Got 2 boxes of factory 1st's and have 3 boxes of 2nd's coming from SPS. Spent a little time today getting some test loads worked up. Loading for a 260 Rem, and using LE Wilson dies. Had some interesting things happen....not sure if you remember but recently I had to step down from a .288 bushing to a .287 bushing as I had loaded up some Berger 140 hybrids and they were finger loose in the case. So I used the .287 bushing today and sized some cases. Went to seat the first ABLR and had to pull on the arbor press pretty hard. Seated the bullet and pulled the loaded round out and the seating stem had put a wrinkle in the bullet where it was pushing against! Thought maybe it was a fluke so I ran one more through with the same result. Went back up to the .288 bushing and they loaded up just fine. Wouldn't think that .001" of neck tension would make that big of a difference....
The first load I went with 45 grains of H4350 and loaded up 5 seated at 2.238" BTO and then loaded 5 at 2.188" BTO (which is max SAAMI length). The longer length is the same BTO setting I have had good success with shooting the Bergers and is just off the lands.
Next up I loaded 48 grains of H4831SC and used the 2.188" BTO seating depth. This is a compressed load. Just the added pressure of compressing the bullet against the powder caused the seating stem to put another pretty good ring in the bullet.
My theory is that the nose of the ABLR is VERY soft to accomodate it expanding at a minimum velocity of 1300fps. Glad that it will open up at slow speeds but it's proving to be somewhat of a pain the ass to load without damaging the bullet! Would it be safe to shoot the wrinkled bullets as foulers or would you pull them and toss them?
Unfortunately I don't think I'll be getting out anytime soon to shoot them....Have what the Dr's think is a disk problem in my neck causing both my hands to go numb and now causing muscle spasms and shooting pains. Waiting on an MRI to confirm exactly what's going on but I'll likely not be sitting behind a rifle for awhile..... :x
The first load I went with 45 grains of H4350 and loaded up 5 seated at 2.238" BTO and then loaded 5 at 2.188" BTO (which is max SAAMI length). The longer length is the same BTO setting I have had good success with shooting the Bergers and is just off the lands.
Next up I loaded 48 grains of H4831SC and used the 2.188" BTO seating depth. This is a compressed load. Just the added pressure of compressing the bullet against the powder caused the seating stem to put another pretty good ring in the bullet.
My theory is that the nose of the ABLR is VERY soft to accomodate it expanding at a minimum velocity of 1300fps. Glad that it will open up at slow speeds but it's proving to be somewhat of a pain the ass to load without damaging the bullet! Would it be safe to shoot the wrinkled bullets as foulers or would you pull them and toss them?
Unfortunately I don't think I'll be getting out anytime soon to shoot them....Have what the Dr's think is a disk problem in my neck causing both my hands to go numb and now causing muscle spasms and shooting pains. Waiting on an MRI to confirm exactly what's going on but I'll likely not be sitting behind a rifle for awhile..... :x
