HELP seating depth issue remington 700

[adampittman]

I'm reloading some 168 gr nosler ballistic Silvertips. Everytime I chamber the round and re measure the overall length it changes. The bullet is being pulled out .02 everytime I chamber it. I don't understand.

 

[memo43]

what is your overall length that you are seating them to. also how much neck tension are you running, seems as if they are seated long and being engaged slightly in the lands.
an lastly have you measured your chamber I know Remington's can have large throats but maybe just maybe you got one built on a Friday.

Memo

 

[savagedasher]

Do you have any bolt closing or opening resistance with the case making it different? Larry

 

[adampittman]

Opens and closes normal. I don't have a neck tension gauge. I measured the max oal for that bullet by closing the bolt and sticking a cleaning rod to the face of it and making a mark. Then I dropped the bullet it and held it against lands. And made a mark. I got max oal. 2.900 I backed off .015 for the loads. And loaded 3 rounds and chambered them fine but when I measured after the oal got longer. I've backed it off too 2.775 and it's still doing it. I don't get it

 

[waldo1979]

The hornady COAL gauge can be really hard to use and is hard to get repeatable results. Even more so if you're not using the straight gauge and are using the bent gauge. I've replaced mine with the Sinclair OAL gauge which allows me to use my own brass.

To use the hornady gauge you have to develop a finesse while pushing the bullet into the lands. I use a wood dowel to push apply counter force so i can feel the resistance as the bullet presses into the lands. I've heard people using a release agent (lube) which I imagine makes it easier but then you have to get it out of the barrel.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Try more neck tension or start out a bit shorter

 

[Shynloco]

Try more neck tension or start out a bit shorter

I agree...OR don't open the bolt until you've fire a string and see what your accuracy is. You may not have achieved your best load and once you close you bolt, your bullets should all seat (depth in or out of the chamber) at the same depth, ASSUMING your bullets are are the same length and the ojives all measure the same. I will say that just because bullets come out of the same box, that doesn't means the ojives are identical. Hence if you jam or even jump, entry into the rifling may differ if the bullets don't measure the same. Been down that road myself many times unless you are shooting custom made bullets which more than not, measure the same compared to commercially made bullets. I guess it also may depend on how much accuracy you are chasing.

 

[DHD]

The hornady COAL gauge can be really hard to use and is hard to get repeatable results. Even more so if you're not using the straight gauge and are using the bent gauge. I've replaced mine with the Sinclair OAL gauge which allows me to use my own brass.

To use the hornady gauge you have to develop a finesse while pushing the bullet into the lands. I use a wood dowel to push apply counter force so i can feel the resistance as the bullet presses into the lands. I've heard people using a release agent (lube) which I imagine makes it easier but then you have to get it out of the barrel.

Unless I misunderstood, he wasn't using any sort of "tool". He was doing something else. I've always been able to use the tool you and i referring to. All of my stuff is Possum Hollow, so I've had it for quite a while. I do agree that there is a learning curve using it and I don't think Hornady really improved it by changing the rod to plastic over the aluminum.

Back to the OP. I haven't had a "factory chamber" in a long time but I remember the last Remington 700 in 308 I owned had a long throat. IF you are chambering a round and the bullet is being pulled from the case, you must have very little neck tension and/or a short throat, I would think. I am familiar enough with the way you measured your COAL to where I personally don't use it. Try seating another ten thousandths and see if it's still doing it.

Just for more information, what sizing die are you using and are the cases you were using sized?