Breaking in the barrel for a rifle you’ve built is a truly unique and exciting experience. Will the gun blow up? Will the rifle shoot well? Will my new trigger meet my expectations? It’s like sea trials for a new ship, but with a precision instrument. As I was finishing my Remington 700 224 Valkyrie […]
When you go “off the script” (like building a 224 Valkyrie bolt-action rifle) you can expect some challenges. One such challenge with this kind of build is getting a reliable magazine configuration setup. A lot of guys have spent a lot of hours tinkering with magazines, springs, followers, lip geometry and more with a common […]
All of the hard work I’ve put into this 224 Valkyrie Remington 700 build is about to come together, literally! With a complete barreled action assembly, it’s time to install our trigger, and then mate the stock and barreled action together. I can hardly wait to take this rifle to the range! And by the […]
A threaded muzzle is great, but if you aren’t using a muzzle brake or suppressor, you’ll need something to protect the (fragile) threads! That’s where a thread protector comes in handy. One of the best ways to make a thread protector is with a cut-down section of barrel blank. Good thing I had this “extra” […]
Here’s my philosophy: why not have a threaded muzzle? If you want to use a muzzle brake or a suppressor, you’re all set! If you don’t use a muzzle device, you put a thread protector on, and you’re good to go. So now that we’ve completed the breech-end barrel work, let’s move on to the […]
Sometimes you have to do a lot of “prep work” to get to the “fun work”. Well, after building out our build-sheet, and preparing and aligning the barrel, we’re now to the fun part of this build! That’s right, it’s time to start machining the tenon, and cutting the chamber! Series navigation: 224 Valkyrie Remington […]
How you secure your barrel in your lathe, and the attention to detail aligning the barrel’s bore to the lathe spindle axis will both have a big effect on the outcome of your barreling work. In this post, we’ll continue our 224 Valkyrie Remington 700 bolt-action rifle build with a focus on a few things: […]
I’ve always wanted to build a Remington 700 custom bolt-action rifle, and now is the time! As a part of the lager 224 Valkyrie project (two rifle builds, reloading, ballistics, …) this smaller collection of videos and articles will outline a complete Remington 700 build- from start to finish! Later, we’ll compare ballistics and accuracy […]
Hello everyone! The MEC Sizemaster Summer Giveaway (which you can read about HERE) has ended, and I have some exciting news: the winner of this giveaway! Congrats Scott! A big congratulations to the winner of this give-away: Scott Hoge of Lancaster California. Here we see Scott with his companion: Max the yellow lab :). We […]
If you’ve been on the internet long, undoubtedly you’ve read a lot of mis-information about 223 Remington and 5.56 NATO. If you’re like me, you also find it difficult to find answers and specifics related to these two cartridges and rifle chamberings. The 5.56 NATO chamber is “larger” than the 223 Remington chamber- but my […]
OK Guys- 2018 is going to be EPIC here on Ultimate Reloader! Seriously, lots of cool new products, and some new adventures I’ll be talking about soon. One of the exciting new partners I’ll be working with this year is Lyman Products! Lots of cool things to talk about, one of them is the new […]
Well, this is the exciting week of the SHOT show! I’ll be there, and can’t wait to check out all of the new gear, meet some amazing people, and hang out with friends! The big question for you all: What do you all want to see? Please leave a comment, and I’ll do my best […]
I haven’t blown up a gun, but I know it happens every day. Usually, reloaded ammunition is a part of the equation when a gun goes “Kaboom”. Reloading ammunition is a serious responsibility and isn’t without danger. Perhaps that’s part of the appeal- you’re literally working with explosives and building ammunition. While it’s possible to […]
Any shooting sport that takes precision to the extreme will involve exacting brass prep as a part of the reloading process. In order to achieve such exacting standards, case length and case squareness must be held to exacting tolerances. L.E. Wilson has spent the last 81 years perfecting their case trimming system, one that was […]
The first Ultimate Reloader giveaway has ended, and I wanted to share with you all who won the awesome prize! I’m very happy for Judd Harris of Louisiana, congratulations! Judd plans on loading 308 Winchester with his new kit, and will use handloading as a hands-on compliment to his ballistics studies at the Sonoran Desert […]
Reloading dies are perhaps the most critical tooling component involved in the loading of precision ammunition. Reloading dies have a huge effect on brass concentricity, case sizing dimensions and consistency, bullet seating depth, and bullet runout. So when you chose reloading dies for your rifle, you need to ensure you are getting the quality and […]
Ever see something and think to yourself: “I need that”. That’s what I thought when I saw the rifle cartridge pen that Capital Cartridge is giving away as a bonus (through the end of the year): How can you get your own free pen you ask? Just fill your cart with $100.00 or more of […]
This is an exciting day, the first Ultimate Reloader give-away! Check it out: Yes, with a few clicks here and there, you can enter to win the following: (one BIG prize) LEE Classic Turret Press kit LEE Auto Bench Prime Any LEE die set of your choosing All you need to do is to complete […]
In my small town, the shotgunning event of the week is the “Thursday night trap shoot”. I think it’s time for me to join in on the fun, and if I’m going to do well I need to do some SERIOUS practicing. And that means I need a LOT of 12 gauge shells. I have […]
Winter is approaching, and for me that means it’s time to focus on indoor projects, namely reloading ammunition! Before this Winter season, I’m taking a look at all of my gear and “systems” and making improvements where possible. One such project is strategic lighting improvements. Enter the KMS Squared UFO lighting system! A while back […]
A package just arrived on your front porch: could it be those new reloading dies? In all the excitement, it’s tempting to take the dies right out of the box and to start using them straight-away. But it’s very much worth while to take a few minutes to clean the dies prior to use. By […]
This article is a conclusion of a multi-part series covering 22 Nosler from “start to finish”. I started with 22 Nosler by shooting a PRS match, and then worked through loads and fine-tuned my setup to get maximum performance, longevity, and reliability out of my loads. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to check out […]
Specialty cartridges for the AR-15 are nothing new. For decades, shooters and engineers have been continually experimenting with different cartridge designs and permutations with the goal of enhancing AR-15 performance in some way. The goals themselves are varied, each with a different scenario in mind. The 25-45 Sharps necks the 22 caliber .223 Remington cartridge […]
Do you have an AR-15 or AR-10 that needs a constant supply of ammunition? Or better yet, do you have both an AR-15 *and* and AR-10 that you shoot on a regular basis? It’s time to do some bulk loading of .223/5.56 and .308/7.61x51mm ammunition, that’s what I say! To make your rifle reloading easier, […]
When I started the “Budget Precision .223” project- I had high hopes. Hopes that I’d like a bolt action rifle in .223, hopes that I’d find a great load, hopes that everything would work together (including the LEE Deluxe Challenger Press Kit), and most of all that I’d have fun. Well, all of those things […]
