). Still have a few shooting related items to work out before I can get going. I set up to shoot the 99 yards, and didn't have a good elevation in terms of obstructions. Going to work that out soon though... Only a few more days to tie up some other extraneous projects, before I can get back into this project (fun?). The laser cutter is pretty much ready to go. That also allows me to continue prototyping the shot timer hardware (with a new main board). Making cases out of laser cut MDF and Acrylic is a cinch. Takes only a few minutes to design in CAD and cut the material; nearly as simply as a laser document printer with a 2D drawing (once setup and qualified). Now to get some 3D printers back online... Should be able to solder up the accelerometers and the original shot timer's broken USB port this coming week. That also means reloading bench is back in service. I really need "another" workshop; though that's in the works as well. I'm hoping that comes online before winter, but only time will tell... Found another guy annealing brass via induction. I haven't sent him a message yet; but have a few ideas for him. His notes on coil design are a huge help to me though. I should be able to get up and running with that in a week or two. I have other needs in that same vein; so it's on the list like so much else. He simply needs some insulation for his rig; I still have to wind some flat or multi-layer coils here. I can heat treat, and temper steel now though... No complaints in that department. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted June 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2019 Shot 99 yards here for the first time after moving the last obstruction. Didn't even have time to put up a target as it was already quite dark. Still a bit stressful with an 8 foot wide keyhole at the 30 yard line... It should be functional for bench rest. At the very least; I know it's here when I need it. I'll probably use it tomorrow if it's not raining... Did some brass processing the other day until I got a blister from it. Still waiting for that to go away or harden up before I do more; but I have enough to start playing around. I made dummies with the new LC 18 brass. Chambered one and it didn't show any grooves, or pressing in of the projectile. I'm still not at all sure how deep to seat these. The COAL specified is unusually long; but factory rounds come very short. The GMX round I have has a groove pretty far up... I'm guessing that COAL is a "literal", which isn't meant to be used (simply the length of a 5.56 round). Sanded the blue paint off of the radio chrono's yard stick. Sure enough the radios show solid carriers now; and can be roughly frequency tuned by their physical distance from each other. The last thing to do there is qualify materials that absorb RF; and see what I can get them to do in real world testing. No matter what, I got a lot out of the experience so far. There are plenty of other options on the table for a cheap build in that respect. Hoping to see the light of day again soon with this project; and already stared scoping out another build to tide me over until something special comes along. I have some work left on these 300 Blackouts; but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of what I need is already here in hand. Here's a 5 minute sketch of a target stand I need to build from cheap materials (might add another span or two, but trying to be concise). That could land at 100+ yards in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonSays Posted June 18, 2019 Report Share Posted June 18, 2019 Hey there Lane. I’ve used this company’s stuff before: http://www.masttechnologies.com/rf-absorbers/ I’ve used their RF absorbent pads as shields when working on aircraft weather radar (10 GHz range) to protect myself from radiation when aligning the system on the ground. I’ve also used their fabric sheets to isolate/reduce RF interference on large power boats and sail boats. They also make a caulk that’s more like an epoxy. Well, I don’t actually remember if the epoxy I used was from that company or not. It was a long time ago. I used someones RF absorbing epoxy to coat the inside of the electronic equipment bays in the pilot house console of a small go-fast fishing boat. There was massive interference between the radar, autopilot, GPS/Navigating plotter, etc. It solved that problem just fine. I seem to remember that the epoxy I used had a -34 dB attenuation over a very wide band (1GHz to 15GHz, maybe?). I think this companies off the self “caulk” is 20 dB and a narrow frequency range. I’m not sure what kinds of problems you are having. I’m assuming cross talk, mutually induced oscillations, etc. their products might help. For home made RF isolating material, I’m not sure, except for the standard Ham radio tricks. Have you tried an amplifier/filter to boost and clean up your trigger signal before injecting it into the O’scope or would that cause timing issues? I always enjoy reading your posts. I wish you the best of luck and take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonSays Posted June 18, 2019 Report Share Posted June 18, 2019 I forgot. Digikey sales a 3-M product that may also help. https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/3/3m/emirfi-absorbers 🌞🌻🌈 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted June 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 52 minutes ago, SimonSays said: I’ve used this company’s stuff before: While the products on that first link were expensive; I found what I was looking for in a few clicks. They specify a carbon suspended material as a broadband absorber 1-15 GHz. That means I could likely crush up some graphite, and mix it with epoxy to paint an enclosure; or maybe some thin slices of large cell foam. Etc... Even more interesting, after seeing images of these products; I bet I have a few on hand that I could repurpose from abandoned hardware. I am looking for a simple solution to block off the rest of the sensors to be sure they are working for my desired application (sheet metal doesn't work well for this). I have had problems with body movements in the same, or other rooms clouding my confidence in existing output. Out of the package they are omnidirectionally sensitive from a long distance; and I need to effectively blind the sensor from all angles except a small window for this purpose. Not tried any electrical filtration on the signal yet. I disconnected the analog output (modified) sensor a while ago while trying to figure out what my earlier problems were (appears that blue paint on the yard stick might contain copper). My last real concern is being able to see all three carriers cleanly in a 20MHz bandwidth window (on a HackRF SDR). Given the cost of these sensor units, it wouldn't be a problem to buy quantity; and bin them in ranges that would fit into a 20MHz window. Looks like the spread from the factory is roughly 100MHz (I've got a bunch in the low 3.0GHZ range; others have seen them close to 3.1GHz. I'm not sold on this particular sensor if it doesn't work (or work well enough). But being able to buy them for less than a dollar each; and seeing the output on a waterfall plot makes it very easy to iterate design constraints in the microwave range. I will not be surprised if I have to move up into the 10+ GHz range, and consider real doppler radar sensors to finish my own qualified radio chronograph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2019 Slow updates here (also verbose); been busy with other things for a while, and still cranking out brass slowly. My problems are all still in the trimming and chamfering arena in that respect. While I looked at ways to motorize or semi-automate the process, I simply wasn't confident in that setup. I really need to upgrade my tooling one way or another to make this happen with efficiency. But in the mean time, I can chamfer about 20 cases a day by hand before I start to work towards a new blister (not desirable). A few times I did 50 cases and got a blister; and it's just not worth it. Long before I hit the 1,000 case mark I will have calluses to support this in the future (though I'll not likely ever want to make another unless I absolutely NEED to by that time). Have more than enough already ready to weigh out and bin, but I figure I might as well give them the special Real Lemon wash I've been perfecting before I do (time sensitive process of course). I'm also still a big curious about weight to volume ratios. If I plug flash holes carefully, will the volume of water to case weight ratio prove to be calculable (slight estimation of course)? Am I wrong to assume heavier cases will universally hold less powder than lighter? I would need to modify procedures if I need to check the volume of each case before loading. Since I had to make epoxy for the shot timer's USB port I decided to try out the graphite mixture. I let it set up too long (while trying to place the female USB jack); but was still able to mix some graphite and smear it around a bit. Seems like it should work out assuming it does help the microwave blocking. Shouldn't be hard to test when it cures up. I could make more of course; I picked up a few ounces of epoxy since I was running low; and in anticipation this process might work out for enclosures. Been using induction heating more often lately and might do the charging handle pours indoors as a result. Doing pretty regular small melts in the furnace over the past weeks; and it's going very well. Stepping up to eight ounces might be interesting; but I should have everything here for that project already (appropriately sized graphite crucibles, copper tubing, insulation, and the like). While converting brass; I have a lot of time to think. And I've been crushing over the details of how to fire off these rifles to collect the best data up front. I've read anecdotes about shooting out barrels in about 1,000 rounds with certain loads. I don't think I'll be quite that bad with these; but it does make me consider brevity. So I have a few questions left outstanding. How do you sight in fast? Does anyone swear by a 1, 3, 5, or 10 shot method? I was pretty happy with shooting a ladder load (one round per step) and looking for correlation. That had some downsides though; like not knowing for sure what my bullet seating depth should be. I guess I could copy some factory ammo give or take... Images: 1. Original prototype shot timer repair, USB glued; not yet soldered. Should work Ok if I flux, solder paste, and rake out with a tiny tool. Then drag the iron away from the jack so as not to melt the plastic inside. (This may actually function electrically right now; but it needs to be fixed properly) 2. Movements of the brass through the conversion process; still thinking about a second press among other things. 3. Rough image of graphite epoxy smeared on cardboard (and old epoxy) for microwave shielding; started wondering what carbon fiber matte does... 4. Induction melting metal. Water cooled of course, but the ceramic insulation makes that almost trivial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2019 Since it was a holiday I processed as much brass as I could; from dawn until dusk (and beyond). I was hoping to get a bit further in the process; but it wasn't to be. I did get the USB port soldered back on the shot timer prototype; though not yet tested. Still need to clean off all the solder balls and inspect everything carefully under magnification before I plug it in. Also soldered three accelerometer chips with most of the necessary wiring. The X/Y/X axis pins are all in a row so they are the most difficult to attach dead-bug. A few more careful sessions and I should have all three axis connected, on all three chips. I checked again; and I only ordered two chips... They sent three in the moisture sensitive packaging (so I was only able to open it on the 4th of July when I was ready to get down to business). Since they are MEMS units maybe they were expecting one to fail? If they all work I can outfit my 7.62x39 as well. Honestly I would be happy to have a single unit working flawlessly (I can swap it around as needed). The chips will be mounted on/in the cheapest aluminum gas blocks I can find (cut, milled, and modified of course). Looks like I'll have right around two hundred brand new Lake City 18 cases (without primer crimp), ready to load once dried. By load though; I mean weigh every case, measure volume of H2O over a cross section, dry again, prime, and then work up loads. While cleaning house I had nearly forgotten about the ~150 cases of once fired LC 14 and LC 16 I had already prepped. That's in addition to a pile of once fired LC 12 I also have prepped, or have nearly ready. I don't expect huge differences between the production runs, but they will be explored none the less. Since this brass prep takes so much time I've had more time to think about bullet seating depth and other details of this project. I think quickload can help evaluate seating depth once I get sets of cases sorted out. All of these once fired brass (even after full case resize) appear to be larger than never fired case conversions. I'm not sure if that's going to hobble me or not, but I'll be able to see it more clearly once I have volumes tallied. Time to make a spreadsheet and get my pencil ready. I keep moving my radio chrono project around, but it's all ready to test one way or another. I'll be using an RCBS optical unit up front, but will be testing other hardware at the same time, and will upgrade to a Lab Radar when the time if right. At this point I'm still balancing the idea of Fall Shoot and that prep, so I'm not yet sure which things happen in what order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2019 Looks like a total failure trying to fix the shot timer that I allegedly broke. I could try to rip off the epoxy and mess with the pads on the circuit board. Or perhaps try and give it 5v elsewhere and see if the data lines work at all... Otherwise it's nearly a lost cause (only one of that unit left, and my prototype on a breadboard). I looked at other options, and will order some more modern hardware variations when I get a chance. Wouldn't mind fixing this one if I knew what was wrong with it; but things happen. Found a few other factory round options in 300 blackout; so I can start making some comparisons in terms of overall length. Sure enough 220 grain factory loads are somewhere near the max specified length. Everything else (with lighter projectiles), are shorter. My question here is in relation to an artificially long length being better for any particular projectile weight powder combination, or should my exploration be aimed the opposite; and make everything as short as can be? From my understanding, of the variables involved; it won't be a one way street... Case prep is slow, but still moving. I meant to post up some spreadsheets, and recorded data a while back; but didn't feel like I was quite ready. Quite frankly; I wasn't ready at that time. After looking at the information I collected more closely; I'm beginning to see the light of day. A few things are at play here though... I am going to need to standardize on grains for weight measurement; especially in the recording and reporting. This converting back and forth had me spinning a few times; as hundredths and thousandths, (etc.), of a gram matter in a few places. Both builds are 99.99% finished. All that is left is the headspace check, which I'm quite sure will be fine; already have the gages in hand. I spent the last week or so working on "polishing" barrels across the board (especially these new 300 Blackouts). Oiling the blued exterior surface; cleaning, working them into submission. I found my 50 caliber muzzleloader barrel was oozing rust where the wood stock was touching in a few places. There were also a whole bunch of tiny spots on the business end; so I've been checking everything. I don't think the humidity ever got that out of control, but better safe than sorry every time. Even made me consider oiling the insides of some things I don't have in active use. So... Factory rounds for sighting in: 110 gn Nosler Polymer Tip, 125 gn FMJ, 150 gn FMJ, 220 gn FMJ (HP?)... Behind that are chambered dummies in 165 gn Speer HotCor (no marks at all when cycling rounds). Still difficult to see what I care about in terms of overall length based on this presentation. But I'm predicting the longer ones would be "something like" closer on the lands (there is a reason for my uncertainty here)? Would shooting only supers erode the throat in an unusually bad way? Do I need to consider this in the order of operations on this particular (scientific) inspection of this particular set of parameters? I hope that running the two builds side-by-side, then criss-cross, will be enough raw data to make a prediction at least. I've always known there will need to be two more of these custom long 300 Blackout barrels to lay some other issues to rest (for myself at least)... I do have the chamber castings in hand of course; which is why these are still questions at all. They show a gradual depth in terms of lands in the throat area; which appears designed to accept a strong variation in terms of seating depth... I'm not at all convinced (or even dreaming) that this is going to be the holy grail; more like an Achilles' heel in terms of collecting accurate data points across the board... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted July 16, 2019 Report Share Posted July 16, 2019 3 minutes ago, Lane said: Found a few other factory round options in 300 blackout; so I can start making some comparisons in terms of overall length. Sure enough 220 grain factory loads are somewhere near the max specified length. Everything else (with lighter projectiles), are shorter. My question here is in relation to an artificially long length being better for any particular projectile weight powder combination, or should my exploration be aimed the opposite; and make everything as short as can be? From my understanding, of the variables involved; it won't be a one way street... I remember telling you early on, that taking on this challenge with a .300BLK was gonna be a tough task, just due to the vast differences in projectile selection and muzzle velocities... You have to balance projectile weight (over a far greater projectile weight-range than any other caliber has), versus the muzzle velocity differences (that no other caliber has seen, to date), on this one. It's the ultimate challenge of "Speed and Accuracy" here, with what you're trying to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted July 16, 2019 Report Share Posted July 16, 2019 I'll share some weird chronograph data I gained on my 6.5 Grendel loads tomorrow... 1.0gr of difference between the loads was a shocker, between two barrels that were 2" in difference... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2019 (edited) 12 minutes ago, 98Z5V said: I remember telling you early on, that taking on this challenge with a .300BLK was gonna be a tough task, just due to the vast differences in projectile selection and muzzle velocities... I remember that explicitly! I also value every bit of information you provide along the way. I don't take any bit of this lightly... It has been a fun, and informative journey all the way! Edited July 16, 2019 by Lane Added a letter to make the spelling correct. Changed a letter to make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2019 Picked up some more powder (H4198) which nearly rounds out everything I care about for these 300 Blackouts. I also saw an inertia bullet puller laying there; so that was an obvious opportunity play (and yep; it's already loaded). Might as well pull one each of the factory rounds and see what I'm working with before I begin. Decided I don't want to do that indoors; but I'll dump them (heaviest to lightest) when I go outside in the morning. The one question I don't have a solid answer for is; how deep is required to seat a bullet in a bottleneck case? I drew up a quick sketch of the case, and I assume the red area should contain the projectile completely. But I've also seen it recommend to set into, or even below the bottleneck. Is there any actual reason for that practice? From an uninformed perspective, I could only see it (maybe?) helping open the case mouth around the bullet; and even that I'm not totally sure about. I looked for some information regarding that metric in regards to the history of the bottleneck cartridge, and came up flat. Nosler had an interesting write up on how to set the bullet seating depth for a rifle; which provided a few clues I hadn't fully considered (but still not any great help in this line of questioning). In other news; I went to the store, and wanted to get some inspiration for future builds while I was there... Then, I got bent over for a pistol permit trying to buy ammo. Apparently; that's a fun policy with completely random enforcement, (of course...). Some rounds that are used in pistols are Ok to sell based on the "computer". Other rounds that are more pistol centric are not sold by certain stores. Across the board; "your milage may vary". Some places accept the "I'm shooting a rifle" defense, and others do not care; and will not override. Of course; I've never been asked for a pistol permit with 300 Blackout rounds... And never for .22LR either. A quest for another day; but it does inform my purchases in the mean time. If I can't buy the ammo; it is not worth any expenditure in terms of rifle parts. Simply looking for another fun, and cheap to shoot build while I wait for something special to become available again; and I was shot down for being curious. I always buy the magazine and ammo before any of my builds begin. And that's not just a symbolic commitment to the endeavor... This isn't even a lesson in the law (I know the law); it's simply voluntary policy pulled from thin air by concerned business folk. I fail to understand rationale behind this type of (moral or liability) posturing. You want to deny sales of some lower powered rounds, while anyone can buy rifle rounds; and the shotgun shells aren't even locked up!? We don't need any kind of logic; this is a straight up "Whack A Mole" game. I have a very special presentation coming up based on this experience (and a few others in a similar vein)... Stumbled across the Box O Truth while looking for something a while back. Seems like I might want to build one of those (I already reuse my gallon jugs for shooting as needed). Some time back I also found a write up on Chuck Hawks about GMX vs. other monolithic projectiles. I didn't realize that they might not work (expand at all) from a 300 Blackout cartridge at any distance. Probably going to push them over to some other 308 platform. There are a few other monolithic varieties though; that have different properties (and required velocities). I'll still test it; but it may not be practical for any other than target shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 Pulled one each of the factory rounds... I think the best I can say from that experience is; longest possible overall length that is supported may be acceptable. Two of the projectiles dumped into the puller, the other two I stopped just before ejection, and I finished them off by hand. Turns out the puller kept a certain amount of powder from humidity and static electricity; so I can't measure those dumps explicitly. Not that I even know what the powder is... Looks a lot like the CFE BLK I had been loading; but I presume similar to all of those compatible powders. There appears to be higher volumes in the middle of the road loads; I suspect that will be valuable information down the line... I'll do the case volume comparisons as I am able. I have a few things to think about so that I don't end up poisoning my own data collection. Then I need to "dispose" of all this loose unknown powder. That's actually the part I'm most looking forward to. Hammering these out wasn't difficult; that boat tail was a surprise though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted July 26, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 I've typed out a number of updates here over the passing time; but usually close the window because they simply aren't substantial enough. I new ammo choices including some new 300 Blackout factory rounds. That finally allows me to consider just about anything I can dream of in terms of new builds. I have a few specifics in mind that will be announced as they are ready. I also have a complete build here that I haven't even begun to discuss, photograph; or even hint at... My next task is crafting specifications for another set of custom barrels to send off for fabrication. On to the pertinent details though; my case weight spreadsheet on brass is coming along nicely. I've spent some time filling in formulas to allow me to look at the data set from a number of different perspectives. Not showing even close to the whole game here; but the statistics don't lie, it's already looking pretty good. I have yet to graph any of this to view what I want to focus on specifically; but seeing the numbers alone helps a lot. I haven't gone back and measured all the case volumes of water for a box, but that is next; and I have a solid plan. Adding in that data is trivial and can show me the last bit of what I'm curious about in that regard. I went out to do a full setup the other day; and actually shoot these builds off, but the chrono tripod exploded with condensation when I brought it outdoors. The humidity outdoors vs. the cooler metal from indoors was a bad idea. I didn't even bother trying to rain rust my barrels like that; even if I could have shot them hot enough to evaporate all the water (evaporation is one mechanism that makes Fe2O3 in the first place). The humidity was mild enough today to at least allow me to setup for a first time family photograph. Excuse the paper towel applying oil to the 7.62x39 barrel under the hand guard; I want it to soak in deep... I may still notch out the buffer tubes to extend the buttstocks on the 300 Blackouts; but I haven't yet decided how I want to run them (short, or long; but fixed). If I do notch the tubes; it will be done with care so as to maintain a friction fit when locking the buttstock further out. A standard adjustable setup would have way too much play for my taste (or this project). I still have to go back and bake, then finish soldering the accelerometers. Unfortunately I just now realized I probably should have laser etched paint from PCBs to make custom boards. I guess that will be happening sooner than later; but I still want a dead bug for my initial test. I crave that extraneous data that comes from real hardcore prototyping. I find that it informs many of the pitfalls I might otherwise overlook in the long run. It's just another part of the process in exploration and understanding for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted August 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2019 Today was a great day to break these in, and adjust the scopes the best I could. Unfortunately the chrono was mounted such that I couldn't sit down or get comfortable for shooting; so the targets aren't much to look at. First and foremost; both guns failed to close on the GO gauge. Having already replaced my questionable BCG from the 24" build with an Aero Precision BCG (and repurposed the other); I didn't have much to swap around. I read about the issue briefly and decided to take it slow and easy. Check that the bolt is closed on every round, and make sure the brass doesn't look too bad. Then I tested each gun with dummies. Except I forgot one of my dummies was designed to have a friction fit (thick neck wall). It's been so long since I made up these different test cartridges that it wasn't my first thought at the time. It wasn't until I was unable to extract the third dummy from the chamber that I started to think about why. Very much food for thought moving forward; though, that was always a parameter that stood out in that Houston Warehouse tome (neck sizing to friction fit). Unfortunately; once I did start shooting, I noticed the chrono didn't register anything. I didn't want to mess around with it, but shooting over it was obnoxious due to the minimum height of the tripod. I'll have to find another option once I get moving with this project. Read a few reports that dawn and dusk might be problematic for optical chronos; but I couldn't make it registers anything at all, so it might just be broken. I looked at it with two different CCD cameras and didn't see any IR light at all... So; they are both roughly sighted in with 110 grain projectiles. The heavier projectiles didn't quite match up; and 220 grains dropped off the target entirely with both guns. Next up is a good cleaning; then on to testing out the accelerometers once I get the chrono working (or replaced). In the mean time; I'm off to play some golf, or is it tennis that's more fun... It had been quiet here all day; until I started sighting in. Then no less than a dozen others' shots rang out from around the mountain. Just a bunch of friendly replies of course; nobody around these parts is going to complain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Posted August 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2019 (edited) Went out and tested the chrono again with sunshades and still got nothing. Two days of rain; but the one last test I want to do is placing it in full sun, at high noon and see if it makes any difference. If that doesn't work; I'll have to find the receipt and call about warranty support/replacement. Kind of a bummer; but my fault for waiting this long to test it. I did look closer at the unit (and the manual) and think it uses CdS light sensors. Unfortunately testing each of the modules on a meter didn't give me any kind of reasonable result. It's not just a CdS light sensor (I might guess RC circuit?). I did order a selection of shot timer replacement boards; and the first one that showed up the other day is fully compatible with my original design. I can replace the broken board at the very least! I also found something very interesting recently; a unit with a built in microphone, display, and IMU for $10. It's only lacking the rotary encoder (easy enough to add); so that might be the ultimate design (even has built in battery, color screen, Bluetooth, WiFi, functional case, buttons, etc.). Being a newer board it will require a code update; but I've already fixed most of the compile issues for that newer chip. I also secured both color and greyscale 1.5" OLED displays for second generation prototype builds. That extra screen size/resolution will certainly be nice. Don't care much about re-writing code for the color display anytime soon; but it's nice to know it's available at a similar price-point (finally). Even the 1.5" OLED hardware is less than $30 total. Last week was the first time I successfully programmed a shot timer from my new laptop; so everything is back up to speed in that department. Drivers were of course an issue, but so were numerous bad USB cables wasting hours of my troubleshooting time. Getting ready to start soldering electronics and begin reloading again. It's been a very busy summer in terms of work... The fall and winter are far more relaxing in terms of free time. Looks like I'll be able to build about 12 shot timers in one form or another with everything on the way. This new hardware just came out of nowhere though... A $10 bill?! Not sure if I should open source my code when it runs on that platform or not... I had some more updates in terms of 300 Blackout cases; in both graphs, and images of fired brass... But I can't seem to post pictures the past few days. So this will just be a wall of text for now. Edited August 8, 2019 by Lane redun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted August 8, 2019 Report Share Posted August 8, 2019 3 minutes ago, Lane said: I had some more updates in terms of 300 Blackout cases; in both graphs, and images of fired brass... But I can't seem to post pictures the past few days. So this will just be a wall of text for now. There's something happening in the last few days, and I think I was the first issue with it. @Robocop1051, more info, brother, right here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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