Bridging powder pissing me off.

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Mountain Doctor	Bridging powder pissing me off.	Lead	[-]
Posts: 3892 (10/29/09 11:42 AM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Varget in 5.56 NATO. Lubed cases with spray on lube. I think the lube is sticking to the stick powder and causing the bridging which spills all over my press and bench, aggravating me to no end. I have an (ex) wife to do that, I don't need it in my reloading room too. Suggestions for another powder? A ball powder perhaps? Maybe lube/size/deprime the cases, thenn clean off the lube, then run them through the other steps? Don't know.
tbone		#1	[-]
Posts: 11 (10/29/09 04:54 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I hesitate to reply because the answerr seems so obvious I think I must have missed something,but.........Olin 748. Great stuff. I used to use IMR 3031 because it was so versitle,but it was a pain to use. Switched to 748 and will never go back. http://www.wwpowder.com/rifle.html.
John Moses		#2	[-]
Posts: 247 (10/29/09 05:01 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Think ball powder Doc. I have 8 lbs of AA 2230, which I am going to work up a load for one of these days. (cheapest I could find per round). Have used H335 for accuracy loads as well. In the meantime, Dr John DRS, prescribes a cold beer to calm down. Oh, I also tumble my cases after lubing. PITA, 'specially those flash holes.
Mountain Doctor		#3	[-]
Posts: 3896 (10/29/09 05:58 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'll switch to a ball powder. I still have 2 pounds of Varget. I can probably use that up in other calibers. Is it good for .303? 30-06? Do you think the case lube is maybe making it worse? I guess I'm not the first one with this frustration. Dr. John DRS, it looks like we may have gone to the same medical school. I had the same idea! I have 8 lbs of Winchester 760 and that stuff flows great, but I don't think it's made for 5.56.
Parashooter		#4	[-]
Posts: 1717 (10/29/09 07:08 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Stop putting/leaving liquid lube inside the case necks and the bridging problem may disappear. Try dry lube in the necks.
doug henry		#5	[-]
Posts: 1863 (10/29/09 07:09 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It it's still available BL-C2 (ball) pull down US powder was made for and workes well in 7.62 NATO, 30-06 and simular sized cases. I've used in these and 7.5 MAS, 6.5 Carcano and 7.5 Jap with good results.
John Moses		#6	[-]
Posts: 249 (10/29/09 08:28 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Doc You'll have no trouble using up your Varget. I use it a lot in my field loads from 22-250 to 30-06. I like the temperature stable thing. Its 'Doctor of Redneck Stuff'. Hope there's not a real DRS I stepped on.
Colin		#7	[-]
Posts: 2066 (10/30/09 12:18 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I lube with the RCBS water-soluble lube, then wash the cases after sizing. In the desert sun here, they dry in a few hours. I've heard Varget is the powder all the high power match shooters use in their 5.56s, so it must be doing something right..
Mountain Doctor		#8	[-]
Posts: 3900 (10/30/09 04:19 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	No worries Dr. John :-) I'll resize/decap then wash cases and try again.
RLMbassist		#9	[-]
Posts: 217 (10/30/09 05:32 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Are you saying that powder is sticking in the inside of the neck where lube has remained? If so, ball powder is going to stick worse I think. After sizing your cases, run them thru a tumbler. All the lube and general case funk will go away and you cases will look like new. Wife got me a case tumbler for Christmas 4 years ago & I don't know how I did without it.
390ish		#10	[-]
Posts: 49 (10/31/09 01:02 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	running the cases through the tumbler is the way to go after sizing. i never have been much on lubing case neck interiors. i have a set of 7x57 dies that require it for some reason, or i get a bad donut at the base of the neck. varget is good. i really like h-335 for 55 grainers in the ar-15. i think i use varget and aa2250 surplus for the heavier stuff. varget is pretty close to a perfect powder. i get best results with 50-55 grain bullets with benchmark powder.
Mountain Doctor		#11	[-]
Posts: 3913 (11/01/09 10:54 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	RLMbassist wrote: Are you saying that powder is sticking in the inside of the neck where lube has remained? If so, ball powder is going to stick worse I think. After sizing your cases, run them thru a tumbler. All the lube and general case funk will go away and you cases will look like new. Wife got me a case tumbler for Christmas 4 years ago & I don't know how I did without it. That was the ticket. the last 3-400 or so loaded without a hitch. Thanks guys!