super-tac

[harytaint]

I am starting my 10 day wait period on my super-tac that i ordered 5 months ago. This is lame man that I still have to wait more time. Anyway Les Baer reccomended that I use american eagle 230 gr ball ammo to break it in. I reload and dont see why if maybe it wont cycle my lighter target loads yet that I cant load up some more powerful ammo. What do you guys think and what have you done to break in yours?
I'd hate to spend a 100 bucks on 500 hundered rounds when I can make a 1000 for about 70 bucks. If i find a load that will cycle in it until its time for first take down when i can go to a lighter spring i dont see a probelm with shooting hoter reloads. Hell it might just cycle what i reload now, i'll try it i suppose. I use 4.4 grain bullseye under 230 grain LRN. They work fine in my TRP but its not nearly as tight.
Give me some feedback guys.

[lito1911]

Not exactly the same thing, but I just received my Les Baer Hardball. I have shot my 1st 100 rounds of 185 grain PMC, and then, tried out a 2nd set of 100 rounds of reloaded 185 grain Nosler JHP using 4.6 grains of Alliant Bullseye. Very good loads and with a solid hold, the recoil was lighter than the factory PMC loads.

You should be able to shoot 185 grains on your Super-Tac. Recommend trying a few rounds before going all out on the reloads.

Lito

[harytaint]

thats a good idea. So maybe get like 100-200 rounds factory stuff to start with then switch to me reloads for the remainder of the break in? That would save me a lot of money on factory ammo.
I dont shoot 185 grn bullets. I shoot all 230 gr ball ammo since that is what it was meant for. Thats irrelevant in this case but I think you have a good point with at least starting a little bit on factory stuff first.
My loads that I use are with the 230 gr lead RN over 4.4 grains bullseye. I used 4.2 gr in the last batch but figured i would try a bit hotter to get ready for baer thats coming in. My SA TRP handles this load nicely with noticably less recoil than the factory jacketed 230 gr Rn stuff. I'll just have to try it out and see, if it james to hell then ill go hotter for the break in.
I already bought a sprinco recoil reducer and 16 lb recoil spring to install after break in. This device not only sucks up a ton of recoil but saves the gun from the slide and frame slamming abuse. The stock spring is 18.5 so this 16 lb one should handle the lighter target loads.

[lito1911]

Yeah, starting with a factory load on the first 100 rounds should be good. When I got mine from the dealer, the frame-to-slide fit was TIGHT!!!!! I mean, I could not rack the slide and the dealer had to show me how to do it. He said, for the Hardball, break it with 500 rounds and don't even think about disassembling it before then.

The factory load of 100 rounds, and later, 100 rounds of reloads has helped also in the break-in. Now, when I dry fire, I can rack fairly easy. Still a little tight, but that is good.

You may, on your reloads, have to go a little hot, but over time (500-1000 rounds later), you could try lightening up the load, if you wish. For me, I will probably stick to the 4.6 grains of BE.

BTW, what is your favorite hardball reloads? Gotta start practice on leg matches during the winter season.

Thanks.
Lito

[harytaint]

well like I said I only shoot 230 grn LRN and for no good reason have stuck with bullseye since its the first powder I ever used.
I have loaded a lot at 4.2 grains BE and they worked fine. I recently tried a batch of moly coated bullets which I think is a gimmic but none the less I tried dialing in some new loads. I loaded 20 at 4.4 gr BE and 20 at 4.6 gr BE. I benched the gun and shot at 25 yrds trying to see a difference in the 2. I actually shot better groups and kept a closer group in the balck rings with the 4.4 gr powder wt. Now it could have been me but for no noticable difference I figured I would split the road between my lightest load and my heaviest and stick with 4.4 gr BE.

When I shoot factory loads I notice a crap load more kick but I think maybe I will try to shoot a mag benched at 25 yrds today to see if they are any better. Someone left a box of remington 230 gr ball ammo at the range is the onyl reason I have some factory stuff, lol.

In my opinion any hotter loads are for show off or for other purposes, I dont need 5 grns under the bullet to punch paper and the bullet is not going to drop much less at 25 yrds even if it is a hotter round.

My new dillema is going to be trying swaged bullets to see how they perform since i still get leasding form moly coated bullets. I figure if swaged are supposed to be more uniform and better quality/accruacy then if they do lead up some at least there will be some benefit to them.

What loads do you like? Why do you use suck a light load? I bet it would probably be me more accurate since it can be at higher velocities right? Like I said I am just stuck in a rut with maintainin what the gun was designed for. They way I see it if what you load in it at night time is 230 grn ball or hollows then why practice with something that performs so much different.

[Pete Nester]

Just as a thought - perhaps the man that made the gun has some wisdom or knowledged that he would be willing to share with you for the break in and care of your gun. He did for me with my Bullseye Wadcutter when I choked on the thought of using & buying 1000 rounds of Federal Gold Match for break in.

Call or email Les Baer for his suggestions before you ask someone with a brand X gun how they think you should do things to his gun. The thought of making your reloads hotter (because someone thought this would work) before completing break in may just break your gun in the wrong way.

[harytaint]

True that Les Baer has great suggestions, but its not the only way. They told me to use american eagle, well it was 3 bucks more per 50 at the store today so I got mag-tech, no difference in that. They also said the only reason to use factory is to be sure that the gun will have less malfunctions during the break in, not that reloads were bad.
Perhaps when fully read, I previously stated that upon calling Les Baer I explained that I use lighter target loads currently. They suggested that my reloads probably wouldnt cycle in such a brand new tight gun and therefore try factory ammo until I can take it down to install a lighter spring. The point is that either I buy all factory rounds and waste lots of money as you did or I might need to work them up until they cycle properly. Not in the same respect that "hot" means a dbl charged bullet. I think that is funny that you bought expensive ammo for range stuff, lol. I would choke as well having bought that much ammo at such a high price. Thats the whole reason I got into reloading. For what you paid on those I could have made 2000 bullets.
Hey pete do you reload?

[lito1911]

Yeah, I was recommended with the light load from folks who shoot bullseye. At 25 yards, using strong hand only, with 5 rounds to fire in 10 seconds, you need shoot well with preferably a fairly lighter load which your gun can cycle safely.

I am going to try the same load at 50 yards, but I may need to go a little hotter. We will see.

Lito

[harytaint]

Just some FYI, I jsut got off the phone with LB and they said the only reason they tell cusotmers to use "factory" ammo for break in is because most of them do not reload. As i stated before they agreed the only draw back is finding a load that will cylce the gun the best. Another reason they suggest factory is because that is what the gun was tested with. There is no reason of not making a good reload that will do the same. Just like the moron around that think they have to buy deffensive ammo because their reloads for some reason are not as good. In which case they shouldnt be reloading in the first place.
Sorry buddy that you bought 1000 rounds of factory with out understanding what infact reloading entails. Its higher qaulity than anything you can buy since each bullet I make is hand made, tuned, and inspected, not run down an assymbly line and boxed.