Reloading Books

[Bmac1949]

What are some good books out there that talk about seating depth, correct distance from the lands, how bullet depth affects presure,and such. I,ve been seating some Hornady Corelokt and some Rimington Accutip bullets in .270 and .308 and if I seat to the cannalure they come up shorter than the recommended length suggested in the Lee and Lyman manual. This isn't a problem but when I bring that bullet out to seat closer to the lans then the cannalure will probably be above the neck of the shell casing and this presents a problem if I decide to crimp. What's the answer use different bullets (longer) or find a different bullet for huntin and another for targets?

 

[HowardC]

Quick answer: Don't crimp. I've crimped for 30-30 rounds for a tubular mag, and pistol bullets, but in a dozen different rifle cartridges, never had a need to crimp. Did once for some Whby stuff, and, of course, that left the loaded rounds a bit off the lands.

You'll very likely not need crimped rounds hunting, and for sure not for targets.

On another vein, you may well want to play with different bullets just for fun, or finding the one your rifle likes.

As far as books go, the Lyman 49th ed.(latest ed., earlier ones are good, tho') is as good as they go, and most bullet/powder manufacturers also make one. I buy the Hornady, Speer and the Lyman manuals when they come out.

Sinclair puts out a precision shooting book which discusses your topics, and there may be others.

And, of course, questions on a few different boards will likely yield a good supply of opinions....
-HowardC

 

[ColtPythonElite]

x2 on another guy that doesn't crimp bolt-gun bullets.

 

[MMCSRET]

I never crimp for my bolt guns. I crimp for tubular magazine rifles, Marlin 336 and Winchester '94, among others. My 30-30 is a 1936 Savage 99 with the rotary magazine so I don't crimp my 30-30 for it.

 

[Bmac1949]

Thanks for the info guys. I've seen that a lot of guys don't crimp. But as of right now and at my expierence level of six months of reloading I'm going to put a light crimp in my .270 hunting rounds...just a little insurance. My main point in this post was what books are you using to answer your questions about reloading? After reading Howard's post I can see that the Hornady manual is one that I need to pick up. Later

 

[Arkansas Paul]

ABCs of Reloading.
Lyman #49.
Speer manual. (Don't remember which edition they're at).

That's my favorite 3.
I know that load data isn't what you're looking for right now, but just for reference, you can get the most updated data online at the powder manufactorer's website.

 

[cheygriz]

If you can find a copy, P.O Ackley's two volume set, "Handbook For Shooters and Reloaders" is pretty much the standard that other gun books are judged by.

Anything you can find written by Fred Sinclair is in the same league.

 

[DM~]

I've seen that a lot of guys don't crimp. But as of right now and at my expierence level of six months of reloading I'm going to put a light crimp in my .270 hunting rounds...just a little insurance.

I haven't crimped a round of 270 (or any other bottle neck cartridge) in so many years, i can't even remember ever crimping one! IMO it's a waste of time, and serves NO purpose at all... Personally, i think it just works the case mouth more.

DM

 

[rfwobbly]

Thanks for the info guys. I've seen that a lot of guys don't crimp. But as of right now and at my experience level of six months of reloading I'm going to put a light crimp in my .270 hunting rounds...just a little insurance.

Friend, experience doesn't even enter the picture. The neck sizer and expander set the size of the case neck. Why don't you simply seat a bullet in a sized case, then holding the case in your hand, push the bullet into the edge of your reloading bench. If the bench falls over before the bullet moves will you satisfied then ?

You're right to doubt, but when you doubt do a simple experiment to get your confidence level back up. It's a requirement to know and trust your equipment. Besides, if the bullet is loose and falls into the case, then the world's largest crimp is not going to do anything for you.

 

[USSR]

...if the bullet is loose and falls into the case, then the world's largest crimp is not going to do anything for you.

+1. Sufficient neck tension is all you need.

Don

 

[Clark]

I have shot ammo with the bullet seated so deep in the bottle necked case, that it fell in was down in there sitting on the powder.
That is not accurate.

I have jammed the bullet into the lands so far that if I don't fire the round, and try to extract it, the bullet stays in the lands and powder is spilled are over the action.
This is the most accurate and very inconvenient.
Bart Bobbitt, long time national level competitor, talks about this in forums, and can be found through Google groups rec.guns.

For bottle necked rifle cartridges, I like to find the threshold of the bullet touching the lands, the threshold of the bullet getting stuck, and then seat my quantities of ammo half way in between. Sometimes magazine length will not permit this. Good reason to buy a Ruger #1.

Straight wall rifle cartridges like 44 mag and 45 Colt are more accurate NOT into the lands, but roll crimped into the canalure.

Generally, handloading with a fixed powder charge and increasing the OAL, the pressure gets lower the longer the bullet is seated until it hits the lands, and then the pressure starts going up again.

 

[cheygriz]

Clark,

In P.O. Ackley's books, he writes of experiements in trying to blow up actions to determine which actions were strongest, loading a 7MM Ackley magnum with .35 caliber bullets to maximum charge, with no ill effects.

I'm certainly not advocating abandoning accepted safety procedures, but there is ample proof out there that "conventional wisdom" is often very inaccurate.

 

[ranger335v]

"..there is ample proof out there that "conventional wisdom" is often very inaccurate."

Roger that. Perhaps one of the worst and most confusing is that a book OAL is the 'correct' OAL. And best seating for target rifles and hunting rifles is frequently at opposite extreems.

Bmac1949, I've been reloading for more than 4 decades and have never paid any attention to any book OAL, basically all they tell us is the seating depth they used to develop their data in their firearm. Their's isn't mine - or your's - so seat where it needs to be to function or give best accuracy as you find it to be. Seat so your cartridges fit and funcion and develop your charges at that point. If you want to seat so the cannalure allows crimping, do it, it sure won't automatically hurt anything and it may actually help.

 

[Clark]

cheygriz

Clark,

In P.O. Ackley's books, he writes of experiements in trying to blow up actions to determine which actions were strongest, loading a 7MM Ackley magnum with .35 caliber bullets to maximum charge, with no ill effects.

Are you thinking of?

P.O. Ackley 1966 "Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders Vol 2" chapter 7
"additional pressure tests":
"..30 cal barrel pressure barrel was fitted to the test gun, but the neck and throat was enlarged to accept the 8mm bullet, with the bore
remaining the standard 30 caliber. A Remington factory 30-06 cartridge with the 150 gr bullet had been tested and previously gave 57,300 psi,
for a velocity of 3030 fps. The the bullets were pulled from two more Remington 150 grain cartridges and were replaced with 8mm 150 grain
bullets. To everyone's surprise, although the velocity was rather erratic, these loads averaged 2901 fps, with a pressure of 40,700 psi."

 

[cheygriz]

Clark,

YUeah, that was cprobably the test. It's been a few years since I read the two books, so my memort may be off a little.

I'd look it up right now, but my copies have been "on loan" to one shooting buddy or another almost ever since I finished reading them!

But I'd have sworn it was a 7MM Ackley magnum!