Berger VLD - I need HELP (.243)

[sierracharlie338]

I am building a 243 (barrel fitted to action by gunsmith) and plan on shooting 105 VLDs. My worry is the OAL being too short with factory specs.

The Berger manual says OAL should be 2.710. So loaded a dummy round to 2.725 which puts .069 in the case if my math is correct (base of projectile is just below the shoulder approx 1/8 of an inch) my concern is losing powder space if I stick with the OAL from the manual.

I will be shooting out to 1000 and want velocity around 3000fps at the muzzle minimum. Going with BDL bottom metal so don't have to worry about mag length.

So the question remains, should I have the chamber reamed to fit a longer OAL or stick with SAMMI specs? PLEASE freakin help me this is driving me crazy.

PS I DO NOT want to turn necks or anything like that.

Thanks

 

[thrusty]

Chamber to SAAMI specs. You'll at least have more room to chase the lands to keep your jump consistent throughout your barrel life.

Even though you have a BDL, you still have a max length that will fit...You still have to make sure the bullet tip clears the feed ramp....I don't know what action you are using...only way of getting around it is to single feed.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Knew the part about the BDL mag length but that's kinda what I thought I would hear.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Anyone else got any suggestions for not losing powder space with VLDs?

 

[JGorski]

It's not so much where the base is inside the case it's where the pressure ring is, ideally the ring or start of the boattail should be even with the neck shoulder juncture, then with the VLDs you should be pretty close if not kissing the lands, the ladder comes first with VLDs, used some 95VLDs in my 6mmREM and had them into the lands but the bullet bearing surface was only about >.015" inside the case due to the long throat in the REM rifle. So, with your OAL of 2.725", are the VLDs into or off the lands?

 

[sierracharlie338]

I was just testing the depth to see how far it sat in the case. The barreled action is being built so no rock solid info for final OAL. just wanted to know if it would be worth cutting the chamber a little longer before