Reloading: Asking for advice

Salmon

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I am loading for an old Ruger M77 270 and a Ruger 308 American Predator 22" barrel.
1) Can someone tell me what factory OAL is for 270 130gr Rem PSP and the 308 150gr PSP?
2) I tried shooting both the other day. 270 130gr Rem with 54gr IMR 4831. Got about 2" group at 50yds. OAL 3.284"
3) 270 140gr Sierra Spitzer BT 54 and 55gr IMR 4831. OAL 3.308". Again about 2" at 50yds
This Ruger 270 has probably 1500-2000 rounds shot. Do you think the barrel is worn out?

4) Ruger 308 150gr Rem PSP. 44 and 45 gr IMR 4064. Again about 2" at 50yds. OAL 2.752"
5) Ruger 308 150gr Sierra Boattail Spitzer. RL-15 44gr and 45gr. Did get about 1" with 44gr. OAL 2.778"

See different amounts RL15 for 308 150gr bullets for max loads??

Since reloading supplies are hard to get just trying to come up with a load that can get 2" at 100yds. Any advice on OAL or powder changes in these 3 powders I have would be great. Thanks in advance for any help...Tom
 
If your Ruger M77 is one of the older models, they were not noted for good accuracy.

RELH
 
That seems like a lot of slack to try to take up from the reloading bench.

Take it to your favorite gunsmith and have him look it over. They can scope the barrel and look for any obvious causes, and suggest other things to try like a bedding job.

Good luck
 
First thing I would do is clean the 270 with a good cleaning solvent and then a copper solvent and get the barrel clean. What is your current cleaning process?
Next make sure your scope rings and your action screws are torqued to specs.
I personally like to pick a powder and bullet and then load a ladder test to find what nodes the rifle likes. Then fine tune from there.
Regarding OAL I would recommend you google search how to measure your lands and do that with your specific bullets and rifles. You may be limited by magazine box length but if you can touch the lands I would start .020 off initially.
 
When a barrel goes it usually will shoot better for the first 4-6 shots, out of a clean barrel.
Then goes straight to all over the place.
Worn rifling is shallow and fills with fowling quick.
Reloader 15 burn rate is perfect for the .308 winchester. Similar powders are wise choices.
IMR 4831 is a pretty versatile powder. Good accuracy can be had with most powder, if you work with it. But speed may not always be the most optimal.
 
Thanks guys, will try some of your ideas. Also still wondering what the factory OAL is for the 270 130gr Rem PSP and the 308 Rem 150gr PSP.
 
To find OAL for your gun, neck size a case shot from that gun. Load a bullet just barely in the neck and load in the gun. This will take moderate bolt pressure to push the bullet into the case mouth. carefully eject the round and measure the length, subtract .015 (or .020, your choice). Voila! You have OAL,FOR THAT GUN!
make sure that length fits in the magazine. I have a 270 that I can’t get better than 2” groups because I am limited by magazine length. As mentioned above, build a powder ladder and see how it goes. You may get close and can fine tune by moving the bullet in or out .005. That’s how I do it anyway, YMMV.. Also, good advice to have it looked at and give them a really good cleaning before trying to work up a load.
Ed
 
Trying to get as close to the rifling as possible, doesn't work to great if the overall length won't feed in you mag well.
 
Trying to get as close to the rifling as possible, doesn't work to great if the overall length won't feed in you mag well.
Yes sir.
as I stated in my post, some will work and some may not I’ve had it both ways. I also cautioned him to check that issue. If you want to load to SAAMI specs he can just google that or look it up in any decent reloading manual. However, I have set up several rifles to sub .5 MOA using that technique.
ed
 
Thanks guys, hoping today to try what you mentioned. Will make up some rounds. Hopefully in next 2 weeks will shoot them.

One more quick question. Just want to make sure. Say I put dummy round in and close bolt, then eject slowly. Measure. Say it is 3.175". If I take .020 off would new reading be 3.155? The bullet is ready to shoot then? Thanks again.
 
The case mouth of the dummy cartridge will usually need to be cut and the bullet crimped lightly in place ,so that it will push back as it hits the rifling. Many times it may get stuck a little and pulled forward as it is extracted.
Best to do 5 times at least and average the measurements of the ones that are all relatively close to each other.
There are many ways to do it.
Sometimes a fired ,unsized case can be used by using pliers to squeeze the mouth onto a bullet.
Or you can push a long seated cartridge into the chamber and use a rod down the barrel to measure to the bullet. Then measure to the bolt face with the rod and subtract the difference.
Or buy a tool designed to take the measurements.
 
I personally stopped chasing the lands. I just start with the longest length that feeds in my mag well and seat deeper little by little during load development, checking for accuracy after I establish the safe max load of powder.
Many bullets shoot very well with quite a bit of jump.
The long, heavy for caliber, speak bullets may need to be seated ad long as possible.
 
For the Barnes all copper bullets, they recommend starting at 50 thousand from the lands and you should find the most accurate load somewhere between 30 to 70 thousand. Weatherby rifles had a good amount of freebore built in during the chamber process and many of them were giving up groups well under minute of angle.
RELH
 

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