TargetTalk

I would like to get some ideas to make my own cartridge tray to put my rounds in when competing. Someting with rows of 5 or 10 plus some room for sighters.

I found a really good one online but it was $80 plus shipping LOL

Anyone have pictures or plans for something like that?

You can try this:

http://www.mtmcase-gard.com/images/rifl ... -large.jpg

I have one of them since at least 20 years without any trouble, and It's only 11.99 at Midway's (I'm not suggesting to buy from them, it was the quickest web search for the price).

I recently bought a couple of the MTM's from Champions for $10 each

Best loading block I've ever used in the attached photo. Rows of both 5 and 10 and plenty of sighters to spare.

I can understand where these loading blocks you are looking at came from...way back when ammo came in cardboard boxes and alternated point-up and point down. It would have made it easier to load quickly if you put the ammo into a loading block. Now that just isn't the case. I can't say I've ever seen someone shooting at a world cup with a loading block that isn't the original ammo box.

Seriously...why waste time and money with a separate loading block? All you do is increase the chances of gouging the lead or getting grit on the bullet.

Eric U

Don't know where Eric buys his ammo, but I'm still buying Winchester T22 and Remington 22 Target in cardboard boxes.

Back when I shot ammo out of cardboard boxes, I just scrounged Eley boxes out of the trash at the range during matches. Still free. RWS boxes would work too. Lapua uses a cardboard box, even though they have a plastic bullet tray inside.

The reason I don't like the ammo loading boxes, either wood or plastic, is that you get some wax in the bottom of the bullet holes. Now grit can stick to the wax and wait until you put in another bullet. Grit then goes down your barrel. You can also inadvertently damage bullet tips with these types of loading boxes. I prefer the factory ammo boxes because the cartridges are suspended by their rims.

Eric U

Eric, since they are suspended by the rims, don't you find them hard to get out while shooting? I sure do. I don't keep my finger nails long enough to efficiently lift them.
ben

Eley boxes are made in two parts, and they manufacture a ladder-type elevator that raises each row of ten cartridges. Obviously, they fit only Eleys'.

I do bit my nails (sorry, I can't hep it) so I can't follow Eric advise and had to resort to the plastic tray, in spite of the disadvantages he stated.

I keep the fingernail on my right index finger a little longer than the rest so I can easily pull the bullets from the box. It is simply habit by now. Most of the shooters I know do something similar. Bite all the rest, but leave that one alone!

Eric U

Thank you for the advice Eric. I had not considered the very valid points you made. I use Lapua ammo(Eley's are not availlable locally) and was worried about laying the open tray on my shooting mat in fear that sand might get at them. I guess I just need to find a clear plastic surface to lay them on when they are not in the box.

Cheers,

The newest Eley boxes are also open at the bottom so on certain shooting mats I put a thin sheet of closed-cell foam under my ammo box to keep the bullet tips clean. A mouse pad or something similar would work fine. Smooth plastic didn't work for me as the ammo box would slide around the sheet when I was getting a bullet out. I don't look at the ammo box when I'm loading so it needs to stay in the same location. For most of the mats I shoot off of I don't use anything under the box. There is some clearance under the bullets if on a flat surface.

Eric U

Yikes. What about opening the box to reveal a row of 5 rounds, invert into palm of other hand, and feed them into the mag. No fingernails needed.

Not a great technique when one is shooting a single-shot smallbore rifle.

Sorry. Wasn't thinking single-shot rifle.

Misny wrote:Not a great technique when one is shooting a single-shot smallbore rifle.

Neither for FP.................

...are absolutely essential for new shooters who DON'T shoot on single bull or electronic target boxes, and may not even have access to or use spotting scopes - yet.

sorry - can't resist a comment on this topic.......and I have none of the cachet of most of the posters here......

Keeping sighting shots separate from record shots is important in many NRA style events.

In NRA conventional events the shooter is allowed to return to the sighter - and in prone where the groups are small/tight even for some new shooters, keeping track of record and sighter shots is important.

Carefully crafted fingernails aside - plucking a round out of the original box can be a distraction. A well arranged box is easy to use without even seeing it.

The wooden model shown above is not all that easy to use - but it is very well made, if you appreciate good european wood work. The MTM box is superior in all practical terms at 1/10th the cost.

Keeping the lid open is a bit of a pain - until you realize that a spent .22 case fits neatly in the hinge gap and keeps the lid up and out of the way during use.

When beginning/new shooters achieve 1/2 the success that shooters like Eric have achieved - they can do whatever makes them happy.

There is something to be said for keeping the gear you have to bring to the line to a minimum - and using the original box hits that note perfectly!

With all due respect I don't see the contamination points being all that significant. That said, I won't shoot any round that I've dropped, or that looks odd as I move them into my loading block.....

Unless you shoot at a very dusty or sandy range - Black Canyon, AZ - I don't think you will have any lesser chance of contaminating your ammo then when using an ammo box/block.

Most of the top international ranges are comparatively VERY clean places, or so it seems...........

It may be as important to stress how important it is to carefully place each round in the chamber when loading and not use the bolt to chamber the round.

2 small cents

I shoot NRA and I do not shoot with a cartirdge tray. I bring two boxes of ammo to the line, one is dedicated to sighters for the whole day and the other is for record shots.
Matt

westerngriz wrote:I shoot NRA and I do not shoot with a cartirdge tray. I bring two boxes of ammo to the line, one is dedicated to sighters for the whole day and the other is for record shots.
Matt

As mentioned the ammo trays are easier to organise the rounds in and keep track of the shots fired. Also you will need 3 boxess if you want to keep the sighters separate - there's only 50 rounds per box and you'll need 60. I would also keep at least one extra full ammo box in case I knock the working ammo box over. Especially easy to do if you take the rounds out from the box sideways.

Lastly the eley device that pops up the ammo in rows is no less likely to get dirty than your ammo box, and it only works for tenex.

If you're worried about dirt then wash your ammo tray - you could easily get a cotton bud into the holes.

Rob.

One of many reasons the top shooters shoot so well is that they keep things simple. Im with Eric on this one, why are you guys being so pedantic about these ammo boxes/trays

Anonymous wrote:One of many reasons the top shooters shoot so well is that they keep things simple. Im with Eric on this one, why are you guys being so pedantic about these ammo boxes/trays

Using an ammo box that keeps track of the rounds is simple. I use two for free pistol from my conventional prone shooting days. I may have to get one that holds all 60 record rounds.