Reloading with Lee Classic Loader

Feb 242012

Why reload?

I had been asking myself this particular question for quite some time before I tried reloading myself. I am not an expert in this field so I will just tell you my thoughts. I must say for me there were two main reasons to take up home loading: cost and accuracy.

Cost of reloading

Lets have a look at the cost first. Before I started reloading I was shooting Sako 150gr ammo I got from my local gun shop for £25 per box of 20. When I bought two last boxes I was told the new price will be higher, close to £30 and when I started looking around 150gr Sako was not popular with all gun shops preferring 123gr Sako for some unknown reason ( I can’t imagine why would you want to use 123gr ammo in .308 Win )So, £30 a box gives you £1.5 a shot Quite expensive in my book (or maybe it is just me staying in Scotland for so long I started becoming a tight arse ). Good thing was I had all that good quality Sako brass left as it meant I would have a free brass supply for some time.

I developed a nice load using Hornady 150gr SST bullets, Vihtavouri N-140 powder and CCI primers. So, lets calculate that: 1kg of N-140 for £75, 100 bullets for £35 and 1000 primers for £35 with 43.6gr of powder per rounds gives £0.60 per round assuming no setup cost and free brass. But even if you have to buy your brass, assuming expensive £100 per 100pcs and reloading 10 times (I hear it is reasonable number) it still gives only £0.70 a pop. In worst case half the cost of a factory ammo. And initial setup cost is very small as well I would say £50-60 is all I spent.

Accuracy

In a good day 1.5″ groups were all I could get with my rifle and Sako ammo. I thought it was mainly my fault as I do not consider myself as a good marksman. I think I am rather average that is why I usually stalk closer to deer and do not try long range shots and offen do not pull the trigger if not feeling confident. When I started reloading I got 1″ groups pretty much instantly and further tweaking of a charge and OAL gave me 0.5″ and smaller groups. It gave me enough confidence to sometimes take a longer shot I would not have taken before.

Lee Classic Loader in .308 Winchester

I think I bought this kit off eBay US and it cost me £25-30, don’t quite remember. Lee Classic Loader is not new and has been around for a long time and you can find plenty of information and tutorials how to use it. Basically it is a neck sizing die and a tool for decapping, priming and bullet seatter in one box. All you need is a small hammer, mallet or a piece of wood to operate it (I mean whack it ) It also works as powder funnel. Bullet seating depth can be adjusted and also one powder scoop is included. At the time I bought it I knew I would have liked to play with the charge so I also bought a set of Lee dippers. As I mentioned in previous reloading article dippers can have limited use for small calibers but is ok for larger cases. Lee Classic Loader kit is caliber specific witha manual and loads for the scoop included. The powder I wanted to use (N-140) was not on the list, but I got initial and maximum charges from Vihtavouri website anyway.

Case preparation

I got a few things to help me with case preparation. They all cost very little. I got Lee case trimmer and stud with a case holder, chamfer tool and primer pocket cleaner. After removing spent primer I use primer pocket cleaner to remove any debris, then trim the case to length with Lee case trimmer and finally use chamfer tool to work case mouth inside and outside.

Then it is just a matter of seating a new primer, adding powder and seating a bullet. The way Lee Classic Loader is supposed to work is serially, ie you do all activities one after another to get one fully assembled round and then start with another round, but I often do that in different way. I prepare all the cases then size them all, then charge and then seat bullets.

Video tutorial

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Reloading for my .308 Win deer hunting rifle with Lee Classic Loader

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Feb 232012

Another roe doe in season 2011-2012. Roe deer hunting in Scotland.

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Feb 162012

My roe doe hunting season in Scotland

So far it has been a good roe doe hunting season here in Scotland. I think I got five so far and it is more or less the same as last season. It is now almost mid February and although the season is open until end of March, I feel a bit uneasy shooting does that late.. I might be tempted to take a yearling or a kid, but not a mature beast. Even with roe’s unique delayed implantation there will be a sizable fetus, and I find it upsetting at gralloch. Call me squeamish, but if I don’t have to (I never have to…) do it, I won’t do it. I am after all recreational stalker and am not doing it for money. In this particular forestry deer are not the slightest problem…

Last roe doe this season?

I finally managed to have a free weekend to go out. Last time I was in noticed lots of tracks and signs in one place and the plan was to sit and wait for the roe to show up. As soon as I crossed Erskine bridge I was not too optimistic. There was a think mist covering the hills above the city. It meant the forestry would be also in the mist… So I was thinking about change of plans, but I had not any idea where to go instead so I went to the place I wanted anyway. There was a think mist with visibility limited to 60-70m… It did not look good, but I decided to wait, it was still early after all. After maybe an hour a bit of wind started moving the mist away and at times I could see to 200-300m, and after a couple of minutes all was back to 50-60m.

Suddenly I spotted a movement to my right. There was a fox walking across the grass towards me. I turned on my camera, and then he stopped. He must have heard it! He was looking my direction, but the wind was good and soon he was on his way. No shot this time.

The time was passing and nothing else was showing up. After a couple of more minutes a doe appeared far away. Too far for a shot and in not easy place to stalk closer. It was also a bit too late and could have been to dark to take a shot in time I could get there. So I sat and waited…

It was 30-40 minutes after sunset and it was really getting dark with the mist coming in again, when I heard something in the forestry. It sounded like a deer running. A branch cracked somewhere not too far away and after a minute or so a roe appeared on the edge of the forestry no more than 50m away. It was a bit too dark to see the deer on the camera, but I turned it on anyway and pointed to the place I thought the deer was.

She was looking away from me so it was easy to spot the tush. I took the Tikka and looked through the Minox rifle scope. It was dark but I could clearly see the doe and cross hairs. I was a bit concerned about the wind as she was quite close, so when I could see the shoulder I squeezed the trigger when she was still quartering away.

She jumped and run a few meters away from the forestry, staggered for a second and run back to the trees. I heard two branches cracked and it all went silent… I waited for a few minutes and went for a look. No signs of pins or paint… I took my torch and went between the trees. I went back towards the place I was when taking a shot and there she was under the branches. She was a bit closer than I expected. The bullet entered a bit too far and the exit wound was just behind the shoulder.

After quick gralloch I put her in the roe sack and was on my way to the car. She was a yearling doe at 11kg, average weight for a yearling in this area.

Roe deer hunting video

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Second roe doe in 2012, Scotland.

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Feb 152012

“Woodland Stalking” by Peter Carne. Review.

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Feb 122012

“Woodland Stalking” by Peter Carne is one of the “how to” books. It briefly describes six British deer species, but really concentrates on equipment, law, training, ground preparation etc. There is also a chapter treating about obtaining stalking I found particularly interesting just after I moved to the UK explaining legal aspects, types of sporting rights etc. High seats, dogs for deer and deer calling are also very good chapters.

The book contains good pictures including these showing carcass preparation. Another good book to have in your library. Recommended.

New riflescope for my .223Rem. Minox ZA5 2-10×40 rifle scope test. Product review.

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Feb 092012

Introduction

I have been looking for a new small caliber rifle for quite some time. Limited budget meant limited options. I had a free slot on my FAC for a .223 Rem, but would have gone for 1:1 variation if any interesting .222 or .22-250 appeared. I had my heart set on CZ 527 Ebony Edition for not a lot of money and local, but it was threaded in M14 thread not matching my moderator. Then I spotted a nice Tikka M595 for even less available with a moderator and Optilocks, plus some ammo and gun case. The guy dropped the price even more and agreed to deliver it to me from Wales So I became a proud owner of my first Tikka rifle. I just had to figure out what to put on top of it…

Minox

I am a big fan of European optics. However, when money is an issue one cannot always afford latest Zeiss or Swarovski… Minox is still a new brand on the market, and I have been interested in their offer since they came on US market. It was still not well known in Europe when I got a set of Minox 8.5×42 binoculars from the US. They were much cheaper and all I could afford at the time. I was really impressed with the quality and for the money I got them there was nothing near that price range on the market at that time. So since I found out they started a range of rifle scopes I wanted to get one. I was looking for something lightweight and 40-42mm objective size. I got a good deal on ZA5 2-10×40 riflescope and bought it, again from the US… ( I do not like being ripped off… )

Minox ZA5 rifle scopes

Minox offers two lines of rifle scopes at the moment: ZA3 and ZA5. They differ mainly in magnification range ZA3 being x3 and ZA5 using x5 magnification. Three scopes matched my requirements of being lightweight, 40-42mm objective and 10-14 magnification. I had to choose between ZA3 3-9×40, and ZA% 2-10×40 and 3-15×42. I quite fancied 3-15×42, but I got really good deal on 2-10×40 so that was it.

Minox ZA5 2-10×40 is one of the lightest on the market at only 400g (14oz). At the time when I was doing my research no other company offered something as light and x5 magnification range, maybe only new Swarovski Z6 1.7-10×42, but still 100g heavier and x6 times more expensive…

All Minox riflescopes are assembled in the US with German components. Minox uses Schott glass in their optics and it is a good quality glass, people say the same as Zeiss uses in their products.

Unboxing

When I finally laid my hands on the scope I knew it was a good decision. Nice high quality scope with bright optics. Magnification ring is nice and rubberised giving a good grip and it is low, so should let be mounted even lower if bolt lift is an issue (e.g. CZ 527…). The box contains usual leaflet/manual with all the info how to zero rifle scope, warranty card (Minox gives worldwide lifetime warranty, something not available from top four manufacturers anymore…), Allen key for resetting turrets, cleaning cloth and nice neoprene cover (Something I do not use, but probably should…)

On top of Tikka

I used low Optilock rings to mount Minox scope. I probably could go for Extra Low rings, but could not get any… I put magnification ring up to x10 to set eye relief and levelled the scope. I also bore sighted it to get reticule on the target. It was all nice and easy and reticule was on the target with its settings out the box. I had to do nothing to put it on the target.

Minox riflescope made very positive initial impression. Turrets had very positive clicks and could be reset after zeroing. Magnification ring worked well and the scope had good field of view at low ranges with no “tunnel effect” quite common even on more expensive scopes. At x10 eye box was not an issue and looked liked I could also live without parallax adjustments.

Zeroing

Zeroing session could not be more straightforward. First shot was on paper and I only needed some minor adjustment. These were also first shots from the new rifle so I was even more pleased.

Conclusion

I currently do not have any other riflescope to do side by side comparison, so I could only compare Minox ZA5 2-10×40 to Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14×50 I have on top of my .308Win.

I must say they are quite close. Zeiss is slightly better in low light only because it has 50mm objective and thicker reticule. However, I could easily shoot roe deer at ow light when I set magnification to x6 when I could barely sex roe deer with my 8×56 Zeiss binoculars. I think it is good enough for any deer stalking conditions. It is not a scope for night wild boar shooting.

In my opinion there is nothing close to Minox riflescopes at this price range at the moment. They are still quite new on the market, but I think it will change and the prices will go up (They are already quite expensive in the UK…). So if you are looking for a nice good low light scope that will not ruin you, Minox riflescopes seem to be a good choice.

Video

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Minox ZA5 2-10×40 rifle scope video review.

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Feb 082012

“The Roe Deer: Conservation of a Native Species” by Richard Prior. Review.

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Feb 052012

Richard Prior is a known expert on roe deer and his “The Roe Deer: Conservation of a Native Species” is a must for any roe stalker. This is a proper deer monography, but is well written and easy to read. The book is divided in three parts. The first part deals with usual topics such as biology, appearance, social relations, feeding, habitat and density, breeding and antlers. The second parts is about author’s trip to Russia and his study on Siberian roe. Last part of the book deals with roe in modern Britain and management strategies.

“The Roe Deer: Conservation of a Native Species” is full of good pictures and illustrations including interesting photos of malformed antlers. Richard Prior also mentions “Baillieism”. I found that part really interesting as I have never heard about it before and I guess it is South England phenomenon, never seen it mentioned in Polish roe literature.

To sum up, “The Roe Deer: Conservation of a Native Species” by Richard Prior is a must have book for any roe deer stalker. I do go back and read some chapters again form time to time, highly recommended.

My first doe in 2012. Roe deer stalking in Scotland.

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Feb 022012

Winter roe deer stalking in Scotland

I find roe deer stalking in Scotland at this time of year a bit of hit and miss. It is quite difficult for me to go out any other time but weekends, as it is still dark at 8am and already dark at 5pm, so can’t really squeeze in an outing before or after work weekdays… Then, I am not the only one in our deer stalking syndicate so often the ground is booked every other weekend, and because of not being often on the ground I loose the idea where deer are and where to go. I tend to go all over the forestry and usually come back with nothing, often not even seeing deer… But then, we actually have some snow in winter with some frost that makes any stalking impossible and the only option left is sitting quietly and waiting for deer to come. If the place is right and st Hubert gracious that day, it might not be a bad outing after all…

First roe doe in 2012

It was one of these days with almost no wind, heavy frost and a bit of really crunchy snow. I went out quite early in case I could not get any closer to the forestry, but winter tyres made a good job and I got to the gate just fine. I sometimes think I am the only one here who does not have a 4×4 car… Forestry tracks are not in the best condition here, but it is still much easier to drive on ice with winter tyres than usual mud, water pools and deep groves left by 4x4s…

I got to one of my favorite spots after an hour’s walk. It took me a good 10 minutes to stalk the last 100 yards, but I made a lot of noise anyway. First glance on the moor and first thought “not too bad, no sheep”. I set up the camera and sat down looking through binoculars, and there were sheep… they were just laying on the snow, thankfully not too many and they kept to one side of the hill.

It was nearly sunrise, sky turned red, and wind changed slightly when I spotted a single roe on the moor. It was still too far away, but I convinced myself it must have been a buck. Not a problem since we have out of season permit anyway, but would prefer a doe after all. A roe was slowly feeding and walking towards me, so I was confident it would come closer eventually. But then sheep started to getting up as well and deer run towards me and I had to be quick to stand up, put rifle on sticks and track it on camera.

It was a roe doe after all and before I knew it she was 80 yards away. All was going according to plan when she caught my wind and run back where she came from… Now I had to be quick to have a chance so as soon as she paused 120-130yards away I squeezed the trigger. I thought the shot was good, but was not really sure as was having rifle and the sticks and at the same time trying to keep up with camera adjustments… She was slowly walking away, so I knew she was hit, but did not know where, so as soon as she paused again I put another round just in case.

Now I saw the bullet strike, but she was not going down for a few more seconds, but eventually her legs gave way and she dropped falling down the slope. I gave her a few minutes and walked up to see bullet wounds. After all the shots were not too bad, both bullet entries no more than 1″ apart, but one exit wound a bit far back (first shot) and on the shoulder (the second one).

She was a nice yearling doe at 12kg which is good for the area. After all this time it was not blank outing again. It would be good to do a bit more roe deer stalking in Scotland before doe season ends and maybe try to take some red deer as well. I did not see any that time, but there is a good number of reds out there.

Video

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First roe doe in 2012

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Feb 012012