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Posted: 3/2/2012 6:08:45 PM EDT
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how tight are your tolerances while loading. like within .010 OAL? or does it very per caliber
first batch ever relaoded http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg116/reit38/first.jpg 46gr varget sierra 90gr hpbt |
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Quoted:
depends on the purpose. Plinking ammo +/-.005 check every 10 and work back if Im out of tolerance. precision ammo, +/-.001 checked every round. Trying to impress a newfound girlfriend, +/- .01". Trying to impress me, +/- less than 0.003". If you can shoot better than your rifle, I`m all ears. Most can`t. This value is bullet roll concentricity numbers. |
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Quoted:
depends on the purpose. Plinking ammo +/-.005 check every 10 and work back if Im out of tolerance. precision ammo, +/-.001 checked every round. Trying to impress a newfound girlfriend, +/- .01". Trying to impress me, +/- less than 0.003". If you can shoot better than your rifle, I`m all ears. Most can`t. This value is bullet roll concentricity numbers. not trying to impress. I get pretty consistent results. if 1 in 10 is within +/-.005, I dont sweat it. If Im gonna bother weighing powder charges to .1gr, I might as well make sure the bullet seating is consistent. |
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The hollowpoint tip isn't evenly formed. If you measure the overall length you'll get various lengths but if you measure the ogive you should get very little difference. The irregular shape of the tips will give you .005" and possibly more difference in oal. This. |
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I see two things in that picture I don't like.
1. The bullet seater has left an impression on the tips of the bullets. It is too rough and/or improperly shaped for those bullets. It looks particlulary deep on the 6 and 10 "pins" (old bowling analogy). 2. The shoulders look buldged. Did you check the case headspace before and after sizing? How far back did you push the shoulder? It almost looks like the cases have mushroomed. ETA - I found another thing. The crimp on the 6 pin looks excessive, whereas, the crimp on the 3 pin looks minimal. IMO, don't crimp at all. Did you check the brass OAL after sizing and trim to uniform length before loading? P.S. - Just trying to help. |
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how tight are your tolerances while loading. like within .010 OAL? or does it very per caliber first batch ever relaoded http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg116/reit38/first.jpg 46gr varget sierra 90gr hpbt What cartridge did you load? .223 Rem? (You'll have a hard time stuffing that much Varget into the case.) Measure the length of the bullets you're loading. The bullet to bullet differences is the source of the variation of COAL in your loaded ammunition. The length from the case head to bullet ogive will be virtually identical. |
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Shoulder looks a little bulged on the first case. That's usually crimp induced. The ring from the seating die is cosmetic; it's not going to make one i-ota difference where the bullet goes. I doubt you could statistically detect a difference over a 10k rd experiment. Finally, I don't measure OAL except for the first round (or if the lock-nut comes loose). I trust the die to do it's job. The die should be pushing off the ogive (which yours is as evidenced by the scratch). I think fussing past that point will not only be time consuming, but possibly be counter-productive. (I think ogive is a far superior reference, but also, I'm conflicted as to how the base of the bullet factors in). If I was to get super anal, I'd test to see if driving to a tight ogive length tolerance makes a diff. But I judge it would take 200rds or more before any difference (if there is any). So it's not worth my time. Better to just load more ammo and work at reading the wind better. In your case (25-06 which is probably tough on barrels), I would focus elsewhere on improvements that don't take a lot of rounds to confirm a benefit. |
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First 4 rounds at 100yds using lead sled prone. . Flyer was first shot. Shot bout 14in high. Pic got flipped when uploading somehow
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg116/reit38/20120314191637.jpg should I stay with this recipe? Just adjust the scope or try another recipe |
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With good dies and a good strong press, your OAL when measured at the ogive should be deadnuts on, maybe +/- 0.002 at most.
As mentioned the OAL from the bullet tip will vary, especially when loading an open tip match bullet like the Sierra Matchking or Nosler Custom Competition. If you are seeing 0.010" difference between the rounds, measured at the ogive with calipers and a comparator, you a loose seating die, or bunches of press flex, or bad technique. dcat |
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It's already been posted but if you are seeing as much as +/- 0.010" in OAL (case head to bullet tip), that is almost certainly variations in the length of the bullets. Even uber-expensive, HPBT match bullets vary by this much.
Measure a sample of your bllets from the bullet base to the tip. Note how much they vary. Now, compare this variation to the variation in OAL you are seeing after the bullets have been seated. Are your primers seated flush with or recessed slightly into the case head? If not, they should be and if not that would add to the OAL variation caused by the bullet tips. ETA - don't forget to watch out for burrs and dings in the rim. These can influence OAL measurements, too. |
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