New Member from Canada

[Oldgunnut]

Long time watcher, first time poster.

I'm located in The Great White North [Canada] in the bush country [Canadian Shield] of Eastern Manitoba. I've been a shooter since Dad taught me many decades ago, but got serious after I left the Army almost 50 years ago. I've been a handloader for 45 years and a caster for almost that long. While I do not do much hunting any more, I still enjoy getting out to the range once a week when there's no white stuff [snow] on the ground. I am both the Secretary of one of the ranges I belong to, as well as a member of the range just outside of the village where I reside. While I own a number [some might posit too many!] of Mauser & Enfield sporting rifles, Ruger #1's in a lot of different chamberings, as well as a somewhat eclectic mix [Side by Sides as well as Over & Unders] of 12 bore doubles, I especially enjoy my Rook rifles. While I have owned different types [falling block, break-open & side-lever] in the past, I now concentrate on the baby Martini types & enjoy my Westley Richards in .298 Min.Ex. and my Army & Navy in .300 Rook. I'm not sure what other information I should include.

 

[bullet chucker]

You have pretty much included everything! Welcome to the site.

BC.

 

[Mike1979]

Welcome from Mid Wales

 

[Oldgunnut]

Don't know if I'm supposed to respond to my own post, so apologies if this goes against site protocol, or if it should be a separate / new post..

Anyways, I just got back from the range & am somewhat disappointed in the A&N .300 Rook. I was unable to locate any of the bullet strikes on the paper targets [8.5"x11"], notwithstanding the bullets' "Thwack" against the OSB [Oriented Strand Board; a cheap imitation of plywood] backer was louder than the sound of the cartridge firing. I loaded up 5 groups of 5 cartridges [2 with different weights of Alliant Unique, 1 with Vihtavuouri 3N38 & 2 with different weights of Nobel Magnum 6 shotgun powder [near as I can tell, this old powder, of which I have a life-time supply, duplicates Reload Suisse RS24 / Somchem S221], and has worked quite well in my .298 Min.Ex. Rook rifle], all with the bullet I designed & had made by Accurate Moulds many years ago [78 gr. BRTORNFPPBTL; apologies if the abbreviation is not well understood on the "Other Side of The Pond"]. It is found here: Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds. [No relation other than a long-time multiple purchase client]. Guess I'll have to bring the butcher paper roll for target backing next time I go out. What perturbs me is that those loads showed promise in the last 2 Rook rifles in .300/.295 I owned.

For what it's worth [for the neophytes who are just experiencing the joys of shooting a century-old, or more, Rook rifle, from what I've learned thus far for the dozen or so Rook rifles I've been the caretaker of:
Brass MUST be sized each time, to ensure easy chambering, especially in century old+ barrels, which have been subjected to the rigours of cordite / neonite, &c.;
Bertram Brass cases must be annealed prior to 1st use;
Cartridges must be crimped, both to ensure proper burning of the powder, as well as to ensure the cartridge will chamber;
The loaded cartridge must duplicate, insofar as possible, both the original muzzle velocity, as well as the original bullet weight [I design my moulds for hunting, so the bullets I design & use [I try for a meplat of ~75%] do not follow the trajectory of the original Eley / Kynoch bullets over the sights, so I concentrate on only the 50 yd. sight & try to remember the POI for the bullet when using the 100 yd. leaf.
I cannot speak to lube, as the only one I've ever used, in any of my cast bullet loads for rifle or handgun cartridges, albeit in rifles, is XLOX, a mixture consisting of 45% Liquid Alox, 45% Johnson's paste wax [melted to elminate the VOC's] & 10% Varsol [not sure what it's called over there; it's essentially Mineral Spirits]. Again, sorry if I'm not supposed to put a link here, but this is where I get mine [45-45-10/Deluxe Liquid Xlox – 32oz Bottle Liquid Alox tumble lube [] - $26.53 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce]. Thus far, it has not been a problem getting it shipped to Canada from the US. Mind, the last time I ordered a few years ago, I ordered 5 jugs, to cut down on the shipping. After 5 years, I recently finished the 1st jug!

 

[akaShag]

Hello there Oldgunnut! I rather suspect we know each other from another gun board, and you were very helpful with data for my 6 x 62 Freres...............

Doug

 

[Oldgunnut]

Doug:

Methinks you are correct.



Jim