Encores and the OAL

[teddy12b]

I have an encore 26" 30-06 and I haven't gotten too carried away with handloading for it.  I have loaded some ammo for it in the past, but I have never really tried to find it's accuracy load, as opposed to a hunting load. 

Do those of you who handload for an encore mess around with the overall length or do you just follow the book? 

[Davemuzz]

TeddyB,

My "primary" bullet (or my go to bullet that I try first) is Nosler. Nosler will tell you in their reloading book to load their bullets 50 to 20 thousands off of the lands. Hornady doesn't tell you that and I'm unsure what Sierria or Barnes has to say.

In any event, I will tell you that with Nosler's the OAL will make a difference in accuracy in most guns.

Dave

[LaOtto222]

I do not have an Encore, but a guy I work with does. He has a custom 6mm Norma BR barrel for his. He is real fussy about loading for it. He found out that it shoots best .015" INTO the lands. He shoots around .3 MOA at 100 yards with his. You just have to try different OAL to find what is best for your particular barrel. It might be .020" or .040" off of the lands is best, might be kissing the lands is best. Just be cautious about loading into the lands or kissing the lands, pressures will go up and generally you have to throttle back on the powder charge. It is just a theory, but I think when you load into the lands or just kissing the lands you get more consistent powder burn. Folks that load into the lands generally do not crimp their bullets so it "holds" the bullet back just a little before it starts to push it down the barrel.

[Davemuzz]

Yeah.....loading where the bullet just touches the lands is a "touchy" deal. Inconsistent olgive's on bullets can cause one or two bullets to give you a high pressure spike that you really don't want. I have found that loading 'em close will get desired results.

MHO

Dave

[limerock]

What's the best way to measure the OAL on the Encore? 

[Kurt L]

The hornady lock-n-load bullet comparator kit you use with a dial caliper
and the head space set are great tools to cover a broad range of calibers.
 also the rcbs mic set is very good also but you have to get one for each cartridge.
mine are the old stoney point tools but i prefer this set as i can do all my work with these sets
at about the cost of one rcbs mic set for 30-06.

[Kurt L]

I forgot to say both tool sets are made to measure from the bullets olgive to the case head stamp.
this will aid in getting more accurate measurements to get close to the rifling.
this is much better than trying to measure from case head to the tip of the bullet.

[limerock]

I have the stoney point tool myself, but I can't chamber the bullet all the way in due to the ejector won't push in unless you close the action.  Is there a trick around this?

[Forest Walker]

take the barrel off

[limerock]

Simple enough!  Thanks.

[teddy12b]

For whatever it's worth I use a stoney point.

[beemanbeme]

Loading ammo with the bullet into the lands isn't something to be entered into lightly by a novice reloader nor is it recommended by any accomplished reloader for hunting ammo.