Compressed loads newbie
- Thread starter mccraggen
- Start date
TackDriver284
Handloader
- Feb 13, 2016
- 2,559
- 2,139
What powder are you using?
Does it fit the magazine?
How far is the bullet off the lands?
Does it fit the magazine?
How far is the bullet off the lands?
drakehammer
Beginner
- May 23, 2015
- 163
- 0
I try to avoid it. They work themselves back out over time. Sometimes quickly sometimes slowly. There are better, easier options.
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- Thread starter
- #4
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,402
- 6,213
Don't sweat the compressed loads. Mild compression is not a problem. Normally, a drop tube or settling the charge by judicious tapping with an inert rod of one sort or another will allow some pretty severe compression. With some powders, it is the only way to go. Some of the newer powders are a game changer in that compression isn't necessary to get great velocities. However, with some of the older powders, this is the only way to go.
- Thread starter
- #6
Divernhunter
Handloader
- Apr 1, 2009
- 812
- 171
Do not worry. I use compressed loads in all sorts of different cartridges without problems. Also be sure to give the bullet a lot of jump for best accuracy. Do not crimp the Barnes also.
- Thread starter
- #8
- Thread starter
- #9
drakehammer
Beginner
- May 23, 2015
- 163
- 0
Like I said before, they tend to. But if they aren’t too compressed you prolly won’t have any trouble. A tiny crunch at the end of seating prolly isn’t the end of the world. You could prolly avoid any crunch by vibrating the case before you seat. The real question is...can you get the same accuracy without compressing?mccraggen":2ifj6j73 said:
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I can tell you that recently I was breaking in my Christensen Arms .300 WM barrel and I loaded up some 180 grain Sierra Pro hunters with RL22. OAL was 3.330 and I noticed that seating the bullet was a bit difficult. I waited a couple of days and then measured them again. They had backed out roughly .025-.030. the bullet would have been right into the rifling. I then switched over to 180 grain Federal Trophy Bonded with a Boat tail. These were seated at 3.320 per Federal instructions. No problems with these bullets. It sounds to me like the flat base plus the OAL of the bullet screwed things up. With the .300WM bullets do (with the heavier weight bullets) get seated "Deeply" into the powder area.
