Neck tension question (.308 Nosler BT 125)

[Newtosavage]

New to the forum and new reloader here.

Starting out very basic with the Lee Loader in .308. The simplicity and "one at a time" appeals to me since I've been shooting a muzzleloader for several years now. I have made about 100 rounds now and am enjoying the new hobby. Shot two 3" groups at 300 yards yesterday evening with my hand loads, so I must be doing something right.

But I still have a lot to learn. 1st question involves 125 grain Hornady Ballistic Tips. I want to use these for reduced load whitetail rounds, and have had excellent accuracy from them so far (including sub MOA groups at 100, 200 and 300 yards) but I'm struggling with seating depth and neck tension (or lack thereof).

If I build the round to the recommended COAL, the bullet basically falls into the case because I'm trying to seat it on the taper. It's a short bullet and tapers quickly. I've been building them longer than the COAL just to maintain some kind of neck tension, but it's still not nearly as tight a fit as the 150 grain Ballistic Tips I have loaded.

I have plenty of room to the lands if I seat the 125's shallow. Is it a problem if I'm using a 2.85" COAL when the books call for a 2.7" ? If I try to seat the round at 2.7", the bullet almost always falls into the case.

Again, no such issues at all with the 150 Nosler BT's. Just the 125's.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Offfhand]

Basically, forget "recommended" OAL, Seat bullets to where you get best accuracy.

 

[rcmodel]

No, it is not a problem, as long as you are not jamming the bullet into the rifling leade at that length.

And I doubt you will be.

rc

 

[Nature Boy]

Something doesn't sound right. Which 125g hornady bullet (or did you mean Nosler)

I loaded a bunch of .308 125g bullets for a prairie dog hunt this summer and went with the book recommend OAL and none of them "fell through" I used Hornady 125g SSTs, Speer 125g TNTs and 125g SMKs.

 

[Newtosavage]

Sorry, I switched terms in my head.

Nosler 125 BT's. Only.

I loaded a bunch of .308 125g bullets for a prairie dog hunt this summer and went with the book recommend OAL and none of them "fell through" I used Hornady 125g SSTs, Speer 125g TNTs and 125g SMKs.

I think the Nosler's have a different profile and the taper starts a little sooner, leading to the issues I'm having with them falling through the neck if seated at the recommended depth.

I will just seat them closer to the lands and see how they shoot. I know the 150 Nosler BT's I tested that were seated closer to the lands shot even better that way.

Not a lot of parallel bullet section to work with on those 125's, so the range is limited. I'm going to just seat them at the middle of the range and go from there then. That will give me the most brass-to-bullet surface and hopefully enough tension that they stay put. I'd crimp them, but the Lee Loader is a very primitive crimping tool, and the Nosler BT's aren't cannelured.

 

[Newtosavage]

Loaded 20 rounds last night and seated the 125 Nos. BT's at the middle of their range. Gave me an COAL of right at 2.83" (72mm) which is 0.13" longer than the recommended COAL.

Using 44.5 grains of W743

Bullets seemed pretty snug in the cases. Now to see how they shoot at that length.