Starting from scratch...

[sundog]

No, as said above it will depend on bullet profile, in my creedmoor a 139 gr Lapa scenar can be loaded at saami length and it's 10 thou off the ands, with a 140 gr S&B loaded at 2.825 the bullet jams into the lands and pressure spikes.

Checking before you load up a bunch is a very good idea.....

That’s interesting Boydy and shows the importance of making up a dummy round or at the very least carefully checking the round chambers properly in your rifle.

[Parabuteo]

That’s interesting Boydy and shows the importance of making up a dummy round or at the very least carefully checking the round chambers properly in your rifle.

Generally load to SAAMI spec to start with and get a decent group with load, then play with OAL

[Randy Bohannon]

The SAAMI/CIP maximum overall cartridge length is just one bit of information, allied to cartridge specs is always chamber specs and in the latter, length of throat and/or leade is specified.

What that means is that ammunition not only has to conform to SAAMI/CIP cartridge specification, but also must chamber in SAAMI/CIP specification chambers.

This explains Boydy's case above where the Lapua scenar, being a very pointed slippery bullet, can poke further into the chamber without touching the rifling whereas the point on the ogive of the S&B 140 grain bullet which is 0.300", which is much dumpier and more sharply curved in the ogive, touches the rifling well before the cartridge length exceeds spec.

OAL length is meaningless on it's own, it needs to be considered with factors like chamber cut, magazine length, length from base to calibre portion of the ogive for the particular bullet, etc.

[223AI]

Generally load to SAAMI spec to start with and get a decent group with load, then play with OAL

Problem being I did load to saami with the S&B's ......

[Chris J]

Oh yes, I will take you up on the offer of the .22 funnel if it’s still available please.

[223AI]

Oh yes, I will take you up on the offer of the .22 funnel if it’s still available please.

Already in the kit box

[Parabuteo]

Problem being I did load to saami with the S&B's ......

Really, what from the meplat? Blimey. Oh well like you say, different cut chambers, Leade etc but even so.

[223AI]

Really, what from the meplat? Blimey. Oh well like you say, different cut chambers, Leade etc but even so.

Yep, can't recall I think it was 4 or 6 thou back before I got clear, I load 12 thou off the lands with that bullet to be doubly sure for any variation. Only 12 p a bullet but shoot just over 1 MOA and form then.243 cases to my 6.5Cm chamber quite nicely :-)

[Parabuteo]

Yep, can't recall I think it was 4 or 6 thou back before I got clear, I load 12 thou off the lands with that bullet to be doubly sure for any variation. Only 12 p a bullet but shoot just over 1 MOA and form then.243 cases to my 6.5Cm chamber quite nicely :-)

Happy days

S&B are a funny lot. Some of their bullets work really well if handled right. I was surprised to find the little PPU 75s shoot pretty well like 77SMKs out fo my AR. If you had given me a blind test I would not have known.

Blind test....most of my shooting is a blind test these days.