[elwoodm]

just got 150gr 308 from midway to find the cannelure is 10 thousands less than the diameter of bullet. So seating bullet anywhere within the cannelure makes the bullet fall and nothing to hold it except the end of the cannelure which is to short oal for my fal. So I think I will seat to just before the cannelure starts about 2.76 oal Does anybody think this will be ok to do thanks for ideas.

[Sunray]

"...2.76 oal..." Hi. Too short. The OAL for a 150 is 2.800".
Are you using a crimp? Not that you really need one. You can ignore the crimp groove altogether. There's enough neck length to hold a 150 by neck tension alone. Loaded some 150 grain Silvertips for my semi'd Winchester M14 and shot 'em with no fuss.
Are you FL resizing every time. Semi-auto's require it.

[Sam1911]

How are you setting the crimp? A rugged military-style autoloader like an FAL certainly would seem to call for a decently heavy crimp, which should grip the bullet where you want as well as help the bullet resist jumping or being set back due to the recoil and rough-handling of the action working.

A neck-tension fit is good for a target gun or maybe even a hunting gun (and depending on true bullet diameter and expander ball diameter that might be tight enough for most guns) but I like a pretty strong crimp for automatics -- cannelure or no.

To your question, though, sure, you can set the bullet out to whatever length you want as long as there's enough neck tension (and/or crimp) to hold it there.

[elwoodm]

most of the factory rounds i shoot are 2.76 to2.78 and i full length resize with .001 under bullet size neck diam. the problem to me is the small amount of true bullet diam that hits the barrel before the 10 thousands under sized crimp groove thats very wide could cause it to not seat in the barrel straight before the rest of the bullet hits the lands and grooves.i give a mild crimp.cant set crimp to hold something 10 thousands undersized without messing neck up

[243winxb]

Neck Tension holds the bullet , read this. http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reloadbasics/gasgunreload.cfm

[Sam1911]

Can you post the link to midwayusa.com so we can see which bullets you're talking about?

[Walkalong]

Sounds like you have a neck tension problem. Not enough as it were.

A good cannelure should be recessed so you can roll the case mouth into it.

Yes, if you have enough neck tension, which it does not sound like, you can seat to any OAL you want assuming it fits the mag and chambers.

[MtnCreek]

I'm a little confused (happens often). Are you saying the cannelure is 'forward of the ogive, making the area at the cannelure (both sides of cannelure) about .298" or are you saying the cannelure is cut deep making the dia of the cannelure .298"?

[Sam1911]

I'm also confused. Seating the bullet down until the neck was flush with the cannelure would mean that most of the bullet is in the neck. If you have adequate neck tension, that should absolutely hold the bullet firmly enough for you to chamber and fire it without it moving. I can't really imagine how it would "fall down" to the front edge of the cannelure.

And, while I've never mic'd a cannelure, 0.010" of crimp sure wouldn't be too much for me, unless I was criming a bullet without a cannelure and was actually deforming the bullet to get that tension.

[elwoodm]

bullets are midway 30 cal 150gr fmj/bt box of 100 pn 3037B(100).the diam of crimp groove is .296 length of groove is .079. i have measured other crimp grooves and none are this big. seems to be midway rejects in blue box.trying to crimp in cannelure leaves a bit of a hump in the neck.so seating to just before crimp groove gives .06 of true bullet diam into barrel before the giant cannelure hits the barrel.i just hope it doesnt wiggle any before the rest of the bullet hits the barrel

[Walkalong]

trying to crimp in cannelure leaves a bit of a hump in the neckImproper crimp. It should not buckle, regardless of cannelures depth, if adjusted properly.

i full length resize with .001 under bullet size neck diam.
That is very little neck tension. It works fine with a chamber where you can seat the bullet into the lands to get good start pressure, but does not work well otherwise. The bullets just don't have enough grip. If you buckle the crimp on top of that, you ruin that tiny bit of neck tension, and the bullets twirl.

It makes no sense to use such light neck tension and crimp as well.

[243winxb]

3037B at Midwayusa show a Hornady bullet .308 150gr fmjbt. w/cannelure. http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/large/10001/1165163765.jpg

[brickeyee]

i full length resize with .001 under bullet size neck diam

If that is the ID you do not have enough neck tension.

0.002 is considered a 'normal' amount.

[popper]

Increase neck tension. Load to whatever OAL works, taper crimp if anything. Cannelure ALWAYS goes into the barrel AFTER the ogive, not a problem. The cannelure looks fine. Make sure the body of the bullet is a straight cylinder, not tapered. Mic in front of the ring, behind it and before the boat tail.

[elwoodm]

thanks everyone i found the lee dies need the expanding mandrel sanded down to get neck smaller but these bullets over an inch long only have a .293 surface that touches the lands and grooves.this is great for less friction but is this enough for control. i think from now on ill look for no crimp groove bullits

[popper]

I load the hornady 150 soft points in AR .308. They have the groove, no problems with them. I taper crimp into the groove. I roll crimp 30-30 and 308 ME, just have to get the edge of the neck into the middle of the groove (seating depth).

[243winxb]

Neck Tension http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/smilies/drink.gif

[elwoodm]

the lee 308 dies have an expander that measures .3075.seems this is too big for the case to hold the bullet. have to put it in the drill press with some fine sand paper to get it down.this is the first set of lee dies that i have had a problem with.