Ogive engraving rifling

[wgaynor]

Hi all! I've gotten back into bullet castu g and reloading after a long break. For my ruger m77 Hawkeye in .30-.06, I'm using a boolit from my lee 309 113 grain mould. my powder is 13 grains of green dot ) as a starting load). I am sizing these and gas checking them

My problem is, chambering is difficult. Accuracy was poor and the bolt was hard to close. Upon inspection, i discovered the rifling engraved on the ogive. My solution is to seat the bullet deeper than the 2.900 tha td the Lyman manual states. Thoughts? Im not showing any over pressure signs iand am at a starting load.

[GregLaROCHE]

Push a boolit into the chamber until it contacts the rifling. Insert a wooden dowel in the muzzle until it contacts the boolit. Make sure the boolit stays in place. Mark the dowel at the muzzle. Remove the boolit and close the bolt. Push the dowel in until it contacts the bolt face. Mark the dowel at the muzzle. Remove the dowel and measure between the two marks. Subtract two or three thousandths. Now seat your boolit until the overall length equals the distance you calculated and you should be fine.

[Land Owner]

What Greg said PLUS check the max distance for your magazine too. Follllow up rounds have to fit not only the chamber, but also the magazine.

You can also hack saw a split case - length wise at the case mouth. Insert a bullet in the split case mouth well out and long. Slowly close and open the bolt. Measure the Dummy round. Write that down.

[charlie b]

Yes, you probably have to seat them deeper. Unless the Lyman manual info is for that exact bullet then the OAL is meaningless. Cast bullets in general vary so much in dia, ogive shape and taper that each one will require a different OAL.

I use the rod in bore trick as well. It at least gets you close.

I don't hunt so I tend to seat my cast bullets such that they do engrave the rifling as they are chambered. The bolt is stiff to close. This gives me the best accuracy with the few bullets I have tried.

[Winger Ed.]

The rod trick will answer a few questions.

For cast in a bolt gun: I'd seat the boolit in a little deeper, until the rifling just barely dings it,
but the bolts closes with a slight/small amount of 'feel', and try that first.

As far as dangerously high pressure- with a cast Lead boolit,
you have to try pretty hard to get into much trouble with them.

[wgaynor]

Thank you all for the help. After reading other posts on here about the same topic, I ended up seating each bullet where the projectile lightly kisses the rifling. It took a while but after getting consistent trim length on the brass and multiple checks 8n the rifle it will be used in, I found the oal that works.

Next up, working up a load that groups well at 100 yards.

[charlie b]

If you want some light loads...

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

[wgaynor]

Thanks Charlie!

[charlie b]

Forgot. This is great info too.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13425-Cast-Bullet-Loads-for-Military-Rifles-Article&p=151130&viewfull=1#post151130