Hi All,

I'm not completely new to reloading, I have reloaded for my .357 mag. pistol. I am TOTALLY new to rifle reloading and am having a hard time figuring this out. I'm trying to reload for .308win, 30-06, and 7.5x55 swiss. I'm trying to keep things as universal as I can. I have bought hornaday .308 dia.150gr. fmj bullets as they should work in all 3 of these callibers. Right now I'm working on the 7.5 swiss. The only book I have that covers this catridge is my Lee book. It shows a min. OAL of 2.790 for 150 gr. "jacketed Bullet" but doesn't say what type of jacketed bullet, Does it matter if its sp, fmj, or anything else?

If I set my 150 gr. fmj bullet at that depth it seems it will be way to deep, past the cannular and very close if not into the taper of the bullet. It also shows a Max. OAL of 3.051 at the top of the page. Does this mean the bullet can be seated safely anywhere between the 2.790 and the 3.051?

Also I'm trying to load this useing IMR4350 or IMR4046. Does anyone have load data for thses powders?

Thanks for any help,NealB.

Neal, regarding reloading data, there is quite a bit available on the Web these days. You'll find data for all of the cartridge you are loading on (among other places) via:

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

or

http://www.reloadersnest.com/rifle.asp

Regarding bullet seating depth: First off, ignore the cannelure, it is largely irrelevant in the calibers you load. (It would be of value if you needed to crimp, but that is not required in any of the cartridges you currently work with).

Secondly, each chamber is cut differently, including the freebore. Exactly how deep the bullet should be seated in your particular gun depends on many factors. Amongst these are: 1) magazine length, 2) chamber freebore. It is easy to see if a particular seating depth makes the cartridge overall length (COAL) exceed your mag length. To figure out the freebore of your rifle, use the search function here to locate methods people use to establish that attribute. I personally use one of these gizmos to establish COAL, but if you are short on cash, you can also get a reasonable idea without this specialized (but practical) tool:

http://www.sinclairintl.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?catego...=CFG-2000&type=store

Just like the manual you have used does not list the specific OACL for your rifle, it may not list the specific bullet you have chosen to use. There are so many bullet and powder combinations, that no single manual can cover them all. It helps to acquire multiple manuals and compare data. In the end, you will learn to extrapolate from data obtained with similar components to what you would like to use. In any event, you need to work up loads for your particular chamber, components etc. So take the starting data your manual lists for the 150 (generic) bullet, and work up from there. Pay close attention to pressure signs along the way, and (at least while you are a novice reloader), don't exceed max loads. That will likely provide you with a safe and satisfying load that works in your chamber.

If you are looking for accuracy, 150 FMJ may not be place to look. These bullets are often the cheapest you can get, and accuracy is often so-so. For a generic bullet, try something like a Sierra Game King (asuuming you want to hunt?) or a MatchKing (assuming you just want to punch paper), a Hornady SP or a Nosler Ballistic Tip for general good accuracy. Yes, these bullets may be more $$$ than a 150 grs FMJ, but if you are looking for the best result, you may get there a lot quicker with these bullets, and not waste components trying to find accuracy where it is hard to locate.

Good luck

- mike