OAL?

[Sourdough]

Loading for my 6.5x55. Cartridge OAL in my rifle is 3.132 to the bullet touching the lands with a 140 gr Barnes Match Burner. I think it is a good idea to not have the bullets touching the lands so I am going to load to 3.122 OAL. Am I doing good? The rifle is a T/C. Thanks for any comments!
Sourdough

 

[ybuck44]

Sounds fine to me, only thing I would do differently is measure from bullet ogive so that if you change your bullet you are still working with the same measurement. And bullet points differ greatly hpbt bullets like match bullets

 

[otisrush]

I heard it stated here a while back powder charge is the "big knob" with regards to accuracy/group size; and jump (distance from ogive to lands) is the "small/fine tune knob".

So I tend to load up a series of test loads with differing powder charges, and pic some distance off the lands (such as .010") for all of them. Then, for the charge that groups the best out of that test, load up a bunch of the same charge but with different jumps: .005", .010", .015", etc. After firing those it typically becomes pretty apparent which powder charge / jump distance works best for your powder, bullet and gun.

 

[jmr40]

I don't want them touching either, but almost always get best accuracy with them as close as possible. I simply load them as long as possible to fit the magazine. If they chamber without hitting the lands then I'm as long as I can go. That is usually where I find best accuracy. I might be able to do better by seating them longer, but they wouldn't fit the magazine. In rare cases I have to seat them a bit deeper to find the best accuracy. But I rarely even measure OAL. If it fits, I go with it.

 

[cheygriz]

Quite often the most accurate loads touch the rifling. Just be sure to cut powder charge and work back up carefully.

BTW, don't jam them into the rifling, just BARELY touch, if at all..

 

[sparkyv]

I don't want them touching either, but almost always get best accuracy with them as close as possible. I simply load them as long as possible to fit the magazine. If they chamber without hitting the lands then I'm as long as I can go. That is usually where I find best accuracy. I might be able to do better by seating them longer, but they wouldn't fit the magazine. In rare cases I have to seat them a bit deeper to find the best accuracy.

^^^This^^^