I reloaded 12 cartridges for my "new model" Remington 700 with Sierra 140gr HP using the Berger suggestion offered by Unclenick in another thread. Everything worked like a charm - changing seating depths at 0.01 -0.05 -0.09 and 0.130 was totally uneventful.
Then I thought about my "old" .270 model 700 that doesn't like anything but 150gr Hornady SP. I have 2 Hodgdon powder bottles full of 130gr Remington .270 CorLokt that I bought in about 1982 from Midway when they were selling these for $36/500. So I thought maybe using the new method would produce surprising results.
And it did. My dummy round measured 2.935" ogive to case base, and the first three rounds at 0.01" were uneventful. When I loaded the second set at 0.05" from the rifling, I reset the die and got the first round to 2.885". The next round measured 2.874". The next one was 2.867". What? is going on?
I spilled a bunch of the bullets on the table and measured the bullet base to give. Here's what I discovered:
Only 4 of 25 measured 0.588". The remaining 21 measured anywhere from 0.539" to 0.574" with only 4 sizes having 2 bullets with the same reading.
Only 1 bullet measured 0.555" and 2 measured 0.560.
I tried these bullets in the past in each of my four .270 rifles at the time (2- Remington 700; 1 Sako; 2 Win model 70). I gave up as accuracy was all over the place.
Now, 39 years later, I think I know why. Maybe this "bargain" at the time was really Remington rejects.
Then I thought about my "old" .270 model 700 that doesn't like anything but 150gr Hornady SP. I have 2 Hodgdon powder bottles full of 130gr Remington .270 CorLokt that I bought in about 1982 from Midway when they were selling these for $36/500. So I thought maybe using the new method would produce surprising results.
And it did. My dummy round measured 2.935" ogive to case base, and the first three rounds at 0.01" were uneventful. When I loaded the second set at 0.05" from the rifling, I reset the die and got the first round to 2.885". The next round measured 2.874". The next one was 2.867". What? is going on?
I spilled a bunch of the bullets on the table and measured the bullet base to give. Here's what I discovered:
Only 4 of 25 measured 0.588". The remaining 21 measured anywhere from 0.539" to 0.574" with only 4 sizes having 2 bullets with the same reading.
Only 1 bullet measured 0.555" and 2 measured 0.560.
I tried these bullets in the past in each of my four .270 rifles at the time (2- Remington 700; 1 Sako; 2 Win model 70). I gave up as accuracy was all over the place.
Now, 39 years later, I think I know why. Maybe this "bargain" at the time was really Remington rejects.