30-06 load

[gimling]

Ok so I reloaded my first set of 30-06 last night I haven't crimped them yet I have a question. I bought 30 Cal .308 150 gr FMJ-BT from hornady with the cannalure. so I decapped, tumble cleaned, lubed, resized, trimmed, and when I seated the bullet the cannalure/perforated part of the bullet is no where near being at the crimp or below case edge. Is this normal?? I am .030 below the max recommended OAL I think if I seated it to where the perforated is at the case edge I would be below the MIN OAL.

[StratsMan]

Believe it or not, the cannelure cannot be trusted to be in the same spot every time... I know, commercial ammo... trusted maker...

Bottom line(s); (1)Measure the COAL to fit the load to your rifle: the cannelure is not placed to optimize performance in YOUR rifle.... (2)if it works, don't fix it...

[Win94ae]

I seat all my loads at the cannelure, I measure the COL to note where it is for my data collection.
I shoot that bullet extensively in all my 30-06's; when I seat the bullet to the cannelure, the COL has always has been as the book suggests, 3.185"... plus or minus .002".

[leadman]

What did you trim your cases too? This will have sn effect on where the cannelure will be in relation to the mouth of the case.
Unless I am loading for a semi-auto rifle I seldom crimp.

Cartridge overall length can vary depending on magazine and length of the throat in the chamber.

[oldpapps]

O Boy..

There are a number of good reasons to crimp and another batch to not crimp.

To use the old fashioned role crimp, it must be into a cannalure. That cannalure can move from bullet to bullet, hopefully not in the same batch.

My (useless) advise is not to. Neck tension does very well. But if you want to, seat the bullets to the cannalure and yes, over all length will change. Or get one of those 'factory - taper' crimp dies.

I feed Garands, M1A and a number of ARs and don't crimp.

Load with care,

OSOK

[williamwaco]

I am .030 below the max recommended OAL I think if I seated it to where the perforated is at the case edge I would be below the MIN OAL.

There is no such thing as minimum OAL.

If it is too short, it will not feed through the magazine.
If it feeds, it is not too short.

Theoretically you could get into trouble by seating a very long bullet too deep so that the base of the bullet is taking up powder space, but you are nowhere near there.

The correct OAL for your rifle is the longest OAL that will feed reliably through the magazine, chamber easily, and allow the action to lock up with no "help" from you. AND allow you to eject a loaded cartridge without firing it. You also need to be able to unload it.

[gimling]

There is no such thing as minimum OAL.

In my Lee reloading manual there is a MIN OAL, for IMR 4064 powder its 3.250 OAL, and MAX 3.340(I know this is a guide so that any load between MIN and MAX will feed into MOST chambers) so maybe the min OAL is the deepest u can seat a bullet before being in danger of reaching the powder??here is a couple pictures and some measurements.




Cases trimmed to 2.494
OAL 3.292

[gimling]

O Boy..

There are a number of good reasons to crimp and another batch to not crimp.

To use the old fashioned role crimp, it must be into a cannalure. That cannalure can move from bullet to bullet, hopefully not in the same batch.

My (useless) advise is not to. Neck tension does very well. But if you want to, seat the bullets to the cannalure and yes, over all length will change. Or get one of those 'factory - taper' crimp dies.

I feed Garands, M1A and a number of ARs and don't crimp.

Load with care,

OSOK

I do have a taper crimp die I wanted some advice before I go ahead and crimp them, they just looked kinda strange with the cannalure so far out, I want them to be accurate, I just don't have the rifle sitting in front of me to do a feed test, they are for my brother in law who lives 4 hours away, plan on giving them to him to test next time they visit. All that I really know about his rifle is it is a hunting rifle and it is a PUMP 30-06.

[williamwaco]

In my Lee reloading manual there is a MIN OAL, for IMR 4064 powder its 3.250 OAL, and MAX 3.340(I know this is a guide so that any load between MIN and MAX will feed into MOST chambers) so maybe the min OAL is the deepest u can seat a bullet before being in danger of reaching the powder??here is a couple pictures and some measurements.

Cases trimmed to 2.494
OAL 3.292

OK, I surrender on the Min OAL.

See:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...52109249,d.b2I


It does not however change my advice.

[oldpapps]

"4 hours away"

I think I would seat the FMJ bullets to match the over all length of commercial 30-06 ammunition and not worry about what it looks like. These must be practice/target/plinking loads, FMJs.

Enjoy,

OSOK

[Larry Gibson]

Gimling

If you are working up a load (as should be done) then williamWaco is correct; there is no min oal as long as the cartridge feeds......regardless of Lee's recommendation. However, if you just picked a load from their data then you might want to stay within their specs, especially if a max load.

The 150 fmjbt's are designed with the canelure located for loading in 7.62 NATO cartridges. I shoot thousands ofthem in my own '06 M1903's. I seat to the canelure and crimp. I duplicate loads that are ballisticly regulated to the '03 sight ranges. I lightly crimp with a Lee FCD as a seperate step. They shoot quite well as feed slicker than scum onn a Louisiana swamp.......

Larry Gibson