The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

paxtond wrote:Hi guys

Just wondering how you lot load your ammo.

I've worked up a nice load that I'm happy with for next year.

My plan is to use the colder wetter months to sit at the bench and load close to 1000 rounds, so I can spend the nice days shooting and not have to worry about bullet.

Is there any problems doing this or am I better to load them in batches of 50 as I go.

Some advise would be great

Well, for me ammo is like food - I prefer it fresh. Anyway - I couldn't afford to have a £1000 tied-up in ammo! Also 'Meaty' has touched on the problem of 'cold welding'.

I remember Someone commenting on some 6,5x55 ammunition they had built with 140 grain SMKs. it was a few years old and he had found it by chance on a shelf and decided to shoot it in his M41B to reclaim the brass only to find it was probably the most accurate ammunition he had ever shot through the rifle. Last he heard he was going back through his notes to try and find out exactly how he had built it or had it simply 'improved' with age.

The Gun Pimp wrote:Also 'Meaty' has touched on the problem of 'cold welding'.

Does cold-welding actually happen over a period of less than 10 years? Are there documented cases?

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rox wrote:

The Gun Pimp wrote:Also 'Meaty' has touched on the problem of 'cold welding'.

Does cold-welding actually happen over a period of less than 10 years? Are there documented cases?

..

Yes - in my experience. I had a rifle to test a few years ago - a 308 and I had no ammo loaded but found a few rounds lying around. I tried to chamber a round but the bullet was seated out too long for this particular chamber. No problem - just knock 'em back a little.

I set the seating-die up, put a round in the shell-holder, pulled the lever and nothing happened. Took round out - checked press was working OK and tried again - this time I really swung on the lever and suddenly it went - and pushed the bullet back. I was still mystified - I'd heard of cold welding but never experienced it. Next, I tried to pull a bullet with a kinetic hammer - beat the hell out of it but it wouldn't shift. Finally it clicked with me what had happened. I'd say the rounds were less than five years old.

I did once witness (not my rifle) an extreme example with a 30-06 where the bullet ripped the neck off the case and the whole lot went up the barrel - imagine the pressure. We dug the bullet out of the backstop - complete with rifled brass neck still intact. I may still have it somewhere.

There could be less of a problem with factory ammo - it may be coated (inside the neck?) to prevent welding but with home-loads and squeaky-clean brass and bullets - beware!

My ammunition does not hang around long enough to worry about cold welding. Its to expensive to have it sitting in a cabinet on the off chance you might shoot it.

The Gun Pimp wrote:

rox wrote:

The Gun Pimp wrote:Also 'Meaty' has touched on the problem of 'cold welding'.

Does cold-welding actually happen over a period of less than 10 years? Are there documented cases?

..

I did once witness (not my rifle) an extreme example with a 30-06 where the bullet ripped the neck off the case and the whole lot went up the barrel - imagine the pressure. We dug the bullet out of the backstop - complete with rifled brass neck still intact. I may still have it somewhere.

Was this a hand-load? I seem to recall hearing of problems with some vintages of US military 30-06 due to some bad metallurgy that caused a weld, with the symptoms you describe where the bullet is found with the case neck still attached. Probably unlikely that any of these reached the UK though.

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..[/quote]

I did once witness (not my rifle) an extreme example with a 30-06 where the bullet ripped the neck off the case and the whole lot went up the barrel - imagine the pressure. We dug the bullet out of the backstop - complete with rifled brass neck still intact. I may still have it somewhere.[/quote]

Was this a hand-load? I seem to recall hearing of problems with some vintages of US military 30-06 due to some bad metallurgy that caused a weld, with the symptoms you describe where the bullet is found with the case neck still attached. Probably unlikely that any of these reached the UK though.

..[/quote]

Can't recall for sure - I'd guess it was probably mil.surp. It was many years ago but the picture of that rifled brass case-neck swaged to the bullet still sticks in my mind!