.308 bullet seated too deep. Still safe to shoot?

[Shooter14854]

Hey everybody, I just want to start by saying I’m new to reloading. I loaded some .308 last night using IMR4166 powder. I followed my reloading book and used 44gr of powder. I used Hornady 150gr FMJBT. I trimmed my classes to 2.005.

my loading manual said to seat the bullet to 2.800. I started doing that and the bullet was way to long and not anywhere near the crimp line on the bullet. I ended up seating to 2.700 which looked perfect. By question is will the bullet still be safe to shoot even though it’s seated .10 too deep? Or do I need to get a bullet puller and restart. Thanks for the help! Sorry for the stupid question.

 

[AJC1]

Hey everybody, I just want to start by saying I’m new to reloading. I loaded some .308 last night using IMR4166 powder. I followed my reloading book and used 44gr of powder. I used Hornady 150gr FMJBT. I trimmed my classes to 2.005.

my loading manual said to seat the bullet to 2.800. I started doing that and the bullet was way to long and not anywhere near the crimp line on the bullet. I ended up seating to 2.700 which looked perfect. By question is will the bullet still be safe to shoot even though it’s seated .10 too deep? Or do I need to get a bullet puller and restart. Thanks for the help! Sorry for the stupid question.

If your at a starting charge no problem. If your above half the charge range you may have pressure problems. Is it dangerous most likely not but you know your rig the best.

 

[JFrank]

44.0 gr of powder is a stiff load.

Post a picture of your loaded cartridge please.

 

[AJC1]

One grain above starting charge with a powder that apparently you can fill the case with, send it.

 

[jmr40]

44.0 gr of powder is a stiff load.

43 gr is starting load, 48 gr is max.

FWIW I ignore the canelure. Most of the bullets I load don't even have one. I tend to seat bullets just as long as possible to fit both magazine and the chamber.

I'd just shoot it.

 

[milboltnut]

SAMMI shows COAL way below Bullet/powder publications. Check with SAMMI number.. if it's under SAMMI then definitely bring it out, but there's no reason to go below publications. If your magazine can accept an OAL that it will load/feed reliably, then you can adjust it to play with accuracy. I use a Hornady COAL gauge to do this. There are other ways. Just be sure to work up from start and watch for pressure signs, hard extracting, flattened primers really flattened primers. If I can see the round edge of a primer I'm good, and even if you get a flattened primer and extracts without a stiff bolt, then it's ok.

 

[stillquietvoice]

44.0 gr of powder is a stiff load.

Post a picture of your loaded cartridge please.

I'm with @South Prairie Jim id like to see a pic of your loaded round.

@Shooter14854 welcome to the forum

 

[AJC1]

I'm with @South Prairie Jim id like to see a pic of your loaded round.

@Shooter14854 welcome to the forum

Assuming you have been given good data is problematic. Visually verifying seems logical

 

[JFrank]

One grain above starting charge with a powder that apparently you can fill the case with, send it.View attachment 1003776

Thx to @AJC1 for this data I stand corrected, my 308s are tuned and shooting strong at 44.2 using most powders except the 4166 the Op has mentioned.
J

 

[AgPilot]

If it bolts…….

 

[Charlie98]

He didnt' say what he was shooting them in, or what brass he was using either.

Oddly enough, I just loaded some of those bullets up Monday, for my M1a. Yes, indeedy, those cannelures are up there, I believe intended for the M1 Garand but I may be all wet on that. I seated them to 2.785" which still gives me good neck tension. I have seated them at the cannelure, but I worked the powder charge up for it, in military brass.

 

[bluejay75]

If it’s only one pull it. Use grip pliers if you don’t have a puller. Donate that one to the shooting fairy.

 

[IALoder]

I'm pretty sure the Hornady manual calls for their 150 fmj to be seated at 2.700" in .308. If you're uncomfortable shooting them, pull em. Rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

43 gr is starting load, 48 gr is max.

FWIW I ignore the canelure. Most of the bullets I load don't even have one. I tend to seat bullets just as long as possible to fit both magazine and the chamber.

I'd just shoot it.

^^^^^ What he said.
I load Sierra 150g Match 308s in 300BO and the cannelure is a good .200 above the neck of the case. I also load them in 308w and they still wind up above the neck.
It just depends on the powder you are using and the COL.
This also happens with 5.56 but most times the cannelure is in the right spot. It is NOT important where it ends up. What is important is the COL and the correct ball park powder charge.

 

[joneb]

Assuming .308 means the .308 Winchester cartridge and not the other dozen or more cartridges that start with ".308" I'd say you could be ok with that load, a tenth of a inch is quite a bit. How many did you load? I would pull three and reload one at 42.5gr, one at 43 and one at 43.5gr and see how that goes.
My Howa .308 Win will take a COL of 2.83" to fit the mag well, to fit the chamber maybe a different story. When in doubt trust your gut, start over or double up on the eye protection and let us know how it goes.

 

[Shooter14854]

Thanks everybody for the advice! I ended up just pulling the bullets and starting over. I did a starting load of 39gr and worked up to 43gr still at 2.700 COL. Also to clarify it’s .308 Winchester

 

[Varminterror]

SAMMI shows COAL way below Bullet/powder publications. Check with SAMMI number.. if it's under SAMMI then definitely bring it out,

SAAMI’s generic guideline has absolutely zero relevance for specific bullet seating depth. The bullet manufacturer is a far, far better - as in infinitely better - resource for COAL information for a specific bullet than is SAAMI.

Most reloaders will load their entire lives without ever knowing the SAAMI coal for any of their loads. It’s an irrelevant parameter for anything beyond an approximate ballpark for what is typically an old world bullet design, and only sparsely applicable for mag length. Nobody should be seating bullets based on any SAAMI coal spec.

 

[AJC1]

Thanks everybody for the advice! I ended up just pulling the bullets and starting over. I did a starting load of 39gr and worked up to 43gr still at 2.700 COL. Also to clarify it’s .308 Winchester

Ok I'm confused how did you get that low of a charge. Do you have 4064 or the powder you listed?????

 

[milboltnut]

Ok I'm confused how did you get that low of a charge. Do you have 4064 or the powder you listed?????

IMR 4166 he said he's using..

 

[9x56MS]

I would recommend shooting them and see how accurate they are. What type of rifle are you soothing them out of?

 

[lordpaxman]

Welcome to THR.

Thanks everybody for the advice! I ended up just pulling the bullets and starting over. I did a starting load of 39gr and worked up to 43gr still at 2.700 COL. Also to clarify it’s .308 Winchester

I was wondering where you got your data from? My Hornady 10th edition lists the 150 FMJ-BT at 2.700”, but has no data for 4166 which is a relatively new powder. Perhaps the 11th, or the paid subscription has it? If so can you let us know? Hodgdon’s online data has two different Nosler 150’s listed, with very different min/Max’s and at 2.800”. You said your manual said 2.800” as well.
It’s good that you know the COL is important, but a better question to the group here is there published data for the specific bullet powder combination. Good luck.

 

[Walkalong]

Thanks everybody for the advice! I ended up just pulling the bullets and starting over. I did a starting load of 39gr and worked up to 43gr still at 2.700 COL. Also to clarify it’s .308 Winchester

That will definitely be just fine according to the Hodgdon data referenced, perhaps even overly cautious, as the 44 Grs @ 1.270 would have likely been OK.

1.280 is the SAMMI max OAL for .308 Win, and what I loaded my 168 Gr SMK to for my FN-SPR, but what is important is the rounds fit the mag and are not loaded obscenely short. For my hunting rifle in .308 I load bullets to the cannelure with a light roll crimp.

You're on the right track here, but as posters have said, you can ignore the cannelure and load a little longer if you wish, but it's a FMJ, so I assume keen accuracy isn't the first goal, so an OAL that functions well is what you want. I have shot the Hornady 150 Gr FMJ in .308 and 300 BLK, loaded so the case mouth and cannelure matched up.

 

[Shooter14854]

I got my data from The Hornady reloading manual app. It puts the 150gr FMJ overall length at 2.70. I couldn’t find much info for the 4166 powder. I took the data that called for 2.80 OAL at 43gr powder and just reduced it a few grains (about 10%) and worked my way up just to be safe. I’m shooting it out of an AR10 with an 18 inch barrel. It’s starting to sound like I might be being a little overly cautious...

 

[milboltnut]

https://saami.org/wp-content/upload...99.4-CFR-Approved-2015-12-14-Posting-Copy.pdf

page 110

 

[Charlie98]

I got my data from The Hornady reloading manual app. It puts the 150gr FMJ overall length at 2.70. I couldn’t find much info for the 4166 powder. I took the data that called for 2.80 OAL at 43gr powder and just reduced it a few grains (about 10%) and worked my way up just to be safe. I’m shooting it out of an AR10 with an 18 inch barrel. It’s starting to sound like I might be being a little overly cautious...

Let us know how it turns out... the only experience I've had with any Enduron powder is IMR4451 in the 6.5CM, and I wasn't all that impressed with it. IMR4166 might be a little slow with a 150grn bullet in an 18" barrel, but you never know...