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Greetings All
Either I have measured the depth to the rifleing wrong (I used a Hornady OAL Guage with Ogive comparater on calipers) or the bullet seater (Lee Deluxe Rifle Die Set) is not quite right (highly unlikely). I am reloading for .223

I have tried 4 different bullets - Hornady 50gr V-Max, 55gr V-Max, 55gr SP, 68gr HPBT.

If you look at the following table you will see that it is impossible to get the bullet seated to the correct depth (0.020' - 0.040" off the lands) with the bullet seater - I must be doing something wrong or I have been loading into the lands (with good results mind you).

For example the 55gr SP:
Lands are at 1.812" ogive
Shortest I can get with seater is 1.842" which is 0.030" into the lands
Previously I used to load to 2.210 (Base to tip) - I could never get down to the Hodgen reccomended 2.200", before I got the bullet ogive on caliper attachment a week ago. This works out to a ogive of 1.869" which is 0.057" into the lands - hate to think what it would be if I loaded to the SAMMI 2.260".

I must of measured the lands distance wrong - That would mean the SAMMI is also into the lands - but how hard can it be - push it in and measure - I'm shooting a Tikka .223 T3. Actually while writing this I re-mesaured the lands again and got the same results (aswell as pushing a little harder to get it stuck in the lands to make sure it was the lands I was getting) from a few days ago.

Any advice would be great - I anyone has the same die set I have and use the same bullets - I would love to know what you get, actually the same rifles rifiling depth (I know it will be different)

Thanks for everyones time
Braden

Braden

It does sound like a glitch in the original measuring to me, I would have another go and make sure the rifle is cleaned before you do it so that your not measuring any residue in the chamber/lands area

Alan

I'll give it another go today and cleanout the breach / lands area again - I am hoping your right because that is the only conclusion I have come to aswell - I've already measured it 3 different time :?

Did you get the same measurement each of the three times?

yep - pretty much - I'm going to get in there with a brush and boretech, just in case there is some crud where the bullet sits just before the lands - this rifle shoots pretty well for there to be anything weird though.
Thanks

Ok,
I've cleaned it again (scrubbed it with brush), deburred and chamfered he hornady brass test case - exactly the same results - perhaps .005" of a difference, definately not enough to make a difference to the whole problem

Does anyone know what it should roughly be - I know all are different but what is the SAAMI Spec for the distance is that spec only for cartridge and not bore/barrel

Thanks
Braden

Have you checked the cases oal.

The case OAL (Hornady Lock n load modified case) 1.748" which is quite a bit below max, but I would assume the modified cases would be perfect for the job.
If it was short I would think the shoulders would get the correct length anyway.

Thanks

I mean your once fired cases have you measured there OAL. They are all the same make as well I assume.

Yep - they are all the same and they measure 1.745".
Of interest - have measured some factory ammo (HTM) - the only factory stuff I have and it measures about 1.905" to ogive and I have never had a problem closing the bolt.
I'm going to get a few different types of factory (SP and balistic tip) and measure that - I havn't had any closing bolt problems with it in the past.
I must be measuring it wrong although I can't see how.

Worse case I'll use the factory ammo ogive values and tweak from there.

Thanks
Braden