Reloading for Noreen BN36 gas operated 30-06

[DUSTY NOGGIN]

id like to have one " short answer is a medium burn rate for the bullet weight "

id use all same headstamps in a batch -- no mix and weight sort

your main goal is to open that bolt without over pressuring after /during open , that will create unnecessary wear and tear

i might take 2 approaches to this , try to get data that would mimic a factory round with and average bullet weight of 165 or. find a load to cycle perfectly with higher weight ( while still having factory ammo possibility not having to restrict gas to keep it from ripping the bolt open )

id run some factory in it until you know that gas it cycling flawlessly (record that setting if you can ),.... with that gas block setting i would probably do a minimum only charge weight with all the powders i though were in medium range "powder/action compatibility test" fastest to slower burn rate at mag length and not use any powder that cycled the action with a minimum charge, working up hoping it starts to cycle at the middle of load data charge weights for that bullet .. i say that because i think you'll have better luck not having to restrict it or open it up until it functions ... id be happy camper if i worked up and got to a decent speed and it started to cycle good just before i got to

if you see ANY case head damages pressure you gotta stop ... if you see extractor rim ripping or ejector marks you shoulda stopped already

 

[Thomas Edward]

If you can your hands on some H4895 I believe you'll be able to work up some good loads with the 168gr bullets. Small base dies can good good but on my AR15's regular dies work just fine. So if you have some 30-06 dies you could try them first for function.

I will look at H4895 in the data I have. As soon as powder prices and availability are back to normal I might consider adding it to my stock.

 

[DUSTY NOGGIN]

some of the 762x63 military rounds i have found are bulged severely in a lopsided kind of way -- i might go with a commercial brass option if using once fired , likely fired from a tighter bolt action chamber

would be interesting to get some measurements of some once fired outta that Noreen and see how sloppy the chamber is ??

 

[Thomas Edward]

id like to have one " short answer is a medium burn rate for the bullet weight "

id use all same headstamps in a batch -- no mix and weight sort

your main goal is to open that bolt without over pressuring after /during open , that will create unnecessary wear and tear

i might take 2 approaches to this , try to get data that would mimic a factory round with and average bullet weight of 165 or. find a load to cycle perfectly with higher weight ( while still having factory ammo possibility not having to restrict gas to keep it from ripping the bolt open )

id run some factory in it until you know that gas it cycling flawlessly (record that setting if you can ),.... with that gas block setting i would probably do a minimum only charge weight with all the powders i though were in medium range "powder/action compatibility test" fastest to slower burn rate at mag length and not use any powder that cycled the action with a minimum charge, working up hoping it starts to cycle at the middle of load data charge weights for that bullet .. i say that because i think you'll have better luck not having to restrict it or open it up until it functions ... id be happy camper if i worked up and got to a decent speed and it started to cycle good just before i got to

if you see ANY case head damages pressure you gotta stop ... if you see extractor rim ripping or ejector marks you shoulda stopped already

Thank you for your detailed approach. I have some factory ammunition I can fire through the rifle. I also have an older Lyman reloading manual which lists factory duplication loads for some bullet weight and powder type combinations. The closest powder listed in that manual to what I have on hand is IMR 4350. I can cross reference the older data in that manual with more recent data to determine consistency. I have read else where on this forum that powder performance and burn rate can vary from lot to lot, so I will keep that in mind while considering the older data. I will keep a close eye on the case base and rim for signs of damage during load development.

 

[Thomas Edward]

some of the 762x63 military rounds i have found are bulged severely in a lopsided kind of way -- i might go with a commercial brass option if using once fired , likely fired from a tighter bolt action chamber

would be interesting to get some measurements of some once fired outta that Noreen and see how sloppy the chamber is ??

The brass from rounds I have fired through the rifle so far appears to be in good shape, so standard M2 Ball ammo and the factory rounds (Federal, Hornady, and Winchester) I have used functioned well with no apparent damage.

 

[bullet man]

The dies u are using are fine, small base dies are for bolt action guns, as they have tighter chambers. I can give you the recipe for 30-06 match ammo straight from the army reloading manual. They use IMR 4895 in their loads, stick to lake city brass 50 gr of IMR 4895 is what the army loads for M-2 ball ammo 150 gr FMJ. If you load 175 gr just deduct 2 grs of powder.

 

[Orange Dust]

The dies u are using are fine, small base dies are for bolt action guns, as they have tighter chambers. I can give you the recipe for 30-06 match ammo straight from the army reloading manual. They use IMR 4895 in their loads. stick to lake city brass

Product Description

RCBS® AR Series Die Sets are a must for progressive reloaders. They feature a Small Base Sizer Die designed for semi-automatic firearms, and a Taper Crimp Seater Die. The Small Base Sizer guarantees the cartridge will rechamber in AR-platform weapons.

• Features a Small Base Size Die to insure feeding in semi-automatic firearms
• Taper Crimp Seat Die crimps bullets so they will not move during recoil
• Unique 7-degree crimp angle designed for taper crimps in autoloading rifles
• Comes in a Black Die Box
• All RCBS dies are machined to exacting tolerances, hardened and finished to the highest standards in the industry

Wrong, Bullet Man

 

[Hall’adondo Ranch]

Good luck! I've had my BN36 for 10 years. I went though all the options with 4064, 4350 and multiple bullet weights. Best I could do was 6 moa. After finding the barrel nut wasn't snug I returned it to them to "receive a little tuning". It was returned with red locktight oozing out all around the barrel nut. After their work the best I could get was 3 moa. The other issue is it's the dirtiest semi auto I've ever owned. Even with the adjustable gas block at the minimum to cycle the bolt I still get so much junk back in the action it will cease to cycle after 10 rounds without full dissambly and cleaning. After 2 years of aggravation it went to the back of the closet.

 

[FEENIX]

so perhaps a phone call will yeild some references. They have been helpful in the past.

When in doubt call them directly.

 

[bullet man]

Product Description

RCBS® AR Series Die Sets are a must for progressive reloaders. They feature a Small Base Sizer Die designed for semi-automatic firearms, and a Taper Crimp Seater Die. The Small Base Sizer guarantees the cartridge will rechamber in AR-platform weapons.

• Features a Small Base Size Die to insure feeding in semi-automatic firearms
• Taper Crimp Seat Die crimps bullets so they will not move during recoil
• Unique 7-degree crimp angle designed for taper crimps in autoloading rifles
• Comes in a Black Die Box
• All RCBS dies are machined to exacting tolerances, hardened and finished to the highest standards in the industry

Wrong, Bullet Man

I use standard dies for ars when you chamber a load in a Remington 700 they won't chamber but they will in the ar. I have been loading ars with standard dies for years only time they wouldn't chamber is when you load them in a bolt action. RCBS regular dies with a lee factory crimp die are all I need. They just came up with a new set of dies so you can spend more money.

 

[243winxb]

If you turn the gas off when working up the powder charge, pressure signs should be easier to see.

 

[Orange Dust]

I use standard dies for ars when you chamber a load in a Remington 700 they won't chamber but they will in the ar. I have been loading ars with standard dies for years only time they wouldn't chamber is when you load them in a bolt action. RCBS regular dies with a lee factory crimp die are all I need. They just came up with a new set of dies so you can spend more money.

You will never have problems with standard dies in a bolt action with cases that have only been fired in that gun unless you have a nonstandard chamber. You will have issues with cases fired in another gun with a larger chamber. This is because standard dies do not resize the base of the case back to unfired dimensions. So dies nearly do though. Many autos have sloppy chambers dimensionally

 

[Orange Dust]

Small base, not so. Stupid phone

 

[Thomas Edward]

Good luck! I've had my BN36 for 10 years. I went though all the options with 4064, 4350 and multiple bullet weights. Best I could do was 6 moa. After finding the barrel nut wasn't snug I returned it to them to "receive a little tuning". It was returned with red locktight oozing out all around the barrel nut. After their work the best I could get was 3 moa. The other issue is it's the dirtiest semi auto I've ever owned. Even with the adjustable gas block at the minimum to cycle the bolt I still get so much junk back in the action it will cease to cycle after 10 rounds without full dissambly and cleaning. After 2 years of aggravation it went to the back of the closet.

I may have been lucky enough to get a decent one. I have fired probably close to two hundred rounds through it, usually shooting fifty or more rounds during a trip to the range. Military, factory, and some reloads I had made for my Garand. All functioned fine with no serious problems. Five shot groups at one hundered yards were typically under three inches, but that is most likely me. I would not be surprized if someone who is shoots well could shave an inch off those groups. I found one bad review on line before I purchased one. It was a person who had problems with customer service regarding the first generation BN36. Not much else out there in a modern 30-06 semi-auto except the Ohio Ordnance HCAR BAR dervivatives for twice the price of a BN36.