AusVarmint

Hey all did one of hopefully my last ammo runs today. I got some of my usual 50gnHP american eagle ammo and though I would also give these winchesters a go. Not really a fan of bullets lighter than 50gn in the .223s for the longer range stuff but thought bugger it why not if nothing I can blow up rabbits at shorter range and keep the brass.

This stuff has a different style of hollow point that I am familiar with as it looks like the jacket has been folded into a point in a fashion similar to the way a shotgun shell is closed up. My ammo bloke said this stuff used to be spectacular in 22-250s and he said something like "starfire" is what they used to call them. He could not say if they would shoot as well as the stuff I am using now (I got a cloverleaf yesterday from 130m of the shooting rail!).

Well got them out on the practice target I have (thick steel plate about 30x30cm) and well to about 170-200m, the trajectory is not that different from the AE stuff but any further forget it! I got a couple to hit the plate but the impact was so lacking guts it just took the paint off it! I hang this plate between 2 steel fencing posts and a couple hit 1 of them and they only dinted it. Same range the AE still punches a good crater and goes stright through the post. Might be OK at rabbits but foxes I reckon they would be still kickin with these things. I have not used them on anything that bleed yet I was just checking how they shot and if the drop was anything too different to what I am used to. I don't think I will be switching to them. They are not as good as the AE and are a bit dearer. Bring on a reloader! Got some prices on the Lee 50th anniversary kit today and will hopefully be getting one in a month or so.

Anybody else use them? What are you thoughts?

Well got to try them out early tonight and while they do a good job on foxes I would not be rushing to buy them before the AE stuff. Did shoot rabbit a close range and there wasn't much left but the 2 foxes I got were no more blown to bits as usual and the one out at 250m that would have been a regulation shot was a missed one. No clue whether it dropped short or not but it was missed. Did get a head shot on anouther one and a solid chest shot on another. Both were within 120m head was very mushy!

My howa .223 loved them used them on everything from rabbits to goats would shoot them into 10c piece at 100m never used anything else.

doidge5781 wrote:My howa .223 loved them used them on everything from rabbits to goats would shoot them into 10c piece at 100m never used anything else.

How much were you buying them for? $1 a pop for me and that's .25c a pop more expensive than my usual. They shoot ok no doubt but not enough to justify a change.

save your money and buy a good kit.

trevort wrote:save your money and buy a good kit.

$300 for a Lee 50th anniversary kit with delux dies for .223 and pullet puller...fair price? Ordered it last night. Now gotta figure out where to put it and get started.

Let me know how you go with the reloading kit mate. I have also been looking at them and I'm so bloody confused what to buy and lee is within my budget. I have been told to go green but there's a hell of a price differance. I know if you pay well you will receive a quality product but lee have been in the game for a hell of a long time and makes me wonder.

The bloke where I get my ammo from has one and he is happy with it. He uses it to change bullets in 22-250 ammo he buys in bulk. For my needs I think it will be fine. Spending 500+ on a kit would take me a few years to pay off. Maybe if I was competing and after the best ammo I could get but I think that the difference would not be noticed for hunting.

well you asked our thoughts, cheap crap. busted my press twice, mate broke the handle off the auto prime. sure, you can make half decent ammo with them but they are the entry level when you cant afford better and if you get into it, then you upgrade and you wasted your money on the cheap crap

Well atm trevort that is about all I can afford. So it will have to do.

ok, so i cant talk you out of it, best make the best of it.

The handle threads thru 2 holes on the housing. If you read the instructions, it says, dont size if the handle is not thru both. problem (now I admit I am a clutz) was that i couldnt find anything that actually locked the handle in and the first time i noticed it had come loose from the bottom hole was when it sheared through the casting at the top on the down stroke. Welder said the alloy was cheap crap but was able to fix it (and again the next time) ended up wrapping duct tape round the bottom of the handle to stop it sliding thru. So watch out for that one!
Dont like their dies, no lock ring for a start to fix the depth but if you pm an address I can send you a couple of forster lock rings that shold fit. once you have sizing and seating depth set tighten up the lock ring and you can take the die in and out of the press to the same point without having to measure the settings again

Out of interest trev, what would you suggest for a beginer? thats not to slow. Is there one particular package you can pick or do you have to mix and match?

I'll PM you after I type this. What were you sizing to break it trev?

Um I was looking at one yesterday(breech lock like I am getting) and they did have a collar that locked into a detent to provide a set point. That's the way he explained it anyway. Are the ring you are talking about the same thing?

BTW he could have sold me other brands. He just thinks it will be fine and all I need. I was supposed to pick up another reloader(also a lee but loaded a few thousand loads) but that fell through. Just sick of looking for a second hand one that I can actually get around to picking up.

If I do find another type of press later on there is nothing to say that the lee press could not be set asside for either bullet seating or sold off.

Bugger

Double bugger !