Hornady SST's and the cannelure

[BsChoy]

I shot some 30-06 handloads this weekend and got a suprise. I was shooting 150 grain SSTs starting from 47.0 grains IMR 4046 to 49.0 grains and found that the 47.0 shot good, the 48.0's shot not so good. Thes were both loaded to 3.26 OAL which put the cannelure just above the case rim. The 49.0's got loaded somehow to 3.25 or so and 4 of 5 rounds were inside an inch with the obligatory 5th round flyer. Is it possible that these would shoot better loaded shorter, like to the cannelure? Kind of against the whole load as far out as possible just shy of the lands ideal....thoughts?

 

[Fumbler]

Is it possible that these would shoot better loaded shorter, like to the cannelure? Kind of against the whole load as far out as possible just shy of the lands ideal....thoughts?

Yes, it is possible.
The only way to find out for sure is to load them shorter and shoot more.
Some combinations do better at shorter OALs.
But, you'll find powder charge differences of a few tenths will often have more effect on accuracy than seating depth.

I've got a question for you.
How many rounds of each load did you shoot?

Personally I'd have to shoot at least two 5 shot groups of each load. I'm not good enough of a shot to tell if a load is good with only one group.

 

[Grumulkin]

Hornady SSTs

I agree, you have to shoot more than one group to really tell if one load is better than another.

Varying the length of the cartridge can get the bullet nearer to the lands and it also can vary the pressure a load produces thus giving more or less velocity and perhaps more or less uniform burning of the powder. Weatherbys are generally felt to be accurate rifles but have so much free bore, you will never get a bullet to touch the lands and still feed through the magazine. I don't think getting a bullet close to the lands is necessairly the most important thing.

I have a gripe about the "flier" designation. In my opinion, you can't discount the flier and say a group is smaller than it really is. A flier indicates some lack of uniformity in the ammunition, the gun or the shooter. Turning necks is said to promote uniformity. I also check to be sure flash holes are centered in the primer pockets. In some lots of brass I've checked, some of the flash holes are way off center which can't help uniformity.

 

[BsChoy]

I shoot 5 rounds of each load. For one it saves money and 2 I am reliable enough at the bench to know when I pull a shot or cause a problem through human error. Without sounding like a complete JackA## I am a pretty good shot when it comes to bench shooting

 

[BsChoy]

I have a gripe about the "flier" designation. In my opinion, you can't discount the flier and say a group is smaller than it really is. A flier indicates some lack of uniformity in the ammunition, the gun or the shooter. Turning necks is said to promote uniformity. I also check to be sure flash holes are centered in the primer pockets. In some lots of brass I've checked, some of the flash holes are way off center which can't help uniformity.[/QUOTE]

I am discounting the flier because I know I flinched once on each group...I am a better shot than that

 

[g56]

Just be careful that you don't shorten the OAL below the recommended length in the loading manual, pressures can go up pretty fast if you get too short!

 

[BsChoy]

Just be careful that you don't shorten the OAL below the recommended length in the loading manual, pressures can go up pretty fast if you get too short!

Thanks for the tip G....I was figuring since the Hodgdon and IMR web sites had the OAL at 3.25 I was safe...I won't go any further than that

 

[AnthonyRSS]

My first .30-06 loads were with 165gr SSTs and H4350. The first load I tried was with 54gr with once-fired and sized Lake City brass and WLRM primers.

The first 3-shot group went into .7"

Shot a few more groups, all less than an inch.

I crimped in the cannelure, and apparently it worked well. I feel fortunate that my first load worked so well.

Anthony