Same Caliber, Different Rifle Question

jwrowland77 · February 3, 2014, 08:14 AM

How would you handle this?

I had a Savage Axis .308 22" barrel that I was shooting in FTR competitions. I sold that last night and will be purchasing a Rem 700 SPS Varmint .308 26" barrel to use in comps.

I plan to use my Hornady tool and find the ogive measurement in the new rifle. If the bullets are off the lands from the rounds I have already made and not into the lands I had planned to shoot them and see how they do.

Would it be safe to tryout reloads I made for the Savage in the Rem, as long as they're not in the lands?

My reloads are near max/max per the manuals.

How many fps increase am I looking at possibly gaining with the extra 4" on the barrel? I was thinking around 30-40fps increase.

Jim243 · February 3, 2014, 09:13 AM

If I understand what you are asking, the answer should be yes it will be safe.

There are however some buts there. The first is if you full length re-sized the case and not just neck sizing. The second is if you used the load information to set your OAL and not just the L-N-L gauge to set them just off the lands.

You will need to try out the rounds in the new rifle without forcing your bolt close. If they fit and you can close the bolt without much force, you should be good to go, if not then you will need to redo your OAL on those rounds.

Jim

jwrowland77 · February 3, 2014, 09:15 AM

I'm glad you brought that up. I didn't even think about the FL sizing. I have 100 round that are neck sized, 200 that are FL sized.

I used a LNL OAL gauge to find my OAL

AllenJ · February 3, 2014, 10:13 AM

Everything I know and have read says "No, you need to work up new loads to ensure they're safe in your new rifle". With your current reloads being near max I would work up a batch of 2 shot per charge, half grain increment, for the new rifle just to be safe.

Brian Pfleuger · February 3, 2014, 10:23 AM

Guys shooting in competition almost never work up loads. However, there's positively no good reason to not load up a couple of rounds at reasonable increments starting at 10% below expected max and working up. It HAS been found that published starting loads are over max in some guns. Why chance it when you can know for sure for the cost of 10 bullets and a few hundreds grains of powder.

higgite · February 3, 2014, 10:24 AM

Why not just work up a new load for your new rifle, as you did for your old one? If the same charge weight turns out to be good in your new rifle, then you're golden (if your existing rounds fit the new chamber). If not, then you will find that out as you approach the old load in your work up process and look for overpressure signs, etc., before going whole hog with the max rounds.

ETA: Brian types faster than I do.

603Country · February 3, 2014, 12:04 PM

I had a similar problem with ammo loaded for rifle 1, and I now had a new rifle. I worked up loads for the new rifle, and was lucky in that the new rifle liked the same load I shot in Rifle 1, but the cartridges would not chamber in the new gun. A Body Die allowed me to 'shrink' the already loaded ammo to fit the new rifle.

I wouldn't fire already loaded ammo for your previous rifle in the new rifle until I could see what max loads were in the new rifle. You might get away with it, but why try it till you know more about the new rifle.

jwrowland77 · February 3, 2014, 12:12 PM

I need to find a body die. 200 rounds were FL sized only 100 were neck sized.

Or can I just take the pin out of my FL sizing die and run the rounds up into my FL die to push the shoulders back without having to buy a body die?

jwrowland77 · February 3, 2014, 12:33 PM

Can I pull the bullets, take decapping pin out, resize in FL sizing die, then neck size them with the expanding ball and then do like I normally would as far as powder workup and bullet?

February 3, 2014, 08:14 AM	#1
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	Same Caliber, Different Rifle Question How would you handle this? I had a Savage Axis .308 22" barrel that I was shooting in FTR competitions. I sold that last night and will be purchasing a Rem 700 SPS Varmint .308 26" barrel to use in comps. I plan to use my Hornady tool and find the ogive measurement in the new rifle. If the bullets are off the lands from the rounds I have already made and not into the lands I had planned to shoot them and see how they do. Would it be safe to tryout reloads I made for the Savage in the Rem, as long as they're not in the lands? My reloads are near max/max per the manuals. How many fps increase am I looking at possibly gaining with the extra 4" on the barrel? I was thinking around 30-40fps increase.

February 3, 2014, 09:13 AM	#2
Jim243 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: Just off Route 66 Posts: 5,067	If I understand what you are asking, the answer should be yes it will be safe. There are however some buts there. The first is if you full length re-sized the case and not just neck sizing. The second is if you used the load information to set your OAL and not just the L-N-L gauge to set them just off the lands. You will need to try out the rounds in the new rifle without forcing your bolt close. If they fit and you can close the bolt without much force, you should be good to go, if not then you will need to redo your OAL on those rounds. Jim __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum

February 3, 2014, 09:15 AM	#3
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	Same Caliber, Different Rifle Question I'm glad you brought that up. I didn't even think about the FL sizing. I have 100 round that are neck sized, 200 that are FL sized. I used a LNL OAL gauge to find my OAL Last edited by jwrowland77; February 3, 2014 at 09:27 AM.

February 3, 2014, 10:23 AM	#5
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	Guys shooting in competition almost never work up loads. However, there's positively no good reason to not load up a couple of rounds at reasonable increments starting at 10% below expected max and working up. It HAS been found that published starting loads are over max in some guns. Why chance it when you can know for sure for the cost of 10 bullets and a few hundreds grains of powder. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

February 3, 2014, 12:12 PM	#8
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	Same Caliber, Different Rifle Question I need to find a body die. 200 rounds were FL sized only 100 were neck sized. Or can I just take the pin out of my FL sizing die and run the rounds up into my FL die to push the shoulders back without having to buy a body die?

February 3, 2014, 10:13 AM	#4
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	Everything I know and have read says "No, you need to work up new loads to ensure they're safe in your new rifle". With your current reloads being near max I would work up a batch of 2 shot per charge, half grain increment, for the new rifle just to be safe.

February 3, 2014, 10:24 AM	#6
higgite Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2010 Posts: 1,025	Why not just work up a new load for your new rifle, as you did for your old one? If the same charge weight turns out to be good in your new rifle, then you're golden (if your existing rounds fit the new chamber). If not, then you will find that out as you approach the old load in your work up process and look for overpressure signs, etc., before going whole hog with the max rounds. ETA: Brian types faster than I do.

February 3, 2014, 12:04 PM	#7
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	I had a similar problem with ammo loaded for rifle 1, and I now had a new rifle. I worked up loads for the new rifle, and was lucky in that the new rifle liked the same load I shot in Rifle 1, but the cartridges would not chamber in the new gun. A Body Die allowed me to 'shrink' the already loaded ammo to fit the new rifle. I wouldn't fire already loaded ammo for your previous rifle in the new rifle until I could see what max loads were in the new rifle. You might get away with it, but why try it till you know more about the new rifle.

February 3, 2014, 12:33 PM	#9
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	Same Caliber, Different Rifle Question Can I pull the bullets, take decapping pin out, resize in FL sizing die, then neck size them with the expanding ball and then do like I normally would as far as powder workup and bullet?