• Small Base Sizer Die
• Case Gage

Up to this point, I’ve been shooting factory ammo through my recently acquired Windham Weaponry 308 caliber AR. (My favorite btw is PRVI Partisan). I love this gun. I added a Precision Armament M4-72 Severe Duty Muzzle Brake and a Limbsaver Recoil Pad and now I can shoot it all day.

Time to start reloading all this spent brass I’m connecting.

I suspected I would need a Small Base Sizer Die, but I decided to resize a few cases with my RCBS Full Length Size Die – the same die I use for reloads I shoot in my Remington 700 and HK-91. In my Windham Weaponry AR however, the bolt carrier would not go into full battery. I ordered the RCBS Small Base Sizer die and it did the trick. I kept screwing the die into the press until a sized case would slip all the way into my Dillon 308 case gauge. Dropping the case into the chamber then, the bolt carrier WOULD go into full battery.

The next step is to load of a few rounds and make sure that they feed, fire, and eject properly.

I’ve been having too many episodes of loose primer pockets. I’ve started using calipers to measure the diameter of each primer pocket as I process my .223 and .308 brass but it is a tedious job. The Ballistic Tools Swage Gage has solved the problem.

Ballistic Tools makes two versions of the Swage Gage, one for small primer pockets and one for large primer pockets. $19.99 gets you both of them.  I used it this morning on a pile of .308 brass and quickly separated the pile into three groups:

• Brass that needs the primer pockets swaged/reamed
• Brass that is just fine
• Brass whose primer pockets is too large.

It does add an extra step, but it’s a whole lot better than having a FTF due to the primer falling out.

When the 597 first came out, it had a reputation for jamming.  Remington switched from plastic mags to metal and solved the problem. I’ve put ten rounds each of Remington Thunderbolt and CCI Stinger through it with no problems.  Talking to a couple other 597 owners and they say that it will eat any ammo you put through it.

In my hands, the 597 feels similar to my Remington 700.

I’m really pleased with my new man cave.  At the old Phoenix house my Hornady LnL AP reloading press had to live in the garage (which made reloading during Phoenix summers unbearable).  Here in the new house however, my man cave is large enough that I built an 8-foot bench along one wall and mounted the reloading press on it. The bench serves multiple purposes and therefore was designed to be at the standard keyboard height (28 inches)  That would put the Hornady LnL AP at a height too low for comfort.

I’d read about Inline Fabrication’s Quick Change Press Mounting System and decided to give it a try.  The bottom line is that it is fantastic. The press is now at a comfortable working height, either when I am sitting or standing.  It is a much more solid mount for the press than simply bolting the press directly to the bench as I did at the old Phoenix house.  And as you can see in the photo, it has allowed me to mount the press so that it does not overhang the front edge of the bench.

I’m very pleased and I highly recommend this setup.  In fact I was so pleased that I added some additional Inline Fabrication accessories:

Second Top Plate For My RCBS Rock Chucker

My old RCBS Rock Chucker still gets some occasional use.  Instead of drilling more holes in the bench, I ordered a second top plate drilled specifically for the Rock Chucker. Inline Fabrication offers top plates in versions for almost every press made.  Swapping between presses is as simple as loosening two wing nuts.

Ergonomic Roller Handle

The Ergonomic Roller Handle replaces the stock Hornady lever. I was initially skeptical about this one, but it has turned out to be a vast improvement over the stock straight handle, particularly when I operate the press while sitting.

 Skylight LED Lighting System

I had been using Inline Fabrication’s earlier single lighting strip for a long time.  It got damaged in the move, so I decided to upgrade to the new Skylight Lighting System. It illuminates the shellplate really well. I am of the ‘old school’ that likes to visually peer into the casing and check the powder level before inserting the bullet and this makes it easy to do so.

Double Bullet Tray

Inline Fabrication’s Double Bullet Tray System is an unassuming little add-on that has greatly improved my productivity (reloading speed).  With my old setup, it always seemed that I had a long reach to grab a shell and a bullet.  Yes, I could have added a case feeder and a bullet feeder but I felt that would be overkill.

When I saw Inline Fabrication’s Double Bullet Tray System I know it was exactly what I needed.  The double-articulating arm allows me to position the trays (Acro bins) exactly where I need them for economy of motion.  I do believe that I no longer have a need for a case feeder.

The bracket that bolts to the press can be mounted so that the ‘arm’ attaches to the top of the bracket or the bottom.  Mounting the arm so it attaches to the bottom puts the trays at almost the same height as the shellplate.  Perfect!

So now I believe I have the best reloading setup I’ve ever had.  Time to load up some more .45acp!

Since then AimShot has introduced a new model with a high power laser diode. It works perfectly. I already had the 308 arbor (AR 76251) and so I ordered the AimShot BSB 223 20X Bore Sight.  It arrived a few days later complete with batteries.

The switch is on the bottom of the battery compartment. (It took me a while to find it).  Also on the bottom of the battery compartment is a magnet so that it can be stuck to the side of your rifle’s receiver.

At 25 yards, the red dot was clearly visible on the target.  With a few clicks of the scope’s turrets I was able to get everything in alignment. Just for fun though, I moved the target out to 100 yards.  I could still see the red dot clearly in the scope.  wow. Impressive.

I marvel at how easy the AimShot BSB 223 20X Laser Bore Sight makes it to zero a scope.  I remember trying to do this many years ago and how much effort it was and ammunition it took just to get ‘on paper’. No More.

The Carrier Cleaner/Scraper allows you to get down inside the BCG cavity and scrape out any deposits.  Then insert a cleaning patch through the Patch Hole and coat it with some CLP.  Shove it down into the cavity and twist it around.

I’ve tried a couple different devices for removing the carbon from the bolt. The Bolt Cleaner/Scraper end of this tool works better than anything else I’ve tried. And finally, the Firing Pin Cleaner removes carbon deposits from the firing pin.

This video demonstrates how to use it:

I bought my CAT Outdoors BCG Cleaning Tool at Brownells.

I enjoy cleaning my guns when I have the right tools to do so.  In fact, I actually look forward to the cleaning  after each shooting session.  A good gun vise and the right cleaning tools make it a pleasure. I use the Dewey L-16 Chamber Cleaning Kit to clean the nooks and crannies of my AR-15 rifles. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to cleaning rods, but I like Dewey rods.  I’ve standardized on Dewey rods for all my rifles because the large knob/handle seems to fit well in my hand.

The rod sleeve and the cotton cleaning rolls make it easy to get past the star lugs and clean the chamber really well. The Chamber Mop does a good job of cleaning the lugs as well.  The product photo shows only a few cotton cleaning rolls but the kit actually comes with 50.

This video from Dewey is an excellent tutorial on how to use the Dewey L-16 AR-15 Chamber Cleaning Kit.

I needed to order some more and found it has been discontinued.  Hornady has a new product 308 168gr A-MAX Black.

I contacted Hornady to inquire about the differences between these two products.  Hornady says there is no difference in the ammunition itself.  It is just a packaging and marketing change.

The advantage of electronic hearing protection is that they are active only when a shot is fired.  When there is no shooting, they are passthrough – Some even amplify sound.  They are really great for instructional settings or when shooting with friends and you want to be aware of what is going on around you.  The instant a shot is fired thet activate and reduce the sound to a non-dmamaging level.

I have a very nice (and very effective) pair of Pro Ears Gold ear muffs.  I love them.  The only problem is that they interfere with the stock on some of my rifles.As a result, I’ve been looking at electronic ear plugs.

SoundGear offers two products called Instant Fit-Shooter and Instant Fit-Industrial.  Because the differences were not clear on their website, I contacted them and they provided me with the following answer:

“The products are identical in every way except for the programming. The SoundGear Industrial devices essentially cut out sooner and have less amplification, so they are designed for people with little to no hearing loss and can be used both in the workplace (OSHA Compliant) or for hunting and shooting. The SoundGear shooter model has more amplification and is designed only for impulse noises like gun shots. Both products have the same NRR rating of 25dB, so they will provide you with the exact same level of protection if used on the range or in the field.”

The Instant Fit-Shooer cuts off sounds at 95dB.  Below that level it provides 15dB of amplification. It comes with:

• One (1) pair of SoundGear electronic hearing protection devices
• Two (2) pairs of orange silicone sleeves – (1) small (1) large
• Two pairs of black silicone sleeves – (1) small (1) large
• Two (2) packs of batteries (Size 10)
• One (1) cleaning brush
• 1-year Worry-Free repair warranty
• 30-day, risk-free trial

I knew I needed a gun vise that would hold the rifle solidly. I needed a gun vise that would allow me to easily level the rifle in both directions.  I also knew that when I finally took the Remington 700 to the range for sighting-in that I would need a solid shooting rest.  It would be very nice if I could find a single product that would do both jobs.

I also wanted a gun vise suitable for cleaning my AR.  I wanted to be able to pull the (rear) takedown pin and let the Upper rotate downward. (See adjacent photo.) I have a 2-point sling on my AR, and when I pull both pins the Upper and Lower are still connected by the sling, resulting in a slightly unwieldy arrangement when trying to clean it without some sort of vise.

The two most popular gun vises on the market are the Tipton and the CTK Precision P3.  I chose the CTK because:

1. It is made of square steel tubing.  It’s not going to flex (or warp in the heat).  It’s solid and heavy enough to provide a stable platform.
2. Properly accessorized, it operates as a gun vise AND a shooting rest. CTK Precision sells the P3 as either a gun vise OR as a shooting rest, the only difference being which attachment (the gun vise attachment or the shooting rest attachment) is included.  The great thing is that the gun vise attachment and the shooting rest attachment are each available separately.  I bought mine configured as a gun vise and separately purchased the shooting rest attachment. This means I have ONE thing to store in the garage and keep track of.
3. While other vises rest on just rubber feet, the CTK Precision P3 has vertically adjustable feet.  Each foot has a rubber bumper on the bottom and a large knob on the top.  It was really easy to put my Remington 700 in the vise and then use the three knobs to get it perfectly level both fore-and-aft as well and left-and-right.
4. CTK Precision’s Customer Support is outstanding.  I managed to lose one of the rubber bumpers.  An email to CTK Precision had several replacements on the way.

Cleaning the AR

The photo above shows the P3 with both the shooting rest attachment and the gun vise attachment in use,  The shooting rest attachment is supporting the magazine well, allowing the upper to pivot forward/downward for cleaning. I really like this arrangement as it allows me to have both hands free for cleaning the chamber.

Working on the Remington 700

In the adjacent photo you can see the shooting rest attachment is pushed forward out of the way.  Here, I’m about to give the Remington 700 a good cleaning, but this configuration was perfect for mounting the Leupold VX-3i scope. The yoke at the front of the P3 can be raised and lowered. After raising the yoke to roughly level the rifle, I then used the knobs on the feet to make the final level adjustments.

Shooting Rest

Here you can see the P3 acting as a shooting rest.  I’ve removed the gun vise attachment. This is a nice easy relaxing way to support the rifle while zeroing the scope

Buy Once, Cry Once

Yes, the P3 is expensive, but let me tell you a story.  My dear departed father grew up on a farm in Ohio. Farmers don’t have much money.  When they need a tool, they go out into the tool shed, find something close, and beat-to-fit.  As a result, I watched my father all his life work on projects – whether it was re-paneling a room or overhauling an engine – using substandard ill-fitting tools. I watched him get angry at his tools and cuss and swear because the tool did not do the job properly.  And I watched as the end product was almost always substandard.  I learned from that. For me, tools need to give me pleasure. (After all I am working on my hobby.)  Good tools mean the end result is one I can be proud of.  Half the job is the right tool.

The CTK Precision P3 is a tool that I will have for the rest of my life, and probably eventually pass on to my son.