• Quick Shot Challenge: What’s the dumbest shooting myth you’ve heard?

    Drop it in the replies for the chance to win a free shirt!

    Join the contest

Off, On or In The Lands

strikeone

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 29, 2010
4
0
60
I'm loading a 140 grain hunting VLD with 52 grains of RL22. My overall length is 3.165. This is just touching the lands of a Schneider P5 1:8 twist 26" barrel. 6.5 x.284 Norma. Which way should I set the bullet? As is or +.005 or -.005 to the lands.
 
Re: Off, On or In The Lands

For a normal carry about hunting rifle bullets seated into the lands can cause problems. I think for safety you should seat just off and or further back not jammed into the lands.
For ammo fed one at a time in target , varmint and long range guns that don't get carried about in the bush the situation is different.
 
Re: Off, On or In The Lands

If you do jam to the lands, back off on your powder a bit.

As to which is best, you will just have to try it. Different rifles, different bullets like different distances to the lands. Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter. Berger says it's bullets like to be close or on the lands. YMMV
 
Re: Off, On or In The Lands

I loaded my initial loads to shoot at 1000 .025" off the lands.

In the end Black Hills was just as accurate at 2.810" OAL.

Don't think, IMHO, it makes a rats ass bit of difference.