Hello,
I recently got my 300WSM rebarrelled. Yesterday, I was excited to test Hornady Outfitter 180 CX factory ammo with this newish barrel, only to be disappointed to learn that I cannot close the bolt. It seems my throat was cut too short to use this factory ammo, as is. No problem, I thought - I could simply seat the bullet deeper.
However, in looking at my Hornady 11 guide, I noticed that each bullet listed has its own C.O.L. Value. For the 180 CX bullet, this value is 2.835”. The maximum C.O.L. that my rifle can accommodate us 2.819”. Given that the Hornady guide also provides a “maximum C.O.L. Value (I.e., 2.860” for the 300 WSM”), I guessing that the bullet-specific C.O.L. Values given in Hornady 11 Guide can either be the minimum value or perhaps a nominal value.
Can anyone tell me the purpose of this 2nd, bullet-specific value? Alternatively, and more importantly, would I be risking my health if I seat the CX bullets deeper (a shorter COL than the 2.235” value listed for the 180 CX value in the Hornady guide). I was thinking of seating to a COL of 2.789”, which would place this bullet 0.030” off the lands I my rifle and 0.046” shorter than the 2.835” 180 CX COL from the Hornady 11 manual.
Looking at the factory ammo as is, it seems like their is plenty enough shank left to allow deeper bullet seating.
Another, and probably safer option that I'm considering is to simply disassemble this factory ammo, and use the components for a round of load development (discarding the factory powder and using the H100V I have on hand). However, even with this approach, I want to first understand what the 2.835" COL given for the 180 CX represents. If this COL represents a minimal COL for this bullet, then even this 2nd option would not be feasible (recall - I was aiming to use 2.789" for a COL which would mean a 0.030" jump to the lands in my rifle).
Worst case scenario - I disassemble my factory ammo and look to sell the 20, 180 CXs to another handloader. Why not re-sell the factory ammo? I am primarily after the Hornady Brass. In Canada, it seems Hornady 300 WSM brass has not been available for the last 3 years.
Regards
