I recently loaded up some 69gr smk bullets for my .223 and did a load development and they shot great. It was a pretty old box given to me (still had the $19 price tag on them). I liked them so I bought some more. Loading tonight I did about 50 rounds. About 30 were left in the box that was given to me then about 20 that I bought. I noticed part way through my loading my overall length went from 2.295 to 2.320. I couldn't figure it out since I didn't change the dies seating depth or anything but consistantly started getting 2.320. So I put one of the 2.295 loaded cartridges in the press and tried to tighten the seating depth down until it touched the round to see if it had gotten moved somehow but it was already touching the bullet, so I load another and again 2.320. At this point I realized I had switched from the bullets that were given to me to the ones I bought so I decided to try testing the distance to the lands of the rifle with these bullets and discovered I was getting a different number than when I did this with the older bullets. So I was wondering if anyone knew if the shape of the 69gr match king was changed over the years at any time? Don't really want to have to restart my load development again when I had it pretty dialed in with the bullets that were given to me.
Did smk''s change?
- Thread starter GcG166
- Start date
I've been using SMK 69ers for 4 years and they have not changed the ogive since I got my first lot...Wonder how old the first box you got are...19 bucks a box had to be back quite a while ago maybe the 90's unless the bullets were purchased in the US...I bet you readjust your TAL and the new bullets shoot real close to what the old ones were doing.
The only experience I have had like you just found was .270 Hornady 150gr inner locks...At some point over time they changed the cannelure depth and made the bullet longer and more sleek...Never did make any difference to the moose.
The only experience I have had like you just found was .270 Hornady 150gr inner locks...At some point over time they changed the cannelure depth and made the bullet longer and more sleek...Never did make any difference to the moose.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Toon Town, Sk
Exactly. When I open a new box of bullets of a different lot number I always back the seating stem out half to a full turn and readjust for the same length as I want.
The OAL mean nothing unless you are feeding from a mag. Measure the length of a few bullets and see for yourself (something to drive you crazy if you are OCD). If you have not adjusted your seating depth on your seating die you should be ok by seating to the ogive on the new bullets. POI may change slightly between the two different bullets, but my bet is that they will shoot just as well as the old bullets. SMK bullets are very intolerant to bullet jump.
Realized after that the distance to the rifling should be the same. I know that a bullet seated to 2.320 with the older box would not chamber in the rifle but the new lot have no problem at that length. Fingers crossed for when I get shooting with them.
Makes sense to me that it would be pretty much the same but the ocd
Makes sense to me that it would be pretty much the same but the ocd
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The dies to make the match bullets only make about 100,000 bullets, so they get replaced, and there can be small differences in each new die set.
And from time to time a design change is made. For example, the 30 cal 168 MatchKing was not always a hollow point. It started out as a FMJ.
And the boat tail angle of the 180 got changed. Instead of a long, gentle one (like the 190) it got changed to a short, steep one, like the 168.
And from time to time a design change is made. For example, the 30 cal 168 MatchKing was not always a hollow point. It started out as a FMJ.
And the boat tail angle of the 180 got changed. Instead of a long, gentle one (like the 190) it got changed to a short, steep one, like the 168.
