[This message has been edited by thmpr (edited 04-20-2002).]

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Originally posted by thmpr:
Used stoney point oal gauge on son's 30.06, measures 4.328". How much do I back off OAL measurement to seat bullet depth to start working up loads? Any help would be appreciated.BTW, used 165 nosler BT

[This message has been edited by thmpr (edited 04-20-2002).]

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quote:

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Originally posted by thmpr:
Used stoney point oal gauge on son's 30.06, measures 4.328". How much do I back off OAL measurement to seat bullet depth to start working up loads? Any help would be appreciated.BTW, used 165 nosler BT
thumpr/ I like to start at the lands when fireforming and working up loads.....once you start working up loads when you get the velocity or pressure you want then you can adjust the bullet away from the lands and test for accuracy.....I mean just touching...not jammed into the lands....also you need to consider the temperature of the time working up the loads when they will be used this is with a STARTING load and pressure will drop....usually...when backing away from the lands.....good luck and good shooting!!!
[This message has been edited by thmpr (edited 04-20-2002).]

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Rem 125gr PSP 3.04"
Rem 150gr PSP 3.22"
Horn 150fr SP 3.22"
Nos 168gr HPBT MATCH 3.25"
SPEER 150 BT 3.22"
SPEER 110 SP 3.10"

All the loads so far using Hodgdon H 4350, RL 15 and Varget for the 110 and 125's, indicate a preference for touching or just off the lands by 0.010" and 1 or two grains below the top load. One thing to remember, reducing the chamber pressure 10% will only reduce the velocity by 5% and increase the accuracy by 100%.

I started the powder charges at the middle of the Hodgdon manuals range increasing in 1 grain increments and 0.005" on the length depending on what the target told me changing only one parameter at a time.

All the brass is neck turned just enough to clean up to about 95%, trimed to the shortest case, weighed within 1 grain, primer pockets uniformed and flash holes deburred. I also take a little off the base to square it up but no more than 0.003".

I use a Forster Ultra seater and RCBS small base dies with Redding Competition shell holders to maintain a minimum headspace of 0.002".

I used the small base dies because the were left over from my M1 Garand days. The dies fit the chamber great or the other way around because it doesn't do much resizing, 0.0015 on the base. The case and bullet runout is in the 0.001" to 0.002" range.

So far this has been one of the easiest rifles I have to load for, just keeps putting them in small groups and handles great. I haven't chrono'ed the loads yet but sighted in 2" high at 100 and an actual check at 200 yards for 3" low or a tad more, indicate a velocity around 2950 or so for the 150's. The cases tell me there is more to go if I want, but the accuracy tells me to stop right there and not worry about and extra 50 to 100fps.

Try this technique out and see if it works and come back to tell us if it does or not. I used it for developing loads for all my rifles and it seems to work relitively well for me.

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From my cold, dead hands!
Thanks Chuck!

Since my Remington 06 is a hunting gun, I load to max magazine length and don't sweat the jump. For many, many years, my standard load was 50gr of IMR4064, and it would give me right around 1MOA day in and day out. About three years ago I started playing around with IMR4350 and found that 56 grains of that gives me the same or just a fuzz better groups and consistency.

If you're shooting whitetails with the 165BT, the only concern I ever have is when shooting one at close range 30-40 yards, which is most of the time. If the BT goes between the ribs, it's going to do the job 100% of the time. But if you get too far forward and hit the front shoulder blade with a fast BT, sometimes it will "splash" and create only a surface wound, which can get ugly. It'll still usually knock the deer down, but he may get back up and take off on you. So if this is indeed a hunting scenario, do your best to put the BT in the heart/lung zone and you'll be fine.