.303 reloading with cast 180 grainers

[inthehizzy]

My Google'fu has turned up no answers so I'm picking the collective brain of you folks here at CGN.

I'm new to reloading cast 'boolits' and this one has me scratching me head.
I purchased some nice cast pieces from a local retailer, gas checked and greased.
They are Saeco 180's @ .313 diameter

While mocking up a round and seating to the COAL of 3.075 inches, as per my normal, there seems barely enough bullet in the case mouth to cover the gas check.

Am I missing something here? Any specific tips/tricks/concerns/differences to loading cast vs. jacketed in the .303?

My brass is already fire formed and neck sized only, I'm using CCI 200 LR primers in mixed Win/RP brass.

 

[norland]

go to cast boolits site

 

[f55]

Check your calipers

 

[islandkent]

go to cast boolits site

And let us know please.

 

[Andy]

Have you checked that COAL with that bullet in the rifle in which you intend to shoot it?

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1015452-Five-303-Brit-Cast-Bullet-Loads?

 

[sunray]

How are you measuring the OAL? Ain't no way the bullet should be out that far. What's the length when seated to the crimping groove?

 

[BCRider]

I know that some cast and jacketed .303 bullets look like knitting needles sticking out of the brass. But these bullets are not those bullets. You want to seat your bullets down to where the lip of the mouth is able to be crimped into the cannelure groove. Or if you're shooting with a single shot rifle and don't want to crimp the mouth then at least to where the lube grooves are all inside the mouth.

 

[yomomma]

Apparently these are 190 grain, not much difference

 

[H4831]

I have said it so many times, forget about that figure in the book called, COAL. It is a completely meaningless, misused figure, with little, or no relation to your rifle.
All the cast bullets (not boolits) shown in this thread show a crimping groove. And not one of the cartridges shown is crimped where it should be!
The crimping groove is that groove with the sharp angle on the front and the sloping side to the rear, so the neck will fir into it when crimped.
The only way you would not crimp in the proper crimping groove, is if it made the cartridge too long to fit your magazine, and or chamber.

 

[commonman]

The cast bullets in the op's photo look to me to be the same or similar to what I use for a 30-30, though I would size them to .309 for my 30-30. They are the right length from the crimp grove to the nose for that sort of cartridge. Below is a sample of the bullets I use in my 303 or in my 7.62 x 54. These are cast from a Lyman #314299 mold and are 200 grain. These bullets would usually be crimped using such as a Lee factory crimp die on the flat band above the top grease grove. Your OAL would then be in the 2.900 range somewhere. BUT. You would decide your OAL by making your dummy cartridge with a bullet just snug but long in the neck. Then chamber this dummy and close the bolt of your rifle to allow the rifling to move the bullet back into the case neck as it needs to for the cartridge to fit into the chamber. Take the dummy out, measure it's OAL and make your loads just a few thou shorter than that. (some cast shooters will say keep it as long as possible, I shorten it some as I am not perfect when I seat bullets and want some leeway).

The bullets the op has will work if crimped at the provided crimp groove but will have a long jump to the rifling and may not be as accurate as possible. They will be fun to shoot though, so have at it.