.223 - reloading for accuracy

[Lilswede1]

Been experimenting with OAL on my .223 using 26 gr. Accurate 2230 with a 50 gr. Seirra Blitzking bullet.
According to RCBS Precision Mic gage I still have .020" freebore at an AOL of 2.300". This was confirmed within .002" with the Hornady OAL gage.
Shot these rounds in a CZ 527 bolt and was pleased with the results. Better grouping then rounds seated at 2.290" OAL.
Then I tried a bullet at 3.005" and it chambered a little stiffly. Didn't have to "force" anything, just felt a little tight.
Tried several rounds at 3.005" and they all fit very snugly.
Looked at the bullets with magnifying glass and could only find one spot where the bullet might be touching the land but was faint.
Question is, according to my recently purchased gages, I still should have 015" of freebore so why would the round be fitting so snugly.
I've got my headspace set between .002" - .003" clearance so that is not the problem.
I must bemissing something, I just dont know what.

[bullspotter]

Only thing i can think of is the hornady mod case your using is not the same as the cases your loading. Measure it and make sure its the same, other then that, i have no other idea.

[bullspotter]

o and a 223 in my gun at 3.005 is waaaaayyyy to long.

[Toolman]

3.005" is way too long for .223 Rem cartridge.
2.260" is the max according to my load data.

[rn22723]

The only way to use the precision Mic in the 223 is for VLD type of bullets it Hornady Amax, Nosler or Sierra OTM 80gr, Sierra 90gr OTM, or the Bergers!
Most factory chambers are so sloppy that if makes no sense to try with a 50gr or 55gr bullet. Your goal should be consistently loaded ammo. The given mag length for the AR platform is 2.26" COAL. Plus if you measure a 55gr NBT then subtract .224" from that OAL of the bullet. That result plus the 1.750 is the max length that is considered functional cause you need at least one caliber length of the bullet in the case neck.

[Unclenick]

I expect you meant 2.305" and not 3.005". That definitely would not fit. Misreading a dial caliper is easy because the whole inches are on the beam only, if that is what you have? I used to think digital calipers were for the lazy, but in all honesty they are now cheap and keep me from mentally bumping numbers like that.

The Precision Mic is prone to error by their bullet sticking in the throat and pulling out a little when you withdraw it. The Hornady gauge, as Bullspotter said, is prone to an error based on their special drilled and tapped measuring case having different headspace than your actual cases do. The trick with the bullet seating depth is you actually want the distance from the bullet ogive to the middle of the case shoulder (the headspace stop in the .223) to be the same between the gauge and your loaded rounds, and not the distance to the casehead. It is the shoulder that stops the cartridge moving forward in the chamber when the firing pin hits, so it actually determines how deeply the bullet enters the freebore.

The way to make that distance work out the same is to get the headspace inserts for your Hornady gauge. Measure the headspace of your cases as you reload them (after resizing). Measure the headspace of the Hornady test case. If your cases are shorter (if you use a small base die, they may be) then you need to seat the bullets to a shorter finished cartridge reading in the bullet comparator from casehead to bullet ogive by that amount. If your cases are longer, you need to seat the bullets longer in the comparator by that difference. This should leave you with the same ogive to shoulder dimension for both rounds. You can go to the trouble, at least once, of swapping out the bullet and headspace inserts just to make sure you get the same difference reading in both instances.

To check for touchdown of the bullet on the lands, simply color it with Magic Marker and chamber and unload it. The marks should be easy to pick out then, as the Magic Marker will have been scraped away.

[amamnn]

One of the selling point of the RCBS tool is that the "bullet" used to find the lands is too hard to stick in the lands as a bullet will. That being said, you do have to take the time to adjust the friction brake so that the tool can slide enough to work, but not be too loose.

The "headspace" part of the tool is really intended to help you set up your FL die to do the minimum amount of sizing when you use it. The instructions with it are not the most concise I've ever read, but repeated reading could help, if you don't get a headache first. The tool is also used to measure the relative size of your cases. Some can expand after firing quite a bit more than others. Precision shooters like to keep all the cases within certain tolerances. If you've gone to the trouble to cull cases, this can be a big help in keeping case capacity uniform, especially if you're neck sizing.


I've seen a lot of posts from people who are using the headspace nut backward and end up with hard chambering cases. You Must keep an eye on the zero point on the tool body and know if you have passed it with the nut. A reading of 45 on the nut can mean two very different things, and if you have not kept watch on the zero point you don't know if it's +45 or -5 on either side of the datum line.

This is a very useful tool if used as intended. I think the majority of reloaders might be better off usiing the Wilson case gauge, and calculate their seating using calipers and COAL, though.

[kraigwy]

I load 77 SMKs for high power to fit the mag. in Service Rifle, because of the rapid fire stages. But for 600 and 1000 yards I load 80 SMKs a bit longer for single feeding.

The Sierra Manuel list he OAL for the 80 grn bullets (for single fire) at 2.550. That dosnt work in my White Oak upper. Sometimes you chamber a round, and something comes up where you dont fire rigth away (wind changes, target goes down, etc). I dont want the round setting in a hot chamber so I pull it our. The 2.550 is a bit long and leaves the bullet in the chamber. Not good when it causes you to stop and clean the powder out of the chamber in the middle of the string.

Any, like anything else, all guns are differant. You have to develope the round, including overall lenght to fit your rifle.

A quick note, if you are shooting the AR, but deside not to fire it in the service rifle class, you can cut the front portion of a mag. so you can get a longer OAL for rapid fire, just cut it down to take 5 rounds, for the RF strings. Make sure they will fit in the mag. well and chamber BEFORE you get to the match.

[Alleykat]

Looks to me like the OP has more of a problem with simple math than with his understanding of reloading techniques. 2.300" + .020" doesn't equal 3.005"; it equals 2.320". Longest I've ever been able to load for my AR mags is 2.260"; I load to about 2.270-2.275" for my Remmy 700 varmint.

[Unclenick]

It occurred to me he may have read that number with the gauge in place without zeroing the caliper first. Then it would include the length of the gauge. Easy to do.