300 Whisper brass making

[173rdABN]

This is my first attempt at making the brass. I've had a 300 whisper on and off for a while. Now, I officially am keeping it (usually goes back and forth between me and a friend). I've never made the ammo for it, he has. So, now that its mine, I'm all in. I have a couple gallon buckets of un-useable .223 brass with bad necks. Kept them thinking some day I'll actually load for this thing. 

 

The dies are on there way, so now I'm just cutting, ream and chamfering, tumbling, then once the dies get here I'll run them through there, then trim to size, tumble again, and BOOM, useable brass! 

 

Here is what I have so far:

 

Nifty jig I made to run with the bandsaw. can slice 5 cases in a matter of a second or two. Way to easy.

[URL=http://s95.photobucket.com/user/eat7thirdythree/media/1013785_308444575957353_827400170_n_zpse2ee92c0.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[URL=http://s95.photobucket.com/user/eat7thirdythree/media/1017314_308444529290691_319233412_n_zps647a898b.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[URL=http://s95.photobucket.com/user/eat7thirdythree/media/1011871_308444592624018_953263824_n_zps041dbd5f.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[URL=http://s95.photobucket.com/user/eat7thirdythree/media/943541_308444555957355_724016921_n_zps04076417.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[URL=http://s95.photobucket.com/user/eat7thirdythree/media/7972_308444612624016_950326760_n_zpsaf543656.jpg.html][/URL]

 

Took me about a hour to chop 700 cases. SUPPPPPPER simple. 

 

Does anyone else load for the 300 Whisper?? If so, ever loaded 175SMK's? I have about 1500 of those left, and 100 168's. Main powder I have is RL15 and H335, but have about 10 other kinds from greendot to 4046 to a big mix of stuff. 

 

Whatcha got?!?!

[Photoguy67]

I load 300 blackout, supposed to be pretty close.

[gjohnsoniv]

Nice idea, smart, I'll be stealing it.

[mikegideon]

I load 300 blackout, supposed to be pretty close.

 

Same thing

[c.a.willard]

i really like that jig,  simple yet appears to be effective and a good time saver.

[173rdABN]

I load and shoot it a ton. I even cast my own bullets for it and when all the current designs didn't work I designed my own bullet. And I have also started powder coating my cast bullets to prevent lead exposure when shooting.

 

Because I cast my own bullets each loaded round costs me 4.4 cents for my subsonics and 7.3 for my supersonics.

 

I have a AR and a Savage Striker. The Striker is a pistol based on a Savage short action. As soon as I get my new lathe I will build a barrel for a bolt action rifle.

 

Now your just showing off :)

 

care to sell some of your cast bullets that are coated??? :)

 

The Blackout is based of the Whisper. J.D Jones decided he didn't want to sell his design and have it SAMMI spec'd. so AAC revamped it and made the Blackout and made it a SAMMI round and made bank off it. Jones should have does the same... The Whisper has been out since like... the early 1990's if I remember right. So, been a hot minute. 

 

Has anyone tried RL15 (I'd imagine its to slow) or H335? I found some data for 13.86gr of H335 for sub loads doing 1050ish with 220's. But, I have a big stock of 175's and wonder if it'll work and cycle the action.

[mikegideon]

All AAC really did was reel in the specs for the AR-15. H110 for me. Haven't messed with anything else yet. I have a jar of Lil Gun that I may play with. I don't have a super flexible gun like Dolomite.

 

BTW, I think Reloader 15 and H335 are gonna be way too slow. Closer to Reloader 7, and may run out of case capacity with it.

Edited July 4, 2013 by mikegideon

[Dolomite_supafly]

If you have a pistol length gas system it tends to be a bit more forgiving as far as powder choices, depending on how much barrel there is past the port. There are plenty of powders that work but are far from ideal. My gun is very, very forgiving and I have shot 150's at subsonic levels and they will cycle. They don't always lock back but they eject and feed fine. I can use a very wide variety of powders when shooting both supersonics and subsonics. I have used Lil'Gun, N110, H4227, A1680, H4198, A2015, SMP842 and A1680 to shoot both subs and supers in my gun. The gun cycles perfectly and the only variable is that some powders have lower velocities than others but they ALL cycle reliably. I can shoot 180's at subsonic velocities as well as 245 grain cast bullets at under 800 fps and have the bolt lock back on an empty magazine. And I do not need special buffers or springs, just what any 5.56 lower comes with.
 

I run a 16" with a pistol length gas system. I have a 3 way gas block to meter the supersonics but even so it will run both supers and subs in the unmetered position. I will say that in the unmetered position supers tend to leave more crude in the action, probably because the bolt is unlocking earlier while the pressures are still high in the barrel. In the unmetered position there is also more felt recoil from the bolt and buffer slamming into the rear of the buffer tube.
 

I won't sell any of my stuff because I shoot everything I cast. And as of late I haven't done a lot of casting so I am getting a little thin on supplies.

 

On your jig I would put some wingnuts on there so tightening them down is easy. I still prefer my mini chop saw method though. I have found that is you shoot subs mostly your brass lasts a very, very long time. I have the same 250-300 pieces of brass I originally made last year. I have loaded each one at least 8 times now and they are showing no signs of problems. I initially annealed them and do it again every 3-4 loadings. I haven't trimmed them in at least 3 loadings. And this is with the "All-In-One" die Lee sells. If I could find a body die the brass would probably last forever but no one is making one. I would do the body only then do the neck only using a collet die. I made my own collet die using a 7.62x39 die. The "All-In-One" dies work harden the neck excessively fast because is squeezes the neck down too far then pulls a mandrel through the neck. This excessive amount of work is what splits case necks.

[173rdABN]

That is what I am working with. Ill have to go get some new powders. Not a big deal. Glad to know your gun eats anything with a short gas system. I'd imagine mine will as well. He sent me his load data with it. And everything you see. So, guess I just need to start working up some loads!

[timthetoolman]

I was recently told that 1680 was the way to go on a 16" barrel w pistol port for supers and subs, can anyone back that up?  Using and adjustable block of course.

[Dolomite_supafly]

That is what I am working with. Ill have to go get some new powders. Not a big deal. Glad to know your gun eats anything with a short gas system. I'd imagine mine will as well. He sent me his load data with it. And everything you see. So, guess I just need to start working up some loads!

What length barrel you running? I have seen some have issues then the barrel gets below 7.5". I would try Lil'Gun, then H4227 and finally A1680. That doesn't even look like it is long enough to be a pistol length gas system. Looks more like about 1/2 the length of a pistol gas system. Who did you get it from?
 

I was recently told that 1680 was the way to go on a 16" barrel w pistol port for supers and subs, can anyone back that up? Using and adjustable block of course.

Almost any powder will work with a 16" barrel and a pistol length gas system. Personally I have tried a pound of A1680 and it was the most inconsistent and inaccurate powder so far. It is probably the best at getting a finicky gun to cycle but what is the point if you can't hit what you are shooting at.

See my post above. If I had to pick one powder it would be Lil'Gun and next would be H4227. I have fired over 500 rounds across a chronograph now and my standard deviation, as well as my extreme spread, are single digits with Lil'Gun when shooting subsonics. When I first started using Lil'Gun this past winter I never had a single round that was above 1,040 fps or below 1,030 fps in the hundreds I tested. Now that temperatures are a little warmer the numbers are a bit higher but they are still as consistent.

I am going to try H4227 to see how it performs. I tried it before and it works great but Lil'Gun seemed to be better. I have a friend that says it is about the quietest powder when shooting through a can. I will have my paperwork back before year's end so I may as well begin some testing now.

[173rdABN]

If I remember right, it's a shilen barrel, 8.5" or 7.5, and I think the block is 2-3" past the chamber. Ill measure when I get it back. It's in the mail right now.

Me and a buddy used to hand this thing off to eachother and use it whenever one of us wanted, but he's the one that built it, so I'm not 100% sure on the specs. When it gets here ill know more. And I can call and ask him about the barrel and all that stuff. He got it to run 100% using 208 a-max and his data is with the upper in the box.

Give me a couple days and I can really comment more on it

[mikegideon]

What length barrel you running? I have seen some have issues then the barrel gets below 7.5". I would try Lil'Gun, then H4227 and finally A1680. That doesn't even look like it is long enough to be a pistol length gas system. Looks more like about 1/2 the length of a pistol gas system. Who did you get it from?
 

Almost any powder will work with a 16" barrel and a pistol length gas system. Personally I have tried a pound of A1680 and it was the most inconsistent and inaccurate powder so far. It is probably the best at getting a finicky gun to cycle but what is the point if you can't hit what you are shooting at.

See my post above. If I had to pick one powder it would be Lil'Gun and next would be H4227. I have fired over 500 rounds across a chronograph now and my standard deviation, as well as my extreme spread, are single digits with Lil'Gun when shooting subsonics. When I first started using Lil'Gun this past winter I never had a single round that was above 1,040 fps or below 1,030 fps in the hundreds I tested. Now that temperatures are a little warmer the numbers are a bit higher but they are still as consistent.

I am going to try H4227 to see how it performs. I tried it before and it works great but Lil'Gun seemed to be better. I have a friend that says it is about the quietest powder when shooting through a can. I will have my paperwork back before year's end so I may as well begin some testing now.

 

You still gotta try some H110. I finally got a jar of Lil' Gun, but don't know when I'll get to try it.

[timthetoolman]

 

See my post above. If I had to pick one powder it would be Lil'Gun and next would be H4227. I have fired over 500 rounds across a chronograph now and my standard deviation, as well as my extreme spread, are single digits with Lil'Gun when shooting subsonics. When I first started using Lil'Gun this past winter I never had a single round that was above 1,040 fps or below 1,030 fps in the hundreds I tested. Now that temperatures are a little warmer the numbers are a bit higher but they are still as consistent.
 

 

 

I'd love to give it a whirl but I can't find any of the darn stuff.  Now I am wondering how 842 might work.  I also have H110, but I have a feeling it wont gel with subsonic too well.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I'd love to give it a whirl but I can't find any of the darn stuff.  Now I am wondering how 842 might work.  I also have H110, but I have a feeling it wont gel with subsonic too well.

 SMP842 will work but velocities will be 200 fps lower than an appropiate powder for supersonic. It works for subsonic loads as well but only if you have a pistol length gas system AND a 16" barrel. H110 is better powder all the way around than SMP842. Plenty of people use H110 for subsonics.