Recent content by JimGnitecki

I have no problem reading the font size. If you choose a ballistic calculator that prints in a large font, you become restricted in the total range, and the increments in range, that can be displayed on ONE sheet of letter-size paper. Jim G

I use the Hornady ballistics software available on the Hornady website. I used to use the ballsitic sftware on a different website, but one day when going there I encountered a warning that the webssite was not safe. Evidently, it had been hacked. So, one of my reasons for staying with the...

Yes! I am guilty of this myself. The Forster works SO well that it gets cleaned only rarely because it never seems to screw up. It is refreshingly reliable and adjustment-free compared to my progressive presses. Jim G

Jmorris and others: THANK-YOU! I am SO glad I posted. I had never received the obviosuly much longer "user manual" that Jmorris linked to, with my press. I got a mUCH shorter version that did not even describe the proper disassembly and reasembly of the multi-layer "jaws system" that securess...

I've had my forster press for a few years now and had never noticed a screw, which I'll refer to here as a "securing screw", that is located on my Forster press, within the head, to the operator's left. You can see the screw just to the left of my micrometer seating die in this photo: That...

That IS impressive! And, particularly so when you do the math and see that the projectile has 149 ft lb of energy, and realize that many of the factory 9mm loads only have a bit over double of that! Now practical usage outside of your supressed squirrel hunting scenario is admittedly narrow. I...

I think that the onyl reason the powder efficiency of the 45-70 is not better than that of the 308 is the low percentage fill of the huge 45-70 case, which was designed to accept black powder versus smokeless. That makes that particular comparison invalid right from the get go. I WOULD suggest...

And, the worse the barrel life gets also. Jim G

You might ask yourself, WHY even ask this question, since it contains an obvious implied contradiction: The energy content of a bullet in effect measures the potential killing power of the bullet, assuming of course that the combination of weight, caliber, and bullet shape is appropriate for...

The 5744 has proven to be a GREAT choice. The standard deviations are single digit, with both cast and jacketed bullets, and primers look great, Jim G

Yes! That's why Hornady makes bullets with a Spitzer nose but the nose has a synthetic tip. That apparently provides the superior aerodynamics of a Spitzer shape but enables their use in the tubular magazines of lever action rifles. The synthetic nose is apparently good for hunting as well, as...

The low BCs for those 3 bullets you mentioned would make them hard to use at ranges of several hundred feet. A key attribute of the Campro Spitzer bullet I am trying is its superior BC compared to most bullets of comparable weight and size. Jim G

I read the same advice, but found that none of the 3 heavier bullets I tried (ranging from 474 to 500g), would group well from my rifle, AND had too much trajectory drop and too low a velocity to support shooting accurately at long ranges, AND apparently suffered transonic effects. Jim G

I have been posting about my Pedersoli Sharps replica .45-70 rifle’s accuracy which has hit a wall, despite repeated improvement efforts with 500g class bullets when fired at my 150 meters = 164 yards testing distance. The 150 meter testing range is NOT my ultimate planned target range. I want...

I have examined the BHN of the bullets both before and after powder coat baking. Evidently these large heavy 500g .458 caliber bullets don't get INTERNALLY very hot during the 20 minute powder baking cycle, because the BHN does not change. I tried using commercially made Hi-Tek bullets in .357...