Rat Rodeo Preps

[Rick in Oregon]

Well, seeing as the forum seems to need a bit of a boost, I'll check in and yak about getting ready for the annual Rat Rodeo in the Orygun outback this year. The crew is all loading up ammo, getting trailers ready to come out of winter hibernation, and getting rifles and handguns staged early.

Seems we all like pics in posts, so this one will be pic heavy showing some bench preparations. A shot of the bench yesterday doing final bullet seating of my last 100 20VT cases. All 204R ammo is loaded, 800 rnds for each rifle. I've found it to be best to load in batches of 100 rounds to avoid burnout on repetition of more than 100 cases at a time. All these cases were neck turned and annealed after forming, all primer pockets uniformed, VLD chamfer tool used for ease of seating flat-base bullets, and neck sized only to prevent working the brass needlessly and to keep all the cases headspace/shoulder datum consistent.



When doing these 100 round lots, I always check for TIR with my Holland concentricity tool to make sure all is right with the world. This batch of 20VT and my last batch of 204R all showed TIR to be .0005" to .001". Using the excellent Redding Comp Seater Die sure makes a difference in this regard.



And to ensure a perfect minimum but safe bullet to neck clearance factor for maximum accuracy, a chamber cast is taken with CeroSafe to tell exactly what the neck clearance should be. I like to run my varmint ammo at .001" to .002" clearance.



So now we're counting the days to deployment and "fun with rodents". There's nothing to compare with having a wicked accurate rifle on the bench, precision handloaded ammo at the ready, sunshine and good friends to share the fun, with a target-rich environment to do it all in.



And having friendly landowners who have depredation problems with the squirrels that allow us to park our trailers on ranch property hooked to both water and power is just icing on the proverbial cake.



Shoot rats all day, evening rifle cleaning with the crew, BBQ (bring your best show-off 1911), then 'guy movies' like John Wick in the evenings on a trailer widescreen with the appropriate adult beverages and snacks. Get up the next day and do it all over again. Life is good....for us that is, not so much for the squirrels.

With the promise of spring not too far off, I'd imagine others here are preparing for the upcoming varmint season with their 204's and other 'worthy' varmint caliber rifles. It's an exciting time for guys who thrive on spending time behind an accurate rifle in the rat patch. Who doesn't enjoy launching a big fat squirrel or prairie dog with their 204?



Here's wishing all here a great 2014 varmint season. It's been said before, and I'll say it again......"It's the most fun you can have with a rifle!"

[Tom Kat]

In that second picture is that device used to measure run out?

[Rick in Oregon]

In that second picture is that device used to measure run out?

Yes Tom.
In machine shop parlance, it's called TIR or "Total Indicated Runout".

I actually found my old RCBS Rockchucker from 1969 was giving me TIR readings of .006"+ using standard dies. It was literally worn out....quite a feat for something built rock-solid out of cast iron, but things wear over time. Once I replaced my press with a new Redding Ultra Mag press and started using all the tricks learned in the machine shop over the years and Redding Comp seating dies, my ammo now runs TIR of .0005" to seldom over .001".

The results on the target show it really makes a difference. Now groups in the 1/4" range is more the norm from most of my rat rifles. Many shooters chase those tiny groups, never knowing it's not the rifle or load, but excessive TIR in their handloads. The tool is a good thing to have if ultimate rifle accuracy is the goal.

[Tom Kat]

15 years ago my Uncle, who was a machinist by trade, measured some of my loads done on my Rockchucker. They were all .005 or less.

He explained runout to me at the time. I really miss him, he was a great teacher and mentor to me.
I have never regretted buying that Rockchucker.

[Rick in Oregon]

15 years ago my Uncle, who was a machinist by trade, measured some of my loads done on my Rockchucker. They were all .005 or less.

He explained runout to me at the time. I really miss him, he was a great teacher and mentor to me.
I have never regretted buying that Rockchucker.

Tom, having a TIR of .005" is nothing to write home about. If you can get less than .003", you're headed in the right direction. Less would be much better. You should not rely on your uncle for this, I'd suggest getting the correct tool(s) and do it yourself.

And IRT my old Rockchucker, please note that I was not trash-talking that press. Far from it, as it loaded everything from .338 elk loads to 17 Mach IV in the 40 years I used it. The thing just got worn out over the decades, and I replaced it with the Redding press that's built even more robustly. I still have fond memories of that old Rockchucker that served me well for all those years, forming and loading over 500,000 rounds. And Big Green has one of the best CS in the industry. No foul here.

[MTPaul]

I, like many others who are still firmly locked in winter's grasp, am also looking forward to the start of the rat/PD flying season. For e.g., I plowed 5 inches of fresh snow this morning and we have over 18 inches on the flat and level ground. My recently acquired Cooper model 21 in 204R is awaiting the arrival of a Leupold VX-3HD scope (not in stock at the moment). While I have yet to be bitten by the hand reloading bug for several reasons, I am in the process of making preparations for the start of the season. Once the scope is in my hands and is mounted, I will begin sorting out which ammunition brand and grain weight provides the best accuracy with this rifle. I have seven different brands of ammo ranging from 32 grains to 36 grains. Since this barrel is a 1:12 twist, I have purposefully kept the grain weights to under 40gr. Once I have determined which brand(s) of ammunition the rifle prefers I will then begin acquiring enough to get me through the season. My other rifles are awaiting a final range day to verify they are locked and loaded and ready for some red misting. Pictures will soon follow...

Champing at the bit?? darn right I am!!

[Rick in Oregon]

Champing at the bit?? darn right I am!!

HA! You're not the only one chomping at the bit there, Paul. My crew is all fired up, and deployment is still quite a ways off, but the excitement level is high.

With all you put forth above, and considering the cost of factory ammo, handloading for rats or PD's make much sense. Consider in one morning in a hot rat patch, it's entirely possible to shoot 200 rounds....just in the morning. The afternoon shooting can be and usually is even better. Consider the cost of say, 500 rounds of factory ammo for a couple of days of good shooting.

Not even considering the cost of factory ammo, custom handloaded ammo tailored to your specific rifle will give you more accuracy than any factory load you could ever find. Even with today's inflated price of components, it's still much better in all regards. Give handloading a strong consideration for next season. You'll be back here saying "we were right".

[Tom Kat]

One thing at a time, money wise...I am getting my FA Case trimmer tomorrow and I ordered a new trolling motor and fish finder this morning. But I will put it on my list...

[skipper]

Rick, you know how much we love your Rat Rodeo pics every year.

[Jim White]

Regarding TIR, many years back I was having TIR issues. On the fired case, the TIR was good, after resizing, it was really outside the max of .003 like .007 and greater.

The culprit was the pins in the press.

[MTPaul]

Rick. I hear you. There is no doubt in my feeble yet still functioning little mind that you would be absolutely correct in saying "custom handloaded ammo tailored to your specific rifle will give you more accuracy than any factory load you could ever find." And should I eventually go down that road I will be more than willing to eat a little crow as I readily admit...yep...you were right. I'm just not quite there yet, as I already have more than my fair share of irons in the fire and adding one more might just mean something else has to go. Judging by my past OCD type tendencies I know where it would lead and while the end results (improvements in accuracy over factory ammunition plus the satisfaction it would also bring) would no doubt justify the means, I'm just not quite ready to take that step today...sometime in the future perhaps, just not today.

Believe me, when and if I finally come to my senses and begin to ponder collecting the necessary reloading components to satisfy my desires, I know who I'll be reaching out to for guidance and advice to help me navigate the myriad of options available.

[Rick in Oregon]

Paul....."all things come in time, Grasshopper".

I read you, understand. Getting started can be daunting in terms of equipment and components. I'll admit my journey really started when I got "back to the World" in 1968, but started long before as a young'un with my dad teaching me the basics. My first mule deer I killed when I was 12 was shot with a .270 Win round I put together myself. We owned and ran a hunting lodge in central British Columbia, and rifles were an integral part of our lives. I fully realize not everyone has an introduction to handloading at so tender an age, and I consider myself fortunate to have had a mentor like my dad during that formative time of my life.

When you're ready and willing, you have a group here that will try to steer you in the right direction. Just let us know if/when you're ready to get underway.

[SecretCode]

MTPaul, preparation can start at the first pull of the trigger on that new rifle. Especially after you've found a factory load it likes. Stockpile what you can and shoot it up at your intended targets and Save That Fireformed Brass!