30-06 Bullets help

[ff1706]

Ok I'm very new at relaoding and i brought my first bullets they are Hornady GMX. My concern is that the Hornady GMX Bullet is Longer than the Factory soft point that are in the casing. Does it make a a difference if it is longer inside the Shell than the soft point did.
I reloaded one bullet and i got it to the length i want but my concern is the bullet dept inside the casing

[30-30remchester]

Yes it does matter in most instances. The rule of thumb is to reduce powder charge by 5% to compensate for the reduced inside volume of the case.

[wncchester]

Your concern would have meaning if you're loading a small capacity handgun case with very fast buring powder. In a rifle it makes little difference and in many instances seating deeper (longer jump to the lands) actually reduces peak pressure.

[rg1]

Hornady's 8th Edition manual lists 150-155 grain bullets (except round nose and fmj) seated to the same overall length which is 3.210". Same for 165-168 grain bullets (except the A-Max and BTHP) all seated to 3.210". They list the same loading data for all the bullets including the new GMX bullets. That said you still need to work up loads and not start with a maximum charge. Usually when a bullet does extend deep into the case it takes up case volume and increases pressure when identical charges are used for a long bullet compared to using a shorter bullet. Hornady says use the same load data for the GMX as with copper jacketed lead core bullets. Still you need to start low and work up in your rifle with your components.

[TXGunNut]

Unless I were hunting in the Republik of Kalifornia I'd stick with Hornady's spire point or boattail bullets. My rifles have exhibited a certain fondness for the spire points in 165 and 180, my wallet likes them too!
And yes, reduce loads a bit and work up, especially with compressed powder charges. Not all rifles like max loads, my shoulder seems to be developing a dislike for them as well.

[mehavey]

QL tells me that the pressure difference between a "normal" 3.34" OAL for a 150gr GMX over 50gr of IMR4895, and that of shorter seating at 3.32", is about 650psi (out of 55,000) -- or about 1.2%

In other words, don't worry about it.

[Adamantium]

It might make a difference, it might not. This is one of the important reasons that you start at a reduced load and work up to max while watching for pressure signs.

[hooligan1]

Get yourself a Hornady L-N-L AOL gauge and the modified case for your rifle and go from there, you can find the AOL that your rifle likes, and it'll shoot that much better..... As opposed to matching the AOL of a commercial made cartridge, by seating the bullet deeper. Some commercial rounds shoot just fine, but there is alot of accuracy to be had by getting proper AOL for your specific rifle dude. (most of what you'll find is that commercial round are seated deeper for magazine purposes, and such)

[mehavey]

Get yourself a Hornady L-N-L AOL gauge and the modified case for your rifle and go from there, you can find the AOL that your rifle likes, and it'll shoot that much better.

+1 on getting your OAL from the rifle itself instead of default from a manual.

Barring your already having a Stoney-Point/Hornady gauge, use this method below:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost....80&postcount=6

Because the GMX bullets have a hard plastic (and therefore uniform) tip insert it will work fairly well. (By the way, I recommend using simple neck tension rather than crimping, to secure the bullet to the case neck. That technique eliminates all sorts of variables.)

[ff1706]

Thank you for your help. I shoot a 30-06 round which is pretty popular.

[black mamba]

Monolithic bullets (solid copper) like the GMX are difficult for the rifling to engrave, so they need a "running start" into the lands. Wncchester is correct, seating deeper in the case lowers pressure, at least for the first 1/4" off the lands.

I would load a dummy round (no powder or primer) to maximum magazine box length and see if it will feed and chamber. If you do all your load work up with this length, then when you find a max pressure load, start adjusting your seating depth farther off the lands (shorter OAL) until you find the best accuracy. This will give max velocity, safe pressures and good accuracy.

[mehavey]

I shoot a 30-06 round

(Somehow) I had that in my mind when I mentioned the IMR4895 load above.

That said, what actual powder/bullet weight are you considering, and in what make rifle?

[ff1706]

The powder I useing is H414, 165gn Hornady GMX, I used to shoot a weatherby vanguard but this year I'm trying a savage 30-06 but planning on maybe buying a Remington model 700

[hooligan1]

Try the Imr 4350 for that 06, get the Nosler #6 manual and start with Minimum powder weights and work it up to tight groups, the hooligan has been doing this successfully for almost twenty years!!! Sometimes the powder we want to use is not the powder the rifle wants.

[mehavey]

For what it's worth....

Hornady 6th shows what I consider to be some very hot loads (all the way up to 58.3gr) for H414 -- which by the way is an excellent `06 powder.

Speer#14 only goes up to 56.0gr

And Hogdon is even lower:
165GR. HDY-GMX
OAL 3.225"
H414
MIN 50.0gr 2,656fps 52,400 PSI
MAX 53.1gr 2,773fps 58,500 PSI

QuickLoad tends to agree w/ Hogdon for my tastes in velocity.
I'd stick w/ 50-53gr H414 until you see how the rifle likes it:

Cartridge :           30-06 Spring.  (CIP)
Bullet :              .308, 165, Hornady GMX 30470
Cartridge O.A.L.:     3.210" (What my Hornady 6th ed shows)
Cartridge Max Pressure:   60,000psi (SAAMI)
Barrel Length :       24.0"
Powder :             Hodgdon H414
WT(gr.)  V(fps)    E (ft.lbs.)    Pmax (psi)
52.0	2,688        2,646         45,904
52.2	2,698	     2,667	   46,467
52.4	2,709	     2,689	   47,037
52.6	2,720	     2,710	   47,614
52.8	2,730	     2,731	   48,200
53.0	2,741	     2,753	   48,792
53.2	2,752	     2,774	   49,393
53.4	2,762	     2,796	   50,004
53.6	2,773        2,818	   50,621
53.8	2,784	     2,839	   51,247
54.0	2,795        2,861	   51,883
54.2	2,805	     2,883	   52,525
54.4	2,816	     2,905	   53,178
54.6	2,827	     2,927	   53,838
54.8	2,837	     2,950	   54,506
55.0	2,848	     2,972	   55,188