M700 - Reloading Q - COL

[Rick James]

So I'm trying to work up a load for my 700 deer rifle project.

It started life as a plastic stock ADL in .270, however I have tuned the trigger, and purchased a CDL DM stock and factory detachable magazine bottom metal. I then bedded aluminum pillars and the action as well, and now I'm trying to find a hand load that will shoot.

When checking to find where the bullet touch the lands, it seems that it's about 3.41" COL when using a 130gr SST.

Any of you guys with experience using the Remington factory sporter weight barrel have a recommendation on how far to start off the lands? I tried it at 3.35" COL this weekend and used loads in half grain increments starting from 54.1 working up to 56.1gr of IMR 4831, behind 130gr SST's. None of them seemed to shoot as well as the factory 140gr Accubond federal loads that I used to sight the gun in with. The factory loads were shooting just about one inch, and the handloads started around 2.5" (low end of the grains) and gradually got to about 1.5" as the loads were getting hotter.

Any thoughts on this? Do you think it's the COL I'm using that is causing this? I've read quite a few manuals, and all stated that IMR 4831 was among the most accurate powder they tried for the .270.......I'm hoping I can make something shoot in that 1" or better range using these components.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!

~Matt
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[NCsmitty]

You have to balance COAL to the lands, with magazine function length. You seem to be working in a good range of powder charge with the IMR4831.
In my target loads I like to be .020 off the lands and load singly , but sometimes the magazine dictates the COAL maximum, when loading for hunting.
I have no idea what your removable magazine allows for COAL.

Do you have any other powders available to try? Any other components?


NCsmitty

 

[Rick James]

Thanks for the update.

The DM system will allow for a MUCH longer COL than what the .270 can do, so no worries on running out of room there. I'll try bumping them out a bit longer and see what happens, along with maybe running a few at the COL of those factory 140gr loads to see what happens.

I really only have IMR 4831, and 130gr SST's right now. I'd prefer to not drop more money on components at this time, I'd hope to find something that can produce 1" consistently with this powder/bullet combo.

 

[MCMXI]

Is there a reason why you're reporting the COL in hundredths rather than thousandths of an inch? Since your magazine can accommodate a round loaded to 3.45X", I would do as NCsmitty suggested and seat the bullet 0.020" off the lands. That's what I do for all of my rifles if the loaded round will fit in the magazine. I think it makes more sense to start with the max COL that your chamber will allow and work backwards. I've tried 0.005", 0.010", 0.015" and 0.020" off the lands and a bunch of magazine length loads too, but I've found that 0.020" always seems to work well.