Grunt81

Hey bud, to follow up on Patton: There's less less case capacity because the heavier bullet is longer. Thus, the bullet is seated deeper to meet OAL. Because the bullet is seated deeper, less powder can fit in the case. However, because there is less space for powder, there is a smaller volume for combustion to occur. Smaller volume for combustion = higher pressure. Furthermore, even though the heavier bullet starts off slower, because it has a greater mass, it will carry more momentum. Therefore, the 124 grain bullet will have similar penetration and expansion as 115 or 147 grain. Give me a call if you'd like me to elaborate.

Major Kong, thanks for the response. Sounds good! You free this weekend? I load 9mm, .223, and .308. I'm technically good right now on SP and SR primers, and I have enough pistol powder for about 1,500 rounds. I have 100 .223 rounds loaded, and maybe enough powder for another 150 rounds. What I wanted to is get an 8lb jug of a good .308 powder like IMR 4064 or similar and some LR primers. I'm thinking I'd like to get the order placed in 6 to 8 weeks. This will give me time to get a couple more paychecks (just started a job here in Oak Ridge last Thursday, and it'll a few more guys a chance to get in on this. Sound good? Reefer Mac, let's do it! I have an unopened box of 90 clay pigeons, paper targets, spotting scope, etc. I do need to do rezero my .308 and AR 15s. Pm on the way.

Hey Ya'll. I did a search and didn't find anything on the first page, so I apologize if this has been covered before.   I'm interested in two things:   1) Are there members on this forum who are also members at ORSA in Oak Ridge?   I'm new to Oak Ridge and will be submitting my membership to ORSA in the next week or two. I'll be glad to meet anyone to shoot pistols, rifles, or shotguns. I know there should be a range tour for me but in case it isn't thorough enough, I'd be glad to learn the ropes from anyone who's familiar with the facility.   I'm also interested in getting my feet wet in F T/R competition. I live about a mile and a half from ORSA. Any pointers or coat tails to ride would be appreciated.   2) If any hand loaders in the Oak Ridge/Knoxville area would like to do a group buy on Powder Valley for components, I'd be happy to participate or facilitate the transaction. Powder Valley has great prices, even more so when we get to split the HAZMAT fee.   Thanks.   Grunt

Thank you for that info. Was that for mid-range or long range?

Thank you, DMark. I'll definitely give them a call to inquire about the types of matches they shoot there.   Is your .223 competitive for mid-range F-T/R or is it more of a "I'm just shooting for fun, not to win" type of thing?   I do have a varmint AR-15 which I've shot at paper at 200 yards. With 69 grain Nosler Custom Competition bullets, I shot a 5-shot 1" group at 200 yards to make 0.5 MOA. Plinking at every yard line up to 600 and I'm on the money using a 12x Nikon BDC 600. If this rifle has anything hindering it, it's the fact that it's a 20" barrel rather than 26-30" and of course it's a semi-automatic rather than a bolt-action.   My .308 is a Savage 11. It's a shooter, but it has a thin-contour hunting profile factory barrel. I have hit 4 out of 5 shots at 1,000 yards before with Sierra Match Kings, as long as adjusted 0.1 Mil down between each shot.   In your experience, does this type of shooting compete, or is it more of just having a fun time coming out and shooting? If so, I definitely have a good action for building a midrange FTR rifle.   Thanks again.

Hello to my fellow firearm enthusiasts. I want to get into competitive high power rifle shooting. I'm particularly interested in shooting F-Class and I figure FT/R is a good place to start since I have (2) .223 Rem and (1) .308 rifle. For anyone who has competed in FT/R, does .308 dominate mid-range or does .223 stand a decent chance of beating .308 between 300-600 yards? I know at the end of the day it comes down to shooter abilities and quality ammunition, but what are the trends right now? I'm hoping someone here in east Tennessee is familiar with the high power club at Oak Ridge Shooting Range. What type of competitions are held there? When? Rifles used? Thank you for any insight any of you can provide for FT/R mid-range and long range competition. It's much appreciated.

First and foremost, happy father's day out there to all you dads!    I did a Google search and couldn't find any straightforward scrap lead dealers. Ebay and Amazon are out of the question. Anyone know where I can find some? Shipping prices for buying online are generally a deal breaker since the prices go up around $4/lb if not more. I've heard the magic number was $1/lb but that price seems to have gone the way of the dodo. What's a good price for scrap lead or pre-made ingots?   I would still flux ingots before casting, so I don't mind making ingots from range lead.   I'm willing to drive to Alcoa, Maryville, Louisville, hell, pretty much anywhere within an hour of Knoxville.   Thanks for any info you can give me.

If you're worried about over penetration, you'll be better served with factory jacketed hollow points out of a center fire pistol, no smaller than 9mm, or a 20 or 12-gauge loaded with bird shot and an open cylinder/no choke (immediate spreading). Any 55 grain .223 ammo should go right through a human being without armor on, unless it's designed to hit the brakes in tissue by fragmenting on impact. Bad guys seldom wear armor. If all you have for home defense is an AR-15, I'd reload it and develop a light load. If reloading isn't an option for you, then go with a bullet that is designed to expand at least a little (polymer tipped bullet like Z-max or A-max, Nosler Varmageddon will expand some. But more than ever, knowing your target and considering it's background applies to you.   Jm2c

In my opinion, yes, the bullet will penetrate the sidewall of a common personal vehicle while it's moving. I'm no expert, but it is a question of physics. If the bullet is traveling at 1,200 feet per second at 25 yards away from the muzzle, then it is traveling at over 800 miles per hour. With respect to the velocity of the bullet, a tire rotating at 60 miles per hour is practically still. I think the spinning tire would be hard-pressed to deflect the bullet. I also think a round nose FMJ 124gr NATO 9mm will penetrate the thickest knob of any off-road tire tread at close range.   Maybe a mechanical engineer will chime in.

Much appreciated. My wife got out as a Marine Captain. We're happy to live among folks who are generally more patriotic than where we came from.

Just got back from church. Thank you everyone for the welcomes. Thanks for the heads up. I didn't know some of these hoops existed.

Hey ya'll! I'm happy to meet my new TGO brothers. I'm not exactly new to TGO, but my wife, two cats, and I, made the journey from Los Angeles to Knoxville a couple of weeks ago. I'm loving it so far. Even in the worse time of the day, the traffic still isn't anywhere near as bad as in LA. Everything I need and want is within 15 minutes and our cost of living just cut in half, to include auto insurance.   There's nothing firearms related I'm not interested in. I'm all about long range precision, tactical pistol shooting, and want to get into hunting a deer this season. We've got two AR-15s, a Mossberg 535 12-gauge with 2 chokes, Glock 17, Beretta 92F, Savage .308, and fully custom Ruger 10-22. I might also have a Winchester Mod 94 lever-action in 30-30 on the way, so maybe I'll do some cowboy shooting. I also reload 3 calibers and will be building a bench soon. We'll both be getting CCW licenses once employment is locked on.   Glad to meet ya'll. In closing, I'll leave you with a quote from a Kings of Leon song I heard recently, "If you give up New York, I'll give you Tennessee...The only place to be."

Here's another question for you all fine folks. How are diesel prices out there? Higher or lower than 87 octane? In Cali, diesel tends to be around 20 cents higher than 91 octane more often than not.

Point made on the Taco. There's a lot of fans of them, as this thread proves. I didn't know they were as popular in Tennessee, as they are in California. Any given day, I am likely to see 3x as many Tacos as all other truck makes combined.   A good friend of mine bought a 2007 Crew Cab Tacoma for a work vehicle. He paid $18K last year and it had around 70,000 miles on it. He loves it and won't be getting rid of it anytime soon.   If American made trucks suck so much and are "truck-like" vehicles, let's hear some horror stories to back that up. Who has had pesky issues long before they were due? I've heard of a GMC Sierra 3500 diesel going for 600,000 miles. But that's more truck than I'll ever need.    A recent reputable car reviewer (forgot the name but can be found on YouTube) ranked the redesigned 2015 Chevy Colorado ahead of the 2015 Tacoma. Although I will say, Tacomas are getting a makeover under the hood and outside for 2016. The rankings and reviews should be interesting. If I were to buy a new truck, it'd be between those two. As of right now, I have nothing to tow so even an El Camino would work for what I need it for. That could change later, in which case I will probably only consider a full size. By the way, Ram Trucks have vowed to lead the market in fuel economy.   Some have asked me why I even want a truck in the first place. The best answer I give them is to be able to load up the bed with stuff I don't want inside my SUV with seats folded down. In example, a deer carcass or a scoop of 50/50 manure/ wood chips. I'd probably never need a 5th wheel either. If I were to stop tent camping, then a pop up camper would be a logical choice. Hopes this gives a good idea of my needs/wants.   As of now, a post 1998 Ford Ranger is first on my list, unless there's a smoking deal on a full size that negates the difference in fuel economy. 

Thanks EssOne. Believe me, I never hesitate to.