Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 22 High Power, bullet seating depth

Just did my first reloads for my 22 HP. After checking everything,before starting, I checked the length of my recently purchased Sellier&Bellot 5,6 X 52R 70 gr. They calibrated at 2.46 total length. All of my loading references tell me to reload to 2.51. So, help me understand the difference! This discrepancy means that these two cartridge bullets are in a different locations in the chamber ready to be fired. Does this effect accuracy? Why would a factory load be so different from factory specifications?
Confused Whipsey

Different ogives. It's not about where the tip of the bullet rests in the barrel. OAL only really matters in terms of fitting in a magazine.

The Europeans mostly chamber the 5.6x52R in combination guns and drillings. Therefore, there is no need for a magazine and a restriction in OAL. I have a Brno combination gun and have shot both factory and reloads in it. It isn’t fussy on OAL.

Nick

Most pre-.308 length actions will handle right around 2.600" max. As long as you aren't stuffing the bullet into the riflings when you close the bolt it won't bother anything.

Some of my 303 Sav spitzer loads are 2.597"; that rifle will handle 2.601" whereas my 300 Sav EGs will only work up to 2.599", so they do vary little bit individually.

Rule of thumb I use. Seating depth = at least half the bullet diameter deep. I have never had issue .with my loads.

Thanks guys,
I'll remember this. Just wanted to check,
W

The distance the bullet rests away from the rifling can effect accuracy and no two brand of bullets is alike in that regard. A handloader's task is to determine what that optimal distance is, if ultimate accuracy is the goal. Feed-ability through the magazine may well effect the outcome though.

Throats and leades vary between manufacturers and often between individual guns from the same manufacturer. Factory ammo is concocted to work in every known scenario, which goes a long way in explaining why Brand X shoots nicely in one guy's gun and not in another's.

I like to set as long as I can, the mag determines how long it can be, using a magic marker on the bullet, then chamber to see if its against the rifling, no problem

This is a quick and easy way to set them up, and has regularly been near-best OAL/seating depth for consistent accuracy in several cartridges for me. And it's a good rule-of-thumb for consistent neck tension to keep to LBK's seating practice.

I've found very few 99's that I could seat close to the lands. Usually the magazine OAL is quite a bit shorter, so I usually just go with standard OAL for the cartridge unless I want to tweak shorter.

yep, never had to worry much about the depth, the mag is the deciding factor

Same here. The only one I've had to load with past the recommended COAL is the 303, and that was just to get certain spitzer bullets to fit the neck snug.

Even at 2.597" there's still quite a gap between the bullet and riflings in that rifle. I just messed with length in the 300 to see just how long I could make work in the magazine out of curiosity.

Anecdotally, when messing with Barnes TSX's I was told to seat them way deep in the case to give them a long running start before they hit the leade. Seemed counter-intuitive to me until I tried it, and it worked in .300 Savage with 130's and in .223 with 50 & 55's. If I ever got back into shooting a .300 Savage it would be with those 130 TSX's.

I've thought about trying the Barnes, but for MY hunting the ballistics don't show that there's much difference between that and the 150gr Partitions. So between having hundred of Partitions, and hating to encourage the anti-lead PETA idiots who think we're destroying America with lead in bullets (Them: "It's killing the eagles and condors!!!". Me: "No, you idiot, that's the WINDMILLS!!"), I keep shooting the Noslers.

I've been using the 130 TTSX in my 300s with good results at an OAL of 2.580." I love the entire TSX/TTSX line of bullets. I've used them across a fairly wide range of calibers and cartridges and not had them shoot poorly in anything. In terms of terminal ballistics I don't think they have anything on any other premium bullet though, just preference on my part.

My current EG 300 I can keep them a touch over 2" at 100 with the Marble's peep. The first EG 300 would put them closer to 1.5"-1.7" with a Lyman peep.

Anything scoped I've shot them in, I've been able to work up cloverleaf to MOA at 100.