First I would like to thank everyone for all the good info here. Now to my question, I have read every post I could find on this rifle in this caliber. The consensus on max coal seems to be about 3.19 coal with Berger 140g bullets. The longest I can get on my rifle is 3.027 jammed. Just to check, I seated a round at 3.15 and the bolt will not come close to closing. I chambered this round and tapped the bolt lightly and removed it. The bullet has fine scratches around the bullet just behind the ogive no rifling marks. I have checked the bullet diameter just to be sure and it is ok. I have shot the rifle with Nosler factory ammo and have loaded a few of my own using 140 Amaxs, groups are terrible. I just thought I hadn't come up with the right combo until I found this forum and noticed that my loads were way short of everyone else's. Could this be caused by an out of spec chamber? I would like to shoot the 140s but at my seating depth, I am shooting compressed loads that should not be compressed. One more note, when I chamber the factory loads they show the starting of the same scratches on the Bergers. Very fine marks like 600 grit all around the bullet. The gun was extremely clean when I checked all this, no copper or carbon. Should I contact Savage or am I missing something? Thanks.
savage 111 6.5x284 coal question
- Thread starter Tn223
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SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
There is more to bullet 'jump' than meets the eye. You actually might find your rifle groups better with the COAL at the SAMMI spec. Bullet jump and getting repeatable grouping takes many, many rounds and lots of time. There is no hard and fast rule.
You also might want to read what Berger has to say about seating pills beyond the SAMMI spec and hbow it impacts propellant loads.
Finally, no 2 chambers will be exactly alike.
You also might want to read what Berger has to say about seating pills beyond the SAMMI spec and hbow it impacts propellant loads.
Finally, no 2 chambers will be exactly alike.
It is the long action. To SidecarFlip, I know there are few ways to a quick accurate load. In my original post,when I said I had tried a few of my own loads, I'm talking in the neighborhood of125 to 150 round with various loads using 4 different powders.
Owning one, and having seen a few Savage 111's in 6.5x284 they do run a COAL of 3.19" +/- .030" using Berger 140 BLD's. The Bergers can vary as much as .015" with lot to lot variation, the Coopers I have seen run 3.160" COAL. 3.0" is short and I would contact Savage to see if they would address it in order to get optimum performance. Alternatively, while a 3.0" COAL would limit powder capacity with slow powders like Retumbo, but you should be able to get 50-53 grs of the faster burning H4831sc without compression that uses less case capacity, and generate max velocities in the 2850-2940FPS range out of the 24" barrel. Be sure to start low and work up your charge. The Bergers seem to give good performance seated .010-.1" out of the lands. I would also check your headspace to be sure that is to spec. The difference in case measurement to the shoulder between new Lapua/Nosler brass and fired should be less then .010" longer for the fired case in the Savage chamber. IMO.
Thanks Greyfox, that is kind of the info I was wanting to know. I have shot up to 54 grains of 4831sc be fore showing any signs of pressure. The Retumbo loads are where I was getting compression too soon and also with H-1000 at max loads. I will talk to Savage and see what they say.
