Freebore?

[skipglo]

Good day all. I just bought my first Hornaday OAL gauge (after 46 years of reloading). Until I found this site two years ago I was happy with a 1-1 1/2" group. Then I drank the kool aid. And consequently have become a much more accurate shooter. So here in lies the question 6.5 creed shooting 143 gr Eld-x. I set-up the OAL and put it into the barrel....pushed in the shell...about 72 times and 71 times I got the same answer....2.933 coal. THIS IS 133 THOUSANDTH OVER any books 2.80 coal. So I loaded up 6 shells at 2.887....and my group tightened up beautifully from .675 average to . 215 yesterday at 100. Is it normal to have this much freebore over what the guides say?
Thanks fellas for any input.

 

[SealT5]

Very normal. It makes since that your rifle shoots seated closer to the lands. Most hornady bullets I've shot shoot well at 10-30 thou off.

Now, you have been reloading almost 20 years longer then I've been alive! But I always tell people to measure YOUR components and YOUR rifle. There is far too much variance now a days between components and chambers.

Good luck and look into their bullet comparator set. It will provide a more accurate reading measuring from the office vs the tip.

Joe S

 

[Canhunter35]

The coal in ur loading manual is saami spec and they set rifles up to have enough free bore into allow for different types of ammo.
When I ran seating depth tests, the 143eldx liked .050" in my rifle and apparently yours too.
In a saami 308 you need to be around 3" coal to start touching lands depending on type of bullet and what not

 

[skipglo]

Very normal. It makes since that your rifle shoots seated closer to the lands. Most hornady bullets I've shot shoot well at 10-30 thou off.

Now, you have been reloading almost 20 years longer then I've been alive! But I always tell people to measure YOUR components and YOUR rifle. There is far too much variance now a days between components and chambers.

Good luck and look into their bullet comparator set. It will provide a more accurate reading measuring from the office vs the tip.

Joe S

Thanks....and lay off the old age stuff....lol! Just got back from buying a 300 Weatherby case...and found the same thing...who knew... probably everyone but me....never too old I guess

 

[skipglo]

The coal in ur loading manual is saami spec and they set rifles up to have enough free bore into allow for different types of ammo.
When I ran seating depth tests, the 143eldx liked .050" in my rifle and apparently yours too.
In a saami 308 you need to be around 3" coal to start touching lands depending on type of bullet and what not

I knew they were saami and understand the need to fit various actions ( probably do it more for semi and fully auto) I just never thought the difference would be so large...never mattered that much before... thanks for the reply! Gives me all kinds of room to play now!

 

[snox801]

Just a heads up on the Weatherby you mag never be able to get close to the lands. Most bees have really long throats which is part of the magic they use to get speed. It softens The initial pressure spike.
In my case with my bees I load to max length I can get in my mag and call it a day. Always find a charge that is good enough for sub moa groups.

 

[skipglo]

Just a heads up on the Weatherby you mag never be able to get close to the lands. Most bees have really long throats which is part of the magic they use to get speed. It softens The initial pressure spike.
In my case with my bees I load to max length I can get in my mag and call it a day. Always find a charge that is good enough for sub moa groups.

Thanks!.... good to know!

 

[memtb]

Often, with many cartridges, magazine length dictates "cartridge overall length" rather than the chamber dimensions! Of course, loading and shooting as a "single shot", gets around this issue! memtb

 

[snox801]

I'm pretty sure even single shot I couldn't reach the lands on a bee. They are out a good bit.
I've very tempted to try the hammers in mine. Mainly because they don't seem to care about jump any length I load seems fine. Plus it's a mono so I don't have to worry about it coming apart if a close shot happens at .257 speeds.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Some rifles like exceptionally long jumps, some like short jumps. Some are built for heavy hunting bullets, some for other stuff. Just this year while I was hunting the landowner was complaining that he'd loaded up a bunch of ammo for one of his .308's and it was fine but he put them in another .308 and the primers popped out and it wouldn't group. He was worried about having to tear them all down. I knew instantly that in one rifle it was jamming and in the other it was jumping. So I grabbed 5 of them and shortened them about .020" then we took them out and tried again. Primers showed no pressure signs and the rounds grouped in cloverleafs. The difference between the two rifles was one is a thin barreled hunting rifle and the other was a precision heavy barrel tactical rifle. The hunting rifle was throated for round nose bullets. The tactical rifle for VLD's. Seating depth and jam/jump are big contributors to how the pressure curve shapes out.

 

[memtb]

I've a friend shooting a 6.5-284 Norma, with 139 Scenars, they're seated far enough out....they must be handled very carefully! I wouldn't take them into combat!!! memtb

 

[skipglo]

Some rifles like exceptionally long jumps, some like short jumps. Some are built for heavy hunting bullets, some for other stuff. Just this year while I was hunting the landowner was complaining that he'd loaded up a bunch of ammo for one of his .308's and it was fine but he put them in another .308 and the primers popped out and it wouldn't group. He was worried about having to tear them all down. I knew instantly that in one rifle it was jamming and in the other it was jumping. So I grabbed 5 of them and shortened them about .020" then we took them out and tried again. Primers showed no pressure signs and the rounds grouped in cloverleafs. The difference between the two rifles was one is a thin barreled hunting rifle and the other was a precision heavy barrel tactical rifle. The hunting rifle was throated for round nose bullets. The tactical rifle for VLD's. Seating depth and jam/jump are big contributors to how the pressure curve shapes out.

Thanks...well done!