Capt Ray

I am still in my novice stage of reloading so bear with me. I am reloading some 140 gr Sierra Spitzers in my 270. I have made several dummy rounds seating the bullet just off the rifling as instructed in my Speer Reloading Manual, and the results this far have been exceptional. I made a dummy round with the above bullet and the bullet seating depth seems extreme. It just don't look right. The COL is 3.175 which is within SAAMI standards. The bullet is seated down to where the shoulder meets the body. Does this sound right or will this cause excessive pressure? Educate me.

longrifle1000

3.175 seems a little short. Most loads i see are at 3.250-3.270. The lighter slugs are 3.170, but that is for 90 and 100 grain loads. Try seating them to 3.250 and see how they do. If the bolt closes without force it should work. If it does close with force, the col is too long. If it seems ok, try a few loaded with minimum powder and see how they shoot. If I am mistaken, somebody correct me.

handloader1

The maximum industry overall cartridge length (O.A.L.) is 3.340". You will want to invest in a Stoney Point O.A.L. Gauge (Modified case for your caliber), and Comparator, so you can measure your chamber, and O.A.L. so your rounds will custom fit your rifle. Go to www.stoneypoint.com Good luck.

bigcountry

How did you come up with the the number for seated right off the rifling? I use the stoney point guauge myself. I have factory rounds that are longer than that, so that would mean you would be jamming the bullet in your rifling every time you shot. Loading too deep can cause you serious pressure problems.

Capt Ray

bigcountry. I worked up all my dummy cartridges by just seating the bullet in the case and running it through the action until it takes little to no effort to close the bolt. I then use a white board marker and blacken the bullet and continue this process until their is no evidence of contact with the rifling, I then perform one more full turn on the seating die stem which seats the bullets to a safe depth. I have used this method as discribed in my Speer Reloading Manual number 13 page 78 - 79 and all shoot very good with no signs of excessive pressure. Maybe I'm confused but the Max COL for the .270 as per Speer is 3.240 and Lyman/Lee 3.340, and Hodgdon is 3.280. My COL is 3.175 which sets it further back off the rifling thus reducung accuracy. Am I understanding this correcly? I have a bullet comparitor which I have compared my cartidges (3.682) with a factory cartridge (Win silvertip 3.776) and depending on the bullet and the ogive I am within a few thousands or so. Am I looking at this wrong?

bigcountry

I am glad you have good luck with that method. But I think its telling you lies here. I found it to give very high numbers which translate to high pressures. But it been year and years since I did it. You know, like you use a stony point and find your seating to be 3.7" COL to hit rifling, but if you use the dummy case cut method, it raises that number to 3.8" to hit the rifling cause you jamming the bullet into the rifling. But you have the opposite going on here. Your getting low numbers. I use a Stoney point AOL guage. You yourself have to admit, something sounds screwy. Sorry I couldn't help further. Have fun.

bigcountry

Those number with your comparitor are long but I assume thats with out subtracking the comparitor itself. So your saying you loading to 3.175" with your comparitor even though your factory ammo is 3.67" on the comparitor. what I am saying is, if you actually found the rifling, you would be actually jamming the factory rounds into the rifling.

Capt Ray

bigcountry, I did like handloader1 recommended and ordered a stoney point OAL gauge and a modified case. Even though I am relatively new at this I can tell something just don't look right. Thanks for everyones input. You can only learn so much from a book, tribal knowledge acounts for so much more. I am sure I will be back asking more questions and looking to further my education. Thanks again.

DM

Capt Ray,

The above method has worked perfectly for me, and i started loading in the 60's!!!! I haven't found the need to buy something new to replace what's already working for me. I'm positive i've loaded over 100,000 rounds to date, so i'm not a newbie by a long shot.

Depending on the shape of the bullet, the same weight bullet could be seated waaay out, or waaay in, or maybe inbetween where it "looks" better to you.... Every bullet doesn't "look" right in every rifle, so you just have to find what you and your rifle likes.

Unless you shooting absoulte MAX loads, i wouldn't worry too much about seating a bullet a bit deeper causeing excessive pressures!!! Ideally i like the bottom of the bullet seated to the bottom of the neck, but it doesn't always work out that way.

Drilling Man

bigcountry

DM, have you ever compared it against something like the stoney Point? What were your results. Just curious. If you know the 270win any at all, you have to admit the data looks funny. One thing I have learned, is your never too old or have too much experience to learn a new trick. Just my experience.