Is this too much into the lands??

[Fredo0621]

.308 168 gr Berger VLD.
Remington 700 SPS-V.

I loaded/shot 50 at mag length and they were the all over the place. I know that my rifle has a long throat. I have the hornady tool and cant get anything remotely consistent, so i tried the marker trick. Am I close?

 

[jasonk]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

Shoot it and see what happens. It looks to be the right length to me, I'd have no concerns shooting that.

 

[psinclair]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

Give that length a try, then work back in 5 thou. increments. I'm not a big fan of "kissing" or "jammimg". I've had problems in the field sticking bullets in throats...just my opinion.

 

[Fredo0621]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PGS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Give that length a try, then work back in 5 thou. increments. I'm not a big fan of "kissing" or "jammimg". I've had problems in the field sticking bullets in throats...just my opinion.</div></div>
Everywhere I read its says that VLD's should be touching or jammed .020ish. These will be for range fun only btw.

 

[psinclair]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

In both my 6XC and GAP .260, VLD's shoot bug holes off the lands. And I've tried them on the lands...jumping was much better.

 

[Fredo0621]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

How much of a jump did you have?

 

[skinnypitt]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

i think i remember when i first started loading the Burger VLD's reading some info from Berger that said to load at something like five different seating depths for load development. I believe it was something like 40, 20, 10, 5, and touching. I shoot 1000 yd F-class with the 140VLD in 260 loaded at 8 thousanths off the lands and they shoot awesome. I just recently got a new shipment of bullets though and i think i need to go through the exercise again because they are now having problems. If I were loading my 308 i think i would try the berger non vld's because the VLD's seem a bit finicky to me.

 

[psinclair]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

10 thou. with 140 VLD's in the .260 and 5 thou. with 115gr VLD's in the 6XC.

 

[MitchAlsup]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

Just as a for-instance;

My remmy with 155 scenars needs an OAL of 2.963 to touch thwe lands, so I load them to 2.948.

 

[Fredo0621]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

I'm just going to keep using the Hornady gauge until it finally clicks between the feel of the bullet and the lands. I feel resistance but it seems as though its coming from bullet and case neck/mouth. I'll try some sandpaper inside the mouth of the modified case to take that variable out the equation. Hopefully, I'll update with solid results.Thanks for the help.

 

[2cants]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

So long as the bolt closes and locks with the same amount of force (as a shorter round) then you should be ok.

With vld's you might need to single feed them as the proper seating Dept my be longer than your mag length.

With seated on the lands watch for signs of pressure too.

 

[Sendero_Man]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

these are jumping 45 thou in the 7RM with the 168 VLD's

 

[kskevin]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

In my 280 Ackley, 168g VLDs worked best at -0.080" off the lands. Berger has a technical write-up on their web site recommending testing at lands, -0.040", -0.080" and -0.120" and that one of these will likely work best.

 

[mclevela]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

not trying to hijack this thread but, Sendero man what does it take you to get to 1000 with that combo?
I use the 162 Amax in the 7RM and it is 6.1 mils at 4,300 elv at just over 3,000 fps.

 

[Sendero_Man]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mclevela</div><div class="ubbcode-body">not trying to hijack this thread but, Sendero man what does it take you to get to 1000 with that combo?
I use the 162 Amax in the 7RM and it is 6.1 mils at 4,300 elv at just over 3,000 fps. </div></div>

pm sent

 

[esorensen]

Re: Is this too much into the lands??

I make a dummy cartridge for each specific bullet I intend to shoot.

Starting with a clean rifle, I take an unprimed and uncharged case and load whatever bullet I intend to use really LONG.

I take an old fiberglass rod that I insert into the muzzle of the rifle, (make sure it's long enough to reach the breech easily, with enough to hold onto at the muzzle end) and take the new unloaded long dummy cartridge and insert it into the chamber without the bolt.

With the chambered dummy cartridge I press on the case head with a finger, I now gently push back on the rod the I'd inserted into the muzzle (and therefore the bullet and my other finger) to try and feel how much the round "sticks". This feeling is the bullet into the lands. I then take the round back to the press and decrease the OAL by about .010" and repeat. At some point, you will feel the bullet not engage the rifling as much, I then go to .005" decrease in OAL. Soon,there will be NO resistance to you pushing the round in and out of the chamber. The round is now clear of the lands. You should be within .005 of the lands.

It is rather tedious at first, but I've done this for years and found it to be rather accurate. Once you know the exact OAL to the lands, there is no more guesswork. It takes me less than five minutes for each cartridge. It doesn't work well with coated bullets.