165gr Ballistic Tip Seating 06

[bullet]

What is a general rule for seating the 165gr BT in an 06? I would like to know what you guys who have an 06 have found with the Ballistic Tip that has brought you all accuracy. I usually seat it just the length that it will clear the magazine and then begin to back up.

I had a Sako TRG reciever and a 22" Douglas barrel and I killed a 221 pound female hog with it at 90yds. She was turned at all most a 45 degree angle with her rear pointing to me in a food plot we had. She had six 7-8 month old pigs with her and when I pulled that trigger the other went in all directions but she hit the ground.

Now the 165gr Ballistic Tip hit the last rib on her right side and it made a hard ball size entrance wound and travel across and forward up her body exiting out the top of her left shoulder and she hit the ground right where she was hit. It was a violent kill, that just raddled her cage and she never twitched.

This coming year I am going to compare two bullets once again on there impact on deer, coyote and small to medium hogs and that will be the 165gr Ballistic Tip and the 165gr Sierra GK HPBT.

I want everything to be as even as possible so I am trying to get under 1/2" groups with the BT and 2950fps velocities. So any thing you guys have found that really helps the accuracy of the BT by the seating of the bullet please give me your impute. Now just because I have done this a lot does not mean your comments won't help me, on the contrary, so please take the time to explain your results with the 165gr BT.

I sure wish there was a BT for the 358

 

[GB300wm]

Bullet, typical hunting bullets like around .020 - .040 jump to the lands if your rifle can do that. On the other hand, VLD type bullets like little or no jump to the lands. I've always seated my hunting loads within these parameters. You will just have to try to see what works best for you. :grin:

 

[JD338]

bullet

I haven't loaded 30-06 for some time now but its what I cut my teeth on.
I have a M700 BDL and put about 6K rounds down the barrel. Accuracy was gone and I ended up getting it re barreled.

In the M700, I could reach the lands before running out of magazine so I always wound up between .010-.020" off the lands.

First you might want to determine exactly what the distance is to the lands for reference if nothing else.
Loading just under your magazine length, maybe .015-.020" will give you some margin of error.
Typically, a rifle will have 2 sweet spots, one just off the lands and the other one further yet off the lands. Before you start playing with seating depths, make sure you have established a fairly accurate load, maybe sub MOA. I always had good results with IMR 4350. 2950 fps might be a little optimistic with a factory barrel/chamber but consider IMR 4350, H/IMR 4831, RL 19 and RL 22. IMHO, I would start with RL 22 to hit your target MV. :wink:
Once this is done, try loading in lots of 3, seating bullets in .005" increments.
If you are not successful with the 165 gr BT, I would suggest you try the 165 gr AB next.

JD338 :wink:

 

[bullet]

Thanks GB300win and JD338, I found that my magazine length was longer than the lands would allow. So after finding exactly where the bullet rested on the lands I back off from 3.339" to 3.3365". I use compressed loads (that fill the case to just bellow the neck) 59grs H4350 and 57grs IMR4350 in a Nosler Custom case. I will see Monday if the wind is down or Tuesday for sure because it will be cold mornings and I can let the barrel cool completely for each shot and it won't take so long. I have used the above loads with the AccuBond and it does not give as much as the BT so I am not concerned about pressures. I should have 2850fps plus out of these loads or there about but looking for accuracy. Thanks for the impute, it is always good to have it before you begin using a bullet your rifle has not used before, no matter how much you have handloaded before.

 

[rick smith]

bullet, my standard 30/06 load, fired in at least a dozen different rifles, is 58.5-58.8 grs. IMR-4350, WLR or 210M, any 165-168gr bullet seated from 10-20 off the lands. I have used Norma, Win, Lapua and Nosler brass. My velocity ranges from 2830-2850fps, depends on the combination and rifle. I try to head shoot hogs, don't loose meat. Longest head shot so far was 165yds, missed one at 250yds. Couldn't find the exact placement, almost dark, black hog and black crosshairs, overshot him.Rick.

 

[Guy Miner]

Bullet - I like the H4350 for the .30-06! A lot.

Those Ballistic Tip bullets can shoot right with many match bullets, and as you've pointed out so clearly, they work GREAT on game.

Consider, if you're not already doing so, seating with a match-type seating die. With no other changes to my load, I made a significant improvement to the accuracy of my .308 handloads by going to a match grade seating die.

FWIW, Guy

 

[bullet]

Bullet - I like the H4350 for the .30-06! A lot.

Those Ballistic Tip bullets can shoot right with many match bullets, and as you've pointed out so clearly, they work GREAT on game.

Consider, if you're not already doing so, seating with a match-type seating die. With no other changes to my load, I made a significant improvement to the accuracy of my .308 handloads by going to a match grade seating die.

FWIW, Guy

Yes Guy, my most accurate load with this rifle that you all saw me post was H4350, I really like it a lot for the 06 and is at the moment my favorite powder. You thoughts on the match grade seating die is certainly worth considering. Thank you for the thought.

 

[old #7]

Bullet.
The 165 shoots great in my Rem 700 ltd. I did have it AI'd and did see an increase in velocity while retaining accuracy.
I have used all of the "standard" 06 powders and have settled on H4831sc. It gave me an extreemely accurate load, with decent velocity without any pressure signs, that shoots inside a dime consistantly.
Here is my favorite load.
165gr Nosler BT
Fed 210
H4831sc 65.7grs.
Col is 3.425.
Velocity 2912 fps
I am .012 off the lands and I am still able to load rounds in the mag box without tips getting damaged from recoil.

 

[bullet]

Absolutely a beautiful rifle, very nice. Thanks for your favorite load.

 

[ArmyCW]

Thanks GB300win and JD338, I found that my magazine length was longer than the lands would allow. So after finding exactly where the bullet rested on the lands I back off from 3.339" to 3.3365". I use compressed loads (that fill the case to just bellow the neck) 59grs H4350 and 57grs IMR4350 in a Nosler Custom case. I will see Monday if the wind is down or Tuesday for sure because it will be cold mornings and I can let the barrel cool completely for each shot and it won't take so long. I have used the above loads with the AccuBond and it does not give as much as the BT so I am not concerned about pressures. I should have 2850fps plus out of these loads or there about but looking for accuracy. Thanks for the impute, it is always good to have it before you begin using a bullet your rifle has not used before, no matter how much you have handloaded before.

Bullet.
I'm still working up loads for my 06 for the 165 Nosler BT.
Wondering where you get you stats for this load. I'm looking at Nosler #6 reloading guide, H4350 max is 57.0 at 2832 with load density at 101%.
IMR 4350 max is 58 at 2820 with load density 100%. My thought is if your putting the bullet seating at .020 to .030 off of lands you can get a few more grains of powder with OAL 3.3365"
Are you chrony'd this ammo? Sounds like a HOT load to me.

 

[bullet]

Thanks GB300win and JD338, I found that my magazine length was longer than the lands would allow. So after finding exactly where the bullet rested on the lands I back off from 3.339" to 3.3365". I use compressed loads (that fill the case to just bellow the neck) 59grs H4350 and 57grs IMR4350 in a Nosler Custom case. I will see Monday if the wind is down or Tuesday for sure because it will be cold mornings and I can let the barrel cool completely for each shot and it won't take so long. I have used the above loads with the AccuBond and it does not give as much as the BT so I am not concerned about pressures. I should have 2850fps plus out of these loads or there about but looking for accuracy. Thanks for the impute, it is always good to have it before you begin using a bullet your rifle has not used before, no matter how much you have handloaded before.

Bullet.
I'm still working up loads for my 06 for the 165 Nosler BT.
Wondering where you get you stats for this load. I'm looking at Nosler #6 reloading guide, H4350 max is 57.0 at 2832 with load density at 101%.
IMR 4350 max is 58 at 2820 with load density 100%. My thought is if your putting the bullet seating at .020 to .030 off of lands you can get a few more grains of powder with OAL 3.3365"
Are you chrony'd this ammo? Sounds like a HOT load to me.

My loads are over book but there are no pressures signs at all in my Mark V. I do not have primer or brass base problems in the Mark V. Please work up in your rifle and I should have mentioned that. Thank you for bringing that to my attention on this thread although I did mention it on the other thread where I did the load development for my Mark V Custom 30-06

 

[bullet]

Also, let me explain that the books load the 06 to 48,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, but in modern 30-06 rifles you can load the 06 case to 25-06 and 270 pressures and that is what I have done and that is why my 06 is not over max for a modern rifle like my Mark V.

 

[Rem 700]

I'm at 3.325 OAL in my Rem 700, .06...

 

[Richracer1]

FWIW, I load my 06 using 180ABs to a COL of 3.39" (tip to base method)