Newbie reloading question (lands?)

[rdmega]

I am going to risk sounding like a complete idiot here but, I hear a lot when developing loads about measuring distance off the lands. I have no idea how to do this. For example, I just started loading .308 and I just make the brass trim to and coal the same as the factory loads. I hear by seating bullets further out or different distances off the lands you can increas accuracy. How can I measure this?

I want to try some loads using the 208 gr a max with about 46 grains of varget and without measuring off the lands I dont think it will fit properly.

thanks for the help

 

[AJ Peacock]

Welcome,

Take a piece of fired brass and bend the end of the neck slightly, just so it will hold a bullet. Paint a bullet black with a felt tip marker. Then take the bullet and start it in the neck slightly. Carefully chamber and remove the cartridge.

The neck (the little dent you made to hold the bullet) will have scratched the black marker from the bullet. Put the bullet back as far as the mark and measure it. Viola!

Do this several times to get a consistent measurement. This measurement is likely a few thousands too long, as the bullet will have pressed into the lands a little bit (depending on how tight you made the neck to bullet fit).

Hope this made sense, I haven't had any coffee this morning.

AJ

 

[boomtube]

"I hear by seating bullets further out or different distances off the lands you can increas accuracy."

Seating close to, or into, the lands is a BR technique to compensate for a lack of bullet grip in their cases. Done correctly it can, under the right conditions, help start pressure to reach better burn levels and may be better for accuracy.

Others, trying to duplicate what they don't understand, think it's a way to "better align the bullet to the bore" and assume it's a method virtually assuring better accuracy. It isn't so, not for all BR shooters and certainly not for those of us who use factory rifles.

Most factory rifles get best accuracy seating from .025" to as much as .125", or more, off the lands. And precious few factory rifles have short enough throats to permit land contact anyway. ONLY experimentation will tell you how deep to seat your bullets, it does indeed make a difference.

 

[SQ Stalker]

I use the Hhornay OAL length gauge. It works well and is only about $20-$30.

I'd try different seating depths to see what your rifle likes. I tried .010",.050",.090" and .130" off the lands with 150gr Berger VLD bullets and my stock Rem 700 .270 liked the depth of .050" off the best.

Then last week I loaded some 100gr Rem Core-Lokts (very short bullet in .270 win) which could only be loaded at .217" off the lands and they shot better than the Bergers!

So I guess find what depth your rifle likes with each different bullet.

Hope this helps.

Stalker

 

[rdmega]

Yet another reason this site is awesome. Thanks for the answers, I will check the lenght and start playing around with some different loads!!

On another note, has anyone tried loading some of the larger 30 cal bullets for a .308?

I have been playing with some numbers and it seems to 800 yards (just for target practice) if I put 45 grains of varget below a 208 a max or 210 berger I can get about 2450-2560 fps and have some nice accuracy?

thanks again

 

[boomtube]

"..if I put 45 grains of varget below a 208 a max or 210 berger I can get about 2450-2560 fps and have some nice accuracy?"

Accuracy happens where you find it, there's no way to predict it.

 

[rdmega]

Understand, what I am asking for is anyone who has tried this. I know all rifles are different but this load has to be better at distance than a 150gr

 

[AJ Peacock]

Yet another reason this site is awesome. Thanks for the answers, I will check the lenght and start playing around with some different loads!!

On another note, has anyone tried loading some of the larger 30 cal bullets for a .308?

I have been playing with some numbers and it seems to 800 yards (just for target practice) if I put 45 grains of varget below a 208 a max or 210 berger I can get about 2450-2560 fps and have some nice accuracy?

thanks again

According to Quickload, that would be a pretty substantial overload.

AJ