OAL is this right???

[romex2121]

im wanting to set my bullet ( hornady 165gr sp ) .20 off the lands in my Rem. 700 bdl in 30/06,, what i have done is fl sized my cases ( win ) trimed to 2.488,, i started the bullet with my setting die ( RCBS ) i then put the cartridge in my rifle and closed the bolt until there was no resistance ( more than once ) i then took my caliper with my comparator on it and mesured 3.861 subtracted .20 and came up with 3.841 for OAL is this correct or did i do something wrong???? i just want to be sure im doing it correctly and not giving myself a wrong reading,,,

 

[Richracer1]

Yep, something is wrong. SAAMI 30-06 COL is 3.34" (base to bullet tip). That measurement you got is beyond 300 Ultra mag specs. If you have a Nosler manual, they have good instructions on how to figure out your distance to the lands using a fired, unsized case, and a bullet.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

could be a long throat.

 

[hubcap]

I only get a cartridge overall length of 3.325 with the 165 BTSP,s in a 700 BDL I,ve been loading for. The 165 Partition is 3.425. 3.861 sounds a bit fishy for the bullet your checking.

 

[Divernhunter]

Also you should use a fired case and bend in the top just enough to hold the bullet. Then just start the bullet into the case. Then insert it into the rifle and gently close the bolt thus pushing the bullet back into the case. Be carefull I have several barrels that do not touch the lands even with a bullet just barely started into the case. They still shoot very well.

 

[HeathSexton]

Did you zero your calipers back when you added the comparator? Meaning, dd comparator, shut calipers, roll dial to zero. Or did you leave it zero'd from set without the comparator?

The best way to get your OAL, for me, if to take a piec of brass, size it, and cut it with a hacksaw to the top of the shoulder. That way the bullet can be moved back and forth, it is tight enough to hold, but loose enough to be pushed back when closing the bolt.

 

[JD338]

Also you should use a fired case and bend in the top just enough to hold the bullet. Then just start the bullet into the case. Then insert it into the rifle and gently close the bolt thus pushing the bullet back into the case.

Exactly!

Then just take that COL measurement, which is to the lands, and subtract .020" and you are there.

JD338

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

I also have more then one rifle where I can't reach the lans with a BT even with the bullet all the way out.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

In all the rems I've seen and loaded for, that seems really really long for an 06 length round. Something has gotta be going on

I usually come up around 3.3"-3.4" with 270-30-06,etc. Of course depending on bullet and individual rifle, but I cant even remember having one go over 3.4"

My rem 700 7 mag with berger VLD's are only seated out to 3.450" and there at the lands. My 140g nbt's are at the lands at 3.350"

3.8" for an OAL on an 06 round just seems fishy. Definately isn't normal.

The way I check OAL is the way it was mentioned above by taking a fired case and denting the neck and barely inserting a bullet in the neck, then chamber the round w/bullet and close the bolt. By closing the bolt, you are pushing or seating that particular bullet to the lands. Do this a couple times for an average and thats your OAL to the lands with that bullet out of that rifle. If you wanna be .010" or .050" off the lands, you just subtract .010" or .050" from whatever the OAL number you had.

 

[Desert Fox]

Antilope_Sniper was right! Either your rifle has freebore or the barrel were throated for VLD bullet. It's not unusual to find factory rifle with long throat. Just seat your bullet to clear the magazine and you're good to go.

Measuring COAL for seating the bullet twenty thousandth off the land is not very accurate. Bullet OAL varies a lot. It's should be done at the ogive. Sinclair International sell an inexpensive tool that you attached to your caliper to measure bullet ogive and seating depth

Here's what they look like

http://www.sinclairintl.com/prod_detail ... omparators

 

[romex2121]

Did you zero your calipers back when you added the comparator? Meaning, dd comparator, shut calipers, roll dial to zero. Or did you leave it zero'd from set without the comparator?

The best way to get your OAL, for me, if to take a piec of brass, size it, and cut it with a hacksaw to the top of the shoulder. That way the bullet can be moved back and forth, it is tight enough to hold, but loose enough to be pushed back when closing the bolt.

yes the caliper was zeroed after the comparator was put on,,, and yes the bullet was pushed back into the case when closing the bolt,,/ as of now the finished loads cycle just fine no hard or sticky bolt and there not touching the lands,, im kinda leary now whats the difference in using a fired case or one that has been fl sized to find seating deapth???

 

[romex2121]

also i used Sierra GameKings in 165gr. they are a little longer than the hornadys,,, everything was messured from the OGIVE

 

[HeathSexton]

No reason to FL size the brass, you could also neck size and cut the neck down ot the shoulder. I size mine that way I don't have any resistance closingthe bolt, just makes things smoother.

 

[romex2121]

i just orderd the hornady lock and load guage just to make sure things are ok,,, im not gonna fire the new rounds till i check with that guage.
i still think things are ok tho

 

[Divernhunter]

I have the Hornady unit and have several guns that I push the bullet completely out of the case before it touches the lands. They still shoot well.

 

[romex2121]

i checked the distance to the lands on my 30/06 again (10 times) and im still at 3.861 ,, so ive come to the conclusion i must have a long throut,,i did order the hornady straight gauge anyway

 

[Richracer1]

I'd say, find a COL that's about .010 shorter than your magazine and start there as you are now limited by the magazine. I doesn't surprise me your Rem has a long throat.

 

[romex2121]

I'd say, find a COL that's about .010 shorter than your magazine and start there as you are now limited by the magazine. I doesn't surprise me your Rem has a long throat.

i think thats exactly what im gonna have to do,, as of now at .020 from the lands theres only about a 1/16'' of the bullet in the case mouth :shock: ,, and i dont feel safe with that ,, although they did still cycle in the mag

 

[woods]

I think where some of the confusion is coming in is that he is getting a measurement of 3.841" with the comparator on. That is not the same as OAL. For instance I have a 30-06 Steyr that the load will measure 3.392" and then with the comparator on it it will measure 3.738".

So he is not talking about the OAL but the comparator measurement.

 

[romex2121]

i could have sworn i ststed i was using the comparator when i started the thread,,, im doing so because the bullets are not all the same length,, i thought i could get a better and more acurate mesurement from the ogive
sorry for any confusion,,, but yes im using the comparator