107 grain SMK in .264 problems

[pxranger]

anyone have experience with 107 matchkings in the .264? what is the max COAL for them?

I loaded some today at 2.20, and they would not chamber in my rifle, the ogive appears to be fairly far forward with this bullet, as the factory 123 amax is seated to 2.25, and I have no problems with it. I started with a 2.16 seating depth and the round would chamber, but with reduced accuracy and what appears to be an increase in pressure (groups printed higher).

Worked it up to about 2.175 for now. seem to be chambering fine, with good groups. thing is, the Hodgdon data for this bullet is 2.250, and I started deeper than that with problems. just seems a bit odd, assuming its a quirk of the BHW barrels.

[GLSHOOTER]

Jul 7, 2012 17:21:59 GMT -8 pxranger said:

anyone have experience with 107 matchkings in the .264? what is the max COAL for them?

I loaded some today at 2.20, and they would not chamber in my rifle, the ogive appears to be fairly far forward with this bullet, as the factory 123 amax is seated to 2.25, and I have no problems with it. I started with a 2.16 seating depth and the round would chamber, but with reduced accuracy and what appears to be an increase in pressure (groups printed higher).

Worked it up to about 2.175 for now. seem to be chambering fine, with good groups. thing is, the Hodgdon data for this bullet is 2.250, and I started deeper than that with problems. just seems a bit odd, assuming its a quirk of the BHW barrels.

The best thing is a Hornady Comparator to check you distance to the lands. With that tool you will have your answer to any bullet in under five minutes.

Additionally you can cut a case neck that has been partially sized and push the loaded round up in the chamber and let the bullet be shoved back in to the case. That will give you a measurement that will be CLOSE.. Do that three or four times to get an average. It will work until you get the tool.

The COL's listed in a loading book are not always 1:1 translatable to a rifle chamber. A different reamer, a different lot of bullets can all make a difference in the actual usable number.

Your description of the ogive may well be the key to the issue. I see this all the time when you go from the racy target types to the middle of the road not so racy profiles.

Greg