Hornady lock and load COL guage

[TheM4chef]

Hi folks quick question here. I got this and the bullet comperitor kit for my 223 and 308 bolt guns.

I've watched the you tube videos and things seem to make sense.

My question is when I set up the 308 (R700 aac-SD 1/10 twist 20"bbl) using 168 smk's seating it to the lands means there is prob less then 1/8"of bearing surface in the neck. Making them way longer than the col listed in my manuals.

I know you don't want to seat bullets too deep for pressure issues but seating it that far out there isn't much neck tension holding on is there? I'm not hunting with these rounds and would have to be single loaded. It's this common to have that long of a throat?

Makes me think maybe 185 or 200 grain pills might work well in this rifle.

I hope this makes sense to you guys. Any info is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Ganderite]

What you have discovered is that the Rem chamber is designed by a lawyer. A deep throat reduces pressures.

Seat the bullets deeper. I like to have at least a square seat. That is, a 308 diameter bullet should have 308 of seating depth.

 

[TheM4chef]

What you have discovered is that the Rem chamber is designed by a lawyer. A deep throat reduces pressures.

Seat the bullets deeper. I like to have at least a square seat. That is, a 308 diameter bullet should have 308 of seating depth.

That's kinda what I had figured about the chamber. Now do you measure from the base including the taper of the boat tail or just the bearing surface?

 

[Crossbuck]

I'll second Ganderite. My rule of thumb has always been nothing less than a "square seat" but then again I handload for hunting...

 

[beltfed]

On the plus side, 168 SMKs tolerate 'jump' to the lands very well.
I'd just load them to the typical ~2.8" oal as a starting point and go from there.