Handloads for your m305

Rocket Surgery said:
These are my favourite threads, especially the sub-MOA posts

I personally use federal primers and just about to load my brass for the 5th time.

edit: my 2nd favourite posts are the wts m305 ones (the long ones)
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Yes the one moa or better mostly Norinco M14 posts are always fun. I wonder why they never post pics with their claims :p
 
cr5 said:
Yes the one moa or better mostly Norinco M14 posts are always fun. I wonder why they never post pics with their claims :p
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2 MOA - ok, but I don't believe any post about a sub-MOA M305 - pics or otherwise. Those who make the claims might not be outright lying, but many don't understand how to calculate MOA, nor that cherry picking your best three shot group from the afternoon does not qualify.

For me, seeing would be believing, or hearing from a reliable witness (such as Tactical Teacher) would be believing.
 
Hitzy said:
Recommended brass IMHO for any autoloader, just remember it is thicker and reduce loads 2grs compared to commercial brass.
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have used IVI for 147 bullets. the heaviest brass that I've seen so far. no real data for IVI, 147 out there. would 41.5 of IMR 4895 be in the ball park?
 
Once I get the casting station set up at the new house, I'll be casting the lee 155gr spire point, powder coating, and loading a reduced load on D4064. I don't expect Sierra matching level accuracy, but I'll have complete loaded ammunition for 17¢ a round. I'll play with it and get it to where it's satisfactory for plinking at 100 and use it to introduce new shooters to a full size rifle.
 
Rossiter93 said:
Once I get the casting station set up at the new house, I'll be casting the lee 155gr spire point, powder coating, and loading a reduced load on D4064. I don't expect Sierra matching level accuracy, but I'll have complete loaded ammunition for 17¢ a round. I'll play with it and get it to where it's satisfactory for plinking at 100 and use it to introduce new shooters to a full size rifle.
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Very nice, I'm curious about the accuracy. I also wonder if your bolt will cycle. I watched a youtube video of a guy putting his powder coated bullets on an anvil and beating them with a hammer, he squashed a 9mm bullet down to a pancake, and the coating didn't separate. I wonder how hard you'll be able to push them before you need to back off your load. Google says that 2000-2200 fps is the sweet spot, not because your coating separates, but because the groups open way up once you go faster.

35 grains of imr3031 should put you right in that spot, but you're looking at less than 30k PSI, which may not cycle that bolt.

If you're new to handloading for this platform, just remember that most chambers have generous headspace. This allows you to neck size your brass though, so you can fireform and then reload 4-5 times before needing to FL again. I've done this many times using a LEE collet die and federal brass, after a few loadings I check the inside of the casing for any signs of separation (cracks).
 
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DaveMachine said:
168 SMK
41.5GR IMR 4895

Roughly 1.5" @ 100 yd.
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That's a really good load, I've had similar results. The 150 grain hornady interlock (which is cheaper) gave the same 1.5" grouping.

I had an old shorty m305 which I used to load RL15 and 150g interlocks, I found that load to be more consistent. Varget was great as well, sometimes as low as 1.2" on a 5 round group. After thousands of rounds down the barrel on that rifle, the op rod still hasn't 'bent'. On the same note, there's a guy where I live who has shot more than 8000 rounds of 180g federal ammo through his m305 and his op rod hasn't bent either.
 
Rocket Surgery said:
Very nice, I'm curious about the accuracy. I also wonder if your bolt will cycle. I watched a youtube video of a guy putting his powder coated bullets on an anvil and beating them with a hammer, he squashed a 9mm bullet down to a pancake, and the coating didn't separate. I wonder how hard you'll be able to push them before you need to back off your load. Google says that 2000-2200 fps is the sweet spot, not because your coating separates, but because the groups open way up once you go faster.

35 grains of imr3031 should put you right in that spot, but you're looking at less than 30k PSI, which may not cycle that bolt.

If you're new to handloading for this platform, just remember that most chambers have generous headspace. This allows you to neck size your brass though, so you can fireform and then reload 4-5 times before needing to FL again. I've done this many times using a LEE collet die and federal brass, after a few loadings I check the inside of the casing for any signs of separation (cracks).
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There is a huuuuge thread on the castboolits forum about loading cast for the M14/M1A. While 4064 powder wasn't the very best loading, I can get D4064 for 5lbs/129.99+tax and shipping. I won't be gas checking either! I plan on water quenching from the mold for maximum hardness, and quenching again right out of the powder coat oven to make sure I have minimal BHN loss from the oven temp. I've seen a similar process work well for cast/no GC in a .223 AR15, so I'm hoping it will work here as well. I run powdercoated ammo through my .45acp 1911 and my .45 Colt 1873 clone. Hoping to move over to cast & PC'd completely, aside from hunting loads.
 
1-trident-1 said:
have used IVI for 147 bullets. the heaviest brass that I've seen so far. no real data for IVI, 147 out there. would 41.5 of IMR 4895 be in the ball park?
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C21 ball load is 45.7gr of WC846. Match ammo (175gr) used 44gr of WC846 or 42gr of IMR 4895. Both load are listed to have a chamber pressure of 50,000 psi and post pressure of 12,500 psi. Both ammo are loaded at 2.8''
 
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