Hey guys...got a question for some of you more experienced handloaders...I've got a No. 1 I traded for...it is chambered for .425 Westley Richards...got it along with reloading dies, bullets, etc.
Worked up some starting loads...OAL as called out in the only data I could find on the cartridge is listed at 3.272 (83.11mm)...did some shooting with my handloads at this OAL,
shot well enough for hunting and the intended use of the .425WR.
Today I picked up a nifty little tool that attaches to a cleaning rod and it lets you measure your throat depth very accurately by setting one block with the rod touching the breech block face or bolt face and another block you attach and set a bullet held lightly against the lands.
I really got a shock...the measurement from the breech face to the nose of the bullet into the lands indicates a OAL cartridge length of 3.555 That's over a 1/4" difference.
Since I don't have to worry about a magazine I'm thinking I can seat the bullet farther out...say within .020 or so of the lands and get a little better accuracy.
To make up for the longer seating I wasn't going to trim the cases back to the recommended 2.640 specs.
What I don't know is this, how much bearing surface of the bullet is enough since I'll be seating them around .250 further out? Is there a ratio to diameter and length?
The Barnes bullets I have are 1.200 OAL. Seating a dummy round to within .020 of the lands leaves .925 of the bullet exposed from the cartridge. So I've got .275 of the bullet to case bearing surface to hold the bulles. The diameter is .435 and no crimp grooves. Anybody have any experience with something like this? Thanks in advance...I appreciate the help....larryd

The rule of thumb is seeting one caliber deep to insure good tension. The long throat in your rifle will help reduce pressure some and that could be a good thing on a hot African plain. I`d stay with the recommendation in the manual. The function and safety of the cartridge is more important in this type of gun then bench accuracy.

quote:

Originally posted by Ol` Joe:
The rule of thumb is seeting one caliber deep to insure good tension. The long throat in your rifle will help reduce pressure some and that could be a good thing on a hot African plain. I`d stay with the recommendation in the manual. The function and safety of the cartridge is more important in this type of gun then bench accuracy.

Yup....god post!!!!

We (as reloaders) often get far too anal about distance to the lands.....it's not as important as some would like to believe.

Sounds like good advice to me as well...what's a little extra freebore between friends...thanks for the help...larryd

lazza,

Barnes recommends the minimum amount of full diameter bullet shank gripped by the case neck be 2/3 of bullet diameter i.e. a .308 caliber should have .205" of full diameter bullet in contact with the case neck (.308 x 2/3).