After messing with loads in my 222 Rem, I noticed it gives best accuracy with a Horn 50V-Max jammed into the rifling. WAY into the rifling! (about .050"). Does anyone else jam this much into the lands, or is this somehow a bad idea? Thanks-
If you jam into rifling....how much?
- Thread starter Fatelvis
- Start date
Depends on your usage. If your just out shooting and you carry a rod to push the bullet out, should you have to unload a live round it's not a problem. If on the other hand if it fails to go bang and that is now a very bad thing, it will only be you with the problem.
Bottom line, if you have to jam the bullet into the lands the load or your case prep is lacking. Any bullet that has to be jammed to shoot moa or better will haunt you some day, at the worst time. I cast and loaded for a .222 long ago, it was a simple round to get to shoot very well. This is the reason it was the bench rest favorite for years and years.
I have one rifle that I jam .050. In reality the bullet just gets pushed back in the case. My gun drives tacks this way. Most of my rifles are .010 to .015 in and all will agg. under .5 moa. I would not do this on a big game rifle but for varmints I would not hesitate. Happy shooting.
Regards, Paul
In general, don't. The fist time you open the bolt and the bullet stays int he bore you'll know why. Jamming is good because it centers the bullet in the bore (in theory). But that's only good if your rifle is operating. Outside of low neck-tension benchrest rounds, I wouldn't do it.
Yeah, I agree with above advice. Sticking a bullet in the bore is a real pain in the ass, and everybody, at one time or another will have to eject a round. Also, what was said about 50 thou into the bore is probably not happening? To find out measure over all length before and after and see how much you might be pushing the bullet into the case rather than jamming it into the bore.
However, taking what was said at face value, it is possible that you have a run out problem with your seating die and you could be curing this problem by jamming the bullet into the lands? Just a guess?
So, to summarize, for most situations, jamming the bullet is not a good idea, except perhaps for accuracy bench work? Sometimes, one disassembly and one thorough
cleaning is not enough, you have to do it over again. It's amazing how one kernel of extruded powder can lock up a sear, or keep a trigger from functioning, at all. And spherical powder? Take my word for it; you don't want to deal with it in the field.
However, taking what was said at face value, it is possible that you have a run out problem with your seating die and you could be curing this problem by jamming the bullet into the lands? Just a guess?
So, to summarize, for most situations, jamming the bullet is not a good idea, except perhaps for accuracy bench work? Sometimes, one disassembly and one thorough
cleaning is not enough, you have to do it over again. It's amazing how one kernel of extruded powder can lock up a sear, or keep a trigger from functioning, at all. And spherical powder? Take my word for it; you don't want to deal with it in the field.
I didnt think so either. I came across it kinda backwards though. The rifle always shot very well with almost anything I loaded in it, but after buying a Forster Ultra seater I loaded a few using it and inadvertently loaded some longer than usual to test. They shot into bugholes! I saved a couple for samples and went home and measured the seating depth as they looked much longer than the others. Sure enough, after measuring them, and then double checking the rifle's throat with the Hornady tool, they were .50" long. I do have .002" neck tension on the bullets as well.
