215's or ??

[Boisblancboy]

Ok guys, here is my questions. I am working on a FTR build and am thinking of going with one of the heavies, the 215 gr. Now what I have read the heavies are for the most part hit or miss, with the problems of vertical stringing. Here is my problem, if I chamber for the 215's and just cant get them to shoot or for whatever other reason want to drop down, can I? Now saying the 185's are very popular, could I drop to them?

I just dont want to chamber for a particular bullet then come to find out its not going to work for me and have to rebarrel.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

Well, white wood boy, here is what I would do. I like my bullets to have the pressure ring above the junction of the neck and the shoulder to minimize the encroachment of the boat tail into the case yet still provide a good amount of neck bearing surface so the bullets cannot be easily dislodged. So, set the 215's pressure ring above the junction but not too far and the 185 will simply be loaded a little further up but still comfortably inside the neck, if you decide to use those bullets.

 

[Boisblancboy]

Bayou, good interpretation of my handle! Thanks for the reply.

Any more opinions on my dilemma?

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I agree with Denys,

The result of changing bullets will only be the bullet seated out a little further in the neck. Also remember, the 185's do jump well.

 

[Boisblancboy]

Ok great just to clarify what you guys said is I should have no problem?

Would I be able to do the same with the 230's?

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

At the Berger website they host a nice quick reference sheet you can download where the dimensions of the bullets you covet are listed in exquisite detail.

The OAL of the three hybrids you mention are: 1.435, 1.564 and 1.640. (185, 210 and 230). The boat tails are the same size for all of them at .220. The bearing surfaces are .395, .419 and .495 meaning there is a spread of a tenth of an inch between the 185 and the .230. I certainly think you can accomodate that varying the seating depths. The nose length are .820, .905 and .905. So this means the 215 and 230 are identical except for the slightly longer bearing surface of the 230.

Bottom line is to plan for the .230 to have its pressure ring just above the junction. The .215 will be seated .070 inches higher up and the 185 can be seated another .030 up from the 215 or .100 above the junction.

I am assuming the 185's nose is a little sharper than the 215 and 230.

 

[Boisblancboy]

Awesome! I thank you for all the great information I really appreciate it.

Now one last stupid question. What is the pressure ring exactly?

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

Not all bullet have one but when they do it's located right at the end of the bearing surface just when the boat tail section begins. It's almost imperceptible but sometimes, you can feel it with your fingers or measure it with a high resolution caliper. For a .308 bullet it would be something like .3083 or some such.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Just a heads-up, the Berger sheet is wrong when it comes to the 215. The oal of the bunch I have are .050" longer than the spec sheet shows.

 

[Boisblancboy]

Thanks guys. I'm sure I'll have more questions in the near future. A lot of this is quite the learning experience for me.