I have a standard Remington 700 Sendero 300 RUM. When I measure the overall seating depth for a 180gr. Nosler ballistic tip it is 3.788. Of course, to fit in the magazine it must be no greater than 3.60. Hypothetically, if I can find an accurate seating depth that is 3.700 am I wasting my time for a hunting rifle when the next round must be 3.600 or less?
Determining seating depht for a hunting rifle
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Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
Yes - at least in my opinion. The likelihood that two rounds, loaded .100" different in OAL, shooint to different points of aim is rather strong.
My recommendation would be to start load development using max magazine length length and then seat deeper from there. You may be surprised to find how accurate a load can be developed with bullets well off the rifling.
I loaded my .308 with a 165gr Accubond .165" off the rifling (max magazine length) and found it to be the most accurate load tested.
Alternatively, you could load a round to nearly any length and still get one round in the magazine because the top round in the magazine leaves the bullet nose above the magazine box. This allows you to have a two round capacity hunting rifle. I did this for years until I realized how well rifles could shoot with bullets loaded as far as 1/4" (.250") off the rifling.
My recommendation would be to start load development using max magazine length length and then seat deeper from there. You may be surprised to find how accurate a load can be developed with bullets well off the rifling.
I loaded my .308 with a 165gr Accubond .165" off the rifling (max magazine length) and found it to be the most accurate load tested.
Alternatively, you could load a round to nearly any length and still get one round in the magazine because the top round in the magazine leaves the bullet nose above the magazine box. This allows you to have a two round capacity hunting rifle. I did this for years until I realized how well rifles could shoot with bullets loaded as far as 1/4" (.250") off the rifling.
rscott5028
Well-Known Member
+1
You can always load/shoot as a single shot.
But, there's no reason to pre-suppose that you can't find an accurate load seated within your magazine.
-- richard
You can always load/shoot as a single shot.
But, there's no reason to pre-suppose that you can't find an accurate load seated within your magazine.
-- richard
bowhunter42
Well-Known Member
dont know if this helps, but I just recently re-barreled my savage 300 win and turned into a full blown custom, and when I started load development my mag length was the limiting factor for seating depth, so I pulled the rifle apart and found that I could cut the front of the mag box out except for about 3/8 of the bottom front without any Ill effects, I gained enough that I could load to the lands and still have a repeater with 3 in the mag. dont know if this will help but just an Idea.
Southwest Hunter
Well-Known Member
Ive been loading the Berger 215 hyb in my RUM. The OAL i'm using is 3.890. With the Berger hyb Im getting 3.894/3.895 chamber length. OAL can change depending on the bullet and what your gun likes. Of course my rounds will not fit my stock magazine. I'm ok with a single shot as long as I get the accuracy I'm looking for.
What do you mean when you measure OAL it measures 3.788?
If you want the rounds to fit in the magazine then they have to be less then 3.60.
Unless your going to single load your rifle or just want to find the most accurate load there no reason to even mess around with trying to find a accurate load longer then the magazine.
