Kansas 2020 AAR

[kansas]

Well, I have been AWOL !!!
But I haven't been dead.
My shooting for 2020 was doing well in Q1 less well in Q2 and even less well in Q3 from a frequency perspective (goal is daily). But real life intervenes in the summer for sure between cows and hay and day job etc.
But now its Q4 so time to get back to work, still a few weeks for cattle and hay and alfalfa planting, but today is the first day of the rest of my life, so I am going shooting today !

And there's my summary for the year so far. I specifically wanted to FORCE myself to shoot prone more this year and I am up to 38% anyway.

The key learning for this year was AMMO MATTERS. I've got a load with 44gr of varget and 175gr SMK which is a "node" for both one of my rifles and my #1 shootin' buddies rifles and we are both consistently under 0.5 iphy at 100yds with that load ... so that's improved over prior data point of 0.75 iphy like I was at when I was up in huron.

I'm trying to work on a 155 SMK (#2156) load. I got a new barrel reamed for 155 and am hoping I can find a node for that barrel with the 155gr. I did find nodes with CFE223 but the SD was still pretty high (10-15) ... so I finally acquired some 8202 hoping that is a little less sensitive to temps.

I finally solved my military brass primer pocket issues with "uniformers" for both the 308 and 556 brass. Now, finally, priming is easy like everyone was saying it was.

My current reloading area is trying to make sure I get the sizer correct for my headspace ... I'm still noddling in that area right now. I know its close, but it is close enuff ?

And do I need a 233 bolt gun to load develop for my stoner rifles ? I'm using the "sticky bolt lift" to see if I'm getting close to over pressure for the bolt guns, but don't have that with the stoners.

My love affair with bolt guns which started in 2018 still isn't over and I'm thinking about two more for next year. Both long actions ... one will be my first "huntin'" rifle ... though I want to be able to swap out the lighter barrel for a heavier barrel when I'm not hunting.
And then other will be an LA 308 though want to be able to swap out bolt and barrel to make it a second .300WM if needed.

Then for my SA actions, one will stay as a 308 then other I want to change barrel and bolt to make it a 223 though want ability to switch back to 308 if needed.

I think I'll either stick with REM700 actions, or switch to defiance actions. They are 100% rem clones, but can swap barrels and retain headspace (if same torque is used) and have pins for their scope bases. They also have a skeletonized version, though I wonder about skeletonizing the recoil lug. So still cogitating on all that.

Right now I've paired down to six active centerfire rifles and carbines

two 308 bolt guns with criterion barrels (20 and 22) rem700 sa actions and bravo chassis .. NF and L&S scopes and a UTC and UTCx thermal clipon for these.

two PRI mk12s 556 with NF and VO scopes and douglas barrels and two PVS-9 NV clipons for these

two 556 (10 inch barrel) carbines with eotech, steiner ir-laser, luna elir-3 illum

And that's it !