Posts Tagged ‘Millett’

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AR-308 – RCBS Pro-2000 and 30 cal RCBS Rifle Bullet Feeder

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

Now that we’ve covered the precision loading process for the AR-308 project, it’s time now to move on to progressive reloading. This will enable us to load ammunition very quickly. If we select the right equipment, and are careful and strategic to setup this equipment, we can also attain very high consistency for the ammo that we reload on this type of progressive equipment.

During the AR-MPR (AR-15 build and loading) project, I covered the 22 caliber version of the RCBS Rifle Bullet Feeder also on the RCBS Pro-2000 press. Here are some of the relevant posts:

The 30 caliber version of this bullet feeder is essentially the same, but with parts modified to work with .308″ diameter bullets instead of .224″ diameter bullets.

Some pictures of the RCBS Pro-2000 and RCBS Rifle Bullet Feeder:

RCBS Rifle Bullet Feeder (30 cal) and RCBS Pro-2000 - Image Copyright 2011 Ultimate Reloader

Die stations 1-nothing, 2-nothing, 3-powder measure, 4-bullet feed die, 5-Redding Competition Seating Die - Image Copyright 2011 Ultimate Reloader

RCBS Rifle Bullet Feed 30 Cal Bullet Collator - Image Copyright 2011 Ultimate Reloader

One of the things that makes loading rifle ammunition on a progressive reloading press difficult is the force required for full length sizing. For this video, I used pre-sized brass. For this reason, I did not include a sizing die in this setup. This translated to the smoothest reloading of rifle ammo on a progressive press that I’ve experienced. Lubing, sizing, and cleaning/prepping prior to progressive loading (for rifle ammunition) is a great way to go.

And here’s a video showing the loading process with this setup:

Overall this setup worked well. Due to the excessive clearance in the drop tube I did have some bullets get stuck (Hornady A-Max with polymer tip and boat tail base). The Speer deep-curl flat base bullets worked perfect. I’ll be contacting RCBS to find out if they have a solution for the “wedged bullets” for the boat tail bullets. The uniflow powder measure does a great job with the Benchmark powder – very consistent results. (+/- 0.2 grains on 40 grains charge, that’s 0.5% variance). The Hornady concentricity tool also had good things to say about this setup. Overall bullet runout holding in the .001″ total variance range for most loaded cartridges.

Do you guys have progressive precision loading tips/experiences for rifle ammo you want to share? Please leave a comment!

Thanks,
Gavin

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Posted in AR-308 Progressive Loading, RCBS Pro2000 Videos, RCBS Rifle Bullet Feeder Videos, Reloading Blog | 3 Comments »

AR-308 – Millett TRS-1 Scope Install

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Following up on the last post covering the Millett Tactical TRS-1 scope, in this video I’ll cover the mounting procedure for this scope using a pair of Millett tactical scope rings (medium height). I’ll also demonstrate the use of the Wheeler Engineering Firearms Accurizing Torque (FAT) wrench. This is a simple scope mounting procedure where I use a bubble level to ensure that the reticle is level with the picatinny rail.

That takes care of the rifle prep- next will be on to the precision reloading phase!

Thanks,
Gavin

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Posted in AR-308 General, Reloading Blog | 1 Comment »

AR-308 – Millett TRS-1 Scope Specifications and Details

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

In my last post, we took  a look at the features and overall fit/finish for the Millett TRS-1 tactical scope. In this post, we’ll get into more details and look at the specs for this scope.

What's in the box for the Millett TRS-1 Tactical Scope - Image Copyright 2011 Ultimate Reloader

When you purchase the Millett TRS-1 scope, you get the following:

  1. Scope
  2. Dust caps (for objective and eyepiece) – spring loaded
  3. Extended sun shade
  4. Cleaning cloth and allen key
  5. User’s manual
  6. Battery (or illuminated reticle)
  7. Cloth cover for scope (with elastic)

This scope is machined from a one-piece billet, and is heat treated. The 30mm body provides enhanced MOA adjustment range, and a more solid interface between the scope and mount/rifle. The adjustment rings for windage, elevation, side focus, power range, reticle illumination, and diopter all allow a very positive grip, and feel solid when adjusted. The lock rings for windage/elevation are one of my favorite attributes for this scope.

Full view of Millett TRS-1 Scope - Image Copyright 2011 Ultimate Reloader

The following table outlines the technical specifications for this scope. The manual (see link below) for this scope provides useful information such as mil to MOA, mounting instructions, and more. The scope that I have (Millett part # BK81008) has 1/10 mil clicks and a mil-dotbar reticle. I’m used to the more conventional (non-military) 1/4 or 1/8 MOA and fine reticle type of scope – so using this Millett scope will be a learning experience for me. I’m looking forward to learning how to quickly calculate adjustments and “dope” the scope for long range hunting and shooting. I like to try and pick off small targets (apples, etc) at 200+ yards, and that will take some practice with this setup!

Millett TRS-1 Specifications

For more information about this scope, you can download the manual HERE. Overall- this scope seems to provide a lot of value for the price. It has great fit/finish, and the image is very clear even at max (16x) power. I’ll keep you all posted when I get range results and more field time!

Looking at the 50mm objective on the Millett TRS-1 Tactical Scope - Image Copyright 2011 Ultimate Reloader

Next, we’ll look at mounting this scope on the DPMS LR-308B rifle!

Thanks,
Gavin

 

 

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Posted in AR-308 General, Reloading Blog | 1 Comment »

AR-308 – Millett TRS-1 4-16x50mm Scope Overview

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

One of the most important components of a good long range rifle is the scope. It goes without saying that a scope must hold zero in order for a rifle to shoot tight groups. The quality of the optics, the repeatability and accuracy of the windage/elevation adjustments, and other factors also play a key role in the overall performance of the rifle.

The Millett TRS-1 tactical scope fills an important segment in the market for tactical scopes – a mid price point scope with all of the features that a typical AR shooter would expect, great optical quality, 30mm tube, and all that for a very reasonable price. Let’s look at what’s included with this package (scope rings shown not included in scope package)

This video should give you a good “up close and personal” view of the features and fit/finish for this scope. I’ve used a couple examples of this scope, and have found them to be very clear- my easily focusing on both the target and the reticle – not always the case for me since I wear glasses and that seems to complicate focus issues to an extent. Light gathering is also great. Looking forward to seeing how this scope will perform on the AR-308 rifle as we work our way through testing handloads!

Thanks,
Gavin

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Posted in AR-308 General, Reloading Blog | 2 Comments »

AR-308 – Project Phases and Details

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Now that I’ve formally kicked-off the AR-308 project, I wanted to take a moment to give a high level overview of what I’ll cover over the course of this project. The goal is to learn about the .308 Winchester / 7.62x51mm cartridge family, take a close look at the DPMS LR-308 rifle platform, and also highlight the corresponding reloading techniques and equipment. Regardless of whether you’re plinking, wanting to shoot competition, or hunting: this series should prove to be interesting and helpful. Like most of my projects, I’ll break this down into phases.

Phase I: Cartridge Overview, Rifle Overview, Optics

In the first phase, we’ll learn about the .308 Winchester cartridge, take a look at the DPMS LR-308-b rifle, mount a Millett TRS-1 tactical scope, and perform other upgrades. The outcome will be an accurate AR-10 style rifle which will be suitable for testing loads, shooting off the bench, and even hunting. After spending time with the AR-15 platform, I’m really looking forward to learning and sharing about the “Big Brother” AR-10 platform (LR-308 specifically). We may even get into some of the history related to this rifle. Once the rifle is provisioned and “dialed in” we’ll be ready to load some ammunition.

Completed AR-308 Rifle - A DPMS LR-308b with Millett TRS-1 tactical scope and other accessories - Image Copyright Ultimate Reloader 2011

Phase II: Precision Single Stage Reloading

This website is fundamentally about reloading, so I look forward to demonstrating how to reload precision .308 Winchester ammunition for use in semi-automatic rifles. We’ll look at how to prep brass (including military brass), as well as the rest of the precision reloading process for this caliber. Finally, we’ll inspect cartridges and determine how well our equipment performed. This type of reloading can be a great way to “work up loads” that maximize the accuracy of the rifle. I’m curious to see what kind of accuracy results will be observed for this phase!

Phase III: Progressive Reloading

Once we’ve developed some loads that work well, we’ll look at progressive reloading equipment, case feeders, bullet feeders and more. This will be a great way to produce large quantities of precision ammunition in a hurry. Progressive reloading can result in much more efficient workflow, but one must be careful to take the time needed to ensure safety, and also to minimize downtime due to hasty equipment setup and related issues.

That pretty much covers it. I’m not sure exactly how long it’s going to take, or what exactly I’ll cover (you never really know until you get there) – but I do know that it’s going to be a lot of fun!

If you want to catch all of the updates, please sign up for email subscriptions – that way you can participate in discussions, and make sure not to miss anything! Do you want to see something that I haven’t outlined here? Please take a moment to leave a comment!

Thanks,
Gavin

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Posted in AR-308 General, Reloading Blog, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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