30-06, berger bullets, COL and jump to the lands question

[HuntMeister]

I am attempting to load some Berger bullets, 168 gn VLD's for a Remington Model 700. I have asked Berger what the COL should be and after several emails, all I can get out of Walt Berger & company is the published max COL of 3.340".
Some time ago I ordered a Hornady OAL gage and finally got the modified case this past week (Thanks Andrew!). When I insert the tool with the berger bullet and set the gage I come up with a length of 3.536" to the lands. The specific bullet I am using measures 1.280" in length and most of the primed cases measure around 2.490" so if I am doing my math correctly I have approximately 0.2340" of bullet seated in this case while touching the lands. In my short relaoding career I have understood that one should strive for at least a calibers worth of seating depth. I know whatever I do I have to check to ensure they will fit the magazine and chamber correctly.

With all this being said, what would those of you with this type of experience in reloading suggest I set my COL to? My initial thought is to start with 0.050 jump to the lands but this gives me less than a caliber worth of seating.

This is my first time messing with a custom COL, I want to be safe and would really appreciate your help.

 

[Brownie]

I would probably make a couple dummy rounds that are maximum magazine length. Check for function,determine if they are acceptable distance off lands and start there. Providing there is enough bullet in the case for suitable neck tension.

 

[sloughfoot]

In my experience Bergers like to be close to the lands. Like .015 to .020 off the lands. Using your numbers, 3.516 or so is the number.

For my bolt guns, I don't bother measuring and agonizing over it.

I just soft seat. In other words, I would load them to 3.6 and finish seating them when chambering the round.

I am not sure what you are talking about with the caliber length of seating? I have never heard that, or if I have, I have ignored it.

Of sourse, this is all for single loading on the target range. For feeding out of the magazine, they need to be magazine length. But of course, you know that......

 

[42769vette]

ive tried vlds on a few diffrent calibers and just dont like them. to jet them to shoot it seams they have to be kissing if not jammed into the lands and ive yet to be able to load my ammo that long and still use my mag.

if your looking for a high bc hunting bullet look hard at the hornady amax

 

[HuntMeister]

Thanks for the thoughts fellas! This is for a hunting rig so it definitely needs to feed from the mag and I felt it best not to be into the lands.

 

[sloughfoot]

Berger makes a 30 caliber hunting bullet? I guess I don't pay enough attention.

 

[HuntMeister]

Berger makes a 30 caliber hunting bullet? I guess I don't pay enough attention.

Yep...Berger Hunting Bullets

 

[sloughfoot]

In that case, loading out to the lands is not an option.

Load them out to 3.340 and check to make sure they feed out of the magazine and give acceptable hunting accuracy at the ranges you will probably get your shot at.

I have to admit, that when you said Berger, my initial reaction was for target shooting and single loading for mid or long range. It never occourred to me that you might be hunting.

Total reliabilty is far more important than pinpoint accuracy for a hunting round.

 

[42769vette]

i still say look hard at the amax

 

[HuntMeister]

Thanks Sloughfoot and I should have stated the purpose in my post.

42769vette, If it were me I would have bought the Amax but these are my fathers bullets, he wanted to try them. He also bought some varmint bullets from Berger for his 243WSSM and those shoot VERY well out of that gun. We have always had problems getting happy groups out of his WSSM until now.