Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles OAL question

When loading ammo for somebody and you don't have the rifle to check the throat length, do you typically defer to the OAL listed in the loading manual? I nearly always am loading based off a gauge I make with a modified case or loading to mag-length with a jump (as is the case with most short-action big game chamberings), but I'm going to load some 95gr Partitions for a friend's 243win and I won't have the rifle in hand. She's been shooting Fusions and Gamekings in factory ammo and not getting exits. Lot's of tracking with no blood. I don't want to jam lands, but don't want to pole-vault to the lands either. SAAMI throated Savage bolt gun of recent vintage.

To set it up proper you really should have the rifle. Otherwise your guessing. Besides how are you going to find out the pressure A mild manual load could be too hot in that rifle. I would not set up a load unless the rifle was in my hands.

I'd planned to stair-step some charges with 1 round apiece, up to my chosen charge weight, being a couple grains below listed max. Shooting those loads first, likely over the chrono, to make sure things are bumping up safely, and also check my chosen load to see where it falls. She only shoots to 250yds or so, at the most. Something around 2,900-3,000fps should not be too difficult to find.

Unless there's a pathology then you'll be fine at SAAMI max length. I have several 308s that have no problem pole vaulting their way to well under moa ten shot groups. Nosler's "accuracy loads" for H4350 and IMR4451 have both been well digested in heavy brass by my 243 so a quick workup to either of those should net good results pretty quick. Given the specified range limit max velocity shouldn't be an issue.

Just a thought but the Fusion bullets I've shot have been very tough. I would have thought one would exit just as well as a Partition. I do however shoot them in larger calibers. She might need a Barnes,but you know more about Partitions than I do.

The Fusions are tough with respect to not breaking apart, but they do expand readily and widely which can limit penetration sometimes.

I agree with you guys and think they are great deer bullets in the larger calibers, but it seems that the wide expansion may not be the ticket on shoulder hits with her 243win, especially with big hogs on the menu (and we've got them). I shot the NPT as a kid and teenager in the 243 and always got exits. Blood trails were not always impressive, but there was something to follow.

Turns out there were no Fusions involved, just Gamekings. She's shooting Fusions in her 7mm-08.

I started to load those Partitions at 2.70" and I'm glad I didn't. I managed to take a quick measurement with my homemade gauge and those bullets hit lands at 2.684".