300 Fireball AR15 (Brass forming - post #150)

Doc M said:
1 - Suputin, unless you're shooting your rifle by Saturday around noonish, I'mma gonna winnnnn... :p

2 - Henry is top-notch and I HIGHLY recommend him to anyone looking for quality brass or bullets.

And... I, too, am interested in 147-150gn .308 pulls. I can get them cheaply from the US at present, but I can get them FASTER from you Henry - provided you have them. I'm down to my last few hundred, so I'll need more at SOME point.

-M
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Thanks for the compliment Doc M!! I try hard to provide a quality product & great service to the folks here on CGN.
I have a huge bullet order arriving tomorrow, I'll have the following .308 bullets in stock then. Look at my WTS post on the weekend & I'll post them all up with the prices.

Sierra .308 SMK 155gr Palma Match
Sierra .308 SMK 168gr HPBT
Privi .308 150gr SP
Nosler .308 180gr Spitzer Accubond
Hornady .308 150gr FMJBT
Berry's .308 30-30 150gr CMJFN
Berry's .308 30M1 Carbine 110gr CMJRN

Regards, Henry
 
You try hard AND succeed, Henry! I have been very satisfied when we have done business together, to say the least.

I may be in touch for some items soon, depending on how things turn out... :)

-M
 
Suputin said:
I was doing a bit of loading tonight and discovered an interesting fact. It seems that 223 brass is thicker (less internal volume) cause a load that was fine in 221 brass almost overflowed a 223 based case. So be careful mixing and matching loads and cases.
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Yeah, this is something I suspected but I'm glad to have confirmation.

I plan on developing loads for .221 neck-up and .223 shoulder-down brass separately, for sure.

-M
 
I just got back from the range, since you ask!

This thing sucks, I'm returning it.

By which I mean - YOU CAN PRY IT FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS IF YOU WANT IT. :p

It's (insert superlatives for awesome here).

ANDDDDD... I managed to do some pretty extensive subsonic and transonic testing with the 147gn projectiles. It's verrrrry tricky to get this rig to cycle right around the 1125 fps mark with 147gn projectiles. However, once I get my grubby mitts on some 180gn projos this rig will be HUMMING. I managed to work up a whole set of loads, using 3 different powders, and produce a velocity spectrum between 840fps and 1300fps for each.

And this information will be deposited with ATRS, as mentioned, so they can farm it out with uppers.

Also, the fit and finish on the upper is just awesome now that I've had it on an active range. Just sweet.

Pics to come - and some videos too. I took the camera and a mini-tripod - and I even have some frontal shots from when I rested the camera on the chronograph and shot directly over it. You get to see the business end of the SPEX in action! :D

Best part of the day thus far though: I converted TWO 'fudds' into AR15 drool-dripping believers! They thought that was the coolest thing - that someone could wildcat an AR15. It appealed to their inner "tinkerer" I think, and I had to spend about an hour answering questions about the rig... mission accomplished! :)

Noveske: "Stops Jihad on Contact."
ATRS/Doc: "Converts Fudds on Contact." :D :D :D

-M
 
Some pics from today.

Some of the kit I hauled to the range today. The scale I had to leave (and level!) in the car, due to the wind.

300FB-Loadtesting8.jpg


300FB-Loadtesting1.jpg


I had to look hard to find some 7.62x39 casings... but after a 3 second search and stepping on a dozen, I finally found some for a comparison shot.

300FB-Loadtesting7.jpg


300FB-Loadtesting6.jpg


Shrek's got nothing on me...

300FB-Loadtesting2.jpg


300FB-Loadtesting3.jpg


And... as you'll see later once I get the videos up, working so close to the ragged edge of cycling/ejection/feeding can have nasty consequences.

300FB-Loadtesting4.jpg


300FB-Loadtesting5.jpg


More to come later, when I can edit some videos so you don't have to look at my ass as I walk in front of the camera. :)

Oh, and if you look at the parking lot and behind me in the two photos at the bench - the empty range and the BEAUTIFUL weather right as I got to the range (after being crappy this morning) are definitive proof that the Gods favor the .300 Fireball. :D

-M
 
300FB-Loadtesting8.jpg


If I could suggest you NOT pour water into the cases, they will probably work better that way. ;)

Oh, and if you look at the parking lot and behind me in the two photos at the bench - the empty range and the BEAUTIFUL weather right as I got to the range (after being crappy this morning) are definitive proof that the Gods favor the .300 Fireball.
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Well I had to dodge wandering rainstorms all afternoon but we got enough decent weather to do some shooting. Speaking of the god's favouring the 300 Fireball, I went and forgot my cool wizzy brass catcher at home and yet was able to recover all the brass my Whisper chucked out into the grass. :)

working so close to the ragged edge of cycling/ejection/feeding can have nasty consequences.
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I tried out some 200gr subsonics today and they cycled perfectly. I didn't chrono the loads but there was no sonic crack so they are def subsonic. Even at the lower end of the velocity range I had loaded, the rifle cycled properly throwing the brass out into a nice pile 4 or 5 feet to the side of the rifle.

You may be able to get 200gr round nose bullets to stabilize in your 1:10 barrel. Would be worth trying anyway.
 
Suputin said:
If I could suggest you NOT pour water into the cases, they will probably work better that way. ;)

...

I tried out some 200gr subsonics today and they cycled perfectly. I didn't chrono the loads but there was no sonic crack so they are def subsonic. Even at the lower end of the velocity range I had loaded, the rifle cycled properly throwing the brass out into a nice pile 4 or 5 feet to the side of the rifle.

You may be able to get 200gr round nose bullets to stabilize in your 1:10 barrel. Would be worth trying anyway.
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Har-dee-har-har, very funny... :p The water went into MY case, thank you very much. Glad to have it too - when my concentration broke, I realized I was darned thirsty. 6 hours on a range will do that to you, I guess - especially going back and forth between a loading bench and a hot car to weight-check loads you dispensed by volume.

I'm definitely planning on getting up into the 180s and 200s - I just didn't have any handy right now. That's a definite "must" for next trip.

Any other dirty little tricks I may or may not have tried - and the unbelievable difference they made, for the better - will be submitted privately! :p

-M
 
Yet another uber cool 300 Fireball rifle just completed.

This one has a 10.5" heavy match barrel with large bore adjustable JP gas block and midlength JP free float tube. The gas system is pistol length to allow the cycling of supersonics and subsonics. Twist rate is 1:8 to stabilize the really heavy subsonics.

We left the muzzle unthreaded for the match rifle look. However it could be threaded and a bored out SPEX added if desired. We can also shorten the barrel somewhat to allow the SPEX to nestle inside the front of the forend as well.

ARFireball4.JPG
 
Doc, I love you more and more each day. For those that have never met the guy you are missing out on one of the smartest men in the freakin world.

Now when you getting some vid's of you blastin your baby ... and when can I get one ....

LG
 
I've just read this entire thread. Now I know how to make 300 Fireball ammo from some really good instructions. I was impressed with all the specs and AR designing. Even the pictures of Abraham Benrubi shooting Doc M's AR were cool (wow did he ever let himself go, no wonder ER dropped him). :p

But other than the cool factor of hours of manual labour to fill a few mags with ammo to shoot only at the range, what practical purpose is this round? I can see a government/military suppressed round use or a very close range medium game hunting use. But in what platform? We would have to find a way to get AR's non-restricted. Can you see it ever being chambered in the Robarms XCR? Will there be any demand given they already have the Commie conversion out?

Educate me on this interesting little round pleas.
 
JasonS said:
I've just read this entire thread. Now I know how to make 300 Fireball ammo from some really good instructions. I was impressed with all the specs and AR designing. Even the pictures of Abraham Benrubi shooting Doc M's AR were cool (wow did he ever let himself go, no wonder ER dropped him). :p
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(Translation: I have nothing useful to add, so I'll just come over to this thread and call Doc M a fatass. Then I'll sort of ask for information about the round, so it won't seem like such an obvious attempt at a cheapshot.)

I resemble that remark, by the way.

-M
 
Doc M said:
(Translation: I have nothing useful to add, so I'll just come over to this thread and call Doc M a fatass. Then I'll sort of ask for information about the round, so it won't seem like such an obvious attempt at a cheapshot.)

I resemble that remark, by the way.

-M
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Yes the ribbing was intended :p but wait until you see me! I know I got it coming too;)

Doc you are expending some serious time and effort here. There's gotta be a reason besides just a hobby. Can we bury the hatchet? I admit I'm an arse at the best of times and sometimes worse. That's just me.
 
JasonS said:
Yes the ribbing was intended :p but wait until you see me! I know I got it coming too;)

Doc you are expending some serious time and effort here. There's gotta be a reason besides just a hobby. Can we bury the hatchet? I admit I'm an arse at the best of times and sometimes worse. That's just me.
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Fair enough, truce called! :)

There's a lot of appeal to owning an AR15 upper that is one of two that I know about in Canada. The third (Suputin's) is similar-spec, but has a different barrel twist (1:8" on his, 1:10 on mine and the other one).

The cartridge also works with all the other existing 'bits' (mags, bolts, carriers) that fit in a 5.56 AR15. So it's a caliber change "on the cheap".

Loaded supersonic, it would pack a hell of a punch - with the terminal performance of a .30 caliber. Loaded subsonic, it's still loud as hell - but isn't nearly as loud or "flashy" as a shorty in 5.56. This makes it a joy to shoot, even if the ammo takes time and effort to make.

And, if the day ever does come when we can hunt with our AR15's, it's hard to imagine a better caliber than a .30 that works with all the mags you already own. I hope that day will eventually come... until then, it's a really neat "be the first one on your block to collect all four" kind of thing.

(Now, if only they came in cereal boxes like the other "collect four" trinkets...)

-M
 
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