I just figured the distance to the rifling in the encore barrel. OAL in the book is listed at 2.79 Max. The bullets I'm using touch the lands at 2.875 OAL.

If I want to bring the bullet up closer how should I go about it? Should I start with my hunting load and increase length or start with a min. load, increase length to optimum and then increase the charge?

In you favorite loads how far off the rifling are you? What caliber, bullet and firearm? Have any of you decided that decreasing the 'jump' doesn't increase/decrease accuracy?

D

If you are going to bring closer to the lands, I would suggest reducing your load, and working back up to find a safe accurate load. I personally don't load too close to the lands, the load I use is accurate enought for me. I did figure out my rifle's max length and increased the length closer to that but I wasn't a good enough shot to notice the difference. Plus, the shorter, current load I use fits in my rifle magazine and ammo boxes nicely, the longer put pressure onto the top of the boxes.

to the lands ONLY for bench/stand guns...

why? because you have less clearances if something goes wrong...

NEVER in a DGR... NEVER EVER NEVER

and yeah, reduce you loads when you to the lands... just a hair... yes, you have a har more case capacity... but you also have moved the pressure peak closer to you in distance/time.

jeffe

.010" off the lands is plenty close for a hunting rig, if your chamber/barrel aren't inline as perfect as one could get it, it really doesn't matter how close you get the bullet to the lands. In other words, if the bullet hits all the lands at the same time you should have an accurate rig. Jay

Jeffe, what is a DGR?

No, I don't need to increase OAL. If it's not broken, don't fix it, right? But, now that I'm realoading I have the power to do things mere mortals can only dream of ha Ha HA... or something like that. I just want to put together the best loads possible. .085 seems a little excessive for the jump, but I don't know for sure since I'm new.

Yankees!?!? Who picks these smileys?

Don't mean to answer Jeff's question for him, but DGR = Dangerous Game Rifle. All the advice so far is very sound. Starting load development again with a longer OACL, .010" is recommended as adequate freebore in most manuals and developing your load carefully, .005" shouldn't be a problem. A good OACL gauge will help!

Dman, for what it's worth, more of my rigs shoot better with MORE jump to the lands. This includes a TC (same rifle) 2 barrels, one a .270 one a 25.06. I have especially noticed that my WSM's like a little more jump to the lands.

I don't set up any of my rigs with the bullets seated into the lands, I hasn't been necessary to get stellar accuracy, and as I thnk Jeffe suggested, I'm in the group that just doesn't do that with hunting rigs.

Good Luck--Don

I generally don't seat the bullets any longer than will consistently feed from the magazine. I have a 7mm08 that I worked up some loads that did not fit into the magazine. After discovering that I went back with some that would fit & function properly. The accuracy did not change, if anything it got better.

quote:

Originally posted by Dman:
I just figured the distance to the rifling in the encore barrel. OAL in the book is listed at 2.79 Max. The bullets I'm using touch the lands at 2.875 OAL.

Hey Dman, As the others have said, there are also distances away from the Lands where it is possible to get excellent accuracy. Just depends on the Harmonic you happen to hit, or miss with your specific rifle and specific components.

My Hunting Loads are Seated Off-the-Lands and my BBQ Loads are Seated Into-the-Lands. But I could probably take the BBQ Loads and retest them at various Seating Depths and come up with a Load close to their accuracy level.

quote:

If I want to bring the bullet up closer how should I go about it? Should I start with my hunting load and increase length or start with a min. load, increase length to optimum and then increase the charge?

I'm a firm believer in Developing Loads from below.

From a SAFETY standpoint, it is the only way to go. The more reloading a person does, the more reasons they actually see first-hand about why this is the best way to go.

Second, if you just Seat the bullet out with the old Load, your "odds" of hitting the very best harmonic are only 2-of-360.

quote:

In you favorite loads how far off the rifling are you?

It varies from rifle to rifle, what works in my rifle dosen't mean you can duplicate it and get the same accuracy. Each rifle and the specific components used in it make that combination unique. The "exact same Load" in another rifle of the same caliber might shoot worse, the same or better. But the odds are against hitting the best Harmonic with a Randomly Selected Load.
---

It really depends on what kind of accuracy you want and how much confidence you want in your Final Load. If a person is happy with groups approaching 1.5", you can generally pick a Manual's Starting Load, Seat the Bullets to the recommend dept and kill about all the Big Game you want inside 300yds. And the Final Load might be considerably smaller, just depends on whether or not it happens to hit a Harmonic.

If on the other hand you want the best possible accuracy from your rifle, there are no "short-cuts" to getting the best Load - it must be Developed from Below, watching for the Group Clusters(aka the never improved upon Creighton Audette Method) using your specific firearm and your specific components.

Best of luck to you.