Loading bthp match style bullets

My practice is to try to load them just off the lands magazine, etc. permitting. If the chamber and barrel are well aligned, a little jump probably won't hurt anything though.

Some guns just shoot better with certain bullets and it may not even be match bullets. One of mine really likes cheap Remington Core Lokts.

I normally take a reading for that bullet using a bullet comparator (Sinclair inserts), with the bullet "in the lands" lightly. Mag length allowing I then back off in 0.005” increments. #1 = 0.005” jump, #2 = 0.010” jump, … , #20 = 0.095” jump.

I'm my load spreadsheet, based on Newbury's OCW calculations, I added a section that computes the test lengths for me. I simply add in the "in the lands" measurement and it calculates the 1st run of test lengths.

As Walkalong said, the SMKs are very forgiving. I load 69s and 77s in .223 at mag length, which equals a jump "to the next county line" and they still shoot very well. I'm loading for a friends rifle (new Tikka) in .270 and there's no way in that magazine to get an OAL near the lands. We've still managed to come up with a couple different sub-MOA loads with Nosler and Barnes hunting bullets.

JCSC said:

Are there any special considerations for jump or process changes when loading these slippery bthp match style bullets?

my first experience was the 6.5 Grendel and 107 SMK. The gun hated them, but I was constrained by mag length.

my 6.5 CM does not like the 140 bthp american gunner Factory ammo, but I picked up a box of hornady 140 bthp match Bullets. They measure slightly different than the factory 140 gunner.

I am not constrained by magazine in this bolt gun, so looking for pointers. Should I just start at .020 off for my initial OCW?

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If not constrained by mag length I tend to light jamb a bthp then back off a couple thousand for testing powder, once I’ve determined my course powder I’ll start backing out at .005 increments.

Grumulkin said:

Some guns just shoot better with certain bullets and it may not even be match bullets.

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Chuck R. said:

As Walkalong said, the SMKs are very forgiving.

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The SMK is a pretty good bullet. In my M1a, I did a generic switch from the Nosler to the Sierra, everything else being equal, and the SMK's grouped better. I also have some Hornadys, I thought about doing a 3-way shoot between the 3 bullets to see if it's my imagination.

In my Marlin .30-30, I made a switch from the Speer 170grn SP to a Winchester 170grn Silvertip component bullet... and my groups tightened up by 1" Crazy but true; and neither of those instances are bullets seated to the lands.