Hornaday 150 gr SP in Hornaday 308 win dies?

[jbsmwd]

I am having problems with the case increasing it's diameter right below the shoulder when the bullet is seated in the seating die. The bullet weight is 150.5 grains and 0.308" in diameter as the box label say's. I have used virgin brass in Win and Remington brands and fired Remington brass with the same results. This was done making up dummy rounds since I am also having problems with COL. Ramshot's books say's that COL is 2.725'' and Hornaday's say's 2.735". Neither of those two lengths will fit in the Rem 700 nor the L1A1, but a COL of 2.68" will and that is way past the cantulers (sp?)

Any suggestions?

 

[Remo-99]

Chamfer the case mouths, seat to a length suited for your magazine, use the starting load data and work up some loads.

 

[Ol` Joe]

What is the reason for the 2.73 COL not fitting your rifle? Bullet hitting the lands? cartridge won`t fit in the magazine?

SAAMI max COL for the 308 is 2.810 and this lenght should fit the magazine of any SAAMI registered manufactures rifles, with the exception of the possiblity of the bullet ogive hitting the leade. Round nose bullets at this lgt as example might contact the rifleing, most soft point designs won`t. Are you useing the COL listed for the bullet you are loading or a bullet of some other make?

You say the case is buckling behind the shoulder. I suspect you are seating the bullet with the die body to deep in the press, and crimping the mouth as the bullet is moving. This can cause the case to buckle from the pressure of seating. The bulged case also will give you trouble with chambering.

 

[ranger335v]

"Ramshot's books say's that COL is 2.725'' and Hornaday's say's 2.735". Neither of those two lengths will fit in the Rem 700 nor the L1A1, but a COL of 2.68" will and that is way past the cantulers (sp?)"

It's enough to make a fellow suspect that book OALs really don't mean much, isn't it?

As said above, you seem to be crimping far too heavily, intentional or not.

 

[243winxb]

case increasing it's diameter right below the shoulder

The crimper built into the dies is over crimping, back the die out some.

COL of 2.68"

Should be OK.

 

[Kernel]

Loading to an OAL of 2.680" vs. 2.735 will reduce the powder capacity of your case by 1.1 grains of water. I'd subtract that off the published starting load and work up from there.

IMO your autoloading L1A1 needs a bullet with a cantaluer and a stiff crimp. Make a dummy round loaded to the cantaluer. (You don't even need to measure how long it is). The question is: will it fit in your mags? If not, find a new bullet.

No disrespect, but are you sure you know who to use and read a caliper? Re zero and try again. Your results are kind of a head scratcher.

A case length gage is real helpful in getting your dies set up right. Indispensible. I love'em. Any autoloader you load for should have one, IMO. It's kind of a reverse head space gage. Lyman makes them and so does L.E. Wilson (not the 1911 people).

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=271313

 

[rcmodel]

SAAMI max length of the .308 / 7.62 NATO is 2.820", and anything of that length will fit in a Remington 700, or most any box magazine.

The Hornady 150 should seat to 2.735", and it also will fit in a Remington 700 or any box magazine at that length.

The reason it's OAL is shorter is due to the shape of the bullet being full diameter further foreward then a more tapers spitzer bullet. It must be seated shorter then SAAMI max to keep the bullet out of the rifling on some rifles.

rc