[jburke]

I've been working on building up my inventory of 30-06 ammunition. Recently, i purchased some 150g FMJ boat tail spire point in bulk. Whith correct case length and correct COL, the end of the case is not around the grove on the bullet (can't think of the correct word for that groove, but i know there is a name for it). The ammunition will be used in a M1 Garand. What do you all suggest?

 

[MikeG]

I would load the case mouth to the cannelure and give them a modest crimp for the M1.

 

[jburke]

THAT's the word! Wow, couldn't remember the word cannelure to save my life. Thank you.

I wondered if that might be the right way to load the bullets. I loaded about 20 rounds with the correct case length, but as i mentioned the cannelure is still completely exposed. After the first round, tried chambering in the M1 and it chambered fine, so continued. I was concerned with spacing between the bullet and barrel being too great if i seated in the cannelure. You're thinking it will be fine? Haven't tried firing any of these loads yet.

 

[broom_jm]

The "correct" length, as you refer to it, is actually the maximum that will work in most magazines. For the Garand, being a semi-auto, you really want to be more concerned with the bullets being crimped properly, which is what the cannelure is there to help ensure. Seating them so they can be crimped in the cannelure will give the case a good grip on the bullet, so they don't shift under recoil. Unless you're going to load each of those 20 rounds individually, I would go back and seat them deeper, to the cannelure, then crimp them.

Jason

 

[jburke]

Unless you're going to load each of those 20 rounds individually Nope...8 per clip , I would go back and seat them deeper, to the cannelure, then crimp them. On today's agenda to do so.

Jason[/QUOTE]

 

[unclenick]

As Jason said, that number is only a maximum guaranteed to fit in magazines. It does not guarantee the round will fit in the chamber. Some more blunt shapes, like a round nose, can jam right into the throat if they are seated out that far, so they have to be seated shorter. More to the point, self-loaders like the Garand need the case neck to have a good grip on the bullet. If you seat a short bullet like the Hornady FMJ, for example, out beyond its cannelure, the neck isn't holding on to a lot of metal, and it becomes easy for the forces shoving the round up the loading ramp to tip the bullet severely off-axis, which can lead to inaccuracy at best, and a jam and slamfire at worst.

A rule of thumb I use for self-loading from a magazine is to try to get the bearing surface of the bullet a caliber into the case mouth minimum. The bearing surface is the cylindrical portion of the bullet with its widest diameter. Some bullets are too short for that, but it's at least an objective to aim for.