Hi Everyone. I thought I would combine an introduction post with a question that I haven't been able to find lurking through the forums.
My name's Rick. I live on the West Coast of Canada. Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been shooting for many years, but got interested in longer range/precision rifles about four years ago. At that time, I had bought a build that had been started (a blueprinted 700 action with a Krieger Barrel in .308). I had every intention of learning to reload at the time, but once the rifle was set in its stock and optics mounted, I of course wanted to shoot it so I had purchased a couple $30/box Hornady A-Max factory rounds and sighted it in. My first day with it, after sighting it in I was getting 5 shot groups in the .3s with the factory ammo, so instead of buying reloading gear I bought many boxes of the Hornady and used it with success out to 800 yards.
I made the mistake of selling that gun to fund a flashy semi-auto that didn't stay long, and have been wanting to get a long range rifle that could double as a longer range hunting rig at times. I recently purchased a 7STW built off a Sako TRG-S action, which came with a fair bit of brass and bullets, and dies. I had been sitting on an un-opened reloading kit for a few months prior to that, so once the rifle arrived I built a reloading bench, found out about all the little things my reloading kit DIDN'T come with and purchased those, and got to work reloading. Everything I've learned about reloading has come from books and internet forums/articles, and I'm happy to say that after shooting several of my own handloads, my action, barrel, face, and fingers are all still configured the way they were prior to my venture into reloading!
Up until now, I figured it would be best if I stuck to book OAL's and charges. It's working, the rifle is showing some promise, but I'd like to learn to tinker with my loads and find what shoots the best. Since i've already loaded min to max powder charges at the book OAL, the next thing I'd like to tinker with is the seating depth - which ends my introduction and begins my question.
First, the components: I'm using new Rem Brass, CCI 250 primers, H-1000, and Berger 180 Hybrids. Krieger #6 26" barrel, 1-9 twist.
COAL in the Berger book is 3.650" (2.930" base to ogive). Min load of 72.0gr of H1000 to a max of 76.0gr.
I have loaded all rounds so far to book COAL, in increments of .4gr and then .2gr between 75.0-76.0. No pressure signs visible at all. Best results showed at 74.2 - 75.0 grains.
I've measured the distance to my lands using both a fired case with slight neck tension on a round, seating it long, chambering then extracting it, as well as a Hornady OAL guage. Measured to the ogive using both methods averaged me at 3.208".
I think I understand correctly, and subtracting the book COAL which measures 2.930 to the ogive, from my measurements to lands (3.208-2.930) = a jump to lands of 0.278".
My rifle is magazine fed. For hunting purposes, I'd like to try to find a load that will fit in the mag. A measurement of 3.020 to the ogive reliably fits in the mag. Again, I think I understand that this would mean a (3.208 - 3.020) .188" jump to the lands.
I get that seating touching or jammed into the lands causes pressure spikes, but I'm still a long ways out compared to what seems to be a common .010 - .020 'jump' for VLDs. I assume that in my situation, seating longer would definitely reduce case pressure, not increase. What I'm unclear on is just how much this case pressure would be reduced. Though I don't understand exactly how it happens, I've read that going under min loads can cause over pressure issues too.
Is there risk to seating the bullet out further and still starting from the book min load? Would this reduce pressures to dangerous levels? The practical part of my brain tells me that 76 grains of H1000 seated to the book COAL shows no pressure signs, so seating the bullet out further and increasing the case capacity would allow me to start at a higher charge and work up to pressure signs from there safely without risk of over pressure. The fact that I like my rifle enough to not want to turn it into a bomb exploding inches from my face makes me ask this incredibly long and detailed question!
If you got this far, thanks for taking the time to read my first book! Any and all responses would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
My name's Rick. I live on the West Coast of Canada. Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been shooting for many years, but got interested in longer range/precision rifles about four years ago. At that time, I had bought a build that had been started (a blueprinted 700 action with a Krieger Barrel in .308). I had every intention of learning to reload at the time, but once the rifle was set in its stock and optics mounted, I of course wanted to shoot it so I had purchased a couple $30/box Hornady A-Max factory rounds and sighted it in. My first day with it, after sighting it in I was getting 5 shot groups in the .3s with the factory ammo, so instead of buying reloading gear I bought many boxes of the Hornady and used it with success out to 800 yards.
I made the mistake of selling that gun to fund a flashy semi-auto that didn't stay long, and have been wanting to get a long range rifle that could double as a longer range hunting rig at times. I recently purchased a 7STW built off a Sako TRG-S action, which came with a fair bit of brass and bullets, and dies. I had been sitting on an un-opened reloading kit for a few months prior to that, so once the rifle arrived I built a reloading bench, found out about all the little things my reloading kit DIDN'T come with and purchased those, and got to work reloading. Everything I've learned about reloading has come from books and internet forums/articles, and I'm happy to say that after shooting several of my own handloads, my action, barrel, face, and fingers are all still configured the way they were prior to my venture into reloading!
Up until now, I figured it would be best if I stuck to book OAL's and charges. It's working, the rifle is showing some promise, but I'd like to learn to tinker with my loads and find what shoots the best. Since i've already loaded min to max powder charges at the book OAL, the next thing I'd like to tinker with is the seating depth - which ends my introduction and begins my question.
First, the components: I'm using new Rem Brass, CCI 250 primers, H-1000, and Berger 180 Hybrids. Krieger #6 26" barrel, 1-9 twist.
COAL in the Berger book is 3.650" (2.930" base to ogive). Min load of 72.0gr of H1000 to a max of 76.0gr.
I have loaded all rounds so far to book COAL, in increments of .4gr and then .2gr between 75.0-76.0. No pressure signs visible at all. Best results showed at 74.2 - 75.0 grains.
I've measured the distance to my lands using both a fired case with slight neck tension on a round, seating it long, chambering then extracting it, as well as a Hornady OAL guage. Measured to the ogive using both methods averaged me at 3.208".
I think I understand correctly, and subtracting the book COAL which measures 2.930 to the ogive, from my measurements to lands (3.208-2.930) = a jump to lands of 0.278".
My rifle is magazine fed. For hunting purposes, I'd like to try to find a load that will fit in the mag. A measurement of 3.020 to the ogive reliably fits in the mag. Again, I think I understand that this would mean a (3.208 - 3.020) .188" jump to the lands.
I get that seating touching or jammed into the lands causes pressure spikes, but I'm still a long ways out compared to what seems to be a common .010 - .020 'jump' for VLDs. I assume that in my situation, seating longer would definitely reduce case pressure, not increase. What I'm unclear on is just how much this case pressure would be reduced. Though I don't understand exactly how it happens, I've read that going under min loads can cause over pressure issues too.
Is there risk to seating the bullet out further and still starting from the book min load? Would this reduce pressures to dangerous levels? The practical part of my brain tells me that 76 grains of H1000 seated to the book COAL shows no pressure signs, so seating the bullet out further and increasing the case capacity would allow me to start at a higher charge and work up to pressure signs from there safely without risk of over pressure. The fact that I like my rifle enough to not want to turn it into a bomb exploding inches from my face makes me ask this incredibly long and detailed question!
If you got this far, thanks for taking the time to read my first book! Any and all responses would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
