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If so, have you ever used Hornady A-max, and if you have, what do you make the OAL? I'm not really sure how to find the lands and such, so I'm looking for a good starting point OAL so I can go from there.
Early on when I first played around with the 168 gr A-Max, I used the same COL as with 168 gr Sierra Match Kings.
I've been using 175gr SMKs since then so I haven't tried to make new loads for the 168 A-Max. The same COL as the 168 SMK will work fine, even though it will seat deeper in the case than the SMK (case capacity wise). But you should probably use the seating near the lands technique. Get the Stoney Point tool or use one of the other techniques (force close a bullet into a case, etc).
I also have th 26". How exactly do you go about doing the force close method? You just put a bullet with no powder or primer and close the bolt on it? Then measure OAL and back off .01" or so? If thats how it is done then I'll have to try it. I kindof knew about this method before, but I'm scared it might do some damage to some part of the action or rifling. If someone can assure me that no damage will occur, then I will try it out.
What I did before I bought a Stoney Point gauge:
Take a case fired in the rifle in question. Do not resize it.
Apply heavy thumb pressure to distort the case mouth enough to have some friction on a bullet, but not so much it won't go back in the chamber.
Put a bullet in the case neck as shallow as it will stay in place with careful handling.
Gently chamber in the rifle, gently extract, the bullet will have been seated by contact with the origin of the rifling.
Measure OAL.
Subtract .030" for a starting OAL.
Load and shoot.
How can it damage anything? You are pushing a copper bullet against steel rifling with fingertip pressure. When you shoot, you are pushing it in with 50,000 psi.
You might stick a bullet in the leade if you don't get the case neck to the right tension. So push it out with a cleaning rod and try again. Try again anyhow, the method is not real precise and some replication will help.
The two Savage 12BVSS-S .308s a friend and I are working up have rather short throats. A SMK at 2.80" is touching rifling, We started out testing at 2.775. But that will not translate directly to the Hornady bullet with secant ogive and plastic tip.
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