Distance to lands, how close is too close?

[tooth doc]

Actually, I shoot way better off hand. I've tried resting my bottom limb on the bench, tree limb, summit climber rail, and on my knee who'll storing in a chair. Nothing works!

I'm sorry. I can't leave this off hand alone.
I'm in a extra good mood. It's Friday and I just scored 8lbs of h4350 and retumbo from a lgs!

hope u bought lotto tickets today! i shoot barnes bullets and i am usually 50 thou off lands.

 

[MNbogboy]

Just curious, what bullets are those

The bullets were/are a Speer brand 6.5 caliber seconds from midway usa. I believe they are their deep curl series and they were BBM coated at Speer because of previous pressure problems some had with their electro chemical bonded jackets. These bulletscare similar to spider's gold dot line and federal fusion bullets which are mtg for federal by speer.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Correct Buddy, Yes it's a BR Cartridge. Lots of Guys on the line Jam, but when the time is up, and they have to open the action and remove the live round, I have seen theses powder dumps into the action. I personally would not want that mess in my rifle, while hunting. Just opinion, but my .270 Win deer load at 5 to 7 thousand off the lands gives me acceptable hunting accuracy, and I can have a second round in the magazine well.

 

[Teri Anne]

I am loading up some 180 Berger vlds for my 28 nosler and trying to follow Berger's process for finding the best seating depth. So far the best group has been at 0.005 off the lands, which is the longest oal I have loaded. In your opinions, is this too close to the lands for a hunting load? I certainly don't want to get a bullet stuck some day and ruin a hunt. Thanks for the insight

I only had a bullet get stuck in the rifling once and once is enough. Every different bullet design will have a different distance depending on design. I have settled on 0.030 as the distance that I try to set all of my reloads to pretty much regardless of bullet choice. This seems to give a good buffer distance where the bullet never engages the rifling. So far this has worked with Savage, Winchester, Remington Tikka, Browning and Springfiedl Armory rifles in 270, 308, 30-06 and 300WM. Setting at this distance doe not seem to have affected accuracy since all but the Savage group well under 1 MOA . There may be exceptions to this rule of thumb, there always will be.

 

[George Dean]

Was staying in motel....pack in and out every morning and evening...the rifle isn't the only thing soaked when I'm finished for the day.....
Plenty of time for elements to get thru the action.....tape on barrel...doesnt stay put....
But good advice to spread...

Can we all say together 'condom.'

 

[jessej]

Edited. To juvenile, even for me.

 

[dr.frank338]

Leaving (not a bullet, but a Berger Vld hunting) in the barrel and powder all around happened to me also, hunting in spring weather, no iusses of ice, dirt and so on. So frustrating some two hours from camp ! I was so hungry I dropped Bergers for some months, shifting to Eldx in my 257. I am back on Bergers now, but safely off the lands!

 

[Lapuatom]

Yep..the weather I finished hunting in this year was not great...rains..sprinkles...snow..freezing...thawing...slush..snow...brush..
and reprod.....nasty....
Cleaned the barrel four days in a row....no way to keep water of any kind out.....
Then made a 400yd shot across canyon....concerned...yes...but I did all I could do to keep least amount of moisture from getting in barrel....
Hate to think of the mess should a bullet had pulled.....

Put tape over the muzzle. End of moisture down the pipe!

 

[zplinker]

It isn't uncommon for rounds loaded to be close to rifling, to be too long for the magazine. If you start at max mag. length, then go back in .010 steps, you should find another accurate node.

 

[mulie]

Agree with locating the wider node. Also water in the barrel can and most likely, especially in cold weather affect your shot. Therefore use the tape over the barrel or gun rubbers to keep the $%@^ out if the barrel. 0.005" off the lands is a bit close for hunting round. Always carry cleaning rod or at least a snake to clean the crap from the barrel if the round does stick.

 

[DoneNOut]

Try tiny balloons from the kids' department. I keep 3-4 in my pack and slip one on anytime it gets wet.

Taken out of context, you could go to jail in 46 states for saying this.

 

[eoperator]

I had a pet load .005 off on top of compressed powder. On a wyoming deer hunt I stuck a bullet in the barrel missing out on a shot opportunity on a nice buck. Cold temps must have been enough to relieve neck tension, oal grew .005-.015 on all cartridges.

 

[L.Sherm]

I doudt it had to do anything with temp id be looking at the compressed load and neck tension

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

What do you consider "off hand?" I'm just gonna have to call you a liar liar pants on fire! 800yds off hand, GTFO!

usually from sitting, or from a knee... I don't hunt from one point like some of you all, so I don't deploy a bipod or use bags. Three years ago my sons were with my when I used my 300 win on a mule deer doe. My eldest son and I hit 2 for 3 at 642 yards according to the Kilo 2000 (my son shot once and I twice). The year before last I shot my mule deer at 500 yards in strong wind from sitting. The next weekend my 18 year old son shot his mule deer at 405 yards from sitting. Both were ranged shots.
Just because you can't hit from any offhand position doesn't mean others can't either.