Accuracy International 0.308 LANs measurement problem

[CWQ]

HELP.

I have an Accuracy International AE Mk III with a 24" barrel, 0.308 Winchester.

I reload my own bullets and can get 0.6 to 0.5 MOA with hand loads. I thought that I would be clever and actually measure the LANs in my riffle. I measured a number of times and the results are;

168g Sierra Match King HBPT
2.355 to the LANs and bullet length 2.930

178g Hornady A-MAX
2.310 to the LANs and bullet length 2.920

The maximum bullet length I can use is 2.810

if I back off 0.020 from the LANs I would be say 2.910 on the Sierra Match King.

I want to seat bullet at 0.020 from the LANs but cannot!!!!!!!!!!!!

So my question(s) are;

1. Does the AI have a lot of gap to the LANs?

2. Am I doing it wrong (don't believe so)?

3. Any other ideas?


Many Thanks

 

[Bullet bumper]

Whatever bullet you use you are also limited by the length of the magazine .
So maybe it is more productive to just seat the bullet you want to use as far out as the magazine can take and then concentrate on good concentric loading techniques like partial neck sizing and body sizing , case prep , finding the best powder and primer for that setup etc.
This could produce better accuracy than stressing out over how much jump the bullet has or has not got. If the jump to the lands is on the big side then don't use Secant ogive bullets as they don't like to jump the gap . Use Tangent ogive bullets. Once you get nice concentric fitting cases and seated bullets the jump is less of a problem.

 

[CWQ]

Can you recommend a tangent bullet?

Thanks

 

[Bullet bumper]

Anything that's not a VLD is usually a Tangent ogive . Sierra Match kings are Tangent or very close to pure Tangent .
To get recoil down a bit and flatten trajectory try the Sierra 155 Palma Match King bullet . You can get the lighter bullet going faster to start with so it still stays supersonic to 1000
There is so many different bullet choices it takes quite a bit of testing to find what you really like . You did not say what you are shooting at .
Hornady A-Max are a Secant ogive , good bullet but may not like a big jump to the lands.
Nosler accubonds are Tangent ogive and would be ok for a heavy hunting bullet .
Nosler partitions can be quite accurate not sure what ogive they are .
A lot depends on what purpose the bullet is put too.


Sierra Bullets - The Bulletsmiths


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