Loading to mag length

[Dukeball33]

It should be fine, single feeding isn't the end of the world but kinda sucks too, especially if you don't fire a loaded round.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Just watching hornady podcast on load development and they mentioned that there is nothing wrong with just loading to mag length and forgetting about messing with trying to get closer to the lands. Anybody just load to mag length and shoot? Thoughts?

You're aware that mag length can (ideally should be) in the lands right?

If you cant hit the lands at mag length, i dont understand what else a person would reasonably do other than starting with them to a length just inside mag length where they'll feed reliably.

With a new rifle or load, i'll typically start roughly 0.050" off if that works with the magazine and amount of bearing surface in the neck. If it shoots acceptably i leave it alone. Otherwise just seat inside mag length where it'll feed well OR where its got enough bearing surface in the case neck still. With long freebore and short bearing surface bullets sometimes a guy can get the bearing surface almost completely out of the neck before jammed in the lands.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I have always just loaded to SAAMI COAL for my 30-06. Others I find the lands and back up .020 and verify mag clearance.

If its even close, I go back to SAAMI COAL so I don't have any issues.

I'm no ribbon chaser though. If I get ~1" groups at 100, I call it a day.

Also, I always trim my brass to the Nosler Book published Case Length. This is easy to keep up with.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

Loading to maximum COAL magazine capacity in conjunction to jump to lands increases potential case capacity, increases velocity and opens door for different powders due to increased case capacity.

Building rifles to advantage of this can really improve standard cartridge performance by a considerable amount. This is a very common practice today.

Two of my recent builds were based upon this premise. A .270 Win, 27" Light Palma, 3.67" max magazine COAL capacity, 1:8 twist, 5R, 0.290 freebore. It shoots a 156HH extremely well at 3350fps.

More recent 30-06 build published here shoots a 181HH at 3100fps. Using specialized reamers and 1:9 twist gets me there. Both rifles built on 700LA's that have very long maximum magazine COAL capacities.

Managing the magazine maximum COAL capacity to a rifle's chamber can result in extraordinary increased performance.

The .270 Win 156HH COAL at 3.63" is bit interesting to look at!

Factory rifles can still benefit improved performance by doing similar.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

I killed my biggest WT in Indiana on son's private lease with the .270Win. NBD shot at 255 yds. Buck scored 161,7/8, pretty run down but still dressed out 174. Bet over 200# dressed before rut.

The last time I posted a photo, a slime ball used it to create fake ID here as muddyboots. So no more pretty face so @mtmuley can use black dot for sight in.....

 

[mtmuley]

Loading to maximum COAL magazine capacity in conjunction to jump to lands increases potential case capacity, increases velocity and opens door for different powders due to increased case capacity.

Building rifles to advantage of this can really improve standard cartridge performance by a considerable amount. This is a very common practice today.

Two of my recent builds were based upon this premise. A .270 Win, 27" Light Palma, 3.67" max magazine COAL capacity, 1:8 twist, 5R, 0.290 freebore. It shoots a 156HH extremely well at 3350fps.

More recent 30-06 build published here shoots a 181HH at 3100fps. Using specialized reamers and 1:9 twist gets me there. Both rifles built on 700LA's that have very long maximum magazine COAL capacities.

Managing the magazine maximum COAL capacity to a rifle's chamber can result in extraordinary increased performance.

The .270 Win 156HH COAL at 3.63" is bit interesting to look at!

Factory rifles can still benefit improved performance by doing similar.

View attachment 377693

You and some of those other mad scientists at Hammer do some really interesting stuff. Your .30-06 load is amazing. I like it. mtmuley

 

[WapitiBob]

Just watching hornady podcast on load development and they mentioned that there is nothing wrong with just loading to mag length and forgetting about messing with trying to get closer to the lands. Anybody just load to mag length and shoot? Thoughts?

nope, never

 

[Darkside]

I killed my biggest WT in Indiana on son's private lease with the .270Win. NBD shot at 255 yds. Buck scored 161,7/8, pretty run down but still dressed out 174. Bet over 200# dressed before rut.

The last time I posted a photo, a slime ball used it to create fake ID here as muddyboots. So no more pretty face so @mtmuley can use black dot for sight in.....

View attachment 377696

THAT'S A TROPHY FOR ANYONE.

 

[Robert N]

I killed my biggest WT in Indiana on son's private lease with the .270Win. NBD shot at 255 yds. Buck scored 161,7/8, pretty run down but still dressed out 174. Bet over 200# dressed before rut.

The last time I posted a photo, a slime ball used it to create fake ID here as muddyboots. So no more pretty face so @mtmuley can use black dot for sight in.....

View attachment 377696

That is a great looking buck! I love it when they get all funky like that!

 

[WVmike]

When I started out reloading for my 7mm Rem Mag I started with the COAL and starting powder weight, then increased the powder weight in increments of .5 for 3 different loads. Shot the 9 shots to verify and got my grouping from there. I didn't have to adjust the seating depth at all. This was for a Seekins PH2 which to this day I can just about shoot anything through it with my reloads being just a bit better than factory.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

That is a great looking buck! I love it when they get all funky like that!

This buck was quite the survivor. He looked like he was in vehicle accident preceding year. Left rear left broken high and healed large calcium knob. Left front leg and shoulder broken and large calcium knobs on breaks. This was the grossest. Three ribs broken in half, puncture hide, formed big ugly seeping puss pocket that was oozing on ground when I walked up on him. Field dressing showed the ribs broken, not healed, large ugly calcified glob of yuck inside. This deer somehow survived a major crash that prob kills 99% of most deer. This damage explains his funky rack!

What a "Warrior"!!!!