Ogive lengths

[michaelbz]

I am planning a custom chambered 260. I was wondering if anybody could give me the ogive length and overall bullet length of the following bullets?

140gr barnes match burners
140gr hornady hpbt
130gr norma golden target or diamond
123gr Nosler CC

Thanks

 

[Erik Cortina]

I am planning a custom chambered 260. I was wondering if anybody could give me the ogive length and overall bullet length of the following bullets?

140gr barnes match burners
140gr hornady hpbt
130gr norma golden target or diamond
123gr Nosler CC

Thanks

Interesting fire post!

Welcome to the forum.

I will assume that by "ogive measurement" you meant base to ogive.
The issue that you are facing is that all the tools used to measure a bullet base to ogive are comparators. Their intended purpose is to compare one bullet to the next, therefore one tool to the next will give you different readings. If I measure a bullet with my comparator and send you the data and a bullet, you will liekely get different results with your equipment.

I'm assuming you are trying to figure out the best freebore for your chamber. If so, I would instead try to get a sample bullet or two and you can make dummy rounds for best accuracy.

Just my $ .02

 

[1shot]

Welcome to the forum. Getting OAL of the bullets is easy however base to ogive is a little tougher, especially if the chamber hasn't been cut. My first thought is to borrow one of your buddies 260's, make up a dummy round and seat it long. Color the bullet with a sharpie, remove the firing pin assembly assembly from the bolt so you aren't dealing with the cocking cam and spring. Close the bolt and remove it slowly. If the bullet is stuck in the lands, put a cleaning rod in from the muzzle and gently push while pulling the bolt. The idea is to not get the bullet to move in the case. Using a magnifier and a dial caliper, measure the length of the scuff on the bullet. Subtract the number from the COAL and you have a very close estimation of what you are looking for.
I hope this helps,
Lloyd

 

[michaelbz]

Yes, I am trying to pick a free bore. I want to keep the cartridge length saami spec while being close the lands as possible. If I have base to ogive and the bullet length, shouldn't the ogive measurement be trivial? I understand there is some variability. Plan B is to buy the bullets and measure myself but I was hoping to put that off till the rifle is ready.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Comparators do not measure ogive at same point that ogive contacts rifle lands, so base to ogive measurement will mean very little for your purpose. Get some bullets and measure yourself.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Yes, I am trying to pick a free bore. I want to keep the cartridge length saami spec while being close the lands as possible. If I have base to ogive and the bullet length, shouldn't the ogive measurement be trivial? I understand there is some variability. Plan B is to buy the bullets and measure myself but I was hoping to put that off till the rifle is ready.

The best thing to do is pick a bullet seat it in a case where you want it and sent it to JGS and have them make you a reamer.

 

[michaelbz]

Will do.

I was also wondering what is everybody's opinion of the matchburners, and the norma golden targets? I am familiar with berger, sierra, and lapua, but there isn't a lot of info on the others. I want to try something different and save some money, or is it a fools errand. prone and slung shooting, not benchrest.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Dont know on those but a cheap bullet that has shot well for me is the Hornady hpbt or amax.

 

[tenshot]

Hornady 140 BTHP .745 base to ogive is what they seem to run the most but I see from .742 to .749
for over all I find the most at 1.330 or 1.335 and have seen 1.325 to 1.336 in the same lots
Measured with the Hornady tool