Am I in the ball park ?

J

jhinalabama

New member
I'v got a rem 700 sps .308 1 in 12 with a 20" barrel. I'm working up some loads and I just wanted to see if this looked ok for bullet seating. I'm loading 168gr AMAX. My total case length 2.980" that's bullet touching lands so I seated the bullet .055" more to 2.925". Do these seating numbers look in the ballpark to start with? Thanks
 
You are somewhat longer than the standard length of 2.810 but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to conform to that length. You have backed off the lands some which might result in a good accuracy load since that will be minimizing bullet jump. It might have been beneficial to have given the load with powder charge. Will the cartridge fit in the magazine with the extended length? So you might say you are a little out of the ballpark but with some luck it might be a home run. However if the 168 gr is a boat tail which I assume it is, there may not be much bullet hold remaining within the case, a reason to then shorten the overall length.
 
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Thanks for the input. Yes the 168gr Amax is a BT and I'm starting with 42gr Varget and no it won't cycle in the magazine but these loads are just for target practice. The case neck is full at this seat depth. I've just always loaded at the 2.800 mark and had never went looking for the lands but I'm trying to squeeze a little more out of her. Thanks again for the input.
 
While this may not help much, your 42 gr Varget load is one grain above starting according to Lyman, and that velocity should come very close to the velocity of Lyman's potentially most accurate load of 2524 fps with the 168 gr and 44.5 N550. However Lyman shows cartridge length of 2.775 which would make some velocity difference in your longer cartridge length, somewhat higher than what you would be getting.
 
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"...no it won't cycle in the magazine..." Then it's too long no matter what you're doing. MAX OAL is given for a reason. That being 2.810". That length, measured from the bullet point to the flat of the cartridge, not the ogive, will give you a whole lot less grief in the long run. 2.800" is the standard OAL though.
Forget the 'off-the-lands stuff until you have worked up the load. That's a load tweaking technique you may or may not require.
"...one grain above starting according to Lyman..." Is the start load according to Hodgdon(Who did use 1 in 12.) Lyman use a 1 in 12 barrel? Don't have a current Lyman manual. Friggin' thing runs $50Cdn., up here.
 
As far as increasing accuracy, I have not had much luck with trying to run bullets out that far. Amax or Sierra, in my 700. R 700's are famous for long throats.

Mine shoots PDG just the way it is, but you could have the barrel set back and chambered with a shorter throat. If I was going to do all that, I would just go for a custom bbl. chambered just the way I want.

I can hold 1/2 moa 5 shot groups pretty consistently, up to 250 yds, that is all the range I have around here without driving for hours.

Loading that long gives you very little bullet in the case and lowers pressure from a given powder charge, meaning you need a chronograph to make sure you are getting enough velocity to carry it on out there.

It is also very easy to knock the bullet out of true when your OAL is that long.
 
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T. O'Heir said:
Then it's too long no matter what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Only if he cares about running them out of the magazine. Several of my .204 loads are too long to fit my Ruger m77 magazine. I don't care. I shoot groups and woodchucks. Neither requires a full magazine and it shoots under 1/2" 3 shot groups at 100 yards and 3-4" at 400. I'll trade the magazine for that kind of accuracy.
 
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