Plastic caps for on site ammo preparation

[Fulvio]

Last year in Canada, I saw a member of the Australian team setting the bullets on the fire line during practice. He had all the brass already filled with powder and plastic caps were preventing the power from getting out. He was removing the cap out and inserting the bullet with a hand press.
Anybody knows where to get those little caps? I live at sea level and shooting in Raton the barometric pressure will be different. It will be great having the option to do most of the ammo preparation at home and then fine tuning there. Those little caps will do the trick. Thanks

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Look around at mcmaster carr

 

[Fulvio]

Look around at mcmaster carr

Thanks, I looked at their catalog. I am sure I will find what I need.

 

[PatMiles]

Here ya go, called vinyl thread protectors. The yellow ones fit .264" necks, the white ones fit .243" necks. If you have a well stocked hardware store where you live, they should carry them. They are color coded for fit so all whites and yellows will be the same.

 

[Jeff A]

https://www.caplugs.com/

Many different styles, colors and sizes.

 

[dolek]

https://www.caplugs.com/

Many different styles, colors and sizes.

Great site,thanks for the link.

 

[spclark]

Most hardware stores won’t stock enough of these at one time to be a practical source if you just walk in off the street. Hillman’s a common vendor for this avenue, they come in little boxes to refill those in the slide-out bins on display.

Another option for this is to ‘load long’ with your choice of projectile then use a hand seater to final seat whenever your schedule suits you before your relay. I watched a prominent US Palma Team member doing this off his pick-up’s tailgate this June at MWP.

Seems a more prudent option, given chances for thread protectors being sticky enough to resist removal (and loss) where one could risk losing a few kernels, or worse.

 

[JRS]

www.stockcaps.com

 

[PatMiles]

...given chances for thread protectors being sticky enough to resist removal (and loss) where one could risk losing a few kernels, or worse.

Never had a problem with stickiness, they grip the neck very well but can easily be popped off. Simple caution when removing them, careful with cartridge upright.
If I am trying various powder charges and find that I see pressure signs, I can just pop the cap off at home and dump the load. No pulling long loaded bullets and possibly resizing necks.

 

[PatMiles]

https://www.caplugs.com/

Many different styles, colors and sizes.

GREAT site!

 

[Jeff A]

Most hardware stores won’t stock enough of these at one time to be a practical source if you just walk in off the street. Hillman’s a common vendor for this avenue, they come in little boxes to refill those in the slide-out bins on display.

Another option for this is to ‘load long’ with your choice of projectile then use a hand seater to final seat whenever your schedule suits you before your relay. I watched a prominent US Palma Team member doing this off his pick-up’s tailgate this June at MWP.

Seems a more prudent option, given chances for thread protectors being sticky enough to resist removal (and loss) where one could risk losing a few kernels, or worse.

You are correct in saying "Most Hardware Stores won't stock enough....". That is a problem. It is complicated by the fact that it is sometimes difficult to find the correct size for your application. Caplugs does offer some limited free samples on their Web Site.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

So if you went to a hardware store like lowes and they had 100 of those rubber caps in stock, in individual packs im sure, how much money are we talking about? I think youd be better off putting weighed charges in screw top glass vials

 

[stork]

Here's what I ' borrowed ' from Richard Shatz.
I ran into him at the range while he was testing a new bullet. He had a bunch of premeasured Dasher cases in a MTM box and a fired empty 22 case upside down inside each case. Nice snug fit. Foam pad inside the lid kept the 22brass firmly in contact with the dasher case mouth so there was no leakage. Ingenious!
I've used that several times when I wanted to just test seating depth on a different bullet.

 

[riflewoman]

Just drop your powder into these and take prepped and primed brass. These vials with screwtops are less likely to pop off and spill powder.

http://www.evergreensci.com/labware-catalog/tubes-and-vials/15-ml-centrifuge-tubes/

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If you keep your powder in these you can put them in an old ammo box or the foam tray they come in. You can do multiple loads then carry an inline seater, small arbor press and powder funnel and do a whole load workup

https://www.discountvials.com/1-2-dram-vials/

 

[memilanuk]

Last year in Canada, I saw a member of the Australian team setting the bullets on the fire line during practice. He had all the brass already filled with powder and plastic caps were preventing the power from getting out. He was removing the cap out and inserting the bullet with a hand press....

I live at sea level and shooting in Raton the barometric pressure will be different. It will be great having the option to do most of the ammo preparation at home and then fine tuning there.

I think you might have mis-interpreted the reason he was doing that.

Shipping ammo for large events is a major PITA, as I'm sure you're well aware. 5 kilos / 11 lbs is all you can fly with, and that ain't nearly enough.

You can't fly with bulk powder (flammable) and primers (explosive), but.... a loaded 'round' that is charged and primed and capped off weighs a *lot* less than a loaded round with a bullet already seated. There is no limit on the weight of an 'innocent' box of bullets - its not 'ammunition'.

Alternately, some of the foreign teams are faced with having to fly in, locally source components (powder, primer, etc.) that will at a minimum be a different lot/batch than what they use at home, if not a completely different brand entirely. They have to do all their load development at the range... and depending on the facilities available, potentially during the warm-up matches.

I'd almost bet that one of those two scenarios has a lot more to do with what you saw than fine tuning the ammo for the elevation.

While the exterior ballistics (bullet drop / wind drift) will certainly be different going from sea level to 6600 ft ASL, no one has ever explained to me how the internal ballistics inside a sealed round would change to the point where it would change the *muzzle* velocity and therefore tune of the gun. Educate me, please.

 

[centershot]

Most hardware stores won’t stock enough of these at one time to be a practical source if you just walk in off the street. Hillman’s a common vendor for this avenue, they come in little boxes to refill those in the slide-out bins on display.

Another option for this is to ‘load long’ with your choice of projectile then use a hand seater to final seat whenever your schedule suits you before your relay. I watched a prominent US Palma Team member doing this off his pick-up’s tailgate this June at MWP.

Seems a more prudent option, given chances for thread protectors being sticky enough to resist removal (and loss) where one could risk losing a few kernels, or worse.

I have done this and it works great!