[msredneck]

I've reloaded pistol bullets quite a while and pretty much got the hang of it, but I got to admit rifle reloading is a bit more complicated.


I've been doing a lot of reading lately on how to seat rifle bullets to the lands. This is not something generally worried about too much on semi rifles...those folks are mainly worried about the ammo functioning in the mag...I'm mainly talking about precision bolt action rifles...

There are all kind of ways of doing this from cutting a slit in a case, jamming a bullet it and pushing it back out with a wooden dowel....putting permablue on it to see where it rubs the rifling

to using hexagonal bullet comparators and Hornady OAL gauges

I've tried the Hornady tool and I must say I just don't quite trust it...seems like I could take 5 readings and get 5 different answers...and what good is that?

so if we could have a few rather detailed posts from some of you expert rifle reloaders of your technique for doing this...I'd be much appreciative....it sure seems to not be an exact science.

I'm fortunate enough to have 2 chamber gauges obtained from the gunsmiths who built the rifles...The point of them being to measure to where the ogive hits the lands in the gauge...these gauges where cut with the same reamer they used to cut the rifles chamber...The other thing to consider is "chasing the lands" as the barrel wears with use these will move over time...

Folks get all hung up on OAL...which is important if you are worried about them loading in a magazine...but its the ogive measurement to the base of the case you got to worry about...not oal...the point of the bullet never touches the rifling...and they are not uniform even in the same bullet style and weight...change bullet styles and your ogive position changes

I don't care about hunting ammo or magazine function...I'm looking for best accuracy in a bolt rifle

So you guru's try and keep it simple...go slow and explain it to me...pictures would help

 

[jbpmidas]

This will be interesting. I'm getting more into the accuracy thing!

Although, I am just using an ADL in .30-06.

 

[msredneck]

Having so many rifles can kinda drive one nutts reloading

You've heard the saying...."a man with one clock always knows what time it is...The man with more than one clock...is never really sure"

In the past, loading hunting ammo...all I cared about was..did it fit in the chamber and the magazine and was it "minute of deer"...now that don't get it anymore..and we are talking changes here in thousands of an inch

 

[ftsibley]

i use the hornady tool and was untrusting at first but after a little practice i have gotten pretty good at it.

 

[msredneck]

Its that "feel thing" that kinda gets me...How do I know its right...

Man I'd like to meet some of these "jam shooters"...They litterally lay a bullet on the case and just ram her home...course they gotta shoot it then so it has no application at all for hunting...

but jamming her home..Lord knows if you .020 into the lands...or ,010...whatever

That's where I think marking the bullet with ink kinda helps...

But if you extract the case..even holding a wooden dowel on the muzzle end I can never seem to get it extracted without F'ing up the whole measurement

 

[smoffett]

Well I'm no precision shooter, but I did find that seating the bullet out toward the lands really helped accuracy in my .45-70. FWIW, here's how I did it...

I put a bullet in the brass, but barely. Shoved it in the chamber as far as it would go and tried to close the action (it's a single shot CVA). Of course it wouldn't close, so I kept seating the bullet a tiny bit more each time until the action would close. Then I seated the bullet a bit more (I think it was about .005, but don't quote me on that) and called it good. Since I didn't trust just a single bullet, I marked up a few more bullets with black ink, seated them, and closed the action on them -- just to make sure they were not touching the lands when loaded. HTH.

 

[22lrfan]

Yep, the problem is that the curvature of the ogive is different on just about every bullet but the easiest thing to measure is OLA. This is the easiest (and the cheapest, leaves more money for guns and ammo) way I have found to get an accurate measurement of the maximum OAL for any bullet shape. You probably have most of the things you need to do it. You’ll need a brass cleaning jag of whatever caliber you’re using, a cleaning rod (the cheap aluminum ones are ok for this), a dial caliper and a razor knife. If the end of your barrel is crowned and not flat, a washer that will easily slip over your cleaning rod is needed. A cleaning cradle to hold the rifle is also handy. First make sure the end of the cleaning jag is flat. Slide the washer on the cleaning rod and attach the cleaning jag. Put your rifle in the cradle and close the bolt. Slide the rod down the barrel and against the bolt face. Slide the washer down against the crown and use the knife to mark the cleaning rod at the washer. Now remove the bolt from the rifle. Seat a bullet in a case just enough to hold it and making sure that it is to long to chamber. Very slowly and carefully slide the case into the chamber by hand letting the bullet push the cleaning rod out of the barrel. When you feel the bullet touch the lands stop. Without moving the cleaning rod slide the washer down against the crown and mark the rod. Measure the distance between the two marks. This will be the maximum OAL for that bullet. Just repeat the second measurement for other brands and bullet weights. It’s also easy to “chase the lands” as the throat wears. An aluminum rod is easy to mark with a knife and a quick pass with a piece of sandpaper removes the mark and gets it ready for the next measurement. I’ve tried sliding the bullet into the chamber till it touched the lands and them sliding the rod down the barrel to touch the bullet but I got more consistency doing it the way described above. It takes very little pressure to push the bullet several thousandths into the lands. Trying to hold it in place while sliding the rod caused problems. This way as soon as it touches the lands you can turn it loose. Sorry this drug out so long.

 

[msredneck]

22lrfan...

Good post bro...many thanks

 

[Doug Bowser]

There is a fine line between being close to the lands and touching them. Touching the lands with the bullet delays the bullet pulling out of the neck and can spike pressures. I reloaded 7.62 NATO ammo for a Model 70 Winchester Target Rifle and an M1A. I loaded the 168 Gr Sierra MK and made the ammo the same overall length as the USGI service round. I used the same ammo in both rifles. My ammo shot 3/4" groups at 100 yards with the Winchester Model 70 using aperture sights. The M1A would shoot 1.5" with NM iron sights. The groups were fired in the prone and had 10 shots in them. My eyes and older body do not allow me to perform this way anymore. When I reload, I use the bullet manufacturer's OAL as a start and make sure by feel that the bullet does not touch the lands in the throat.

Doug

 

[msredneck]

I guess one needs to examine his fired cases for signs of pressure...one of the things I do when working up a new load...

The problem with OAL Doug is u have to make the assumption that the tips are all the same...and I've found this to not be true even on 168 Sierra SMK's in the same box and lot...

22lr

when you take your measurements...arent you gonna be off by the width of that washer on the rod...we are talking thousands of an inch measuring here

 

[22lrfan]

+1 to Doug's comment about touching the lands. I've never loaded any touching the lands. This method gives you the maximum OAL. I back off of this and try different distances till I get the accuracy I want. As long as you use the washer on both measurements the distance between the marks will be the OAL. If the bullets in the box are not uniform from ogive to tip this method won't work.

 

[Xd357]

Tagged.

 

[msredneck]

a good article to read on this subject

http://blog.sinclairintl.com/2009/03/26/determining-bullet-seating-depth/

 

[savageshooter]

Berger bullets say on the box to load them touching. i load mine touching. worked a while to find the right load, right powder and weight for my savage. it works, accurate and ive stuck with it. every rifle will be different. every bullet will be different.
the above is an excellent article.